The Gate city journal. (Nyssa, Or.) 1910-1937, October 10, 1924, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    THE
GATE
C IT Y
JO U RN AL
|iilliiiiiM iiii»M M :>;t»<m iiiim iiiniiíihiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim iim im iiiiiiiiim iiiiiiiiiiiiii|iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiíiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiu iini>iim M tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiir)
T H E H IG H G R AD ER
B y W m . M acLeod R aine
■ ------------------------------------------- 1 --------------------------------------------B
C op yrigh t b y O. W. D illin gh am Co.
|iiliiiiiiin iiii)iiin iiiiiiiiim iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiin iiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiiin i iim n f
C H A P T E R X I I I — C o n tin u e d
— 13—
8h . laughed. “ I did thick perhaps
you knew where he was.”
“ Well, I don't—and I (ftrn’t want to,”
he snapped. “The less I see of him
the better I’ll be satisfied.”
The superintendent of the Verlnder
properties had found a note addressed
to him In one of the sacks of quartz
taken from Kllmeny. The message,
genial to the point of Impudence, had
hoped he had enjoyed his little expe­
rience as a holdup. To Bleyer, always
a serious-minded man, this levity had
added Insult to Injury. Just now the
very mention of the hlghgrader’s
name was a red rag to his temper. It
was bad enough to be bested without
being Jeered at by the man who had
set a trap for him.
It was well on toward evening be­
fore Colter paid his promised visit to
Miss Dwight. She found him waiting
for her upon her return from a ride
with Captain Kllmeny, Verlnder and
Joyce.
Moya, as soon as she had dismount­
ed, walked straight to him.
"What have you found out, Mr.
Colter ? '
"Not much. It rained during the
night and wiped out the tracks of
wagon wheels. Don't know now far
Jack got or where he went, but the
remains of the wagon are lying at the
bottom of a gulch about two miles
from the Jack Pot.”
"How did It get there?”
“ I wish you could tell me that.
Couldn't have been a runaway or the
mules would have gone over the edge
of the road too.” He stepped forward
quickly as Verlnder was about to pass
Into the hotel. "I want to have a talk
with you.”
The little man adjusted Ids monocle.
"Ye-es. What about, my man?”
"About Jack Kllmeny.
Where Is
he? What do you know? I'm going
to find out if I have to tear It from
your throat.”
Verlnder was no coward, hut he was
a product of our modern super-civiliza­
tion. He glanced around hastily. The
captain had followed Joyce Into the
lobby. Moya and he were alone on
the piazza with this big savage who
looked quite capable of carrying out
his threat.
"Don't talk d—d nonsense,” the mine
owner retorted, flushing angrily.
Colter did not answer In words. The
strong muscular fingers of his left
hand closed on the right arm of Ve­
rlnder Just below the shoulder with a
pressure excruciatingly painful. Dob-
yans found himself moving automat­
ically toward the end of the porch.
He had to clench his teeth to keep
from crying out.
"Let me ulone, you brute,” he
gasped.
Colter paid no attention until his
victim was hacked agulnst the rail
In a corner. Then he released the
millionaire he was manhandling.
"You’re going to tell me everything
you know. Get that Into your head.
guarding Jack. What did you do with
him?"
“It’s a bally He. I didn't stay with
Bleyer to guard him.”
“That’a right, you didn’t. You came
back with the others. But you know
what Bleyer did. Out with It.”
“I don’t admit a word of what you
say,” said Verlnder doggedly.
Colter had trapped him Into a half
admission, but he did not Intend to
say any more.
Moya spoke a little timidly.
“ Wait a minute, please, Mr. Colter.
Let me talk with Mr. Verlnder alone.
I think he’ll tell me what you want to
know.”
Jack’s friend looked at her with
sharp suspicion. Was she trying to
make a dupe of him? Her candid
glance denied It.
“ All right. Talk to him all you like,
but you’ll do your talking here,” he
agreed curtly before he turned on his
heel and walked away a few steps.
“ You must tell him what he wants
to know, Mr. Verlnder," urged the
young woman In a low voice. "Some­
thing has happened to his friend. We
must help clear it up.”
