The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-03-15
Help !!
There Was Mystery In the Call,
but Il Was Revealed at Last
BY ALAN HiNSDALE

alone, though In city. There wi
bit one other house on the block. Z
I. block | mean the area inclosed by foI
q streets The streets In this case ha
= been laid out. paved aud curbed. BIT
7 thus far there was but little buildln
|, on them The other house that hav
s mentioned faced on the street runnin
parallel 10 the one on which ] liyet
and the rear part OF the two house
were exposed 10 each other.
had recently been admitted 10 III
bar and bad swung out my shinglt
, All day sat IN my oilice waiting 70
clients. but clients did not come.
, young lawyer is more apt TO hit upol
clients outside his office than In It.
was destined to do SO myself. but th,
way my first client came to me was b,
no means usual
had come 10 my room after business
hours-it was hall bedroom in th,
house | have described. ! was board
ing at the time and sat down by The
window II was springtimc. and
though II 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.
| | noticed that the window shutters on
the third story were all closed. while
| those on the lower floors were open.
While looked a square, white sub
| stancc-it was cardboard was slipped
between the Stats and exposed to view.
There appeared to be something writ
ten on 1t. but it was too far distant
for me to see what 1t was. But ! bad
pair of opera glasses in my bureau
drawer. and getting them, brought
them to bear OH the writing. There
was the single word:
Help
had no sooner lowered my glasses
than the cardboard was withdrawn
From this inferred that some one
had seen me at my window and had
put on the message for me to see. But
who this person was | had no knowl-
edee.
Nevertheless | felt it incumbent on
me TO respond But how? | could not
communicate with the unknown. He
or she could put out a message or n
signal for nc 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 bave 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 70 act OPENLY in the matter
BY way OF reconuoitlr | concluded (
TO 90 to tha house with something to
sell. could NJ least see who would .
come to the door With few pack .
ages OF court plaster rang the door
bell 4 woman, not servant, answer
ed the call. she bad disagreeable
look On her face Certainly it was not
but repcllant, with a bit Of
suspicion in It. ! asked her If ! could
sell her some court plaster. and she
declined very sharply. at the same
ime taking me IN with her eyes from
read to foot. Then it occurred TO me
hat ! was rather too well dressed for
me reduced TO such beggarly occu-
Iation. However, the interview was
ut short by her shutting the door In
nv face.
This tended to confirm my belief that
ONE one was held under duress In the
ouse. While | would not refuse to
tempt TO right a wrong. ! have al
rays had fancy for Winding my own
usiness. But lawyers business Is
Their persons affairs, and II struck
he that this matter might lead to pro !.
,ssional work. So | concluded to fol-
W II up.
Being young and inexperienced. Il
rsi occurred to me to break into the :
)use legally-that is. armed with a
arch warrant or some other docu-
ent issued by court, but ! was de.
rred from this by fear of making a
OF OF myself. Suppose my suspicious :,
ere Incorrect. suppose some half wit '
d person was held In the house I'm. .
FAD Of being sent to an asylum. how -
Duld appear II interferedf No: y
lst first learn something Of the con- ~
ions ~
resolved to go about II as II Il ~
d II been case OF law. Some de- "
tive work must first be done. and ~
would have employed detective ex- ~
)f for two reasons-l bad no money w
th which to pay him for bis services
d had plenty OF time TO make the III
'estigations myself. began by TAX.
position near the house In question re
! waiting for delivery wagon 10 nj
re supplies there. Half day was vi
sumed at this before a meat market ria
gon stopped al the house. refrain. he
from asking the young man who th'
K In the goods who lived there. for ma
ould not do so without being seen aw
those In the house. and that would tpi
lite suspicion. But noted the name \
the wagon and the telephone num- raj
AM
ding TO my Office. called Kroeger en-
o.. the meat market firm. and asked 700
hey would give me the name OF hg