Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-10-29
CHAPTER xlV-cOutInued.
cSvyash, By csOrs. n. por.n Co.

10 see whether he wnS renchlng any
hidden spring which II touched and
sprung would open the secret. He
did not believe I was truthful.
Mr.. Sldney's life Is open, honorable
and full of nothing but good for fifty
years back" Morgan continued. I'VE
have Investigated very thoroughly.
But fifty years back, Mr.. Sidney dis
appears, evaporates There is no Mr..
Sidney that can be found. We find
a young man of twenty, and nothing
back Of him. There we stop. 1t Is
a blind alley. You come to nothing
but q wall. That stopped investiga-
tion.
"Now, 90 a good deal by lunches
call II intuition, guessing. inspiration.
It Is not good detective method. I
don't claim It's good detective work.
I never work on a hunch and neglect
a rational method, but frequently
when I do work on a bit of guessing
we get results.
'Tve been working, around here, on
a guess that was so wild when 1t first
started that II seemed too preposter-
Gus even for me- TIL tell you that we
are not investigating Mr.. Sidney any
more. We are looking for another
person, and believe we are going to
find him. Then we are going to find
some one else. Doctor, l tell you, II
you don't know 1t, as you say, 1t Is
the strangest case ever have known.
It is one Of hate. Mind, I'm only
guessing"
That touch was so impressive that
betrayed an, emotion. He saw 1t.
IT had you there" he said.
"Mr. Morgan" said, you will not
believe me, and for that reason 1t is
useless for me to say and keep on say
ing that I know of nothing here
could help you on. You suggested
something to me just now, and you
saw that you had done so. But that
was because of a coincidence imma-
terial to what you call a case"
Every WELL" said Morgan. II did
not expect to get ahead by coming
here, but want to be fair and reason
able. You do not know anything, but
am not allowed to talk to any one
who might know"
"You have talked to jed" 1 said.
you cannot reasonably expect to be
allowed to annoy the ladies of the
house or to flutter the servants. Mr..
Sidney is very Ill and very weak.
Even you would refrain from introduc.
ing your case to him If you saw him
If we seem to avoid your inquiries,
It is unfortunate. We have nothing
to avoid"
'T follow my hunch," said Morgan,
getting to his feet. "f l am right,
something viii be revealed that even
I could not compromise. I am afraid
you must prepare yourself for some
publicity"
IT have told you before that you
must select your own course" re-
piled. and Morgan took his leave, driv-
ing away through the snow.
We had our Christmas eve In Mr..
Sidney's room. He was very feeble
physically and could be raised on pill
lows In bed but nothing more. But
he was the spirit of Joviality. He
had Jed sit In great armchair by his
bed, and early in the evening he had
a bottle of claret opened for him
Nothing would do but Mrs. Sidney and
Isobel should have a bottle of Madeira
and / had a whisky toddy. A great
punch-bowl was brought in, and JeC
mixed gallons Of liquor and many
spices In 1t.
Four OF the men servants came II
with a great log for the fire, and haC
large cups Of punch before they wen
out. Mr.. Sidney evidently was deter
mined to corrupt the whole household
TIL never be able to give an ade
quate idea of the Joviallty Of tina
Sidney and Jed had conspired TO
some months to make a festival.
Our dinner, served in Mr. Sidney
room, brought a boar's head, carrie'
by laughing maid. Wine was sen
to the servants. Isobel found a pear
necklace In what had seemed to be
baked sweet potato. 1 found a gol
watch In a box under a few leaves O
lettuce. Mrs. Sidney found merely
note In a bunch of violets which wa
given her with ceremony.
She read It and had difficulty to n
main wholly composed. She arose an
went to her husband, taking one {
his hands and putting an arm abou
his shoulders. Then she kissed hir
and stood a moment before the fir
before she trusted herself to com
back to the table.
When the dinner was done and th
covers were removed, more wine wa
brought in. A large Christmas tire
was lighted, and all the servants wer
called. Each found a valuable preser
In the tree; each had punch from til
great bowl, and each, coming to shaB
MIR. Sidney's hand, was given by Je
an envelope which, / learned afte
ward, contained a hundred-dollar bil
There was no constraint and r
nwkwardness such as might maj
such proceedings; the people of Il
house knew Mr.. Sidney too well. Or
of the maids kissed him, and then "
had them all doing 1t.
I was fearful that the excitemel
would injure him, but he was placi
smiling and happy. When we we
alone, we sat an hour by the fire, ar
then dismissed every one perempto
lly.
Jed, who had been about his dutie
returned. The fire was tended. A
other bottle Of wine was ordered.
had my last look at Mr.. Sidney ali'
as stood by the door giving ],
his final instructions for the night.
Jed sat in the armchair. All Il
lights except one by Jed's chair HI
been extingulshed. The Persian C
was stretched by Mr.. Sldney's sid
The canaries were asleep perched
the head of his bed. The fire W
glowing.
GOOD night. Mr.. Sidney" I sal
"Cood night, Jed. A pleasant ev
~ ming"
Good night, DOCTOR" said Mr.. 81
ney. "Just a minute, boy. Come here
He reached out his hand.
N"Good-bye," he said.