The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1916-05-11

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In the Cosmic club Mr.. Algernon
SpoffOrd was a figure OF distinction.
Amidst the varied, curious, eccentric,
brilliant. and even slightly unbalanced
minds which made the organization
unique, his was the only wholly solid
misgiving that the Advisor opened
the door of his sanctum to Mr.. Spot
ford, on a harsh December noon. But
the misgivings were supplanted by
pleased surprise when the caller laid
in his hand a clipping from small
country-town paper, to this effect:
RANSOM LOST LAD FROM HAIR
tanned for ransom. Safe and sound to
parents for $4,000. Write Mortimer Nor
ley, General Delivery. N. Y. Post Office
Average Jones looked from the ad-
vertisement to the vacuous smile OF
Mr.. Algernon Spofford.
"Algy, who sent this to you?"
Cousin of mine up in Harwick.
used to visit in Harwick so they asked
me to get you interested in Bailey
Prentices case. He's the lost boy"
you've done it, Now tell me all
you know"
Spofford produced a letter which
gave the outlines Of the case. Bailey
Prentice's disappearance, it was set
forth, was the lesser Of two simultane-
Gus phenomena which violently Jared
the somnolent New England village OF
Harwick from it's wonted calm. The
greater was the "Harwick meteor"
At ten-fifteen on the night of Deem
Der IL, the streets being full Of people,
coming from the moving picture show,
there was a startling conclusion from
the overhanging clouds and the as
founded populace saw a ball Of flame
plunging earthward, to the northwest
of the town, and waxing in intensity
as It fell. Darkness succeeded. But,
within a minute, lurid radiance rose
and spread in the night. The aerial
bolt had gone crashing through an old
barn on the Tuxall place, setting 1t
af1re.
Bailey Prentice was among the very
few who did not go to the fire. Taken
in connection with the fact that he
was fourteen years old and very thor
oughly a boy, this, in ITSELF was phe-
nomenal. In the excitement of the &C.
casion, however, his absence was not
noted. But when, on the following
morning, Rev. Peter Prentice. go
ing UP to call his son, found the boys
room empty and the bed untouched,
the second sensation Of the day was
launched. Bailey Prentice had, quite
simply vanished.
On the afternoon of December IA
coat and waistcoat we're found on the
seashore a mile north Of the village.
Rev. Mr.. Peter Prentice identified the
clothes as his sons. Searching par
ties covered the beach for miles, look
ing for the body. Preparations were
made for the funeral services, when
a new and astonishing factor was in
jected into the situation. An adver-
tisement, received by mail from New
York, with stamps affixed to the copy
to pay for it's insertion, appeared IN
the local paper.
And here's the advertisement" con-
cluded Mr. Algernon Spofford indicat-
ing the slip Of paper which he had
turned over to Average Jones.
Average Jones took train for Har-
wick, and within few hours was rub
bling his hands over an open fire In
the parsonage, whose stiff and cheer
less aspect bespoke the lack of wom-
ans humanizing touch. for Rev. Mr..
Prentice was widower. Overweight
with anxiety and strain, the haggard
clergyman, as soon as he had taken
his visitors coat, began hurried, In
consequential narrative. broke on
tried again, fell into an ineXtricable
confusion of words, and. dropping his
head in his hands, cried:
II can't tell you. 1t is all hopeless
jumble.'
Gomez" said the younger man en-
couragingly. Comfort yourself with
the idea that your son is alive, at any
rate"
But how can I be sure, even of
that?"
Average Jones glanced at a copy of
the advertisement which he held. Il
think we can take Mr.. Morley's word
30 far"
Even so; fifty thousand dollars ran
som!" said the minister, and stopped
with a groan.
"Nonsense!" said Average Jones
heartily. you can dismiss the adver-
tisement as blind; the second blind,
in fact"
sThe second?"
Certainly. The first was the cloth
ing on the shore. 1t was put there to
create the impression that your son
was drowned"
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