“ I’m not responsible for what has
happened to his friend. What do you
want me to do? Peach on Bleyer, Is
that it?"
"No. Send for him and tell Mr.
Colter the truth."
“ I’ll see him hanged and quartered
first," he replied angrily.
"If you don’t, I’ll tell what I know.
There’s a life at stake,” Moya cried,
a trace of agitation In her voice.
“ Fiddlesticks I” he shrugged. “The
fellow’s full of tricks. He worked
one on us the other night. I'm hanged
If I let him play me again."
“ You must. I’ll tell Captain Kll­
meny and Lord Farquhar. I’ll not let
It rest this way. The matter Is seri­
ous."
“ I’m not going to be bullied into say­
ing a word. That's the long and <-hort
of It,” he repeated In disgust. “Let
Bleyer tell the fellow If he wants to.
I’ll have nothing to do with It. We’re
not responsible for what has hap­
pened—If anything has."
“Then I’ll go and get Mr. Bleyer."
“ Just as you please. I’d see this
rufllun at Halifax first, If you ask me."
The angry color flushed hlg face again
as he thought of the Insult to which
he had been subjected.
To Colter Moya explained her pur­
pose. He nodded agreement without
words.
After two or three attempts she got
the superintendent on the telephone
at the Mollie Gibson mine and ar­
ranged with him that he was to come
to the hotel at once. A few minutes
later he drove up In his car.
Moya put the case to him.
Bleyer turned to his employer. “You
want me to tell Colter what I know?”
“ I don’t care a turn of my hand
whether you tell the fellow or not,”
drawled Verlnder, Ignoring the pres­
ence of Colter.
The superintendent peered at Moya
In his near-sighted fashion over the
glasses on his nose. “Can’t see that
It matters much, Miss Dwight. I’m
not worrying a bit about Jack Kll­
meny, but. If Colter and you are. I’m
willing* to tell what I know on con­
dition thnt you keep the factB to your­
selves.”
“ I'll keep quiet If you haven’t In­
jured Jack In any way,” Colter
amended.
"We haven't. He was sound as a
new dollar when I left him Tuesday
night. Want to hear the particulars?”
“That’s what I’m here for," snapped
Colter.
Bleyer told the whole story so far
as he knew It.
CH APTER X IV
Spirit Rapping
"Not Much. It Rainad During tha
Night and Wiped Out the '“ racks of
Wagon Wheels.”
Or, by G—d. I'll wring your neck for
you.”
The Kngllshman had never before
been confronted with such a situation.
He was a citizen of a country where
wealth hedges a man from such as­
saults. The color ebbed from his face,
then cam« bask with a rush.
"Go to the devil, you big bully," he
flung out sharply.
Moya, tuken by surprise at Colter’s
abrupt desertion of her, had watched
with amazement the subsequent flare-
up.
Now she crossed the porch
toward them.
"What are you doing. Mr. Colter?"
"None of your funeral, ma'am,” the
miner answered bluntly, not for a m o
ment lifting his hard eyes from Verln
der. ''Better unload what you know.
I've had a talk with Quint Salada.v
I know all be knows, that Bleyer and
you and him with two other lads held
up Jack and took his ore away. The
tlLes W ihssu left you nnd Bleyer
Farquhar und Captain Kllmeny left
next day for another short hunting
trip. The captain had offered to give
It up, but Moya had urged upon him
that It would not he fair to disappoint
his companion. He had gone reluc­
tantly, because he saw that his fiancee
was worried. Uls own opinion was
that his cousin Jack had disappeared
for reasons of his own.
Colter did not relax in his search.
But as the days passed hope almost
died within him. Jack had plenty of
enemies, as an aggressive fighter In a
new country always must have. His
friend’s fear was that some of them
had decoyed Kllmeny to his death.
The suspicions of the miner centered
upon I’eale and Trefoyle, both because
Jack had so recently had trouble with
them nnd because they knew before­
hand of his Intention to remove the
ore. But he could find no evidence
upon which to base his feeling, though
he and '“nrly, in company with a dep­
uty sheriff, had put the Cornlshiuen
through a grilling examination.
