Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-07

mistake. The girl had been spirited
away as mysteriously as though she
had gone through the keyhole.
This was q grave AFFAIR for Ser
geant Anson. He was RESPONSIBLE
Tor the prisoners, and it seemed to
MIN that his well-known regard for
the family at Hidden Hall Court
might lay him open to suspicion.
Still. even If he had wished TO con-
nive at Miss Haste's escape. he could
not hae got her out unseen, for
there were but two entrances and
exits from the police station. One
was by passing through the charge
ROOM" The other was through q
corridor which ran behind the
charge room and in front of the
row OF six cells. At the end Of
This passage was a door. stoutly fas-
tened and always guarded.
Now. here was still another
mystery for the Scotland Yard de-
tecuve TO unravel when he came.
How had Pandora Haste escaped
from locked cell, without breaking
the door or wall, or leaving any
other sign OF violence-in fact, with
out leaving any traces Of her late
presence?
Not only the police station and it's
reignborhood, but the whole town
ana its outskirts were searched as
thoroughly as possible by the small
force Arson could command. Work
ers in the Held. and men in all. sorts
OF vehicles along the road were
questioned. The railway station
was visited. Nothing was LETT I'M
done. and nothing was found out. In
whatever way the girl had managed
TO disappear, she must, Arson
thought. have made her get away"
while 1t was still dark.
Last night-for Sir Rawdon's sake
he had secretly dreaded the ar
rival of the London detective. Now,
however, he was impatient for it,
He began to believe in the guilt of
the girl, young as she was, for IL she
were sharp enough TO escape from n
locked cell where collision seemed
impossible. she was sharp enough To
lid herself of a hated woman-yes,
10 do 1t in any one of a dozen queer
ways! 1t seemed to the sergeant
that at al events this cloud hanging
over the police station had silver
lining; Pandora Haste's fight To
avoid appearing before the macis-
trates was likely to place Sir Raw
don Wells beyond the range OF sus-
picion.
At half-past s precisely a ripsy-
faced youth, whose clothes land even
mis- noticeably thick black eyelashesI
were covered with dust. stopped his
motorcycle in front of the police
station. On his own request he was
taken at once to Arson, who stared
lncredulously, almost stupidity, as lie
announced himself: Detective Y.
Dagon, from Scotland Yard.
The provincial policemans face
showed his mind so plainly that
the dark youth grinned: They al
ways take me for my own under
study at first" he said. But I'm
TO hear"
And, OF course, he couldn't he.
when one came to think of his rec.
ord: Nobody in England had heard
oil MIN before the war. Then he
nad come over with the first
canadian contingent; and when he |
began to be talked about by those
IN the know" 1t leaked out that no
mad been boy prodigy in the de- |
tectlNe world of Canada, Also. ha
mad served with Pinkerton, and had
brought on wonderful coup which
oniy q youth could have accom-
pllshed. In France he had been
Cstenslply a dispatch rider, motor
evening being his particular craze
since boyhood. But that was camou- !
fage. The young fellow. who could |
not nave been more than nineteen
when he joined up. had done some
glorified spy work." only possible
LOT linguist of unusual gifts.
About the detectives Canadian ante
cedents, Arson knew no more than
he had been told through the teIe-
phone last night in answer TO a
question addressed to a friend at the
Yard. Dagon was said to be a name
coined by the young man out of the
sobriquet "Dago," which had been
applied to him as a child. Why he
lad been dubbed ''Dago" no one
knew, unless it might be that lie was
uark enough for an Italian. and
spoke that tongue among others.
since the war he had remained in
England, and his services had been
accepted by Scotland Yard.
Il often find my youth and in
nocence rather an asset" the Cana
dian went on, showing the white
teeth that made his war tanned skin
almost copper brown on contrast.
Who knows but 1t will help me TO
make good in this case? l have a
sort Of 'hunch' 1t will, That's
partly why 1 asked for this lob.
ana one other reason Is that the
family at Hidden Hall Court has
had Italian blood in several genera
tons. I'm always interested in
Italians, for I'm SUPPOSED to be
Italian myself. But that's enough
about me! i suppose you'll want 10
take me right over to Hidden Hall
Court. which my road map tells me
isn't far away. Or do you want to
talk things over first?"
Il think we'd best talk things over
first" said Arson, here on the spot.
For we have had mysterious oc-
currence this morning, (which Is
closely connected with the case"
Whereupon he explained to the man
or boy--from Scotland Yard what
had happened In Cell 5.
That girl has done an impossibIe
thing" he finished. as he opened the
door OF the locked cubicle. az
must say take off my hat to her."
Il always do that gladly to a lady,
especially IL she's young and pretty
agreed Dagon. Butt don't take It
of TO this one on the grounds that
she's done an impossible thing. She
hasn't done anything"
Continued Tomorrow