The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-21
Help!
There Was Mystery In the Call.
but 1t Was Revealed at Last
BY ALAN HINSDALE

n. ~
p'ocA l mean the area inclosed by four
streets The streets In this case had
oeen laid ont. paved and curhed I'm,
thus lar there was but little building
on them. The other house that | have
mentioned faced on the street runnine
parallel TO the one on which livad
ana the rear part OF the two houses
were exposed to each other.
l mad recently been admitted IN the
par and had swung out NV shinpl.
All day sat In my office waiting for
clients. but clients did not come
young lawyer is more apt TO bit unon
clients outside his office than In il !
was destined to do SO myself but tb.
way my first client came to me WIS IA,
no means usual.
had come TO my room after business
hours-it was hall bedroom in the
house have described was hoard
Ing at the time and sat down 10y the
window. II was springtime. ana
though 1t was q o'clock. the sun was
still high The day was warm. aud 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 square, white sub,
stance-it was cardboard-was sllpped
between the Stats and exposed to view.
There appeared to be something writ.
ten on 1t, but 1t was too far distant
for me TO see what II was. But | had
pair Of opera glasses in my bureau
drawer, and getting them, brought
them to bear on the writing There
was the single word:
Help
l 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than the cardboard was withdrawn.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 out the message for me to see But
who this person was | had no knowl.
edge.
Nevertheless | felt il incumbent on
me to respond But how? could not
communicate with the unknown. lie
or she could put out message or Il
signal for Inc without It's 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 II
held a prisoner or i'll treated there
must be others who were responsible
for this Surely 1t would not do fof
me to act openly in the matter.
BY way of reconnoter concluded
to go to the house with something tt
sell | could AT least see who would
come to the door With few pack
ages of court plaster | rang the door
bell. A woman. not Il servant, answer
ed the call She had a disagreeablt
look on her face. Certainly II was moi
inviting. but repelaut, with bit oI
suspicion In It. asked her If coult
sell her some court plaster and sh,
declined very sharply, at the sam'
time taking me in with her eyes IRON
head to foot Then 1t occurred to nj
that | was rather too well dressed fol
one reduced to such beggarly occu
patton. However. the interview wa
cut short 10y her shutting the door Il
my face.
This tended to confirm my belief tina
some one was held under duress III th'
house While | would not refuse I
ATTEMPT TO right a wrong, ] have al
WAYS had fancy for minding my owl
business. But a lawyers business i
other persons affairs, and 1t strucl
me that this matter might lead To pro
fassional work. So | concluded to tol
low ii up.
/, Being young and inexperienced
first occurred to ME to break INTO III
house lecally-that is. armed WIN
search warrant or some Other uocu
mont issued by court, but was ue
TERED from this by fear oil making
fool of myself. suppose my suspicion
were incorrect. suppose some haii VII
tod person was held in the house III
stead Of being sent to an asylum nov
would appear If interferedt NO.
must first learn something OF the con
ditions. =, 4,
resolved to go about II as II
had !, been case OF law. Some DC
tectiye work must first be done. an'
would have employed detecuVe eA
cent for two reasons-l had no none
with which to pay him for his service
and | had plenty of time to make tn
investigations myself. began by ,aA
ing position near the house In question
and waiting for a delivery Nason !
leave supplies there. Half a day wa
consumed at this before meat mar Ne
WAGON stopped at the house refrain
ad from asking the young man "n
took in the goods who lived there =
could not DO SO without beng setl
bv those I'm the house. ana that Nou'