It had been understood that the
young women should take a trip
through the Never Quit before they
left Goldbanks, but for one reason or
another this had been postponed until
after the captain and Farquhar had
started on their final hunting expedi­
tion. The second afternoon after their
departure was the one decided upon
for the little adventure.
waylaid him . . . and barled him la
some old mine.” Moya faced them
tensely, a slim wraith of a girl with
dark eyes that blazed. She,had for­
gotten all about conventions, all about
what they would think of her. The
one thing she saw was Jack Kllmeny
in peril, calling for help.
But Lady Farquhar remembered
what Moya did not. it was her duty
to defend her charge against the er­
rant Impulses of the heart, to screen
them from the callous eyes of an un­
sympathetic world.
"You Jump to conclusions, my dear.
Sit down and we’ll talk It over.”
"No. He called for help. I’m going
to take It to him."
Again Verinder laughed unpleasant­
ly. Moya did not at this moment
know the man was in existence. One
sure purpose flooded her whole being.
She was going to save her lover.
India wavered. She, too, bad lost
color.
“But—you’re only guessing,
dear.”
“You’ll find It's true. We must fol­
low that pipe and rescue him. To­
night.”
«
“Didn’t know, you were subject to
nerve attacks. Miss Dwight,” derided
Verinder uneasily.
Moya put her hands in front of her
eyes as If to shut out the picture of
what she saw. "He’s been there for
five days . . . starving, maybe.” She
shuddered.
“You’re only guessing. Miss Dwight.
What facts have you to back It?”
Bleyer asked.
“ We must start at once— this very
hour.” Moya had recovered herself
and spoke with quiet decision. “ But
first we must find where the pipe
leads.”
Bleyer answered the appeal In Lady
Farquhar’s eyes by rising. He believed
It to be a piece of hysterical folly, Just
as she did.
But some Instinct of
chivalry In him responded to the call
made upon him. He was going, not to
save Kllmeny from an Imaginary
death, but to protect the girl that
loved him from showing all the world
where her heart was.
"I’ll be back inside of an hour—
Just as soon as I can trace that pipe
for you. Miss Dwight,” he said.
"After all, Moya may be right,” In­
dia added, to back her friend.
"It’s Just possible,” Bleyer conceded.
WRIGLEYS
A fter Every Meal
It's the longest-lasting
eonlectlon yon can bay
—and It’s a help to di­
gestion and a cleanser
for the mouth
and teeth.
W rfgley*a ■ c a n s
benefit as w e ll u
pleasure.
Verlnder, with the extravagance
“The one that ran through the tun­
that went hand In hand with an occa­ nel.”
sional astonishing parsimony, had or­
Miss Kllmeny shook her head. “I
dered oilskin suits and waterproof didn’t see anybody tap. Perhaps one
boots made especially for hlg gnests. of us touched It by chance.”
A room was reserved for the young
"No.
That couldn't be. The tap
ladles at the mine, equipped for this came seven times together, and after
one occasion to serve as a boudoir I had answered It seven times more.”
“ Seven times?” asked Bleyer quickly.
where they might dress In comfort.
The mine owner’s guests donned,
"Yes—qeven. But, If you didn't tap,
with a good deal of hilarious merri­ who did?”
"Sure It wasn’t Imagination?” Verln­
ment. the short skirts, the boots and
the rubber helmets. The costumes der suggested.
"Imagination! I tell you it was re­
could not hare been called becoming,
but they were eminently suited for the peated again and again,” Moya said
wet, damp tunnels of the Never Quit. Impatiently.
"Spirit rapping,” surmised Joyce
After they had entered the cage It
G a th e rin g th e W h ea t
was a little terrifying to be shot so lightly. “It doesn’t matter, anyhow,
The wheat harvest usually begin»
rapidly down Into the blackness of since It served Its work of comforting
In June in California, Louisiana, Mis­
Moya.”
the mine.
sissippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Caro-
"It might have been some of the
“Don’t be afraid. It’s quite safe,"
linus, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky,.
workmen,” Lady Farquhar guessed.
Bleyer told them cheerfully.
Kansas. Utah and Missouri; in July
"Must have been,” agreed Bleyer.
