Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-10-21
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robbers were alarmed before they
found any jewels or plate"
''rhat's consolation, in any event"
said the housekeeper; shut we never
shall be able to take in a new servant
again With any ease of mind"
The chauffeur teleDhOned as Mrs.
Aldrich went away. The chase in the
night had been useless, as might be
expected. and l told him to return
home.
Mrs. AIdrich brought me light
breakfast. and one of the gardeners
came to say that the dogs had been
found in the woods. They had been
fed drugged meat and were sick and
even now barely able to stand
was preparing to go to Mr.. Sid
ney's room when the telephone rang
again. 1t was a call from the village
of Norwich. forty miles east, place
Of some repute. or i'll repute, for the
number and character of it's drinking
places and rnadhouses.
The man calling me said he was the
constable Of the township of Norwich
and asked if he were talking to q per-
son Of responsibility. assured him
he was. Then he told me that an auto
mobile accident had occurred two
miles out of Norwich and that the only
identifying marks suggested Hartley
house as place to make inquiries.
He asked if could come to Norwich.
endeavored to question him over
the telephone. but he said there was
little information he could give.
man and a woman in car-man pas,
middle age. a young woman in white !:
the man was dead, the woman badly
injured.
"I'll tie over as soon as possible" !
said. "Please keep the effects nil to-
gether."
There was no doubt In my mind
that the Quavering little rascal of q
lawyer with MS precise way ana tlmid
but controlling unscrupuIousness had
come to the end of his road-and at
the very moment when he had sue
cess in his hand. There was no rea-
son to doubt that the woman was tile
maid Agnes whom l had surprised at
midnight stealing down the stairs from
Jed's room with Mr. Sidney's diary.
But IL we were rid of the timOrous.
grasping little attorney. we were in
worse difficulties. With the attorney
and his Spanish CLIENT we at least
knew the manner Of dealing. 1T was
disconcerting-l might almost be for
given the exaggeration of saying 1t
was horrifying-to consider that the
diary was being handled by con-
stable. sheriff or a coroner or even
by any idler or resort-keeper in the
village of Norwich. .tt
If the automobile accident had dis
posed Of one ingenious enemy only to
make half-dozen equally unscrupu-
lous ones. or to apprise Il was tempted
to think this was wOrse) one incor.
ruptible officer of the condition OF
Hartley house--in either event. we
were the worse for the change In cir
cumstance.
One of the stablemen knew how tt
drive a car, and asked him to bring
out the automobile which used wher
went to town. The chauffeur, wher
he returned, would have been up mos
Of the night. did not want to impose
on him. I might be gone most Of thu
day. In a half-hour we were ava!
toward Norwich. never had beef
over the road, which ran by old farm
with stone fences and was little trav
| eled except by the people who live
along it.
Originally the place had respect
able tavern. 1t was called the Whit
Owl. It was still respectable, but odd
ly enough, it was the success Of tn
White Owl which had attracted tn
ether places.
I Inquired for the constable and wa
told that I should likely ind him a
the White Owl. he being a frequente
Of that place and now having cas-
which needed a great deal Of drinkln
and talking. over.
| ! went to the White Owl and on .eE
tering the barroom. which really ha
an attractive rather than disreputt
BILE appearance, saw a group Of me
about a SHORT, broad, square-shou
dered fellow who was talking to til
interest Of half a dozen or more fe
lows.
!. My entrance made no diversion, an
Judging, from what I had been toll,
that the squat, laxative fellow We
the constable and that he was tellin
4, the story wanted to know, decide
to remain unidentified, have a bottl
Of beet-from the, bartender. VIII
came half-heartedly from the col
stables narration-and thus as a
eavesdropper get what I came to &
In direct conversation.
I had my bottle Of beer. and the ba
tender went back to the group, dom
mated by the squat, laxative fellow.
: He was not the, comic type Of co,
stable. He showed intelligence al
decision, but evidently he was fond
I, q story when he had II to tell. He v.
Il saying: = ~ 4,