Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-07-26
CONTINUED from our last issue)
CHAPTER XIV

rear SldlrCdSe when MISS DidhS
swept across the hall and to her
own room.
so she knows, does she? ?" Scottie
rubbed his chin. Il wish to the Lord
that we did. out it's my opinion We'll
find out nothing more this night"
i Scottie was right. Nothing hap
pened until the next morning whom
Zorn appeared in the garden and
had the older man summon Miles.
Where can we talk? ;" Zorn ask
ed as Miles appeared.
Just down the road here. I I'M
derstood your message Sunday
the-er-bill of lading?"
Zorn nodded smilingly as they
strobe along the road toward the
weather-beaten shed.
Yes. She is at Freedale at the
home of a certain estimable but
somewhat peppery old farmer
named Higgs."
"Eliphalet!" exclaimed Miles.
His sister Hitty has been a maid
here in the household for a genera
ton but l never thought of him!
How did Miss Patricia happen to go
there. and why?"
Perhaps you had better read her
letter first" Zorn glanced about the
ramshackle shed and produced a
small. bullying envelope.
Miles tore open the envelope and
took from 1t two folded slips of pa
per.
Dear Sergeant Miles:
Mr.. Zorn will tell you how he
found me and why l stayed away.
l have promised him l will come
home this afternoon. 1 had to tell
you first, though, that 1 have brok-
en- u agreement; l am sending
word to Mr.. Kemp to meet me and
l mean to tell him as much as / can
without being disloyal to my family.
After all 1 have been through l
don't know what to think except
hat we have terrible enemies who
will stop at nothing and l am near
ly crazy! Please guard my father
and the others well and find out
what it is that threatens them be-
fore it is too late! Don't let them
know what happened to me, 1 am
going to tell them / left because
they treated me so sternly. The
paper I am sending with this will
show you why 1 left the house with
out trying to see you and put 1t in
your hands. I only found it a little
after ten hat night. Perhaps it
will help you to trace the dreadful
WolildH WIZ WIOlt IL anu tIt llNIl
who are in her pay, especially the
one with the tattoo mark on his
arm.
Hastily,
Patricia Drake"
This letter doesn't tell me much
except that the young lady is on the
verge Of hysteria," he commented.
Miles had unfolded the second
note. 1t was comparatively brief,
and although its fine. cramped,
shaken hand was unlike any that
he had studied before during his in
vestigation, there was yet something
vaguely familiar about it which ar
rested him.
"My dear child" he read.
Great trouble has come upon
your esteemed father and your
uncles and compelled them to do
the strange things which have so
distressed you of late. Now they are
facing ruin and disgrace through no
fault of their own but you, my dear,
can a v them.
II have known your family for
many years and it is my duty to tell
you the truth. I am an infirm old
m and live at some distance,
but my car will be outside your
gate at eleven tonight and my SER
wants are to be trusted to bring you
safely to me. 1 will make you COM
Portable for the night and you may
return in the morning.
Watch for the flash of light
twice in the road and be prepared
to come at once, telling no one, or
I cannot help you. Have faith in
me for my only wish is to keep you
and yours from greater suffering.
A Friend"
"Great heavens" exclaimed Miles.
anyone but an unsophisticated
seen at a glance that this was the
bunk! Tell me what she told you,
Zorn; what happened to her?"
"She says that Saturday night
h saw that note lying on the floor
just under her opened window. She
never thought of doubling the good
faith of the infirm old woman
threw a few things into a bag and
waited for the signal. 1t came and
Miss Patricia slipped down the drive
to where a limousine stood at the
gate with n man behind the wheel
n another holding the door.
after that things happened too
quickly for her to utter a cry. The
man took her bag. clapped his hand
over her mouth and bundled her in
also. and they were off. She remem-
bers struggling. but a sweetish-
smelling cloth-chloroform proba-
bly-was placed over her face and
then everything was a blank.
when she came to herself there
was a rush of cool air in her face
for the window behind the drivers
seat was down and the two men
were talking.
Her heavy beaded handbag was
still on her arm and without stop
ping to think she smashed the man
over the face with it. tore open the
nearest door and jumped, rolling
over and over into a ditch. They
cursed and halted but another a
was coming and that gave her an
opportunity to scramble up and over
a low stone wall into a mass of will
low shoots growing by a brook.
They gave up hunting for her
and drove off. She stumbled along
in the darkness with sense enough
to keep to the main road. A moving
van came rumbling along and on an
impulse she hailed it; she saws the
IDEA flashed across her mind that if
she could find out the name of the
nearest village and get Word to Mr..
Wells he would keep her confidence
and come to take care of her, at the
same time sending a warning to
you.
when she asked them where
they were going and they told her
'Freedale,' Miss Patricia thought at
once of this Higgs and got them to
give her a lift.
Whatever they thought, they let
her climb IN and on the way she ar