At the tenth level the elevator
in Oregon, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wis­
stopped and they emerged Into an "And yet—we’re not working that end
consin, Colorado, Washington, Iowa,
of the mine now. The men had no
open space.
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, New
“ We’re going to follow this drift," business there. Odd that It was seven
York, New England and Upper Can­
raps. That Is call for help. It means
explained the superintendent.
ada ; In August in North and South
They seated themselves In ore cars danger.”
Dakota. Manitoba and Lower Canada.
A bell of warning began to toll In
and wpre wheeled Into a cavern light­
ed at Intervals by electric bulbs. Pres­ Moya's heart. It rang as yet no clear
ently the cars slowed down and the message to her brain, but the premoni­
tion of something sinister and deadly
occupants descended.
sent a sinking sensation through her.
"This way,” ordered Bleyer.
Verlnder sat up with renewed Inter­
They followed In single file Into a
hot, damp tunnel, which dripped mois­ est. ” 1 say, you know—spirit rapping.
ture in big drops from the roof upon Weren’t you telling me, Bleyer, that
a rough, uneven floor of stone and
dirt where pools of water had occa­
sionally gathered. The darkness In­
creased as they moved forward, driven
back by the candles of the men for a
space scarce farther than they could
reach with outstretched hands.
Moya, bringing up the rear, could
hear Bleyer explain the workings to
those at his heel. He tulked of stopes,
CH APTER X V
drifts, tunnels, wage scales, shifts,
high-grade ore and other subjects that
were as Greek to Joyce and India.
The Acid Test
The atmosphere was oppressively close
Jacy Kllmeny opened his eyes to
and warm, and the oilskkis that Moya
find himself In darkness utter and
wore seemed to weigh heavily upon
complete except for a pinpoint of light
her. She became aware with some an­
gleaming from far above. His head
Champion X is 60 cents. Blue
noyance at herself that a faintness
was whirling and throbbing painfully.
Box 75 centa. Only because
was stealing over her brain and a
Something warm and moist dropped
Champion makes two-thirds
mistiness over her eyes. To steady
Into his eyes, and when he put hlg
of all spark plugs produced
herself she stopped, catching at the
hand up to Investigate the cause he
are these low prices possible.
rough wall for support. The others,
knew It must be blood from a wound.
Spending more money cannot
unaware that she was not following,
bring you greater value
Faintly the sound of voices and of
moved on. With a half articulate
because Champion has re­
harsh laughter drifted down to him.
peatedly proved that it is
little cry she sank to the ground.
Presently this died away. The still­
th e better sp a rk p lu g .
When she came to herself the lights
ness was almost uncanny.
had disappeared. She was alone In
Champion Spark Plug Co.
“ Something laid me out. I reckon.
the most profound darkness she had
Toledo, Ohio
Must have been a bad whack." His
ever known. It seemed to press upon
finger found a ridge above the temple
her so ponderably as almost to be tan­
which had been plowed through the
gible. The girl was frightened. Her
thick curly hair. "Looks as though a
D e p t a d a b te f e e Emeep Amgsme
imagination began to conjure all sorts
glancing bullet hit me. Golden luck
of dangers. Of cave-ins and explo­ “ No. I Know Now Who Called for It didn’t finish the Job.”
Help. It Was Jack Kllmeny.”
sions she had heard and read a good
He moved.
A sharp pain shot
deal. Anything was possible In this
there was a big accident there some through his lower right leg. Trying
thousand-toot-deep
grave.
In
a
years ago?
Perhaps the ghosts of to rise, he slipped down at once ft >m
frightened, Ineffective little voice she
some of the lost miners were sending a badly sprained ankle. Every muscle
lo o ,o o o Y d s . R e a l
cried out to her friends.
a message to their wives. Eh, what?” In his body ached, as if he had been
Instantly there came an answer—a
Jarred
by
a
hard
fall.
“ The accident was In the Golden
faint tapping on the wall almost at
“Better have a look around first,”
Nugget, an adjoining mine. The prop­
her ear. She listened breathlessly,
erty was pretty well worked out and he told himself.
and caught again that faint far tap—
Groping In his pocket, he found a
W h ile It la s ts !
has never been opened since the dis­
tap—tap— tap—tap— tap. Instinctive­
O ne h u n d re d th o u s a n d y a rd s
match case and struck a light. What
aster.”
