Part 26 (2/2)
”Yes, quite a few”
”Then don't you forward them?”
”No, for I don't knohere to send them Besides, that nephew of his calls for the mail, and takes the letters addressed to Mr Stockton, as well as his own I don't believe Mr Stockton is in Europe”
”Then where is he?”
”That'sI don't have time to bother about, with the increase in thepoorer and poorer each day I can't read as many postals as I used to”
”Then if I wrote a letter to Mr Stockton, you don't think he'd get it?”
”I don't know I do know that Muchet it first Maybe he forwards his uncle's mail”
”I don't believe I'll write any letter then,” thought Bert ”I have nothing only suspicions, at best I think so on at that house, but I can't prove it I think Mr Stockton ought to know about it, but I don't see any way of infor him I wish I could have a talk with Mort Decker Maybe he has found out so in this strain Bert found it hard to get hisin particular to do, he decided to take a stroll past the h the woods, that would bring hi hih the back streets of the village, as he did not want to meet any of his chums just then In a little while he was in the forest, and, proceeding along leisurely, so that if any persons did observe him they would not think he had any particular object, he reached the rear of the queer house It seehtly closed, and there was no sign of life
”A queer old place,”was cut short by a sudden opening of the shutters on the toph whatever fastened them had been broken At the same moment a hand was thrust out It was a white hand, and it see from theBert watched, and saw that the object was a bottle The glass struck a stone and was broken Then, from the bottle caain Wonderingly, Bert walked over and picked up the paper On it was this e:
”help i am a priso”
CHAPTER XXII
THE STENOGRAPHER'S SUSPICIONS
Herbert stood gazing at the slip of paper in his hand He did not knohat to make of it Then he looked up at the hence it had been thrown There was no sign of life there Whoever had tossed out the ain behind the dark shutters
”Well, this gets me,” murmured the boy ”I wonder what itserious?”
Then another idea came to him
”It's written on a typewriter!” he exclaimed ”I wonder if it could have been done by Mort Decker? Perhaps he is in trouble there with Muchmore Maybe the man has him locked up Had I better tell the authorities?”
Then, as he looked at the ht
”No, Mort couldn't have written it,” he said to himself ”He knoork a typewriter, and he'd use capitals in the places where they belong And, besides, this e isn't finished Whoever wrote it had to stop before he was through I wonder what the rest of that word is 'Priso--' Maybe it's
I wish--”
But the boy's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a noise at aover his head Thinking the person who had thrown out the ain about to open the shutters, Bert watched anxiously, but, instead, aon the second floor opened and Mort Decker leaned out
”hello!” began Bert