The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-07-29

Quick! Where is Mrs. MacGreg
orr" ordered Poe.
A minute later he was opening the
object that had landed at his feet al
the same moment that the sharp ex
plosion had alarmed the whole house
hold. It was small tin tobacco box
powder-blackened, with dent in 1t
Inside was a note, intact, which read
The time haz arrive. Wrap the
money in tight roll, put it in a
straw hat, tie it in tight an hang
1t by a string six inch long from
lowest branch OF elum tree at the
dark corner along the park, oppo-
sitiye of the new building at Six
ty-eighth street & Fifth avenue.
Be CAREFUL!
You are being watched. The
bullet that came with this order
meanz bizness. There is lots more
of them.
Hang the hat there at minutes
to one o'clock, then the police Is at
the uther end of his beat an IL you
are CAREFUL nobody sees you. You
can throw the string over the end
of the branch and pull the hat up.
Don't let it be ceen or Death is
Yours and Cords.
Don't be foolish an try games
(. with US for If there is any decte-
tives around the money will not be
tuched and you an Cord will both
get Death for yours.
At minutes to 1. Remember.
II all Is we'll and you play no
underhand the boy Cord is return
Immediate.
P. S. Spesial.
Mama, do as the man says or he
will kill me. Cord.
What are you going to dog
breathed Mrs. MacGregor, repressint
her horror with an effort which
strained every feature.
'Exacty as they say" replied Poe
Except that cut paper will take the
place of the money"
But when they disc"
"Now don't lose CONTROL" Poe
clasped her hand firmly in his. "I
isn't right for, them to prey on yor
with appeals they make Geordie sign
The boys all right Don't worry"
He took the kidnaper's note, ant
went up to the smoking room. There
he cut some heavy bond paper into
strips the size Of paper currency
pressed large bunch into a nea
bundle, and forced it into the crown Of
an old straw hat, tying it in. He SEM
Andrew out for Clancy, posing as 9
coachman, and when the excited detec
tive came in, Poe gave him definite
orders about tying the hat on the tree
exactly according to orders at two
minutes to one, added advice as to his
after that, and dismissed
him.
He called up certain number
where he was known as Mr.. Hardy
received some information which
seemed satisfactory, and then took {
taxi to Washington Square, where the
blind beggar had alighted that after
noon. He met man by appointment
and went with him to nearby room
where he changed quickly to the CARL
of conductor on the Fifth avenue bus
line, starting from Washington Square
you'll have just time to take out
your car said the bus-line employe
who had brought him the uniform
There won't be many passengers. It's
the last trip. Be careful, Mr.. Hardy.
Poe ran down the stairs, and hur
ried up to the big green auto bus
whose conductor he was to be for the
trip. Forty minutes later the bus had
passed the MacGregor mansion on its
uptown trip, and had come to stoI
at its terminal in the "Nineties.
Poe held a whispered conversation
with the driver, there being nobody
about, and at schedule time rang the
bell for the return trip downtown
There wasn't a passenger aboard, ex
cept a drunken old woman in shabby
clothing who sat inside the bus. Poe
paid no attention to her. At Eighty
sixth street the bus came to stop
hailed by a street-corner passenger
Poe had his face averted as he rang
the bell to go ahead. The passenger
glanced at the drunken woman within
ran lightly up the steps, and took q
seat alone outside, on the bus top, sit
ting on the side nearest the park
Poe went up presently, and collected
his fare.
He turned to his platform below
but at SEVENTEEN street climbed the
stairs again, and cried in the weary
tone of bus conductors, Look out for
low branches"
The lone passenger turned sharply.
He had been sitting tense. straining
forward in the front seat At Poe's
caution he made an irascible motion
for him to go down and cried:
GAIL right! All right! take care
Of myself"
Poe had started as IL to return to
his platform, and the young man
seemed satisfied, turning at once to
gaze ahead along the line Of low