The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-03-13
Help!
There Was Mystery In the Call,
but 1t Was Revealed at Last
By ALAN HzMsDALE

0V <A4~fA4N f1kfVA1A<fAAAEl
-------------o
was living in house which stood
alone, though in city. There was
but one other house on the block. BY
block 1 mean the area inclosed by four
streets. The streets In this case had
been laid out paved and curbed, but
thus far there was but little building
on them. The other house that / have
mentioned faced on the street running
parallel to the one on which / lived,
and the rear part of the two houses
were exposed to each other.
had recently been admitted to the
bar and had swung out my single.
All day l sat In my Office waiting for
clients, but clients did not come. A
young lawyer is more apt to hit upon
clients outside his Office than In 1t. /
was destined to do SO myself, but the
way my first client came to me was by
no means usual
had come to my room after business
hours-it was a hall bedroom in the
house / have described. | was board
ing at the time and sat down by the
window. It was springtime, and,
though it was o'clock, the sun was
still high. The day was warm, and the
window sash was thrown up.
The view was not attractive In
deed, there was nothing for me to look
at except the house on the other street,
and could only see the rear Of that.
l noticed that the window shutters on
the third story were all closed, while
those on the lower floors were open.
While looked square. white sub
stance-it was cardboard slipped
between the Stats and exposed to view.
There appeared to be something writ
ten on it, but t was too far distant
for me to see what 1t was. But / had
pair Of opera glasses in my bureau
drawer, and, getting them, I brought
them to bear on the writing. There
was the single word:
"Helpp'
/ had no sooner lowered my glasses
than the cardboard was withdra wn.
From this inferred that some one
had seen me at my window and had
put out the message for me to see. But
who this person was I had no knowl
edge.
Nevertheless felt 1t incumbent on
me to respond. But how? / could not
communicate with the unknown. He
or she could put out a message or q
signal for me without its being seen
by any one except me. If put one
out it could be seen by any one In the
rear of the other house. The card
would not have been thus displayed
unless some one was in trouble. If
held a prisoner or i'll treated there
must be others who were responsible
for this. Surely it would not do for
me to act openly In the matter.
By way of reconnoiter | concluded
to go to the house with something to
sell. l could at least see who would
come to the door. With a few pack
ages Of court plaster ! rang the door
bell. A woman, not servant, answer
ed the call. She had disagreeable
look on her face. Certainly 1t was not
inviting, but repeIlant, with a bit OF
suspicion in It. / asked her If could
sell her some court plaster, and she
declined very sharply. at tie same
time taking me in with her eyes from
head to foot. Then it occurred to me
that was rather too well dressed for
one reduced to such beggarly occu-
patton. However, the interview was
cut short by her shutting the door In
my face.
This tended to confirm my belief that
some one was held under duress In the
house While / would not refuse to
attempt to right a wrong, / have al
ways had fancy for minding my own
business. But lawyers business is
other persons affairs, and 1t struck
me that this matter might lead to pro
fessional work. So concluded to fol
low it up.
Being young and inexperienced, II
first occurred to me to break into the
house legally that is, armed with q
search warrant or some other docu-
ment issued by a court, but / was de-
TERED from this by fear Of making a
fool OF myself. Suppose my suspicious
were incorrect, suppose some half wit
ted person was held In the house In
stead Of being sent to an asylum, how
would appear If interfered? No;
must first learn something of the CON
iitions.
/ resolved to go about 1t as If 1t
had it been a case Of law. Some de-
tective work must first be done, and
I would have employed detective ex-
cept for two reasons-I had no money
with which to pay him for his services
and had plenty Of time to make the
investigations myself. began by TAX
ing position near the house in question
and waiting for a delivery wagon to
leave supplies there. Half q day was
consumed at this before meat market
wagon stopped at the house. Irefrain-
ed from asking the young man who
took In the goods who lived there, for
could not do SO without being seen
by those In the house, and that would
excite suspicion. But noted the name
on the wagon and the telephone num-
Der.
Going to my Office, / called Kroeger
& Co., the meat market firm. and asked
It they would give me the name Of
their customer who lived at no Elm
street They replied after much delay
| that they had not been informed OF
the party's name; the transactions had
all been cash. Then 1t occurred to me
to call Information In the telephone
ONCE. did so, but the Office report
ed that at no Elm street there was
no telephone.
My next move was to put some ole
newspapers In a pasteboard box Will
Edgar Washburn's name on 1t and
send 1t to ITO Elm street by messenger
He was to ask If it belonged there and
| In any event ask If Mr.. Washburn die
not live there who did. He came bach
with the information that the person
who had answered the bell had said
that Mr.. Washburn did not live there
and when he asked the name Of the
resident the door was shut in his face
| Every afternoon at about O'clock
showed myself at my window, looking
for another message and having card
ready on which had written In large
letters, what name?" One evening
the card with Help on 1t appeared
again, and at once displayed my own
but for very brief period got nc
reply at the time, but the next morn
ing before going out. as l stood at the
window, card was dropped between
the Stats with Agnes Howe on it.
Here at least was beginning. The
raaaao11 rnnIIi1.frnr hoIr, MOS. !, .4r,l.....