Washington telegraph., 1920-10-01
"Jed.o she snId VIA resoIute frank.

"Jed" she said with resolute frank.
ness.
"Where is he?"
81 don't know"
where were you when he did itF'
AT the edge Of the woods. / had
gone out for bit Of air-just across
the lawn. Jed appeared"
"What did he say?"
81 don't know-something incOher-
ent, violent; and he took me by the
sleeve. was not frightened but !
drew back suddenly My sleeve ripped
out. We We're at the edge of the woods.
Three men appeared, strangled Jed be
fore he could cry out, picked him up
and carried him Of"
/ spent the evening with Mr. Sidney
and told him that Jed was i'll. He was
concerned and made the lie a kindly
one.
1T is Insignificant" | said. "With
his habits he must occasionally pay
price. touch Of indigestion this
time"
To extempOrize a few lies to get
through the night was easy enough;
but jed was not back in the morning.
and Mr.. Sidney had TO be deceived in
more enduring fashion.
explained to him that Jed had been
called away on an urgent matter,
which seemed TO Mrs. Sidney to justi-
fy his going at once. Mrs. Sidney, at
my request made the same eNplana-
tion later and Mr.. Sidney accepted it.
This explanation seemed very lame TO
me, but It served. Mr.. Sidney did not
know of any reason why Jed should
disappear. We offered him an cXpla-
nation of the servants absence, ans
he accepted 1t.
1t WIS apparent that the Spanard
and the lawyer had been two Of the
men concerned in JCd's plight and |
thought II best to telephone a discreet
detective agency and have the lawyer
put under scrutiny. Mrs. Sidney
thought this was a proper cour7e-or
at least that no better one was ayuil-
able.
Two days later the detectives report
ed that the lawyer had disappeared
from all his accustomed places ana
that it might require some time to get
trace Of him.
Jed had been gone four days when
one Of the maids asked for months
leave Her mother was very sick, she
said. Mrs Sidney agreed willingly, al
though dlsliking to have an unfamiliar
servant in the house to fiji this maids
place for the time she would be gone.
Anna the maid, said tlht a very close
friend Of hers would be glad Of an op-
pOrtunity to have IA monHh in th' coun-
try. Mrs Sidney took Annals recon-
mendatiOn with soDe relief
The day Anna went away very
pretty girl was met at the train by the
chauffeur She was the thirty-day
maid. | saw her as she came in. !
thought her manner did not indicate
domestic service, but afterward /
found that In spite Of appearance she
was very deft and competent With
Jed gone, such Of his duties as could
be done by the mdids were given them;
and this new servant. Agnes was 50
efficient in the dining room that She
took over what Jed had done there
Mr.. Sidney liked attractive women
about him. and Agnes pleased him with
her bright, pretty appearance and good
humorcd servireability. In three or
four days he was glad to have her us-
signed to duties which Jed had done
for him. In little over a week Agnes
had fInd INTO the routine Of the house
perfectly
Up to this time nothing had been
heard Of Jed, but on the ninth day of
his disappearance the detectives trIn.
phoned that they had he lavyc, Nr-
Guirc was the dptrrriye-suppl#u.r
ent's namr.
81 um not To understand what I
back Of this case. he suggested. tclc-
phoning.
at is not necessary" / said. "If he
is willing to come here In your Gus.
tody. that is enough"
The rrN dHy Mcclure, the d,-rc-
tive. came with ,hc lawyer who MD
parenily was trying to Keep from
looking rs frightened as he felt
"Th have you understand came
Of my own yOlltiOn." he said.
with NJ. IcGuirr representa-.
your NoI.iIun," | suggested
80 thiuk I'll look about the grund,
for while" said Mcclure.
what do you expect to gain by
tuIs# Dur lawyer asked when the de-
t,ctIE" hrd gone
"Nhu Iid You tnlr to lose by NOT
r"m.uE.' | asked. suppose we make
'nr dealing plain. You were one of
81 party %. three that abducted the
servant jed We want han released
and returned here wnorr ha is needed"
"Gou are HIEiug uuu>yu.r" said the
lawyer. 81 came with your detective
because I rhnusht that at last this
household wu> prepared 10 deal rua-
>unahiy with a reasonable mun"
"Nhrr" BIS 1cd?" asked.
"Ihafs none og my business"
at viii he made yours"
"BIrkug 2msnfra-rnfug.