The Pulaskian., 1920-10-28
 CHAPTER x.

Hartley house had a general office where the business of the estate was main entrance.
 l had promised to be an extraordin- ary person In meeting extraordinary circumstances, but all did was to go to the office and, lighting the lights, sit there. I was in the extreme dejection of a weakling when the door opened and Isobel came in.
 "What are you doing, upf" l asked.
 'Tll ask the same thing of you. What are you and the whole household doing, awake and moying?"
 I told her that housebreakers had been surprised at work and had es- capped.
 'If you have been disturbed" sug- gested probably your father has, also. You had better go to his room and tell vain that the servants have been fius- tered by a 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 I was left wondering again what to do next It was out of the question to notify the authorities. The thieves had stolen something which, from what knew of l 1t, I preferred to have in their hands | rather than in the possession of the | police.
 Our detective agency I could trust, but I did not want to communicate | with anyone but Mcclure, the superin- l tendent, and there was no need of tele- | phoning him until later In the morn l ing.
 The case, as I thought 1t over, came 1 to this: The Spaniard and the attor- ney, by the aid of a confederate, a woman, had obtained possession of the diary containing the secret of Hartley l 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 had to l be done extra-legally. I thought Me Guire could and would attend to that, and I intended to instruct him to con- slider murder the only process not to 1 be thought of.
 l I tried to reconcile my ideas of Mir. Sidney's character with the facts of the family's terrible dilemma. What could man of so just and honorable, kindly and charming a nature-as re- vealed in his old age-have done, even in hot and passionate youth, which l he could not face now? What crime 1 could he have committed which not only constituted a danger to his secur- | ity but remained a source of satisfac tion to him?v
 For two hours sat by the telephone, 1 expecting momentarily to hear from the chauffeur who had gone in pursuit l of the thieves. 1t was about four o'clock in the morning was a pale suggestion of light in the windows when Mrs. Aldrich, the. housekeeper, | came to the office. She was an imper- l turbable lady of disciplinary habit and ordinarily unruff1ed dignity, but now she was disturbed.
 "Doetor," she said. Agnes the new maid. cannot be found. She is not in l her room Her bed has not been touched Most of her belongings and her suitcase are gone I came to you with this probably unimportant do- i nestle incident. thinking that-well, the occurrence of the night might have some connection with this girl ;
 II think Agnes probably was in- volved In the matter" I said.
 We have always so dreaded to take a new servant" said Mrs. AldrieE, but Agnes came recommended for the month by a very faithful girl who wanted a months leave. Has anything of great value been takenT
 'Nothing of any intrinsic value whatever, Mrs. Aldrieh. I imagine the 1 robbers were alarmed before they found any jewels or plate" l That's a consolation, in any event" :" said the housekeeper; "but we never shall be able to take in new servant l again with any ease of mind" l The chauffeur telephoned as Mrs. Aldrich went away. The chase in the night had been useless, as might be expected. and told him to return l home.