The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-02-24
BY
CLIFFORD S.
RAYMOND
y y n
IiiuSfrofed BY
IRWIN MYERS

toiu HtT tnt tlrl ASitS WHS W pO
treated with every consideration and
that II II were possible to have the
other maids regard her kindly so as
not to make her feel obloquy, 1t would
be only Christian.
Mrs. Aldrich was very stanch
churchwoman and | 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 knew
she would do her best. Jed came In.
still in his superserviceable mood.
"Would you like some coffee, sir?"
he asked. was tired and did want
n stlmulant.
"Yes, Jed I would-thank you"
said as heartily as l could, determined
to break down his triumph OF imper-
turbabillty by commonplace handling
of him. file brought the tray.
"Slt down." l said. "Your schemes
have come to bad end In this house.
II will do you no good. and 1t 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 at
fair"
81 am not. 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.
II Is not news to me that Dravada has
Mr.. Sldney'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. l was very
angry, remembering Isobel as she came
hunning in that night with her sleeve
torn from her waist. / wondered that
, could hear the man calmly, but he
had extraordinary power, being moved
by extraordinary emotions.
"In the first place." he said, may
, say that have been preposterous'
, You think am lunatic. Sometimes
am, almost. 1t Is easy enough to be
a cabbage IL you are one. 1t Is some
times hard to seem one II you are not
, I've been a fool-but I've been hunting
= for something that have not beer
able to find want happiness and i'm
portnnce. My egotism asks for 1t, bu
my common Fense Is going to have III
way. That's preliminary"
Then he told his experiences. III
had become violent with Isobel. HI
wanted II understood that he had beer
desperate but respectful. He had NJ
Idea of taking hold of her or of tear
ing her sleeve. she had been magnlfi
cent. She had given him a mora
shock He felt like n worm. He'ha'
. been attacked suddenly by the mel
who had overpowered him. They ha'
come upon him from the brush. II
had recognized Dravada at once. III
might have overcome the Spaniard, bu
the desperate little lawyer, in frenz
of activity, hao been just bold ant
strong enough to interfere so that Je'
had been made helpless. Another maj
J had come breathlessly to help. Je
| had been bound and gagged. He ha
been hustled into the screen of wood
and beyond them to a waiting auto
mobile.
His captors. in the automobile, ha
headed for the city and entered II afte
midnight. They had taken their pris
oner TO n tenement on the East sid'
For several days the lawyer and Dri
e vada had tried to extort the secre
from Jed by threats. They had trle
!, to buy 1t by promise of an equitabl
y division of profits. The lawyer ha
y been quite frantic part of the tim,
e 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 NJ
permit this and had got trustwortl
rascal of his acquaintance, named Sir
with two other men, to keep col
j.. stant guard over Jed with view M
~ only to prevent his escape but to keC
Dravada from doing him harm or ta
- ing him away.
The lawyer both dismayed and e.
VI ragged by Jed's obstlnacy, had final
thought of corruptlng someone In Il
" house to find and steal the manuscriI
VI The best he had been able to do WI
to persuade maid to prove fall
enough to introduce the real thief.
'' "Dravada and the lawyer never hi
/, any hesitancy at having their quarre
IL In the room where they held me-" j
said. Brown was afraid Drava'
is' would corrupt the fellow Sim, t0rtu
III me and get the story. Dravada W,
afraid Brown would corrupt someol
as in Hartley house and get the man
script. Each one feared that d
Irt other would succeed independent
at and get away without making a di'
,e' sion.
he 'Dravada pretended to be satlsf
m | ,.,han nraxup told him that ha mn