Vernonia eagle., January 13, 1939, Page 5, Image 5

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1939
My hands encountered nothing.
Elizabeth was not there. Being
bound, she could not have moved,
yet she was not there. For an in­
stant my heart stood still: and then
I saw that, because of the darkness,
I must be a foot or so out. I felt to
the right ... to the left. I took a
pace forward, and stepped on a
rotten stick. Its snap declared my
presence and I shot a glance at the
car. I could, of course, see nothing
—except the beam of its lights. Vir­
gil was quiet as death. Death . . .
The man was armed, and Elizabeth
lay hereabouts. Hereabouts, but
where? I fell on my hands and
knees and began to crawl, sweeping
the cobbles before me with one of
my hands. It was just about here—
I knew it. More to the right, per­
haps . . . No? Then I must have
passed her . . ! I made my way
back. As I went, I cast to and fro—
frantically,. And then my hand
brushed something—the sole of her
shoe. My heart leaped up to heav­
en .. . and then fell down into hell.
It was not her shoe. It was that of
the man I had killed—from whose
side I had set out to find her a mo­
ment ago . . .
What that discovery meant took a
year from my life: for it meant that
before the darkness I was a broken
reed, and when I looked to the head­
lights to get my bearings afresh,
their beam was gone.
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CHAPTER X
I shook the sweat from my eyes
and tried to think what to do. And i
since my thoughts were frenzied and
mostly poisoned by the knowledge
of what I ought to have done, I will
not recite them here, but will state
what, upon reflection—if, indeed, you
can give it that name—I set out to
do.
I set out to find Percy Virgil, and
began to steal forward to where I
bel'r"“d *'
•'r was.
tk.j I I. seen ii.lgar coming be­
cause he was silhouetted against the
dusk which was keeping the world
without. And since I had no wish
to offer to Virgil the target which
Elgar had offered to me, I dropped
to the cobbles and once more be­
gan to crawl.
To say that I watched and prayed
means nothing at all. I moved like
any shadow and listened with all
my might. Elizabeth’s life might
depend On my hearing the enemy
move, and I made the slowest prog­
ress because my own advance was
bound to embarrass my ear. I tried
to keep the direction I hoped was
right by glancing up at the ridge­
poles from time to time, but the
court was so broad that they gave
me but little help, and after a min­
ute or two I could be sure of noth­
ing except that I was not heading
away from the house.
And then I heard Virgil move.
The man was away to my right,
and his foot had touched something
that stirred—I think, perhaps, a Bin­
der of broken slate.
I shall never forget that almost
imperceptible sound that stood up
out of the silence to make me a
finger-post, for it was so slight, yet
commanded the balance of life and
death.
With a hammering heart, I turned
at once to my right, no longer paus­
ing to listen, but using the utmost
care to deny to Virgil the cue he
had given to me.
Before I had covered six feet, my
outstretched hand met something
that did not belong to the court. It
might have been a silk tassel . . .
And then I knew I was touching I
Elizabeth’s hair.
j
I could have wept for relief . . .
Now had I not been sure that Vir­
gil was near, I would have picked
her up and run for the woods: but
he must have heard me moving and
almost at once have seen me against
the dusk, and then we should have
been at his mercy, because he
was armed. And so I determined
that we must both stay where we
were, unless and until something
happened to make it less dangerous
to move.
To show her that it was I, I
smoothed her hair and held her
hands tight in mine. Then, very
gently, I eased the knot from her
throat and lifted the cord from her
neck. Then I began to unfasten the
cord which was binding her wrists.
Her blessed hands were free, and
her fingers, as though to thank me,
were fast about mine, when some­
thing moved upon her, directly be­
low my face. It was a sliding move­
ment upon the breast of her frock.
As it moved, I felt her stiffen; and
so I knew it had nothing to do with
her: and when T put down a hand. I
found that it was the halter which
had been about her neck.
As I touched it. it moved again—
and told me the truth.
Percy Virgil was feeling the other
end.
__________________________ PAGE FIVE
VERNONIA EAGLE, VERNONIA, OREGON
not kick u. up to the surface, ..or
spare a hand to deal with the grip of
his legs. Unless I could kill him
quickly ... I put forth all my
strength, and my fingers sank into
his throat as though it were dough.
