Page 2
EASTERN CLACKAMAS X I’AN'S, T Hf RSf>A-Y, D E C E M B E R '«. 1927
A N ovel from the Play
By Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood
‘_‘T h,‘ rcat.“ copyright. 132ft. by Mrtry Roberta Rin eh art nn<1 A v e r y Hnpwood.
“ It may be tulud,’’ he said, turning
The detective enme out of the al
back toward Dale, “ but forgive me If
cove and paused by the French win
I say I think it seems more like fool dows.
“ Hello— what’s this?" he said sharp
hardy stubbornness!”
D e f y in g all efforts to capture
him, a f t e r a long series o f mur
ly, his eye lighting on the broken
Dale turned away from the window.
ders and robberies, a super-
“ Then you think there Is really dan glass helow the shattered French win
crook known only as ‘‘Th e Hat”
dow. He picked up a piece of the
ger?"
has brought about a veritable
reign o f terror. The ch ie f o f po
glass and examined It.
The doctor eyes were grnve.
lice assigns his best operative.
Dale cleared her throat. “ It was
“ Well—those letters— ” he dropped
Anderson, to get on the trail of
broken from the outside a few min
the letter on the table. “ They mean
The Bat.
Wi th her niece, Dale
Ogden, Miss Cornelia Van Border
utes ago,” she said.
something. Here you are— Isolated—
is li v in g in the country home of
"The outside?" Instantly the detec
the village two miles away—and
the late C ou rtl eig h Fleming, who
enough shrubbery uround the place
tive had pulled aside a blind and was
until his recent death had been
president o f the Union bank,
staring out Into the darkness.
to hide a dozen assassins—"
wrecked because o f the th ef t of
If his manner had been In the
"Yes. And then that letter was
a la rg e sum o f currency.
Miss
slightest degree melodramatic, Dale
Van Gorder
receives
a
note
thrown In."
She pointed to the
wa rn in g her to vacate the place
would have found the ominous sen threatening missive on the center-
at once on pain of death. Dale
tences more easy to discount. But
table.
returns from the cit v wher e she
this calm, Intent statement of fact
had been to hire a gardener
Anderson picked It up, glanced
The gard ene r arrives, g i v i n g his
was a chill touch at her heart And
through It, laid It down. All his
name as Brooks. He admits he is
yet—
movements were quick aud sure— each
not a gardener, but needs work.
“ But what enemies cun Aunt Cor executed with the minimum expense
Miss Cornelia tells Doctor We lls
o f t h i th rea te ni ng note.
They
nelia have?” she asked helplessly.
of effort.
are Interrupted by the smashing
"Any man will tell you what I do,"
“H ’m,” he said, In a calm voice, that
of a wi nd ow In the house. They
said the doctor, with Increasing seri held a glint of humor. “ Curious, the
find another w ar n in g note.
ousness. lie took a cigarette from Ids
anonymous letter complex! Appar
case and tapped It on the case to
ently some one considers you an unde
emphasize
his
words.
"This
Is
no
sirable tenant!"
C H APTE R IV — Continued
place for two women, practically
Miss Cornelia took up the tale.
-— 6 — -
alone.”
“ There are some things I haven’t
“ Yes, I did,” Siilil the doctor, quick
Dale moved nwny from him rest told you yet," she said. “ This house
ly, still seeming unconvinced o f the
lessly, to warm her hands at the fire.
belonged to the late Courtleigh Flem
wisdom o f her attitude.
The doctor gave a quick glance
ing.” lie glanced nt her shurply.
“ Miss Van Gorder, I confess—I ’m
around the room. Then, unseen by
"The Union bnnk?"
very anxious for you," he continued.
her, he stepped noiselessly over to the
"Yes. I rented It for the summer
“This letter Is—ominous. Why not
table, took the matchbox there off its
and moved la last Mnoday. We have
accept my hospitality In the village
holder and slipped it Into Ills pocket.
not had a really quiet night since I
tonight? It's n little house hut I'll
It seemed a curiously useless and
came. The very first night I saw a
make you comfortable. Or,” he threw
meaningless gesture, Imt his next
man with an electric flashlight mak
out his hands In the gesture of one
words evinced that the action had
ing his way through that shrubbery!”
svho reasons with a willful child, " if
been deliberate.
