Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-09-10

the lawn was bright in the moonlight.
no one was to be seen. The Spaniard
had disappeared into the woods.
To come to an. understanding of the
sailors acts. not much reasoning was
needed; it was not my room he was
trying to enter, but Jed's. His fash
light had not only shown that l was
awake but that he had the wrong
man. and he had climbed down and
run into the woods. One mystery was
how he had escaped the dogs.
That was explained the next day;
they had not been loose the night
before; had not been released from
their kennels. They were found rest
less from an unexpected night of con-
fnement. They had not been out be-
cause the stableman who had charge
of them had spent the afternoon and
night in the village of Hartley, drunk.
/ 1t was an extraordinary and not an
ordinary proceeding for this stable
man, who had been a dependable char
acter. 1t did not require much sus-
p;cion to conjecture that he had been
tampered with in deliberate purpose to
/ free the grounds of the dogs for the
use the Spanish sailor made when
he climbed up to my room.
The stableman, proved delinquent,
was so apparently contrite and inno-
cent that it would have been an injus-
tice to punish or discharge him. He
had gone to the village in the early
afternoon on an assigned mission for
the house. He had used the oppor-
tunity to drink a few glasses of beer,
for which proceeding no one would
blame him in Hartley house. 1t seems
that he drank two or three glasses
more than he intended to and, even
beer being in a fashion Intoxicating
got into condition which made him
amiable to the approach of stranger
who succeeded in interesting him il
the immediate prospects of life, which
then to him were chiefly alcoholic.
He and the stranger had much tall
and many drinks. The stableman lost
all sense of responsibility, which wa:
not strange, and proceeded from beel
to strong liquor, forgetting all hi:
duties to the house. In consequence
he did not get home that night, anC
the dogs were not loose.
Naturally one drew a direct line
from this performance to the appear
ance of the Spaniard at my window
and there was. natural wonder as II
what kind of confederate the Span
lard could have so effectually to pre-
pare the way for him.
The Spaniard had a confederate
who was ingenious and resourceful
that was evident. He had made /;
deliberate play to get the dogs ou
of the way the night the sailor mad,
his attempt TO get into Jeds room
and had succeeded in almost getting
into mine.
Two days after the strange appear
ances of the Spaniard, was asked TO
and was told that gentleman desires
to see me. l went to the Office of tn
house and saw a man who instantl,
suggested the one who had entertaine,
the stableman so successfully.
He was so easily described that
was a crime for even a drunken sta
bleman to have missed his distinguish
ing characteristics, but at that tn
stableman had made Identification pos
sible. The moment | saw the felloN
l thought we were nearer the solU
tion OF the mystery of Hartley house
He was a significantly insignifcan
looking man; that was his identifyin
mark. He seemed timid and insecur
of himself, apologetic for his intrusio
upon me and withal determined to d
whatever 1t was that was in his PR
gram. l wondered how so shrinkin
'an individual had played jovial pal
in a village tavern with yokels {
> drink. His card indicated him to b
a lawyer and gave his name as Phi
etus NJ. Brown. He came directly
: his subject-for which I thanked hi
AS soon as he had made q brief pr
liminary of commonplaces of introdu
: ton and greeting.
81 have asked for you, doctor, b
: cause know of no one else here WI
will serve. / do not wish to approac
Mr.. Sidney directly and cannot tru
!, the factotum you know as Jed.
would not impose upon Mrs. Sidnt
or her daughter except in eXtremit
You are here, rational human beir
: and interested, am informed, in Il
fortunes of this family. Therefore
!. have come to you"
For what purpose?" I asked.
He smiled as if to. apologize f
:. having any purpose, and pulled at Il
u cuffs of his coat.
= "I'll be frank" he said. 81 hard
q know the purpose clearly myself. n
u client is a sailor. My practice Ii
considerably along the water front
It tile city. 1t has not made me ric
g l have lost good deal of egotism al
II have become pragmatic. 1 have
get along and to deal with fac
It There are people dependent upon n
y and l have not been much to depel
'e upon"
Is "The condition of your finances
lg your morals cannot be of interest
le me-" / said. "What have you that
c of interest?"
NE Siulleu as IL ne was uSSO IL
l quently to rebuff.
L "What 1 have, assure you. humi
% ates me to present, because l reali
IS that if succeed for my client, shi
T. be in the way of blackmailing Mr.. s.
is ney. My consolation is that 1 am or
OF an agent and 1 am sure that 1 sh
g be a more considerate and honest o
lie than any, other this ignorant sail
er would find. 1t has been necessary
me to know many languages to ma
IL my small living. My Spanish ellie
d. does not know much if any Engli
l He has been a man of precarious ms
ner of living, and it seems that sevel
ne years ago he was in the employ of
or Sidney"