The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-07-23
tor had been d4sta 1t and constrained
for veara vof tho },11Co's widow vvfxa

1
characteristic OF the easy going doctor,
he had delayed making out the legal
adoption papers for Esther. He had
only insisted that she be called Esther
Lee. What her real name was the po-
lite Virginians had not asked. but 1t
was whispered that 1t was Harding
When questioned by the puzzled
sheriff as to what procedure he should
follow after the identification of the
broken guitar. found by the footprints
In the flower beds. the judges widow
had coldly replied. DO your duty!''
and the sheriff. with his deputy, set
out for Stanley hall to apprehend
Arthur Stanley I'd on suspicion OF the
murder Of DR.. Henry Lee.
| At their parting there had been one
gift Of Hagar's that Esther had since
lovingly cherished. 1t was a pair Of
carrier pigeons
Take these, my dear daughter"
Hagar had said. IF you are ever In
trouble and need me send message
by the birds. Their homing place is
our gypsy rendezvous In the Blue
ridge. Even If l am not there when
the message comes, some of our tribe
will be. They will know where l am
and fetch me the word
SO Esther, under the open espionage
of Blair's mother, had taken one of
the pigeons from it's cage on the porch
to send by this aerial carrier to Hagar.
The message read briefly, Come at.
once, dear mother; I need you" She
simply signed 1t Esther"
From her lattice window she releas-
ed her feathered messenger. 1t dew
swiftly to the west. straight as the
arrow files.
The sheriff and his deputy were not
long in reaching Stanley hall. They
alighted with businesslike clatter,
and the sheriff dumped up the steps
and across the wide, hospitable portier
and made the great iron knocker wake
the echoes Of the silent mansion. With
an indicative gesture of his thumb he
had sent his deputy to guard the rear
Joe, the natty and worldly wise col
ored man servant of the until recently
wild young master Of Stanley hall, was
wondering at the impudent urgency of
the clamor that had aroused him as he
reached the bottom Of the staircase,
when he stood stock still, shaken for
once out Of his usual superior airs and
self possession, to behold his young
master, wild eyed and disheveled, rush
from the library and seize him, ex-
claiming as he did so: Don't open that
door! | have killed man, and they
are after me
With chattering teeth and shaking
knees the erstwhile dandy darky chung,
for support In the weakness Of his
fright to the pedestal Of the balustrade
at the foot of the old colonial STAIR
case
Still the sheriff hammered at the
door. crying s.entoriously, "Open in the
name of the law!' and still the fright
ened darby chung to the balustrade, di-
vided In his terror between the awful
authority of the law that he was dis
ODeylng and IN fear Of the fate this till
now sophisticated servitor had felt for
his young master.
One glance from the low French win
dows that looked from the library upon
the grounds at the back of Stanley hall
and Arthur was aware of the watchful
deputy, with drawn pistol
at this juncture the automobile
agent from Richmond came with honk-
ing horn up the driveway with one Of
the first automobiles that had ever es-
sayed the roads Of Fairfax. With the
| agent, who proudly drove the red
| French racer, was an oily and grimy
garage mechanic driving low, old but
| powerful one seated garage handy car
battered and Scared from much hard
service, but still strong, speedy and
dependable
The sheriff hammered and kicked
unavaillngly at the stout, great white
! door as these "newfangled contrap-
TONS" as he called them, drove up to
the portico steps. II am the sheriff."
he explained to the wondering auto
mobile man. Il am after man for
murder, and summon you to aid me-"
The taciturn garage mechanic brought
a heavy iron jack from his battered old
car, and he and the sheriff soon had
! the stout oak door shattering beneath
the battering ram blows they dealt 1t
with this heavy instrument Of iron.
AS the door gave way Arthur darted
from the library past the still quaking
negro In the hallway and into the din
ing room. He passed through the din
Ing room into the conservatory at its
back that overlooked, as did the libra
~, the grounds at the rear of Stan
ley hall. But here his way was block
ed by iron and glass, there was no
egress from the conservatory save
through the dining room
AS he turned to retrace his steps the
sheriff. with the frightened automobile
man ut his back, appeared at the door
OF the conservatory with leveled re-
volver and demanded Arthu,s sur
render Arthur's reply was to seize
a heavy rustic chair and with one
swinging, sweeping blow thrust aside