“ You poor dear!" from Dale, sympa
you won't come to me—let me stay
"I don't seem to be able to find any
thetically.
“ And you were here
here!’’
matches—” he said, with assumed
alone!”
Miss Cornelia hesitated for nn in
carelessness, fiddling with the match
“ Well, I had Lizzie. And” said Miss
stant. The proposition seemed log
box holder.
Cornelia with enormous Importance,
ical enough—more than that—sensible
Dale
turned
away
from
the
fire.
opening the drawer of the center-
— safe. And yet, some Indefinable
“ Oh, nren't there any? I ’ll get you
table, “ I had my revolver. I know so
feeling—hardly strong enough to he
some,” she said with automatic polite little about these things, Mr. Ander
called n premonition— kept her from
ness, und departed to search for
son, that If I didn’t hit a burglar, I
accepting It.
them.
knew I ’d hit somebody or something!"
“ Thank you, no, doctor," she said
The doctor watched her go—saw the
and she gazed with innocent awe di
briskly, before she had time to change
door close behind her. Instantly his
rectly down the muzzle of her beloved
her mind, “ I'm not easily frightened.
face set Into tense and wary lines.
weapon, then waved It with an airy
And tomorow I intend to equip this
Ho glanced about—then ran lightly
gesture beneath the detective’s nose.
entire house with burglar alarms on
up Into the nlcove and noiselessly un
Anderson gave an Involuntary start
doors and windows!” she went on
fastened the holt on the terrace door
—then his eyes lit up with grim
defiantly.
The incident, ns far as
which he had pretended to fasten
mirth.
she was concerned, was closed. Site
“ Would you mind putting that
moved on Into the alcove. The doc after his search of the shrubbery.
When
Dale
returned
with
the
matches,
away?" he said suavely, “ I like to get
tor stared after her, slinking ids head.
he was hack where he had been
In the papers as much as anybody, but
She tried the terrace door. “ There
when she had left him. glancing at
I don’t want to have them say—omit
— I knew It!" she said triumphantly.
a magazine on the table.
flowers.”
“ Doctor—you didn't fasten that bolt!”
He lit Ills cigarette and drew In
Miss Cornelia gave him a glare of
The doctor seemed a little taken
the fragrant smoke with apparent
offended pride, but he endured it with
aback. "Oh—I'm sorry—” he said.
gusto. But a moment later he had
such quiet equanimity that she mere
“ You only pushed It part of the
crushed out the glowing end In an
ly replaced the revolver In the
wuv," she explained. She completed
ash-receiver.
drawer, with a hurt expression, and
the task and stepped hack into the
“ By the way, has Miss Van Gorder
waited for hint to open the next topic
living room. The only tiling that wor a revolver?” he queried casually,
of conversation.
ries me now Is that broken French
glancing at his wrist watch.
He finished his preliminary survey
window,” she said thoughtfully. “ Any
“ Yes—she fired It off tills after of the room and returned to her.
one ran reach n hand through It and
noon to see If It would work.” Dale
“ Now, you say you don’t think any
open the latch"’ She came down to smiled ut the memory.
body has got upstairs yet?” he
ward the settee where Dale was sit
The doctor, too, seemed amused. " If
queried.
ting. “ I'lease, doctor!”
she tries to shoot anything— for good
Miss Cornelia regarded the alcove
“ Oh— what are you going to do?"
ness’ sake stand behind her!" he ad stairs.
said the doctor, coming out of a
vised. He glanced at the wrist watch
“ I think not. I’m a very light sleep
brown study.
again. “ Well—I must he going—”
er—especially since the papers have
“ I'm going to barricade that win
“ If anything happens," said Dale,
been so full of the exploits of this
dow !” said Miss Cornelia firmly, al
slowly, "I shall telephone you at once."
criminal they call the But He’s In
ready struggling to lift one end of
Her words seemed to disturb the
them again tonight."
the settee. Ilut now Dale came to
doctor slightly—hut only for a second.