The blood was pounding in my
temples and I felt that my senses
were swaying for want of air, when
all- of a sudden his limbs and his
body went slack and I knew I was
free . . . And then I was back on
the surface and was blowing like
any grampus and thanking God for
the gift of that tainted air.
Now whether in fact 1 killed Vir­
gil or whether he drowned himself
in an effort to end my life, I ngver
shall krrv.’: but I know the man was
dead or else had lost his senses and
so vzas presently drowned, for
though he rose beside me, he never
moved and I think that after a little
he sank for good.
i vi u..v_- my brain worked quick­
Though my case was not so bad,
it was evil enough.
ly-
Virgil had found the cord and
I was not wholly exhausted, but
knew what it was. And now he was the struggle had snapped my
testing it—to see if both ends were strength, and I badly needed the
free. If I gradually took the strain, , respite I could not take. As was to
he would believe it still fast to Eliza- I be expected, the walls of the well
beth’fi neck, and would lead himself , were smooth, and though I proved
up to his quarry, hand over hand. them all round, dislodging slugs and
Up to his helpless quarry? Up to slime and all manner of filth, I
his doom.
could find no sort of handhold to
I took the loop in my hand and which I could cling. There were
set out to play my fish . . .
cracks in plenty between the blocks
He came with a rush at the last, of stone of which the walls had been
and, with both of his hands on the built, for either they had not been
cemented, or else the cement was
cord, he had no chance.
Before the man knew where he gone: but they were too small for
my fingers, and there was nothing
was, I had his wrists.
else.
All the time my strength was fail­
His hands were empty. No doubt,
when he found the cord, he had put ing, for the deadly chill of the wa­
his pistol away. Be that as it may, ter was laying hold of my muscles
he was finished. The snake was and stealing into my blood, and
though I did what I could to hold
scotched.
Of course he fought like a mad­ it at bay, the realization that I must
man. And I—I laughed in his face. very soon sink began, as an iP-
It was he that had lent me a mannered bully, to thrust aside my
strength which was not of this efforts to think what to do to be
world. I think, if I had pleased, I saved.
To show how desperate I was, I
could have torn his arms from their
sockets and tossed them across the wasted the last of my strength in a
frantic effort to find Elizabeth’s key
court.
I let him fight in silence. And j —this, with the mad idea of thrust­
when he was spent, I spoke to Eliza­ ing it into a crack and so creating
a projection to which I could cling,
beth, lying two paces away.
“Stay where you are, my lady, and though, I suppose, a more ut­
terly futile design was never con­
and take out your gag.”
ceived, as luck would have it, it
She answered at once.
“I’m quite all right,” she an­ actually saved my life.
To get a hand into my pocket
swered. “I’m standing now.”
“Then listen,” said I. “I want was very hard, but the moment my
you to leave the court. When you’re fingers were in, they closed upon
clear of it, wait for me. I may be something which I had not known
a little while, because of this curs­ was there. And that was the hum­
ble tool which once already that
ed dark.”
“Very well,” said Elizabeth, shak- ’ night had saved two lives. It was
the screw-driver, indeed.
ily-
I heard her turn and start mov­
In a twinkling I had the screw­
ing towards the mouth of the court. driver out and had pressed its blade
“Come,” said I to Virgil. “Let’s into a crack perhaps some eight or
look for the sepulcher.”
ten inches above my head.
With that, I turned him about,
Praying that the steel was honest,
without loosing his wrists.
