Heppner gazette-times., October 20, 1927, Page PAGE FIVE, Image 5

HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON -THURSDAY. OCT. 20, 1927.
PAGE FIVE
RLACIC
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SHEE
Meredith Nicholson
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COPYRIGHT CHARLES 3C30BNER3 SONS - RELEASED THRU PUBLISHERS AUTOCASTER SERVICE
INTRODUCTION
Archibald Bennett, wealthy bachelor,
travels constantly in the interest of his
health. He meet Isabel Perry, who rec
ommends a life of crime, adventure, ro
mance and excitement as a cure for his
nerves. Arcme goes to Bailey Harbor to in
vestiirate a summer house for hu .jut,. A
heavy storm forces him to spend the night
there. During the night he is awakened
by footsteps, and in an encounter with the
intruder, who sees Archie figure reflected
in the mirror and shoots, Archie fires in re
turn, wounding the intruder, who makes his
escape. Archie plans flight to evade pub
licity. He starts cross-country afoot in the
night. At dawn he is stopped on a lonely
country road by "The Governor," master
mind oriminal who mistakes him for a fel
low . criminal. Archie, fleeing, is afraid to
leu m irum rails in with 'The (iovern
or," is whisked across country in a stolen
car. Sees story In newspaper of killing at
Bailey Harbor and, frightened, he-decides
to say nothing but stick with his strange
friend and wait developments. Now read
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.
"No Mrs. Congdon has registered
here within a week, I'm sure. Will
you leave any message?"
Archie paused by the desk, staring
open mouthed at the young woman
who was asking for Mrs- Congdon.
If he was still possessed of his senses
the girl was Isabel Perry. She glanced
carelessly in his direction as the
clerk, addressing him as Mr. Comly,
asked if there was anything he want
ed. Archie promptly raised his hat,
only to be met with a reluctant nod
and a look of displeasure with con
notations of alarm. She was walk
ing toward the dodr as though anx
ious to escape from him.
A taxi drew up and Isabel stepped
into it, but Archie, resolved to risk
another snub before allowing her to
Blip away ignorant of the vast change
that had been wrought in him since
their meeting in Washington, jumped
in beside her.
"This is unpardonable!" she ex
claimed angrily. "May I ask Just
what you are doing here under an
assumed name?"
"Roally!" he exclaimed, "isn't it
perfectly jolly that we've met in this
way? You know," he added, "you I
told me to threw a brick at the world
and I've been following your advice."
Having dramatized himself as ap
pearing before her, a splendid heroic
figure, this reception was all but the
last straw to his spirit. Her frown-
Congdon was a name of evil omen.
What business could Isabel have with
Mrs. Congdon? Why should she
think him capable of spying upon
her movements? Why was she in
Portsmouth when she had told him
she was leaving immediately for her
girls' camp in Michigan
He had been wholly stupid and
tactless in pouncing upon her with
what he realized under the calming
influence of the brisk air, must have
struck her as the vaporings of a dan
gerouns lunatic. He had never been
clever; he smarted now under the
revelation that all things considered
he was an immitigable ass.
He went back to the hotel, bitter
but fortified by a resolution that
nothing should check him now in his
desperate career. He had quarreled
with the inspiration of his new life,
but in the end Isabel should have
reason to know how unjust she had
been. After all, it was something to
have seen her, perplexed, anxious
though she had been. He would bear
his martyrdom manfully, keeping the
humiliating interview carefully from
the Governor.
Isabel was still the most wonderful
girl he had ever met!
CHAPTER V.
The next morning the Governor
announced Cornford as their next
stopping point, a town, he explained,
whose history thrust far back into
Colonial times. When they were
seated in the parlor car he drew a
small volume from his pocket. Archie
saw that it was really a volume of
the Horatian odes. The 'Governor
was utterly beyond him and he stared
moodily at the flying landscape.
The Cornforl Inn proved to bj a
quaint old tavern, and after a icisur-
ly luncheon they took their coffee
in a pleasant garden on one side of
the house.
