The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-03-23
CHAPTER VI
10
The vauIt in the Woods.

The Vault In the Woods.
We found Currie waiting for US in
one Of his large cars, with his chauf-
feur. There were few cars on the
road, and in a very short time we ar
rived In Saratoga.
We left the car before one Of the
hotels and followed BARLEY to the
public library. BARLEY spent several
moments glancing through the card
catalogue before he crossed to the
loan desk. and asked the pretty young
librarian for "Griffeth's Mysteries of
Crimes" She returned in moment
with two volumes, bound in red cloth.
BARLEY opened one to the place where
the date when book is taken out is
stamped. There was only one date
on the white slip, and BARLEY copied
1t In his notebook. Then, turning to
the librarian. he asked her how they
had happened to buy the book, and
If she knew who it was that had
taken it from the library the one
time it had gone out.
Looking through her cards, she told
? him that the book had been gift,
and that the only person that had
ever taken it out was James Brit
feur. BARLEY raised his eyebrows in
surprise but did not ask her anything
more.
AS soon as we were again on the
street, he told us that so far as he
knew the only account Of the Edling-
ham burglary, other than the one in
. the rare pamphlet that he owned, had
been published in the volumes he had
been glancing at. Currie, of course,
did not understand what he was talk
ing about; and BARLEY gave him the
details Of the English crime, and
ended by saying that, from the very
first it had been his opinion that who
s ever had faxed the burglary at Sykes
had read the account of the English
crime. Then, with a little rueful
smile. he added that the one person
who had taken the BOOK from the
library was Sykes chauffeur.
He might have said more had we
not reached Currie's club just then.
We sat and talked until about eleven
o'clock; then we started to walk
home.
As we were leaving the club, we
\ met young man whom Currie intro
duced to us as Captain Lowe, COM
mander of the local branch of the
state police. AS he was going in our
direction. we fell into step together
and he told us of his work and how
the state troopers had reduced crime
so much that farmers wives now had
a sense of security, even in the most
remote country districts. The great.
est trouble they had at present, he
told us with a laugh. was with the
smuggling Of whisky, not only into
Saratoga but even as far as Albany
and Troy. Though they knew that a
good deal of whisky was getting
through. they could not discover who
was running it. At the barracks he
babe us goodnight.
AS we passed the driveway that led
into the Slyke grounds, Currle told us
that it ran through nearly a mile OF
dense woods before 1t reached the
house. We were about a thousand
feet beyond the entrance when Bart
ley suddenly stopped.
What's that?" he asked In a low
voice.
listened moment, but the only
thing could hear was the horn Of q
distant automobile.
BARLEY continued. II thought ]
heard car in the woods. there on the
left"
Currie, who was few feet in front
Of US. laughed. "John," he said
syou're hearing things. No car can
} be in those woods. Those are the
trees you see from my house, and
they stretch for some miles without
break. Siyke owns this part oil
them. You could not have heard d
GER"
n. BARLEY placed his hand on his
friand'S shoulder. saThaf's what