I gradually let the handle take some
Now I meant to find that well, if of my weight, and when I found
it took me an hour and a half: and that it would hold me, I let it
so, as is often the way, I found it take more. But for the help of the
almost at once. At least, I foui..l water, it must have bent or broken
the car, which was near enough— beneath my weight; but the two to­
or, rather, my prisoner found it, by gether bore me and gave me just
fouling one of its wings. Slowly I that respite my weary muscles re­
steered him round it . . . And so, quired. And, what was still more
a few moments later, we stood by important, it gave me a definite
the side of the well.
hope that, though my plight was se­
To be sure, I circled this, brush­ rious, I might in the end be saved.
ing the parapet’s side and counting
And then I heard Elizabeth call­
the three stone statues of men-at- ing my name . . .
arms—with Virgil always moving
For a moment I thought very
before me, because I had hold of his fast. Then—
wrists. And then I turned him round
“Lie down,” I yelled. “Lie down
and bent him over its edge . . .
and crawl slowly forward. I’m down
“I’m going to kill you,” I said, in the well, but lie down. The para­
“because I know it’s not safe to pet’s gone.”
let you live. If it was safe, I’d
Perhaps two minutes went by:
thrash you within an inch of your and then a fragment of mortar fell
life, and then call in the police and down by my side.
give them the inch that was left.
“Stop!” I screamed. “Stay still.
But you have taught me tonight You’re right on the edge.”
Elizabeth answered at once.
that, while you are still in being,
“I’m quite all right, my darling.
your cousin will always go in dan­
ger of death. And so, for once in a What shall I do?”
I wonder how many women, so
way, I’ll take a leaf out of your
placed, would so have comported
book, and go all lengths.”
The man said nothing at all, but themselves. No wailing, no useless
I could feel him trembling under inquiries, no bubbling statements of
how she came to be there . . . Only
my hand.
As I bent him over the depths, I the eager question—“What shall I
knew he was bracing his knees do?”
And I was ready enough. Whilst
against the parapet’s wall, and God
knows I did not blame him, for as I she was approaching, I had not been
leaned over above him, the awful wasting my time.
“Find the car,” I said. “When
breath of the water smote my face.
It was chill, yet heavy, and reeked you’ve found her, switch on her
of death and decay, and it offered so lights. Then back her slowly to­
dreadful an earnest of what was to wards the mouth of the court. Her
come that for one instant I flinched lights will show you the cord that I
from thrusting a fellow creature to took from your neck. Take that and
the pieces that bound your ankles
such a doom.
I suppose that he felt me falter, and wrists. Then back the car again
for he threw his weight on to his till you see your dressing-case. Put
knees in one final, desperate effort that into the ear, and then drive
slowly forward until your lights are
to hold himself back.
This, to no avail. For the para­ shining full on the well. When
pet crumbled before him, and we you’ve done that, come back and
I’ll tell you some more.”
went down together into the well.
“All right.”
How long she was gone, I cannot
I do not know how far I went
down, but I know that my lungs pretend to say, but she must have
were bursting before I came up, been very quick, for though the time
and the first thing I clearly remem­ passed slowly, at the moment at
ber was scrabbling upon a wall that which I pictured her finding the
was coated with slime and finding case, the rim of the well abov«* me
a crack too small to admit my fin­ grew suddenly bright. Then she
ger-tips. Then I heard Virgil rise j must have “dipped" the lamps, for
beside me—for, of course, I had let | the light came down—to reveal a
him go—and that restored in an in­ ladder of dogs driven into the wall
of the well.
stant the wits I had lost.
Some wells have ladders, like
I missed his throat in the dark­
ness, but found his wrist: but both that, to the water's edge, and at
of us knew that the odds were now once I left my handhold and, swim­
more equal than they had been in ming beneath the ladder, stretched
the court. With a frightful laugh, he up my hand. But the dogs did not
For all that, I
flung an arm round my neck, and I come so low . .
had just time to draw breath before was sure that they could not be far
that hellish water once more closed away, because a ladder is useless,
over our heads. I tore away his unless it runs some way down.
As I returned to my screw-driv­
arm. but before I could seize his
throat, his arm was back on my er—
“Yes, Richard?” said Elizabeth,
neck. Again I cast it off and forced
his wrists together into one hand; quietly.
“Tie all the cord together and add'
but, as we rose again, he locked
his legs about mine and threw his the strap. Then open the tool-box
weight down. And then I thought I and take the tool-kit out. If there
was done, for though at last I had are tire-levers there, I want them
managed to seize hi* throat, I could most. If rot, the nearest thing to
tnem—toe
tnat will Dear my
weight. And a hammer, too. Put
them into one of your stockings and
let them down. We’ve got to make
38 feet. If you don’t think it’s long
enough, you must add what stock­
ings you have.”
