A Strange Disappearance

me under my direct notice. Indeed, I know of another that in some respects, at least, surpasses that in points of interest, and if you will p

e; and such a statement from him could not but arouse our deepest curiosity. Drawing up, then, to the stove around which we were sitting in lazy enjoyment of one of those off-hours so dear to a detective's heart,

opened and a respectable-looking middle-aged woman came in, whose agitated air

I don't wish anything said about it, but a girl disappeared from our house last night, and"-she stopped here, her e

l; and what house do you me

a young man," said she; "isn't there some one here

er words which I could not hear. He listened nonchalantly for a moment but suddenly made a move which I knew indicated strong and surprised interest, though from his fa

" asked he; "tel

hispered, "Take a man and go with this woman; look into matters

eapproached the woman. "Where do you come from," said I, "I

r. Gryce who now stood with his back to u

ement of sudden interest "A girl-one who sewed for us-disappeared last night in a way to alarm us very much. She was taken from her room-" "Yes," she cried vehemently, seeing my look of

s so vehement, I at once and naturally asked if the girl w

ry way but in my face, "a very dear friend-a-a-protegee, I think t

this time i

ld him so," nodding back to the building from which we had just issued, "and he p

?" I

ng the

a few more of the facts. What is the girl's name and what makes

looks of her room, and-They all got out of the window," she cr

do you me

hey were who ca

rose to my lips. Mr. Gryce might ha

" said she, "that s

I, "not in the

ce station now a block or so distant.

him you thought she had b

And well he might, for I heard t

n talking in

past twelve. I had been asleep and the

l me where her room

y back, mine the front

ed. "What position do you o

he hous

e was a

by hearing whispering which seeme

ed it came from her room; and more astonished than I could say,-She is a good girl," she broke in, suddenly looking at me with

too communicative face, "I haven't said anything, we w

hen I turned the knob and called her: she did not reply and I called again. Then she came to the door, but did not unlock it. 'What is it?' she asked. 'O,' said I, 'I thought I heard talking here and I was frightened,' 'It must have been next door,' said she. I begged pardon and went ba

could not re

er out of the wi

nd there is a ladder running up to the third fl

east to have been a wil

"I tell you if what I say is true, and these burglars or whatever they were, did carry her off, it was an agony to her, an awf

more than one passer-by had turned their heads to look at

might not think so, I always did; it d

were weighing something in her own mind; but then her manner had been peculiar throughout. Whatever it was that aroused my suspicion, I determined henceforth to keep a very s

lake know anyt

d she, "I told him at breakfast time; but Mr. Blake doesn't take

know you have co

. It is not necessary he should know. I shall let you in the ba

ing when you told him that this g

mi

ily, had disappeare

his paper, he merely looked up, frowned a little in an absent-minded way

u let i

ke is not a man t

though by no means a harsh looking man, he had a reserved air which i

in the city; so motioning to the man who had accompanied me to take his stand in a doorway near by and watch for the signal I would give him in case I wante

me right up the back stairs; he won't notice

she took out a key from her pocket and inserting it