The detective smiled faintly.
her rescue.
He grew even more urbane.
"Y'es—he's contrived to surround
“ Oh, darling—you’ll hurt yourself—
•'I'll he home shortly after mid
himself with such nn nlr of mystery
let me— " and between them, the doc-
night,” he said. " I ’m stopping at the
that It verges on the supernatural—
Johnsons’ on my way—one of their
or seems that way to newspaper
children Is ill—or supposed to be."
men."
He took a step toward the door, then
“ I confess," admitted Miss Cornelia,
he turned toward Dale ngaln.
“ I've thought of him in this connec
tion." She looked at Anderson to see
“ Tnke a pflrting word of advice."
how he would take the suggestion, hut
he said. "The thing to do with n mid
the latter merely smiled ngaln, this
night prowler Is—let him alone. Lock
time more broadly.
your bedroom doors and don't let any
“ That's going rather a long way for
thing bring you out till morning."
n theory,” he said. “ And the Bat Is
"Thank you,” said Dale, seriously.
not in the Imhit of giving warnings.
"Good night, Doctor—Billy will let
You can always tell when the Bat has
you out—he has the key.”
had anything to do with a crime.
"B y Jove!” laughed the doctor,
When he's through, he signs his name
“ you are careful, aren’t you I The
lo it.”
place Is like a fortress! Well—good
Miss Cornelia sat bolt upright. "Ills
night. Miss Dale— "
name? I thought nobody knew his
"Good night." The door closed be
hind hint— Dale was left alone. Sud name?”
The detective made n little gesture
denly her composure left her, the
of apology. “ That was a figure of
fixed smile died. She stood gazing
speech. The newspapers named him
ahead nt nothing, her face n mask of
the Bat— because he moved with In
terror and apprehension. But when
credible rapidity—always nt night—
Billy returned with the front door key
and by signing his nnme I mean he
she was ns Impassive ns he was.
leaves the symbol of his Identity. The
"Has the new gardener come yet?”
hat, which can see In the dark."
"H e here." said llllly stolidly.
’’I wish I could," said Miss Cornelia,
“ Name Brook."
striving to seem unimpressed. “ These
She was entirely herself once more
country lights nre always going out"
when Billy, departing, held the door
Anderson's fnce grew stern. “ Some
open wide— to ndmlt Miss Cornelia
times he draws the outline of n bnt at
Van Gorder and a tall strong featured
You Won't Come to Me— L e t Me
the scene of the crime. Once, In sente
man, quietly dressed, with reticent,
S tay H e re !"
way, he got hold of a real bat, and
piercing eyes— the detective!
nailed It to the wall."
"Pale, dear,” said Miss Cornelia,
and Dale moved the heavy settee
Dale, listening, could not repress a
with triumph In her voice. "This is
lg until It stood in front of the
shudder nt the grewsome picture—
Mr. Anderson."
dow In question.
and Miss Cornelia’s hands gave an In
The newcomer bowed, glancing nt
lie dm tor stood up when the dusty
voluntary twitch ns her knitting
her casually and then looking away.
; was finished, wiping Ills hands
needles clicked together.
Anderson
Miss Cornelia, however, was obvious
It would take a furniture mover
seemed hy no means unconscious of
ly In fine feather and relishing to the
get In there now I” he said airily.
the effect he had created.
utmost the presence of a real detec
[Is, Cornelia smiled.
"He seems to have Imagination," he
tive In the house.
Well, doctor— 111 say good night
admitted. "W ell," his voice grew de
"This Is the room I spoke of," she
r—and thank you very much,” she
termined. “ I have some Imagination,
said briskly. “ All the disturbance«
1, extending her hand to the doc-
myself. How many people In this
have taken place around that terrace
who bowed over It silently. “ Don't
house. Miss Van Gorder?"
door."
p this young lady up too late—
"My niece and myself," Miss Cor
The detective took three swift steps
looks tired.” She flashed a look
nelia Indicated Dale, who had picked
Into the alcove, glanced about It
Dale who stood staring out at the
up her wrap and was starting to leave
searehlngly. He Indicated the stairs.
ht, then sailed out of the room.
