The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-11-18

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.
He was convinced of that himself
and was not happy.
"Why don't you end your rascality?'
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 tOlera.
bic to a decent man, and your physi-
cal security will be promoted"
He would not. He seemed to hest
tate for a moment, but his purpose
was too long fixed and too much
part of his life.
He no longer was surly with me,
and seemed to have lost my ability
to enrage him. We parted with my
telling him that there would be no
possible truce or peace between US
unless he respected the women of the
household. He bowed.
Anything else, sir?" he asked; and
then he departed as the servant.
Mrs. Sidney's relief to find that
the robbery had proved only 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
own agony Of mind and to keep the
household from finding significance In
what could be passed over as triv-
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 moment she had
struggled back to command of herself.
Then she excused herself and went
into her bedroom-for prayer, knew.
Mr.. Sidney's JOY at the return OF
Jed was robust, and Jed went to bed
very tipsy with two bottles OF wine
in him. l found him in the hall as
went my rounds of the house. He
was singing.
1 knew we'd hear again and soon
from Dravada, but not in what man.
ner. Naturally / was apprehensive,
and no doubt Jed was more SO. al
though to save himself from my con-
tempt he tried to conceal his fears.
The Spaniard could not be expected
to accept his failure as final He
would try again. That expectation
was fulfilled in disconcerting fash
ion.
Thus far we had been dealing with
chance, with apparitions and threats
We now came to deal with inevitable
ity. Our experiences had been disa-
greeable, but they had not presented
unacceptable consequence. We had
choice of ways. Now we entered a
way from which there was no es-
cape.
Four days after Jed's return man
came to Hartley house and inquired
for me. He was 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 it had to do with
Dravada-that this newcomer had
more than suggestion OF shrewd
malevolence in his face.
Before he was through his inter-
view with me, or rather his inquiries
of me, / knew that inevitability had
entered our case. We were no longer
progressing at the mercy of opportuni-
ty or chance. Morgan was fate. The
whole aspect had been altered. Nor
gan, muscular, black-haired, sordid.
INSCRIPTIONS man of action and OBJ
viously of queer action, was pure
Greek tragedy to US.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)