It cost me a lot not to add "Be as
quick as you can,” for my faithful
friend was tiring—bending beneath
the strain; but such a charge would
only have made her frantic, when
all the time she was being as quick
as she could.
At last a shadow appeared.
“I’m re.dy, my darling. Which
side shall I let it down?”
“D—D'vou see the 1—ladder?"
“Yes.”
“L—Let it down just clear of the
ladder. Which side you 1—like. Don’t
lean on the parapet, whatever you
do.”
“All right. I won’t.”
“I’m not quite ready. I'll tell you
when to begin.”
With that, I pulled the screw-driv­
er out of the crack in the wall and
splashed my way to beneath the lad­
der of dogs. And there, with a
frightful effort, I scratched away the
filthy jacket of slime, in search of
another interstice between . the
stones. I had not the strength to
reach as high as I wished, and for
two or three desperate moments I
could not discover a joint; but at
COUNTY NEWS
St. Helens
R. W. S1MERAL TAKES OATH
AT INAUGURAL BALL—
Ray W. Simeral will be sworn
in as mayor of St. Helens tonight
at 10:00 o’clock at the Knights of
Pythias hall, at the first inaugural
ball ever to be held in this city,
According to the committee in
charge of arrangements, over 100
tcikets have been sold to the
affair.
If, through the organizations, all
cf the tickets are sold, there will
be a fund of over $100.00 with
which the city is at liberty to start
a clean-up campaign to rid the
sjderoads and highways of the
disagreeable garbage condition now
existing, the committee said.
Immediately after the ball, all
money cleared will be turned over
to the new city administration for
this purpose.
78 MARRIAGE LICENSES
ISSUED HERE IN 1938—
Dan Cupid who was kept busy at
various times during the past year,
especially during May, June, July
end August, did not make much of
a record for himself. Only 78
marriage licenses were issued in
Columbia county by the clerk’s of-
fice during 1938 as compared to
75 in 1937. Four licenses were
issued since the new marriage law
went into effect on December 1,
None have been issued since Janu-
1939, records revealed.
ISSUING LICENSES KEEPS
TAX DEPARTMENT BUSY—
“I’m Not Quite Ready. I’ll Tell
You When to Begin.”
last my trembling fingors encoun­
tered the ghost of a crack and I
managed to put up the blade and to
push it a little way in.
I hardly hoped that it would hold
me, but I could do no more: and
I sank down and let the steel take
my weight.
When I had rested a moment, I
was able to push it further into the
crack.
“Are you ready, my darling?”
“Yes. I’m ready,” I said, and
hoped for the best.
As will have been guessed, my
primitive plan was this—to drive the
tire-levers between the stones of the
well and so climb up by them to the
foot of the ladder above.
I watched my lady’s stocking pass
out of the light of the lamps, with
the levers jingling within it to tell
me how far they had come, and
three or four seconds later, I guided
them into the pocket adorning the
breast of my coat. As I felt for
the head of the stocking, to cast it
loose, I found that it had been tied
to a piece of flexible wire.
At once I lifted my voice.
“That’s enough. How much cord
have you left?”
“About eight feet, my darling.”
“What is it made of, Elizabeth?”
“Two pieces of cord, the strap
and some flexible wire. The last
was in the tool-box, on an inspec­
tion-lamp.”
I could have cried out for joy.
Flexible wire will bear a consider­
able weight.
Again I addressed my lady.
“I want you to move the car: so
that one of its wheels is directly in
line with the ladder—say, five feet
away from the well. Before you do
this, hitch the cord round a statue,
so .that it doesn’t fall.”
“Very well.”
Whilst she was doing my bidding,
I unfastened the end of the “flex.”
Then with a shaking hand I got it
about my body, under my arms. As
I made it fast, I heard Elizabeth’s
voice.
“Yes, Richard? The car is there.”
“Take your end of the cord and
thread it between the spokes and so
round the tire. Then, very slowly,
draw it as tight as you can. When
you hear me shout, make it fast by
taking two or three turns.”
“Very well.”
A moment later the “flex” be­
gan to move.
