The Red Cloud chief., 1920-10-21
CLIFFORD S.
RAYMOND
Hi0Sfrofed BY
IRWIN MYERS

| treated with every consideration and
that If II were possible to have the
| over maids regard her kindly so as
not to make her feel obloquy, 1t would
be only Christian.
Mrs. Aldrch was very stanch
| churchwoman and I could see In the
tightening Of her lips that such soft
| treatment of a woman caught in crime
did not satisfy her ideas Of morality.
She went out dissatisfied, but l knew
she would do her best Jed came In.
still In his superserviceablesmoo
"Would you like some coffee, sir?'
he asked I was tired and did want
q stimulant.
"Yes, Jed ] would--thank yOu,"
said as heartily as | could. determined
TO break down his triumph OF imper-
turbability by n commonplace handling
Of him. He brought the tray.
"Slt down." said. "Your schemes
have come to q bad end In this house.
II will do you no good, and It may de-
stroy the family. Things are beyond
your control or my control. The Span.
lard has the manuscript he was after
Your power is gone. 1t is transferred
to him."
$50 you are familiar with this af
faIrw
II am not. I only know what has
happened since I came here. I do not
want to know any more"
"YOu are wise. There Is nothing but
unhappiness and danger in knowing.
Il is not news to me that Dravada has
Mr.. Sidney's diary. They released me
after they learned that the manuscript
had been found and that the lawyer
and Dravada had It,"
Jed then sat down and told what
had happened to him. was very
angry, remembering Isobel as she came
hunning In that night with her sleeve
torn from her waist. wondered that
I could hear the man calmly, but h<
had extraordinary power. being moved
by extraordinary emotions.
"In the first place." he said. "may I
say that I have been preposterOus?
You think I am a lunatic. Sometimes
I am, almost. 1t Is easy enough to be
cabbage II you are one. 1t Is some
times hard to seem one IL you are not.
I've been fOol-but I've been hunting
for something that have not been
able to find. I want happiness and i'm
portance. My egotism asks for it. but
my common sense Is going to have Its
way. That's preliminary"
Then he told his experiences. He
had become violent with Isobcl. He
wanted II understood that he had been
desperate but respectful. He had no
idea Of taking hold Of her or Of tear
ing her sleeve. she had been magnifi
cent. She had given him moral
shock. He felt like worm. He had
been attacked suddenly by the men
who had overpowerel him. They had
come upon him from the brush. HI
had recognized Dravada at once. Ht
might have overcome the Spaniard, bu
the desperate little lawyer, In frenz,
of activity, had been just bold anc
strong enough to interfere so that Jc'
had been made helpless. Another maj
had come breathlesSly to help. Je'
had been bound ana gagged. He ha'
been hustled into the screen of wood
and beyond them to waiting auto
mobile.
His captors, In the automobile, hat
headed for the city and entered II afte
midnight. They had taken their pri-
oner TO n tenement on the East sidt
For several days the lawyer and Ora
e ynda had tried TO eXtOrt the Sccre
from Jed 10y threats. They had trie
To buy II by promise of Gn equitabl
:, division of profits. The lawyer ha
" been quite frantic part of the tim'
" Jed said bounding about In an ecstas
of rage. At other times he had bee
- friendly and persuasive.
Dravada had been savage and wan
, ed to try torture, but the attorney, el
u' ragged as he frequently became In h
'' failure and disappointment would ~
permit this and had got a trustwortf
rascal of his acquaintance, named SlI
- with two other men, 10 keep 60
=. slant guard over Jed with view ~
IT. only to prevent his escape hut to ke,
Dravada from doing him harm or Ia
'' Ing him away
The lawyer. both dismaycd and o
o' ragged by Jed's obstinacy, had final
thought Of corruptlng someone in Il
VI house to find and steal the manuscrii
vi The best he had been able to do W
to persuade Il maid to prove fa'
enough to Introduce the real thief.
e' "Dravada and the lawyer never III
,, my hesitancy nj having their Qunrr'
'h' I'm the room where they held me-" j
said. "Brown was afraid Drava
U.S. would corrupt the fellow Sim, tortu
III me and get the story. Dravada W
afraid Brown would corrupt someo
as I'm Hartley house and get the maj
script. Each one feared that
art other would succeed independen
hat and get away without making n di
zee. sion.
he "Dravada pretended to he satisf
in when Brown told him that he mi
hen not appear near Hartley. When n
vas thought they were going to succeed
- | cnFtn n,tf