Two men came into the garden and
seated themselves ait a table on the
other Bide of a screen of shrubbery.
They ordered coffee and one of them
remarked, in a low tone:
"You oughtn't to have carried that
cash up here. The old man is a fool
or he wouldn't have suggested such
a thing."
The Governor nodded to Archie to
keep Jn talking, while he played the
"But I can't win it
without you!"
"You can't win it
with me. That's been
proven."
EMM
0-"I.
ISnff"jit
ing silence moved him to further
frantic efforts to Impress her with
the fact that he was a dare-devil,
wicked person the man she would
have him be.
"You were asking for Mrs. Cong
don. Well, I certainly could tell you
a story if you would give me time.
If I had known Mrs. Congdon was a
friend of yours I should have acted
differently, very differently, indeed."
1 "I think," she said, Bwecping him
with a look of scorn, "that you've
been following me or were put here
to watch me I You went to Bailey
Harbor to look at a cottage, didn't
you? Putney Congdon was there,
wasn't he?"
"That's the scream of it, you
know!" Archie cried. "I don't know
for the life of me whether it waa
Putney Congdon I shot at the -Congdon
house or Hokcy, the burglar.
And it's so deliciously funny that
you should be looking for Mrs. Cong
don, who may be a widow for all I
know!"
"A widow!" Isabel, with her hand
clutching the door, swung upon him
with consternation and fear clearly
depicted in her face.
"Oh, that's the mystery Just at
present, whether poor old Putney is
dead or not! No great loss, I imag
ine. But where do you suppose Mrs.
Congdon went to hide her children
from the brute?"
"That's exactly what I suspected!"
she exclaimed furiously. "You are
waiting here to find that out. How
can you play the spy for him? You
tulk about shooting a mun! Why,
you haven't the moral courage to kill
a fleol The kindest interpretation
I can put upon your actions is to an
sume that you are hopelessly mad."
They had reached the station', she
jumped out and snatched her bag. He
tossed a bill to the driver and dash
ed across the platform, after her,
only to see her vanish Into the vesti
bule of a Boston train just as it was
drawing out.
He walked to the water front, firm
ly resolved to drown himself, but his
courage failing he yielded himself
luxuriously to melancholy reflection!,
role of eavesdropper.
"Well, he wrote that he was com
ing here to spend a week and said
if I wanted the stock I could bring
the currency and close the transac
tion. The Congdons are all a lot of
cranks, you know. This old curmud
geon carries a small fortune around
all the time, and never accepts a
check in any transaction."
"Let's stroll about a little,' said
the Governor. He led the way
through the garden to the street, and
bade Archie proceed slowly to the
postofllce whilo he walked toward tho
main entrance 01 tne inn.
When he joined Archie, he inform
ed him that the two gentlemen were
Secbrook and Wolters, and that they
had rooms on the floor below them.
"You don't think they've got any
considerable sum of money with
them, do you?" Archie asked breath
lessly. "That remains to be seen."
When they reached the green,
which the town's growth had left to
one side, he sat down on a bench and
directed attention to a church whoas
history he read impressively f,tm
the book.
"And in the cellar of that simple
edifice, where the early colonists
used to hide from predatory Indians
is hidden fifty (thousand dollars. It
must be saved from destruction. We
can't' fail Leary."
They found half a dozen visitors
roaming through the church, and
whilo Archie courteously answered a
question asked him by a stout lady,
the Governor disappeared.
Wht:i he reappeared he ca'lej out
in a cheery voice: "If you want to
see the cellor, don't tumble down the
steps as I did, it's an abominable
hole!'
He brushed the dust from his knees
and mopped his face until the voices
from below receded.
"Ail safe and sound, "tuck it out
through a back window into a lilac
lush, and we'll pick it Jp at our
leisure. It's a very decent suit-case
and you can hand it to a bellhop
and bid him fly with it to your room.
You were a little short of linen and
made a few purchases the thing ex
plains itself."
