The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-11-19
"nrav0da used 10 be very stupid.

tliilN ne WAS IcTItCllN SlllSlltu, but
he wasn't ut all. By seeming 10 be
satisfied he learned all about the de-
tells of the plan, and he knew that
Brown, to avoid pursuit, intended to
take the way TO Horwich.
"He knew that if Brown went
through Norwich he would stop for
several drinks. He would need them
If he was disappointed. He would have
to have them if he had me manuscript
and was excited by it. SO nravada
went 10 Ilorwich. 1t all worked out.
and when Brown got to the village, he
found pravada. Then he ~telephoned
TO the fellow Sim to let me so. ! was
perfectly harmless. 1t was an inter
eSting situation"
81 could wish Dravada had tortured
you said To jed. He has the
means now. through you, to torture
this family"
IL said ! knew pravada had the
manuscript" said Jed. IL did that for
effect. What ought 10 have said was
that | knew he thought he had the
manuscript. If | had no more than the
intelligence YOU credit me with. doctor,
| could not have conducted this affair
so long. What DravNda has is not the
diary of Mr.. Sidney"
Until | felt the relief following Icds
explanation that the blackmailers had
stolen Only a decGy, ! did not fully
realize into what dependency our
predicamcnt UP To that time ha"
thrust me. If Mr.. Sidney's diary We
being read by INSCRIPTIONS men. we
might expect anything.
The lawyer. whose ShrewdneSS and
lack of morals made him formidable,
was dead. The Spaniard would 500
discover his disappointment and would
be furious. | thought the physical
danger to jed was greater than ever
and found some pleasure in telling
him so.
and was not happy.
"Why don't you end your rascality? 2"
| urged him. why don't you give the
manuscript TO Mrs. Sidney and allow
her to make whatever disposition she
wants Of it? Then your conscience
Will be ~easy-your position in this
house will for the first time be tolerl-
bic TO a decent man. and your physi-
cal security will be promotcd.'
He would not. He seemed to hcSl-
tate for a moment, but his purpose
was too long fixed and too much a
part Of his life.
He no longer was surly with me-,
and | seemed to have lost my ability
T. eurage him. We parted with my
telling him that there would be no
possible truce or peace between us
unless he respected Tie wolnc of the
household. He bowed.
"Anything else. sir?" he asked and
then he departed as tie servant.
Mrs. Sidney's relief TO find that
! the robbery had proved only a hoax on
the robbers was such as would come
from escape from tangible horrors.
The lady had been keeping control of
herself. as was necessary TO protect
her husband and daughter from her
W dSOIN VI HiiIII IA w nv tiC
household from finding significance in
what could be passed over as IA triy-
ial piece of robbery.
When she learned that the alarm
was over, she relaxed Imply in her
chair, and | feared that she might
collapse; but in Il IN she had
struggled back To command of herself.
Then she excused herself and went
into her bedroom-for prayer, ] knew.
Mr.. Sidncy'S joy at the return OF
Jed was robust, and jed wen to bed
very tipSy with two bottles OF vine
in him. | found him Ia the bah ~
went my rounds OF the house lie
was singing.
| krew we'd hear again and SOC ,
from Drayada, but rot il what man.
ner. Naturally | was aiprchensive,
and no doubt Jed was more so, I'll.
though to save himself from my con.
tempt he tried to conceal his fears.
The Spanjard could not be expected
10 accept his failure as final. lie
would try again. That expectation
was fulfilled in Il disconcerting fash.
ion.
Thus far we had been dealing with
chance, with apparitions and threats.
We now anne TO deal with inevitable
ity. Our experiences had been diSa.
g%reoable. but they had not presented
unacceptable consequence. We had a
choice Of ways. Now we entered a
way from which there was no es-
cape.
-Four days after Jed's return n man
came TO Hartley house md inquired
for me. He was a detective. His
name was Morgan; he was the head
Of the Morgan Metropolitan Detective
agency. | thought on first seeing him
while yet wondering what his bust.
ness with us could be. and yet know
ing instinctively that 1t had to do with
Dravada-that this newcomer had
more than n suggestion OF slrewd
malevOlence in his face.
Before he was through his iluer.
view with me. or rather his inquiries
Of me, | knew that incvitability had
entered our case. We were no toner
| progressing at the mercy Of OppOrtuni.
ty or chance. Morgan was fate. Tic
| whole aspect had been altered. Nor.
gan. a muscular. black haired, sordid,