“ That Is not the main stalrense?" I the room. "Lizzie Allen—who has-been,
I smiling, and closed the door bo
my personal nmld ever since 1 was a
"N o the main staircase Is out
d her.
tlxM'e." Miss Cornelia waved her hand | child—the Japanese hntler and the
'lie darter seemed a little nettled
in the direction of the bull,
[ gardener. The cook and the house
her abrupt departure.
STO R Y FR O M T H E S T A R T
W N U S e rv ic e
nmld left this morning—frightened
away.”
She smiled ns she finished her
description. Dale reached the door
and passed slowly out Into the hall.
The detective gave her a single, shnrp
glance ns she made her e x it
He
seemed to think over the factors Miss
Cornelia had mentioned.
“ Well,” he said, after a slight
pause, "you can have a good night's
sleep tonight. FI stay awake here In
the dark and watch."
“ Would you like some coffee to keep
you awake?"
Anderson nodded. "Thank yon.” His
voice sank lower. "Do the servants
know who I am?"
"Only Lizzie— my maid."
His eyes fixed hers. “ I wouldn’t tell
anyone I’m remaining up all night,” he
said.
A formless fear rose In Miss Cor
nelia's mind. "You don’t suspect my
household?" she said In a low voice.
lie spoke with emphasis— all the
more pronounced because of the quie
tude of his tone.
“ I'm not taking any chances,” he
said determinedly.
"A ll right, I.lzzle. Be rnlin. I cun
stand It,” said the detective with
treacherous suavity. But he favored
her with a long and careful scrutiny
before he moved to the table anil
picked up the note that Imil hoon
thrown through the window. Quietly
he extended it beneath Lizzie’s nose.
“ Ever see this before?" he said
crisply, watching her face.
Lizzie rend the note with bulging
eyes, her face horror-stricken. When
she had finished, she made a gesture
of wild disclaimer that nearly removed
a portion of Anderson's left ear.
"Mercy on us I" she moaned, men
tally Invoking not only her patron-
saint hut all the rosary of Heaven to
protect herself and her mistress.
But the detective still kept Ills eye
on her.
“ Didn’t write It yourself, did you?"
he queried curtly.
" I did not I” said Lizzie angrily, "1
did not 1" nnd she flounced out of the
room In high dudgeon, her pompadour
bristling, before he had time to Inter
rogate her further.
He replaced the note on the table
and turned back to Miss Cornelia. If
he had found any clew to the mystery
In Lizzie’s demeanor, she could not
read It In his manner.
“ Now, what about the butler?" he
said.
“ Nothing about Mm—except that he
was Courtleigh Fleming’s servant."
Anderson paused.
“ Do you con
sider that significant?"
A shadow appeared behind him
deep In the alcove— a vague, listening
figure— Dale, on tiptoe, conspiratorial,
CH APTER V
Cross-Questions and Crooked
Answers.
All ttnconselous of the slur Just cast
lion her forty years of single-minded
devotion to the Van Gorder family,
Izzle chose that particular moment to
pen the door and make a little bob at
her mistress and the detective.
"The gentleman's room Is ready,"
she said.
Miss Cornelia, obedient to the de
tective’s Instructions, promptly told
the whitest of fibs for Lizzie’s benefit.
“ The maid will show you to your
room now and you can make yourself
comfortable for the night." There—
that would mislead Lizzie, without be
ing quite a lie.
“ My toilet Is made for an occasion
like this when I ’ve got my gun
loaded,” answered Anderson careless
ly. The alluslan to the gun made Liz
zie start nervously, unhappily for her,
for It drew his attention to her and
he now transfixed her with a stare.
"This is the maid you referred to?"
he Inquired. Miss Cornelia assented.
He drew nearer to the unhappy
Lizzie.
“ Wliat's your name?" he asked,
turning to her.
"E-Eliznbeth
Allen,"
stammered
Lizzie, feeling like a small and dis
trustful sparrow In the tolls of an
officious python.
