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

A cultural cry came from the pris-
oner; he wrenched to free his arms,
and tried clumsily to trip Poe.
We've got your pal. Tell me the
tune. Was it Hold the Fort'?" the
bankerdetective insisted.
| A crafty CLEAN lurked In the pris-
oner's eyes, as his sullen face turned
full toward Poe.
| Eyes," he gurgled.
| II thought / was right" cried Poe,
stamping his heel twice on the bus
roof
The bus lurched forward, and two
minutes later passed in front Of the
MacGregor mansion. Poe, having
slipped to the seat beside his prisoner
to maintain better hold on him,
placed the mouth-organ to his lips, and
played the first few bars of 1--WE Got
| Mine" just as they were passing the
MacGregor home. The notes struck
clear in the quiet night, and, content
| ing himself with few bars, Poe flung
the mouth-organ away, and proceeded
to tie his man with a stout cord he
had brought along.
Two blocks lower the bus came to
a halt. Clancy jumped aboard, and
took charge of the prisoner Poe
leaped down and dashed back to the
MacGregor mansion. He passed
through the basement door behind the
servants quarters and down into the
cellar. There he stationed himself be-
side an old iron ash-door near the
furnace, recently plastered up.
There, mentally and physically on
tip-toe, he waited until dark figure
suddenly outlined itself in the gray
light of the cellar, sneaking down from
above by means of a little-used stair.
way.
The dark figure never knew how II
happened, but as he reached for the
handle of the plastered-up iron door,
a gunny-sack was jerked over his
head, and the next he knew he was
| whizZed away in an auto, and his eyes
opened on the interesting spectacle
of five earnest policemen and a desk
sergeant with pen dipped, ready to
book him.
| AS soon as Poe had turned this
basement skulker over to Andrew and
detective who took him to the sta
ton, he rushed upstairs, and knocked
on the door of the room in which he
had left Mrs. MacGregor. She flew
to the door herself, and opened it, her
eyes questioning him incisively.
Come" he said, taking her on one
arm and Rose McDermott on the other,
and leading them upstairs to Mrs. Mac
Gregor's own boudoir. There he
switched on the lights, and pointed
to the ivory-inlaid crib.
There lay Geordie MacGregor, rich
est boy in the world, sleeping quietly.
Mrs MacGregor and old Rose hurled
themselves on him together, having
him with kisses and tears.
Geordie spluttered and awakened.
eff you'll stop making fuss over
me, mamma, I'd rather like to go to
Sleep" he said drowsily.
| But he was aroused out of that
state, and soon surrounded by a rejoic-
| ing household Of summoned relatives,
servants and detectives.
Poe took Mrs MacGregor aside for
a moment, as he excused himself to
go home before the sensation was an
nounced. He handed her the sheets
| Of music taken from the blind beggar's
| room.
:These may prove interesting me-
mentos to Geordie at some future date.
| They are from the extensive repertory
of the accordion player who bothered
your rest this morning. He renders
| the first few bars of this copy Of
'Tenting Tonight remarkably. He
puts all his emphasis on the ten and
tonight. That was how l knew we
might expect second message from
the kidnapers at ten tonight. On the
mouth-organ he can play I've Got
Mine and Hold the Fort quite nicely.
"But don't understand. What do
you mean?"
Its very simple. The blind beggar
was pal to the man who has held
Geordie in captivity the past twenty
four hours. He had score Of tunes
which he played, emphasizing certain
words or titles in such way that
by a prearranged plan he could warn
| the man in charge of Geord1e just
what was going on in the outer world
and exactly what move to make next.
If he had been successful in getting
away with the money tonight, he had
arranged to play I've Got Nine which
would be the cue to his pal to put
| Geordie back in bed where he found
him. If he failed, he was to play
Hold the Fort l heard him practic-
ing"
But how could he signal the man
with Geordie from across the street, in
front of our very house?"
Because Geordie hasn't been out
of the house. He has been spending
his time very pleasantly, am sure.
with the kidnaper, in the turret at the
top of the house, in the padded cell
that Bryan MacGregor used to have