Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-10-01
Ii:
Mystery Of
Hartley
House
by CLIFFORD S. RAYMOND
Copyrights By Gsorgs II. DOran Co.
CHAPTER Ix-continued.

ii
BY this time had my senses fully
recovered. ran to the nearest win
dow and was just in time to see two
figures, one In white, the other indls-
tinct, at the far edge of the lawn, run
ming. They ran into the woods, and
while | stood at the window, trying
with painful consciousness of stupidity
and ineptitude TO decide upon q course
of action, / heard an automobile en-
gine start in the lane beyond the
woods
Out Of stupor, in which l watched
the two strange figures go from the
moonlight on the lawn into the dark
OF the oak grove, was aroused-pos-
sibly by the sound Of the engine of the
automoblle-wlth a course of action
suggested.
1t came of fears long entertained,
now present with q threat of imminent
consequence. / ran for the stairs,
flashing the light, up the stairs and to
Jed's room.
His door was open. AS have said,
this wing was not wired for electricity.
I turned my light about the room, saw
that the fear which had caused me to
patrol the house was realized and then
hunted for the lamp, which l found
and lighted.
Jed's room was In the disorder In
which a Woodworking housebreaker,
intent on findieg jewels he knew the
room contained, might have left it. 1t
seemed almost ripped to pieces.
On table was q small pearl-inlaid
ebony box. The lid was open; the box
was empty.
AS | stood in the midst of the dis
array Of the room, with the empty box
the most significant thing in 1t, the
marvellous unreality of Hartley house,
n smiling dread, seemed to have visible
token.
The empty box, l thought, had con-
tnined the manuscript which recorded
Mr.. Sldney's secret. The flash of white
which 1 had seen In the hall indicated
the method by which it had disap-
penred. The two figures crossing the
lawn in the moonlight were further
indication. There was the sound of
the automobile engine. l had a sore
spot on my head. The manuscript, 1
knew-or believed-had been In the
box which stood with significant emp
tlness In the midst of the dlsordered
room of jed, who had been kidnapped.
II my surmises were correct, Mr.. Sid
ney's secret, upon which knew the
happiness Of the family depended, was
in the hands of men designing to make
use of II.
Jed, being a major-domo about the
place, had in his room q telephone con-
Meeting with the various servants
quarters. used 1t to arouse the chauf-
feur. II took FIVE minutes of ringing
bis bell to awaken him; when he re-
sponded, told him that the house had
been robbed by a man and a woman
dressed In white, who had escaped,
under my sight, through the oak grove
and had used an automobile waiting
for them on the road beyond the grove.
told him to awaken one of the gar
'deners, take weapons and go as quick
lly as possible south by the best roads
When this had been done, I called
Mrs. Sidney's maid and told her to
awaken Mrs. Sidney and tell her, If
possible without alarming her, that 1
wished to speak to her on an urgent
matter.
In a few minutes the maid came
back and said that Mrs. Sidney could
see me. l found her in the sitting
room Of her suite.
''It Is nothing serious, Mrs. Sidney"
I said-"nothlng that we need now re-
gard as serious; and 1t does not con.
Germ Mr.. Sldney's health. There has
been an intruder In the house. More.
over, the purpose was to sbreak into
Jed's room, and Jed's room has beer
broken into. got q glimpse Of the
person who did 1t, woman. / saw 6
man and q woman run into the oal
grove and I heard an automobile en-
gine start on the road. / have sent
chauffeur and a gardener in chase, bu
they are travelling against so great ,
start that I have no hope. What
fear Is that they have Mr.. Sidney
diary. Do you know where Jed KEEP
it?"
"No, doctor" said Mrs. Sidney. 81
there had been any chance of finding /
we should have taken it away iron
him. In his absence we have searche,
his room frequently"
"These people are after the manu-
script, and they are satisfied that the
have it," l said. 81 am sure of thai
There was n small pearl-lnlaid boz
open and empty. In the middle of tn
door"
"We never found such a box" sal
Mrs. Sidney.
"Then it might have been there?"
ut might"
''If it was, they have it and we mu;
get It back"
"Oh II we can, we must !" she erie,
holding her hands so tightly claspe
that the delicate bones made a cracl
ling noise.
tried to be encouraging and conso
ing and, as a practical measure, gay
her a bromide.