The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-11-26
XII.

Mr.. Morgan was pacing forth and
back In the Office much enraged.
Look here" he said. This does
not get us anywhere. My time is val
liable. | am wasting a lot Of II. I'll
tell YOU now I've got enough Informal
ton to know this IS the sort Of case
we like, a tough ease. | haven't been
fooled a bit. You may not be interest
ed. Maybe no one here is Interested.
but I'm interested. DO YOU get that,
Mr.. Doctor, Mr.. Representative, Mr..
Fiance? Tn interested. This case is
going to be gone into. There's n crime
concealed somewhere which will do
our agency good to discover. We
sha'n't Go it for money. We shall
do 1t for publicity. The advertising
will be worth thousands of dollars to
us. DO you understand me?'
Il know you can make life very mis-
cradle for us for a couple Of days.
You Will have to use your own judg-
ment."
II can pack that lawn out there with
reporters and photographers from the
city. They'll see and talk to Mr.. Sid
ncy. Take ny word for that. They'll
see and talk to Mrs. Sidney and to
Miss Sidney. l can bring that down
to YOU by midnight"
"The house has some projections"
| said. You might suggest that to
the newspaper people for their own
good"
The shyster and that common thief
Ann Forth cot in, didn't they?"
II don't know Ann Forth"
"No, but YOU know Agnes Mitchell.
Well, you know Ann Forth, man. Say,
you simpleton, you don't know what
you're up against. This story just as
it stands-cOpy CT sheet from manu-
Observation-Disclosures off with
Jcd-theft Of manuscript-death OF
shyster-Ann Forth back in house
hidden crime-millionaire recluse-
beautiful daughter-haunted house
It's copy for every paper in the coun-
try"
l knew it and was appalled, by the
certain prospects.
ut would be a very cruel and use
less thing to do" | said, "but as l
told you, you must use your own judS-
mcnt. We are not interested in this
child's nursery story you are follow
ing. and | do not intend to have peO-
ple who are not we'll disturbed by the
questioning of n detective"
knew how to deal safely with
Morgan. but the method was out Of
he question. I should indeed have
been a simpleton if l had not known.
All | had to ask was How much?'
We were wholly resolved against
paying blackmail, knowing that it was
only q gradual descent to ruin. 1t
was better TO go in one direct plunge
IL it were fated.
Morgan looked ut me steadily for q
few moments as if giving me a chance
20 listen to the voice Of reason. His
method had been perfect. He was be-
You'd n legal suspicion, and l knew
he was dangerous.
"Well, young man." he said at last.
1--WE are both wasting time-at least
| am. Eut it's only fair to you to
tell YOU that this IS not the end Of
the case. It's the kind Of a case we
like, something tough and difficult.
We may not make any money out Of
if. but when we are ready, we at least
shall be paid in publicity. You
needn't be afraid of the reporters and
photographers just now. It's OF good
a case to waste that way. There's al
ways that, no matter what we turn up.
This case is just good enough
to spend some money on. It's just
good enough to send a couple Of men
down to Montevideo. I'll tell you
il advance that is what we're going
to do.
wen go into the life of Mr., Sidney
with q ine-tooth comb, and We'll do
It well. We are accustomed to doing
such things well. And well do this
well. Wen get something here or in
South America. Well follow that
something until we know why Jed
copied two chapters Of The Moon
stone and hid them in a box built in
tie springs Of his bed.
"Then we'll come back here and ask
for a little more cooperation in serv-
ing the purposes of the law, and if we
don't get some help, the reporters and
photographers will be swarming on
the lawn. That's all, Mr.. Doctor"
l knew at first glance that Morgan's
face was malevOlent. Now l saw it
extraordinarily So.
"ITl have Jed show you the door,"
l said.
"And tell him we do not know
whether we take Dravada to South
America or not. 1t will make him
happy"
Jed was s~crupulOusly the servant as
we dismissed Mr.. Morgan.
That was the fashion In which In