When they reached the hotel, Ar
chie, following the Governor's in
structions, gave the suitcase to a bell
hop, and shortly after, they followed
the suitcase upstairs, where the Gov
ernor unlocked it with an implement
that looked like a nut pick. Archie
picked up several bundles of the
bills and turned them over, reflect
ing that to his other crimes he had
now added the receipt and conceal
ment of stolen money.
"Dinner in an hour, Archie," re
marked the Governor. "Meanwhile,
I wish you would look in at Barclay
& Pedding's garage, just around the
corner, and ask if a car has been left
there for Mr. Reginald H. Saulsbury.
You needn't be afraid of getting
pinched, for the machine was ac
quired by purchase. I am merely
borrowing it from Abe Collins, alias
Slippery Abe. We'll leave like honest
men, with the landlord bowing us
away from the door."
When he returned the Governor
was dressing and manifested no sur
prise that the car awaited his pleas
ure. "Yes, of course," he remarked, ab
sently. "You can always rely on Abe.
It's time for you to dress, and we
must look our prettiest. I caught a
glimpse of Mr. Seebrook's daughter
a bit ago. It may be necessary for
you to cultivate her a trifle."
When Archie reached the parlors
half an hour later he found the Gov
ernor engaged in lively conversation
with a gentleman he introduced im
mediately as Mr. Seebrook.
"And Mr. Walters, Mr. Comly,
and"
"Mr. Saulsbury and Mr. Comly, my
daughter, Miss Seebrook."
Seebrook and Walters were un
doubtedly enjoying the Governor,
proof of which was immediately
forthcoming when Seebrook suggest
ed that they should all dine together.
"You do us much honor," said the
Governor. "Mr. Comly and I shall
be pleased, I'm sure."
CHAPTER VI
Dtntlt nv, ihe.tr nnntinrtail tUai-
talk over coffee served in the gar
den. When the music beenn. See
brook and Walters recalled a bridge
engagement and the Governor an
nounced that he must look up an old
friend who lived in Cornford. 1
"I shall be back shortly," he said
as they separated in the office.
Archie ami Uiei SonKriAl- ir.iA
the considerable company that were
aireaay aancing. Alter several dances
Miss Seebrook thought it would be
fine to take a breath of air, and
gathering- un her cloak tbev wont InSn
the garden for an ice.
Miss fceebrook was speaking of
music, and reciting tho lit of ono,.aa
she loved best when Archie's gaze
was caugnt and held by a shadow
that flitted along n iron fire escape
that zigzagged down from the fourth
to the first storv of Hia I0.10. am
bling inn.
"You Seem venr rfrpamw" aha
marked. "I kn OW how flint ia fntt
can dream for hours and hours."
les; reverie; just floating on
clouds, on and on," Archie replied,
though the shadow moving on and on
along the side of the inn was troub
ling him not a little.
He had surmised that the Govern
or declared purpose to call on an old
friend was merely to cover his with
drawal from the party; but that he
could have meditated a predatory ex
cursion through the inn had not en
tered into Archie's speculations as
to his friend's absence. There was
no mistaking the figure that had mov
ed swiftly down the ladder. He was
creeping along the little balcony at
the third floor. He paused a moment
and then vanished into an open win
dow. The Governor had said that
the Seebrook party had rooms just
under their own; but
"I have chosen a star for you,"
Miss Seebrook was murmuring.
Archie, in his preoccupation with
the Governor's strange performance,
was so slow to respond that Miss
Seebrook, thinking that he was delib
erating as to which star he should
bestow upon her in return generously
broadened the scope of her offer.
But somethink very unlike a star
more like the glimmer of a match
in a room on the third floor held his
fascinating gaze
"We must go back, I suppose," said
Miss Seebrook with a sigh.
They danced again, and in the
handclapping that followed the first
number he turned to find the Govern
or, calm, and with no marks of his
escapade upon him.
At midnight Seebrook and Walters
came in from their card game, and
after a few pleasant words the party
broke up.
