The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-11-11
CHAPTER X.

handled 1t was to one side of the
main entrance.
/ had promised to- be an extraordin-
airy person IN meeting extraordinary
circumstances, but all | did was to go
to the office and, lighting the lights, sit
| there. / was in the extreme detection
of weal1ling when the door opened
and Isobel came in.
What are you doing, up2" | asked.
"I'll ask the same thing of you.
! What are you and the whole household
doing, awake and moving?"
| / told her that housebreakers had
been surprised at work and had es-
capped.
IF you have been disturbed" l sug-
gested probably your father has, also.
You had better go to his room and tell
him that the servants have been tius-
tered by burglar scare, and then you
had better GO to your mothers room
and stay with her until things quiet
| down."
That seemed sound enough advice.
but when Isobel had gone was LETT
wondering again what to do next. 1t
was out of the question to- notify the
authorities. The thieves had stolen
something which, from what knew of
| it, l preferred to have in their hands
rather than in the possession of the
police.
Our detective agency could trust,
but I did not want to communicate
with anyone but Mcclure, the superin-
tendent, and there was no need of teie-
plfoning him until later in the morn
ing.
The case, as l thought it over, came
to this: The Spaniard and the attor-
ney, by the aid of a confederate.
woman, had obtained possession of the
diary containing the secret of Hartley
house. They would soon be heard
from. They would not disappear. We
did not have to pursue them. They
would pursue us.
There was the possibility of dealing
with them by force extra-legally. Any
thing we did for. our protection bad TO
be done extra-legally. I thought Me-
CURE could and would attend to that,
and 1 intended to instruct him TO con-
slider murder the only process not to
be thought of.
tried to reconcile my ideas OF Mr..
Sidney's character with the facts OF
the family's terrible dilemma. What
could a man of so just and honorable,
kindly and charming nature--as re-
vealed in his old age-haye done, even
in hot and passionate youth, which
he could not face now? What crime
could he have committed which not
only constituted danger to his secur-
ity but remained source of satisfac-
ton to hims
For two hours / sat by the telephone,
| expecting momentarily TO hear from
tbe chauffeur who had gone in pursuit
of the thieves. It was about four
o'clock in the morning-there was a
male suggestion of light in the windows
when Mrs. Aldrich, the housekeeper,
came 70 the Office. She was an imper-
turbable lady of disciplinary habit and
ordinarily unruffied dignity, but now
she was disturbed.
4 K.
maid cannot be found. She is not in
her room. Her bed has not been
touched. Most of her belongings and
her suitcase are gone. l came to you
With this probably unimportant do
nestle incident, thinking that--well,
the occurrence of the night might
have some connection with this girl"
ST think Agnes probably was in
VOWED in the matter" / said
1--WE have always so dreaded to take
. new servant" said Mrs. AldricE,
.sbut Agnes came recommended for the
month by a very faithful girl who
! wanted a months leave. Has anything
of great value been taken?"
Nothing of any intrinsic value
whatever, Mrs. Aldrich. l imagine the
robbers were alarmed before they
found any jewels or plate"
THAT'S a consolation, in any event, y
S, id the housekeeper; "but we never
shall be able to take in new servant
again with any ease of mind"
The chauffeur telephoned as Mrs.
Aldrich went away. The chase in the
night had been useless, as might be
expected, and 1 told him 10 return
home.
Mrs. Aldrich brought me light
! breakfast. and one of the Gardeners
| came TO say that the dogs had been
found In the woods. They had been
i fed drugged meat and were sick and
/ even now barely able to stand.
/ was preparing to go TO Mr.. Sid
news room when the telephone rang
| again. 1t was call frog the village
of Norwich, forty miles east, place
of some repute, or ill repute, for the
number and character of its drinking
places and roadhouses.
The man calling me said he was the
| constable of the township of Norwich
ard asked if he were talking to per-
son of responsibility. / assured him
he was. Then he told me that an auto
mobile accident had occurred two
miles out of Horwich and that the only
identifying marks suggested Hartley
house as a place to make inquiries
He asked if l could come to Norwich
j l endeavored TO question him over
the telephone, but he said there was
little information he could give, a
man and q woman in car--man past
middle age young woman in white
the man was dead, the woman badly
injured.