Might and Main Library. Number 56, 1907-03-16 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

bering de scihve: : Harry Edwards was ‘ready for any ancnen +h syst ing his companions against any explosion of laughter, he ', took some: string from his pocket and quickly tied the de- 4 " tective’s feet together. Jack Weatherstraw, commonly called “Curly,” count of his curly hair, wanted, as he said, “to go one bet- ter”; so, taking a nice piece of whipcord, which he had used” for top-spinning, he made a slip-knot at one end, which he deftly slipped over the detective’s right hand, tying the other end to a strong’ sapling growing near. “Now for ‘some fun,” he whispered. _ The boys were afraid of missing it if they hid behind the trees, so they climbed up among the branches just over ‘the sleeper’s testing-place. | _ They had not to wait long. ‘ The detective turned over in his tee, and the action : tightened the noose around his wrist. That woke him. ) | He sat up; his eyes were still half-closed, and his senses | “not yet awake. _ He raised his hand to rub his eyes, and for the first time saw the cord. “How-—what ts Curse it! who did. this?” he ex- claimed, loud enough for all the boys to hear. un He loosened the cord and arose to his feet; but the mo- _ ment he attempted to move, the cord around. his ankles ces him, and he fell forward on his face. “Murder! !? he shouted. “Thieves! murder!” a And a chorus of voices from the trees called out: “Murder! Fire! Thieves!’ The detective looked up, and saw the boys. “You young imps, you shall pay for this! _ pistol, I’d shoot—by gosh! I would!” By way of acknowledgment, the boys broke off bits of ie “branches and clusters of leaves, and pelted the unfortunate S ‘until he had freed his legs. — No sooner was the string untied than he took Lady M ac-. - beth’s*advice, and stood not on the order of his going, but went at once. _ Tf we looked over the shoulder of Lawyer Zeutgard, as the was reading the detective’s confidential report, we should be amazed at the way in which that dite ts law officer excused himself for his failure. “T was walking through the wood,” he said, “when I ? catight my foot against a tree root and fell. Before I could recover myself, I received a nasty blow on my head, which stunned me: When I came to myself, I found I was bound hand and foot, and it was an hour before I could | - extricate myself. During the time I lost ‘all track of the man you wished shadowed. I have no doubt he was the , : ‘ene who stunned and bound me.” Such was the fiction with which the lawyer was regaled by his confidential agent. SSS on’ ac- lf I had my b CHAPTER IIL. A NEW MYSTERY. For several days after the funeral of her husband, Mrs. ‘Craig was so utterly prostrated with grief that even the _ doctors feared she would pass away from the earth- life to join him in the great unknown. Whenever she showed any signs of consciousness, he wanted Vernon near her, and his love was so great that he scarcely leftethe room, for fear she might wish te speak. to him. | All day, and as ‘day succeeded day, she lay in a sort of stupor, with only an occasional gleam of consciousness. It was the tenth day after the funeral when she sud- ily sat up in bed, and, though her eyes were closed, she d Ss ee oot in a, sharp, shay gecice Sale | die. and fell back on the plow, “Yes, mother.” pe aie What right thad he to the heirloom of the Gbate family» An hour later she spoke again, as though her mind hac been a blank since she last addressed him. “My boy, you are not my son, nor,my. husband’s son; ” ‘but keep. The Luck of Glen William, and some nay | “the a truth will be known.” < an Again the stupor pverpowered her, ad. for a time it appeared as though she would never recover. | te aks When night came, Vernon was exhausted through lo¥l ia watching, and the doctor insisted that he should go to ‘hi ile) own room and sleep. Ae ‘Although so weary, it was -some time béfore he could fall asleep, and, when he did, his rest was iia J dreams. He thought Vernon Craig was still alive, and that whole tragedy had been but a fiction of the mind. Once Vernon was so impressed with his dream shal it awoke and leaped from his bed. The contact with the floor, aided, perhaps, more by lth fact that he stubbed his toe, against a Chairs leg, cong him that he had been dreaming. | He returned to bed, and again fell asleep. ‘Se “He was a second time awakened by the borate of fo Y eee phantasies, and sat up in bed. ae He imagined he heard voices near his door. YZ Cautiously, he got out of bed and crossed the room. Elis bedchamber adjoined his father’s. private library, room in which the murdered man had aie many Ov OL Anis -Hfee Laat Vernon was sure he was not dreamingy: Lo Voices were distinctly heard, and they were not thos aS legal inmates of the house. - in He tried to hear what was being said, but the wall too well built. | | He was possessed of considerable courage, and de mined to find out who had invaded the premises. ee His door was locked. bare Fle remembered that he. had not locked it when. Hi reas tired to bed, but now it was locked, and the key was” ie the outsid® a Some one must have opened the door ai turned ‘the ey With what object ? | What was going on that he must not know?" <a Oncé he thought of calling out, but that would’ only alarm those who were in the next room. | A horrible suspicion came over him. The house was being robbed. But: that was not all. ‘He was suffocating. » With almost his last chance of making any effort, > reached the window. . -It was closed, and yet he knew he had left it open at . the top for ventilation. : He was gasping for breath, but the sensation was bleasatts Nothing would please him more than to lie down and Only the thought of his mother gave “him courage. to by resist the temptation. . as He burst open the window, and the fresh air revived him somewhat. Then he saw, for the first time, oes which startled. him. ‘ Inside fhe door there stood a Slumber’s brazier, and it was full of smoldering charcoal. He saw it all now. fe: ,He was to be lulled to the sleep of death, and the house was, HO" ee eee aren,