Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-10-22
CHAPTER xIIl-continued.


stood, turning out lights as he went,
and the last light he extinguished was
the one at the foot of Mr.. Sldney's
stairs.
Now the hall was in complete dark
ness and was quiet. Jed, like myself,
guessed, was in hiding-but for what
reason?
Then / heard the faintest stirring
near by. 1t came nearer. l tried to
keep from breathing audibly. l could
hear another persons breathing. 1t
was Jed, beyond doubt. He came into
the recess where l stood. 1t was
only five or six feet deep but fully
twenty feet long. He was at one end,
as nearly as could judge. 1 was at
the other.
The situation, product Of supercan-
tioa, had grown ridiculous and also a
bit CHASTITY. Here were Jed and l..
standing in utter darkness in a small
recess in the hall. he not knowing of
my presence, not knowing his pur-
pose.
l decided to make my escape. had,
as usual, my electric flash In my
pocket. If he heard me and challenged
me, / could throw the light on him,
challenge him, and say that l was
on my way to the telephone to con-
suit Doctor Brownell. and make him
explain. His position was the awk-
ward one. l had an idea that even
II he heard me he would not challenge.
I made my escape without noise
or If made any Jed did not inquire;
and | found the office door in the dark.
1 intended merely to use the flash, find
the telephone and do my errand In
the dark. But I had Just flashed the
light once about the room when
heard a person at the door. This was
not a stealthy person; the hand that
touched the doorknob was resolute. BY
this time nothing rational seemed rea-'
sonable. The house of mystery had
SO asserted itself that one, hear
ing a noise, hid. Before me, revealed
In the single fash of light, was
tall clock-and was flattened against
the wall the farther side of that great
clock before the person at the door
was in the room.
! The person carried q candle-and 1t
was Mr.. Sidney. He was completely
dressed and wore an overcoat and a
cap which came down over his ears.
His hands were gloved and he was
well protected against. more severe
weather than that of this crisp Octo-
Der night.
His candle lighted the large room
but dlmly. and felt secure, seeing i'm
nnediately that he had a definite OBJ
ject He went to the corner of the
had often seen standing there, and
with 1t in his hand went toward the
door as If his business in the room
were wholly done.
As he did so, 1 saw his face plainly
in the candle light. 1t was wholly
changed; 1t indicated ferocity, hate,
malevolence, bitter sense of injury
a terrible face, hardly recognizable as
that of the gentle, courteous, jovial
Mr.. Sidney. He closed the door and
wns gone.
When Mr.. Sidney had been gone q
moment. l heard him open the front
door and heard him close it after him
I should have followed him to the
front door, but JED was somewhere II
the hall. 1 waited at the half-oper
door of the office. Presently l coulC
hear Jed coming down the hall, care
lessly now. He also went to the from
door, and l heard it opened and CLOSED
again.
1 went to window of the officl
which gave q view of the lawn.
could see one figure slowly crossing
the open space toward the path lead
ing down to the river. Jed wa
standing Just outside the shadow o
the house.
The farther figure-Mr. Sidney, a
I knew-passed into the dense blac
of the thlckets by the path. The
Jed stepped forth and went quickl
across the open. l went to the iron
entrance and stood on the Porch.
The hunters moon was at full, an
the place was luminous in soft, mist
yellow light.
Ihad tremors, frankly-felt the pre'
snce Of tangible dangers, unseen, an
of intangible terrors. never felt sue
oppression, doubt, distress and disma
in my life. My patient was on
strange errand far beyond an
strength I ever knew him to have; an
Jed, whom always dreaded, was 70
lowing him.
1t may be wondered why was NJ
instantly in chase and why 1 stoc
worried and indecisive. The only e,
PLANTATION is that I knew, as surely {
one could know anything by reasC
and conjecture, that whatever WI
happening that night had happenC
this same night for a number of yea
in the past. and that whatever
was, II had direct connection with Il
secret of the place which Mrs. Sidn,
40 earnestly desired me not to pc
sess. For these reasons, or upon tn
instinct, / acted as I did and stot
or the porch listening to the unnat
rally late whippoorwill and lookil
out toward the dark woods and thiC
cts which stood at the edge of t
yellow moonlight.
The tension was so great that G
I distinct shock when out of this WI
of darkness came a figure runni
into and across the moonlit space
ward the house. I knew 1t must
Ted, and I waited where I stood
nc approached. He barely had col
into the shadow of the house when 6
other figure came out Of the dark W
of the thickets and came slowly acre
the moonlit space.
Jed, running up the steps, saw
and gasped with astonishment, but
covered himself with wonder
promptness.
Inside, man, inside, and act ma
rail-" he cried. "Come"-taking
arm-"in the Office"
He was so certain and so commal
Ing that I did just what l was told
Unto the Office, man." he said,
clutching me. "What are you do
abroad? This night Of all nightsl
no matter. Into the office, and turn