The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-10-28

nered. You're the best man we've got
on chase. Don't hesitate to shoot
Come along, the rest of your
Together we rushed up the path,
Ashton ahead and my chief and / just
behind him. But, with all our haste,
we assembled the steps and crossed the
wooden veranda silently. The front
door was not even latched. 1t swung
back with light push, and we were
inside
"l'll go to the Kitchen Ashton
said, land cover the back stairs, and
work up from there You two, be-
tween you, see that he doesn't get
down the front stairs, and search the
rooms on each floor before you go any
higher"
Both of US nodded compromising
ly. and he darted away. | stayed in
the hall, while the doctor searched
the downstairs rooms which made up
the front of the house.
In minute or two my chief re-
joined me in the hall. He's not
here" Ashton whispered. "Come, let's
go upstairs. Wen draw this floor next,
just as we did the other. You,
Phelps, guard the head of the front
stairs, I'll guard the back and the
doctor can search the rooms"
Carefully as he searched, we drew
blank again.
'All right" Ashton whispered. Hes
still in the study, then. It's queer we
don't hear him, though"
do you think he can have got out
by one of the windows?" questioned
"Not with Mallory ON the lookout
outside. told him to shoot, and he
would. Come along! Follow me-"
The study door was closed, but we
could see the light shining out from
under it. Ashton flung open the door.
But from that silent room, there never
same a sound.
We waited a moment. Then, breath
lessly and cautiously, we entered.
The room was empty.
For a moment we stared bankly
into each others faces. Then grim,
full-mouthed laugh from the doctor
shattered the strained silence. He
clutched Ashton's arm and pointed
Look! Look there''
On the floor, beside the swivel chair,
half under the desk, was great
caped-ulster and hat, bundle of
bed clothes, bolster and a small pill
low.
THERE cried the doctor; there
lies the shadow of our good friend
wilkins, but it looks as if his sub
stance had escaped u.s."
But the thing moved" I cried
''the shadow did, at any rate-moved
and disappeared"
The doctor stopped and lifted up the
empty sleeve of the big ulster There
was string tied around the sleeve,
string that led up through an
empty Stove-pipe hole and out in the
corridor. We went out to see what
the other end of it was attached to,
and found that it was made fast to
bell wire. in such way as not,
probably, to interfere with the ringing
of the bell.
I'VE gazed at the thing curiously
and, for the moment, without compre-
hending. Then the doctor hit upon
solution, which we afterward found to
be the true one.
1t was simple. Like all great
IDEAS" said lie. "Tlre first thing Will
kins did was to make fast string be-
tween the gate and the Cld-fashioned
bell pull in the front doorway. In that
way he assured himself of getting ii
warning when your detectives re-
turned from the fire. 1t wouldn't al
: low him much leeway, but he undoubt-
eddy calculated that it would be
enough. When this house was in it's
prime this third floor room served, no
doubt, as quarters for servant, and it
was natural that one Of the bells
should ring up here. The thought of
the dummy had probably occurred to
him in advance, and it was good
thought. Ills chance of escaping your
two men, when they returned, would
be vastly greater if they should rush
into the house with no other idea
than that an intruder was sitting in
Henry Morgan's study, leaning over.
Henry Morgan's desk.
"But the notion of connecting the
dummy with the bell wire, and bal
ancing it so that the slightest pull
would cause it to move toward the
light, and then disappear must have
been the inspiration of the moment"
"Well, he's gone" said Ashton, land
he's probably got the map, though if
you know where you left il, you'd bet
ter look and see."
pulled open the drawer where we
had placed ii, and glanced inside. One
glance was enough. The map was
gone.
"He can't have gone very far" said
Ashton; that's safe surmise; and
us long as we've got that girl to track
him with, We'll get him yet Come,
there's no use lettering here"