R eal gov ern m en t
ly her hand went out, groping along
B a llo o n c lo th
The color had ebbed from Moya’s he saw made him shudder. From the
the wall until It fell upon a pipe. Even
ledge
upon
which
he
lay
fell
away
a
F o r t y -fiv e ce n ts p e r y a rd
lips. She was a sane young woman
D e liv e r e d to y o u r hom e
as she touched this the sound came
not given to nerves. But she had wor­ gulf, the bottom of which could only
L
a st o f th e g o v e r n m e n t s to c k
again, and along with It the faintest
A c t q u ic k !
ried a great deal over the disappear­ be guessed. His eyes, becoming ac­
of vibrations. She knew that some­
M
on ey b a c k I f n o t s a t is fa c t o r y
customed
to
the
darkness,
made
out
ance of Jack Kllmeny. This, coming
M illio n y a rd s a lr e a d y s o ld
body at a distance was hitting the pipe
on top of It, shook her composure For that he was In some sort of shaft,
B
a
llo o n c lo t h , as y o u k n o w .
with a piece of quartz or metal.
Is th e ric h e s t p ie ce o f m a te ria l
she was fighting with the dread that thirty feet or more below the surface.
Stooping, she found a bit of broken the spirit of the man she loved had Rotten from age. the timberings had
M on ey ca n b u y
H as a h u n d re d uaes
rock. Three times she tapped the been trying to talk with her.
slipped and become Jammed. Upon
M a k es w o n d e r fu l d ra p e s
pipe. An answer came at once.
F o r y o u r hom e, clu b , h o te l, th e a tr #
Joyce chattered gayly. “How weird 1 some of these he was resting. The
Tap— tap—tap—tap—tap—tap-tap I
E x q u is ite d re s s e s and w a is ts
Moya, you must write an account of sprained ankle, by preventing him
F o r w o m e n and ch ild re n
She tried two knocks. Again the your experience for the Society for from moving, had saved him from
L in g e r ie an d u n d e r w e a r
response of seven taps sounded. Four Psychical Research. Put me In It, plunging down the well.
F o r w o m e n and ch ild re n
S h irts f o r m en a n d b o y s
blows brought still seven.
Why al­ please."
He held out a silver dollar and
B e d sp re a d s an d co u c h c o v e r s
ways seven? She did not know, but
“Of course. It must hnve been some dropped It. From the time the coin
A n d d o z e n s o f o t h e r uses as w e ll
she was greatly comforted to know of the men. but I don't see—"
took to strike Jack Judged he was a
N a tu ra l b a llo o n c lo t h c o lo r
A sh a d e b e tw e e n cr e a m an d ecru
that her friends were In communica­
Moya interrupted the superintendent hundred feet from the bottom.
R ich , s ilk y , lu s tr o u s , p o n g e e flnisb
tion with her. After all, she was not sharply. An intuition, like a flash of
The flare of a second match showed
F u ll y a rd w id e
alone.
Send
y ou r ord er n ow
him
a
wall
ladder
leading
down,
but
light, had Illuminated her brain.
Or g e t sa m p le fr e e
A light glimmered at the end of the “ Where does that pipe run, Mr. unfortunately It did not extend above
D o n ’t h e s ita te to o r d e r
tunnel nnd moved slowly toward her. Bleyer?”
him except In rotting fragments. What
A s m a n y y a rd s as y o u w a n t
Bleyer’s voice cnlled her name. Pres­
R ig h t fro m th is ad
"Don't know. Maps of the workings had happened he could guess. Sup­
M on ey b a c k i f y o u a re n o t
ently the whole party was about her at the office would show."
posing him to be dead, his enemies
M ore than a m a zed and d e lig h te d
with sympathetic questions and ex­
had dropped the body down this de­
"Will you please find out?”
S a m p le fu r n is h e d fr e e and
planations.
