Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1921-04-16
BY
CLIFFORD S.
RAYMOND
q e 2
HIu5frdTed by
IRWIN MYERS

30 you are talnllldr Win 'Ill> IL
fairw
II am not. I only know what has
happened since | came here. do not
want TO know any more"
You are wise. There is nothing but
unhappineSS and danger in knowing.
1t is not news 10 me that Dravada mas
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 Nha'
had happened to him. was very
angry. remembering lSohol rs Sh" came
hunning IN that night with her sleeve
torn from her waist ] wondered thar
| could hear the man calmly. but ne
had extraordinary power, being moved
by extraordinary emotions.
an the first place" he said, may !
say that | have been prcpoSter"uN
You think I am n tunatic. Sometimes
! am. almost. 1t is easy enough {" h'
cabbage if you are one. 1t is some
times hard to seem one if you are not
I've been a fool-but I've been hunting
for something that ! have not been
able to find | want happiness and I'M
portaucc. Ny cgotism asks for il, hu'
my common "cnSe is going To hay" Ms
way. That's preliminary
Then hc told his experiences. II"
had become violent with ISubcl. lie
wanted il understood that hc had been
desperate hut respectful He had n"
idea of taking hold of her or Of tear.
Ing her sleeve. She had been ma"niii
cent. She had wen him a moral
shock. He felt like n worm. lie had
been attacked suddenly by the men
who had OvcrpOWcrrd him. They had
come upon him from the brush. He
had recognized Dravada at once. He
might have overcome the Spaniard. bur
the desperate little lawyer, in Il frenzy
Of activity, had been just bold and
strong enough to interfere so that Jed
had been made helpless. Another man
had come hreathlesSly to help. Jed
had been bound and gagged. He had
been hustled into the screen of woods
and beyond them To waiting auto
mobile
His captOrS. in the automobile. had
headed for the city and entered it after
midnight. They had taken their pris-
onpr to a tenement on the East side
For several days the lawyer and ORA
vada had tried to eXtOrt the secret
from Jed by threats. They had tried
division of profits. The lawyer had
been quite frantic part of the time
Jed said. -bounding about in an ecstasy
of rage. At other times he had been
friendly and persuasive.
Dravada had been savage and want
ed to try torture but the attorney. en-
ragged as he frequently became in his
failure and disappointment, would not
permit this and In got a Trustworthy
rascal of his acquaintance. named Sim
with two other men. to keep a con
slant guard over Jed with n view not
only To prevent his escape but to keen
Dravada from doing him harm or tax
ing him away.
The lawyer. both diSmayed and en-
RACED by Jed'S ohStinacy. had finally
thought Of cOrruptinT someone I'm the
house to find and steal the manuscript
The best he had been able to do was
to persuade q maid to prove false
enough to Introduce the real thief.
'Dravada and the lawyer never had
any hcsitancy at wing their GuarrplS
In the room where they held me" Jed
said. Brown was afraid Dravada
would corrupt the fellow Sim. torture
me and get the story. Dravada was
afraid Brown would corrupt someone
in Hartley house and get the manu-
script. Each one feared that the
other would succeed independently
and get away without making a divi-
sion.
"Dravada pretended to be satisfied
when Brown told him that he must
not appear near Hartley. When they
thought they were going to succeed i'm
stealing the manuscript out of nv
i'phi DlONh BAONtu W DTdNHUH maj
the only one of them that could 90 70
meet the maid was Brown. Dravada
appeared to accept that 2s reasonable,
and he must have put Brown off his
guard. because Brown told him all the
plans.
"Dravada used to be very stupid.
hut his cupidty has given him n sort
of intelligence. He allowed Brown In
think he was perfectly satisfied. but
he wasn't at all. BY seeming to be
satisfied he learned all about the de
tells of the plan and he knew that
Brown. to avoid pursuit. intended 10
take the way to Horwich.
"IIc knew that if Brown went
through Horwich he would stop for
several drinks. He would need them
if he was disappointed. lie would have
TO have them if he had the manuScript
and was excited by il. So Drayada
went to IIorwich. II all worked ont
ana when Brown got to the village he
found pravada, Then he telephoned
to the fellow Sim to let me 90. | was
perfectly harmless. II was an inter
eSting situation"
81 could wish Dravada had tortured
you" | said To Jed. "He has tha
means now, through you. to torture
this family"
II said | knew Dravada had the
manuscript" said Jed. 81 did that for
effect. Mhat | nnrht 70 hn,-n r,ia ....,.