I dared not ask too much of so
frail a rope, and directly it took the
strain, I called to my lady to stop;
but though it could not have borne
me, it held me up and, what was a
thousand times better, it freed my
hands. Before she was ba' k at the
¿lead of that cursed well, I had ham­
mered one of the levers into the
wall.
Now I was not out of the wood by
a very long way, but I knew that the
lever would bear the whole of my
weight: and this meant that, if I
could manage to plant my other liv­
ers as rungs, I could emerge from
the water which threatened to take
my life.
After working the matter out, I
called upon my lady to loosen the
(Continued next week.)
Car owners who failed to pro-
re 1939 licenses before January
1, have been keeping the sheriff’s
office busy issuing permits for the
past 15 days, Five hundred sixty-
nine permits i were issued up to I
Saturday noon when the office
closed for the weekend, records
revealed.
Of this number 152
were issued Saturday morning. •
i
During the same time last year
’
524 permits were issued with 200
given out on the final day.
A GORMAN INJURED
WHEN CAR DOOR OPENS—
Al Gorman received severe facial
bruises and lacerations as well as
painful injuries to his tongue New
Year's morning when he was
thrown from a moving car while
inroute home from Portland. Ac-
cording to reports Al was leaning
against the door of the car in
which he was a passenger, when
the door flew open, throwing him
to the pavement.
STUMP BURNING WELL
ATTENDED SATURDAY—
Thirty-three persons interested
in burning stumps attended the
meeting held Saturday afternoon
on the Thurman Jeffries’ farm in
Yankton, where the forced draft
method was demonstrated.
Several small fires are started
at the base of the stump, which,
fanned by blasts of air delivered
through hose and pipe is said to
eat into and completely consume
the stump and roots.
Clatskanie
NI EM EL A, NEW
UNION LEADER—
Henry Nitmela, prominent young
fisherman of this i community was
elected executive secretary of the
Columbia River 1 Fishermen’s Pro­
tective Union at an election held
this week with the results an-
nounced Wednesday.
The local man was given heavy
support by the up-river fishermen’s
locals and received 286 votes to
win over Emil Hendrickson and
Sam Marincovich, both of Astoria,
who received 248 votes each.
According to the fishermen, the
outcome of the election is interpert-
ed as a victory for “middle of the
road” candidates in general. From
the fishermen’s board w.-.s dropped
Charles Kantola, who has represent­
ed left-wing opinion for several
years on the governing board. As­
teria now has only two members
on the board, the majority being
up-river fishermen.
NATIONAL BAKERY GETS
FINE NEW EQUIPMENT—
The Grannis brothers, proprie­
tors of the National Bakery, this
past weekend installed the most
modern type of oven in their Clats­
kanie bakery.
The new oven replaces the one
which has been used for the past
ten years and represented an in­
vestment of approximately $2,600.
The oven is a Masterbaker, with
traveling oven and is automatic in
every particular. The heat is ther­
mostatically controlled and is ab­
solutely even at all times in every
part of the oven.
Save Time-
Save Work-
Save Money—
------ Let Us Care for Your Laundry------
NEW FAMILY WASH,
Pound ..
7c
Flat Work or Finished
If Bundle is 15 pounds or over, Shirts finished for
8c each
The Use of IVORY SOAP Is Guaranteed in All
of Our Laundry Work
DRY CLEANING—Cash and Carry Prices!
Men’s suits or overcoats, each ............ -- 79c
Ladies’ coats, suits, dresses, each ....
79c
We Guarantee 1-Day Service on All Work Taken
Except Orders Received on Saturday
ALL WE ASK IS A FAIR TRIAL TO CON­
VINCE YOU OF OUR EFFICIENT, REASON­
ABLE SERVICE
Vernonia Laundry and Gleaners Go.
VERNONIA, OREGON
MANY
FOLKS .NOW
SAY
THE
^NEW PE-RU di A
| Wins Fight |Z |g
B With a Cold H. |
V;
t K
By Helping to Build Up Cold-Fighting Resistance
.......SIND FOR FREE SAMPLE..............
Xcl
! N.w P.-Ru-N., S44 S. Well. St.. Cl.k.fo. D-pt
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