W
ith o u t o b lig a t io n to y o u
“ Glad to look It up for you, Miss serted shaft. Not for a moment did
B u t w h a t e v e r y o u do
She made light of her fainting at­ Dwight. I'm a little curious myself.” he doubt who they were. The voices
A ct at on ce!
tack, but Verlnder Insisted on getting
had been unmistakably Cornish, and
“I mean now—at once.”
S. D. BRILL
her back to the upper air In ■-plte of
He glanced at her In quick surprise. even without that evidence he would
Los Angeles, Calif.
her protests. He had discovered that Was she asking him to leave the din­ have guessed Peale and bis partner as *06 S. Main St.
Joyce was quite ready to return to ner table to do It? Lady Farquhar the guilty ones.
V a lu a b le Tea Set
the sunlight, now that her curiosity saw how colorless Moya was and
Since he could not go up he went
down, moving warily so as not to Jar
was satisfied. A very little of any­ came to the rescue.
A tea set. more than 200 years old.
thing that was unpleasant went a long
“ My dear, you are a little unstrung, loose the timbers upon which he lay. Is carefully cherished by Mrs. Hamp­
way with Miss Seldon, and there was aren't you?” she said gently. “ I think Every rung of the ladder he tested ton B. Miller, of Alfred, Maine. Th«
something about this underground we might find something more cheer­ with great care before he put his set Is complete, having 12 of the usual
tomb that reminded her strongly of an ful to talk about. We always have weight upon It. Each step of the Jour- | group articles, with the laiger piece
ney down sent a throb of pain from | Intact It Is blue-white china, wifh
Immense grave.
the weather.”
At dinner Verlnder referred to the
Moya rose, trembling. “ No. I know the ricked ankle, even though he rest- j willow blue stripe and blue polka
attack of vertigo.
"Feel quite fit now who called for help. It «’as Jack ed his weight on his hands while he | dots all over the surface, and waa
lowered himself. From the last rung i originally the property of Mrs. Mer­
again, Miss Dwight?"
Kllmeny.”
"Quite, thnnk you.” Moya was a
Verlnder was the first to break the —It was by actual count the one hun­ rill’s great-great-grandmother and has
little Irritated at the reference, be­ strained silence. "But that's nonsense, dred forty-third—he stepped to the been handed down to the oldest girl
ground.
if each generation on her wedding day.
cause she was ashamed of having you know.”
Another match showed him a drift
given way to physlcnl weakness. “ It
“ It's the truth. He was calling for
running from the foot of the shaft.
was nothing. 1 was a goose. That’s help."
all."
“ Where from? What would he be Along this he dragged himself slowly,
uncertain of direction but determined
Bleyer, a guest for the evening, de­ doing down In a mine?"
fended the young woman from her
”1 don’t know. . . . Yes, I do, too," to find out what possibility of escape
own scorn. "It often takes people that Moya corrected herself, voice break- j his prison offered. For two hundred
way the first time, what with the heat Ing under the stress of her emotion ! yards the tunnel led forward and
and the closeness. I once knew a “He hns been put down there to die." I brought him up sharply at an Impasse.
• IKWOKWWJ
champion pugilist to keel OTer while
“To die:’’ Joyce echoed the words A eave-ln blocked further advance.
"Check," Jack told himself aloud
he was going through a mine.”
In a frightened whisper.
6 B e l l - a n s
"Were you afraid when you found
Dobyans laughed. "This is absurd. I grimly.
(TO BE CONTTNITED.)
Hot water
yourself alone?" Joyce asked.
Who under heaven would put him I
"I was until you tapped.”
there?”
Sure Relief
In c o n s id e r a te
India looked pussled.
“Tapped.
A second flash of light burned In !
The meanest man in the world Is
What do you mean?"
upon the girl. “ That man. Peale—and
the other ruffian. They knew about the warden who puts a tack in the
"On the pipe."
2 5 4 AND 754 RACKAGES EVERYWHERE
"What n i n e * ”
the shipment Joet sa you did. They | electric chalí.—Bison,
»iiysi
CHAMPION
W h ile I t L a s ts
BALLOON SILK
Sure Relief
FOR INDIGESTION
ELL-A N S
p
* !• »
* s ..
t
f