Anderson seemed to run through
a mental rogues’ gallery o f other
criminals named Elizabeth Allen that
he had known.
"How old nre you?” he proceeded.
Lizzie braced herself. "Thirty-two,"
she said, with an arch toss of her
bend.
The detective looked surprised and
slightly amused.
“ She’s fifty If she's a day,” said
Miss Cornelia, treacherously. In spite
of a look from Lizzie that would have
melted a stone.
The trace of a smile appeared and
vanished on the detective’s face.
"Now, Lizzie," he said sternly,
“ do you ever walk In your sleep?"
“ I do not," said Lizzie Indignantly.
"Don’t care for tli6 country, I sup
pose?"
“ I do not!"
“ Or detectives?” Anderson deigned
to be facetious.
" I do not!’’ There could be no
doubt as to the sincerity of Lizzie's
answer.
Children Cry for
"How Old Ars You?” He Proceeded.
taking pains not to draw the attention
of the others to her presence. But
both Miss Cornelia and Anderson were
too engrossed In their conversation to
notice her.
Miss Cornelia hesitnted.
“ Isn't It possible that there Is a
connection between the colossal theft
at the Union bank and these dis
turbances?” she said.
Anderson seemed to think over the
question.
"What do you mean?” he asked, as
Dale slowly moved into the room from
the alcove, silently closing the alcove
doors behind her, and still unobserved.
"Suppose," said Miss Cornelia slow
ly, “ that Courtleigh Fleming took that
money from his own hank nnd con
cealed It In this house?" The eaves
dropper grew rigid.
“That's the theory you gave head
quarters, Isn’t It?” said Anderson.
"But I ’ll tell you how headquarters
figures It out. In the first place, the
cashier Is missing.
In the second
place. If Courtleigh Fleming did It
and got as fur as Colorado, he had
It with him when he died, and the
facts apparently don’t bear that out.
In the third place, suppose he had
hidden the money in or around this
house. Why did he rent It to you?”
“ But he didn’t,” said Miss Cornelia,
obstinately, V*T leased this house from
Ms nephew—his heir.”
The detective smiled tolerantly.
(T O
B E C O N T IN U E D .)
}x m z «z m z «»z m z m rM «x «x m z m z m x m z »z m x 4
Gospel in Form That Appeals to Tibetans
Tibetan printed books are printed
from wooden blocks on very fine buff-
colored pnper manufactured In the
country from the bark of a certain
shrub. The pages are long and nar
row. They are not bound Into a vol
ume, but lie loosely one above another.
When not In use the leaves are In
closed In two wooden slabs, which are
often finely carved, and tied with silk
ribbons. The whole is wrapped In a
beautifully embroidered silk cover.
The sacred books of Tibet, produced
in this way. are regarded with the
greatest reverence. A lady mission
ary working on the borders o f Tibet
suggested to the British and Foreign
Bible society that a part of the New
Testament should be produced In T i
betan style. "This," reports the so
ciety, “ has now been done. St. Mark
Famoui “ Blacklist”
Publication of the names of debtors
who paid In depredated currency,
during and after the Civil war period
was known as the greenback "black
list.” The Pacific coast states con
ducted trade and other operations on
the gold standard. It was considered
a breach of faith to buy on a gold
basis and pay In paper money, though
It was legal tender. The boycott was
unknown, hut the blacklist was not
illegal nnd the practice of publica
tion w as common.
No mother in this enlightened ag<
would give her baby something she
did not know was perfectly harmless,
especially when a few drops o f plain
Castoria will right a baby's stomach
and end almost any little 111. Fretful
ness and fever, too; It seems no tlma
until everything Is serene.
That’s the beauty o f Castoria; Its
gentle Influence seems Just what 1»
needed. It does all that castor oil
might accomplish, without shock to
the system. Without the evil taste.
It's delicious 1 Being purely vegeta-
able, you can give It as often as
there’s a sign o f colic; constipation;
diarrhea ; or need to aid sound, nat
ural sleep.