In Archie's room the Governor
hummed one of his favorite ballads
as he slipped out of his coat and
picked a speck from his snowy waist
coat. "It is evident," he remarked
goodhumoredly, "that you are per
turbed, anxious, and have slight
symptoms or paralysis a itans. Pray
be seated and I will do my best to
restore your peace of mind."
But Archie was not to be thwarted
in his purpose to learn just what the
Governor meant yb endangering their
security so recklessly. He slammed
the transom tight and drew down the
shades.
"You needlessly exposed yourself
to observation by sneaking down the
re escape of this hotel I know
that!"
"My dear boy, I was merely gather
ing a few blossoms of the crimson
rambler from the ancient walls of the
inn. You may have noted that I wore
a spray of buds in my lapel when I
joined you in the ball room. Now
seat yourself on the bed and I'll tell
you the whole story. When I left
you I hastened into the drugstore and
bought a stick of shaving soap.
Then I bought a few cigars in a to
bacconist's. In each place I con
versed with the clerk, thus laying
ample gound for an alibi. Hurrying
back to the inn, I avoided observation
by entering by the side door, skipped
up to our rooms and there you are!
I exchanged our new bank notes for
sixty woll-worn one-thousand-dollar
gold certificates negotiable in all
parts of the republic. That means a
net gain of .ten thousand dollars to
Red Leary."
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"My God!" moaned Archie. "You
don't think you can get away with
this!"
"I think," returned the Governor
imperturbably, "that we must and will
get away with it." His emphasis on
the plural pronoun caused Archie to
cringe.
"You're getting me in pretty deep,"
mumbled Archie dejectedly.
"How about those blood stains on
the sidewalk at Bailey Harbor?" ask
ed the Governor in his blandest tones.
"When you speak of getting in deep
you forget that someone besides
Holly was shot back yonder. You
came to me red-handed from a deed
of violence, and I took you in and
became your protector, asking no
questions. It's the basest ingratitude
for you to whimper over a small lar
ceny when you have added assault or
murder to ithe liabilities of our part
nership! But don't forget for a mo
ment that we're pals and pledged to
see each other through."
The reference to the blood stains
reported by the Bailey Harbor police
threw Archie back instantly upon the
Governor's mercy. Complicity in the
robbery of Seebrook was as nothing
compared with the haunting fear that
Ue man he had shot in the Congdon
house had died from the wound.. Un
able to determine this question he
was floundering in a veritable sea of
crime. The Governor was undressing
with provoking indifference to his
companion's perturbation.
"Sleep, lad, sleep! You may be
sure that nothing will harm us to
night, and I have faith that mere
..tirring adventures are ahead of us.
I forgive you for your qualms and
quavers, the pardonable manifesta
tions of youth and inexperience. We
valk in slippery places but we shall
not stumble, at least not while the
Governor keeps his head!"
Nothing appealed to Archie as of
greaterimportance than the retention
by his companion of the head that
now lay chastely upon a snowy pillow.
A handsome well-formed head, a head
suggestive of family and the pride of
race, though filled with the most com
plicated mental machinery with which
a human being had ever been en
dowed. "Put out the lights and get out to
your couch!" the Governor muttered
drowsily.
The man certainly wore his crimes
lightly. He was sound asleep before
Archie had got into his pajamas.
Continued next week.
Fred L. Wyatt will be in town tun
ing pianos in the near future. Pa
trons, let no one deceive you. Leave
orders by moil. 30-31
RHEUMATISM
While in France with the American
Army I obtained a noted French pre
scription for the treatment of Rheu
matism and Neuritis. I hare given
this to thousands with wonderful re
sults. The prescription cost me noth
ing, x asic nothing tor it. 1 will mail
it if you will send me your address.
A postal will bring it. Write today.
PAUL CASE, Dept. W211, Brockton,
Mass.
A dress free and 135.00 per week
for two hours of your tima daily.
Write Thos. Tafe, Couch Bids;, Port
land. 31-32
For Sale Standard maka of piano
in vicinity will be sacrifiead. Must
jull at once. $10.00 monthly. Writ
Tallman Piano Store, Salem, Oregon.
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