Just one warning: It Is genuine
Fletcher's Castoria that physicians
recommend. Other preparations may
he Just as free from all doubtful drugs,
but no child of this writer's Is going
to test them 1 Besides, the hook on
care and feeding of babies that comes
with Fletcher's Castoria is worth Its
weight la gold.
hns assumed a dress which will make
a strong appeal to the Tibetans. They
will be led from the attractive ap
pearance to the contents, which are
still more attractive, nnd we hope that
many of them will be led to the Lord
himself."
Gift of Golden Eagle
to Yellowstone Park
A large golden eagle, a bird even
more fine and majestic than the bald
eagle shown on the American coat-of-
anns, has been presented 'o Yellow
stone National park by Harry B.
Boughers of Fort Wayne, Ind. Mr.
Boughers found the eagle with Its
wing Injured, apparently by gunshot,
und kept It several weeks until Its
wound was healed. Anxious that the
bird should not be exposed to any
more pot shots In a densely populated
region, he sent It out to the park at
his own expense, requesting that It be
kept and fed well for a short time and
then released to find Its own home In
the mountains.
Yellowstone National park has fre
quently figured as the source of dona
tions of such animals ns bison and
elk, but this Is one of the few cases
on record where the process has been
reversed. This Is at least portly due
to the fact that the national park
service hns steadily adhered to a pol
icy of refusing to Introduce animals
or plants not native to the region.
To Cure a Cold in one Day
Take L a x a t i v e BROMO Q U I N I N E Tab
lets.
T h e Safe and P r o v e n Remedy,
L o o k for signature of E. W . G r o ve oa
the box. 30c.— Adv.
Gamekeeper’s Find
A gamekeeper near Aberdeen, Scot
land, has had a remarkable experience
among foxes.
He discovered the lair of a fox
among the heather, aud after a good
deal of hunting succeeded In trapping
the old pair. A few days later he
found on the ledge of a rock near the
den live young fox cubs.
It chanced that he had at home a
cat with kittens the same age as the
cubs, so he took two of them home
und placed them beside the mother
cat.
She took kindly to her common
enemy, and cared for them. The
young cubs have become quite friend
ly with the kittens, nnd the cat Is
proving an excellent foster mother.
Then Look at Your Watch
T o tell time by the stars, explains
an Iowa professor, “ First look at the
North star and the two points in the
Grent Dipper which are on a line with
I t Imagine that In the sky there Is a
huge clock face with the hour hand
pointing to these pointers. Rend the
time to the nearest quarter hour. T<
this figure add the number of months
since January 1. Double this and sub
tract the result from 10*4. If the re
suit Is more than 10*4, subtract It
from -tOH- The result is the time In
hours, after noon. I f the time Is
greater than 12, It means that It Is
after midnight, so subtract 12 and you
hnve the time In hours, the forenoon.’
As regards the day, of course, by
the time you have done all this It wiii
he the middle of next week,—Ex
'bnnge.
A ll Silence Not Golden
We often hear of the wife who talk
too much. But pity the husband o
the wife who talks too Utile.— Wop
au’s Home Companion.
Plane Wedding Not New
These airplane weddings are “ old
stuff,” according to Mrs. Mary A. Boyn
ton, noted geologist Fifty-six years
ago Mrs. Boynton became a bride In a
balloon ascension from Central park.
New York city. That method was her
own snggestlon. Even as now the
legality of a marriage In the air was
questioned at the time.
No M ore
Croup/
Sodd«n-friirhtMrfnff-«i______
ic croup come* at night with«. t
wandnirwhen ItIsimp<**lMi* to
find • doctor. Miwutpe
Hare on hand the* weU known
“ *— ‘ Ian’s prescript*on which
r-h o f without w-Tnitinf
mmtitf». I t is also the
count.
quickest known r e lic .
•**
raofk. In m for s m
wits l«r g .»t MiM o f mjty enrop n n r i r . I f n n h .v .
OnlSna r - i ft h o tt.o f thi. Im w -lxM n w * i t y io r
emstom
CROUP REMEDY
H.
uck
N. U., PORTLAND, NO. 49-1927.