E? six $ fjj vIMmH
THIRD INSTALMENT
SYNOPSIS Margaret Leferre's
brother. Rex. has been found dead
with a note addressed to his sister
stating that he has been ruined by
investments recommended by Luke
Maddison, wealthy banker to whom
Margaret is engaged. Danty Morel!,
a rather shady character, informs
Maddison that Rex had
cashed a check for 18,000 pounds
bearing Luke's signature. Detective
Bird, known as "The Sparrow,"
calls on Maddison, who refuses
to take any action although
his signature was forged to the
check. Maddison does not know of
the dead man's accusation of him,
Margaret does not know that her
brother was a forger. Her love for
Maddison turns io hate, but she
decides to keep her promise to
marry him. She is desperately poor
and Maddison makes over his entire
fortune to her, everything he
possesses. In the background of
*- *i-- c: ?- i r
? ? uic i'gurc, Min
shadowy, of Gunner Hayacs, a famous
American crook, who had enWith
a shudder, she felt the
countered Maddison and Margaret,
apparently by chance, the evening
before Rex's death.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
She siuofl~th'ert\ ger hands gripped
her broatn coming quickly arid mor>
qtiickly. and heard hint override th<
protests which i anie from the qtfte
end of the ivire. Presently he hunj
un the phone and turned to her. i
smile ot triumph on his ilushed tact
- *.---lAih?Maddisoidaj|g he ,sai<
S&jcrandly. "Lock.__sLujipt and; oatJtd
darliriit--! am what old Bird calls
child of the poor."
Rven she could not rcaliize thai
he was speaking prophetically.
"Do you want to see a man nanus
I.owinu?" Stiles asked Maddison.
4tLe\ving"? Who is he'."'
From Mr. Stiles' expression of (lis
n ma .cement he cat hered that l.ow
imr was not of any croat account.
"Show him in.''
The man who followed Stiles int>
the room was tall .and Snare of Build
His deep-set eyes had in then- a fui
tiveness that was almost' foYtmai. H
iC'aiiccit quickly aimmd the room. "an.
it nnv.ov.t seemed to I.uke thut. he " a
pricing every avtivle within viet
again? the night when he might en
tes^tiid take away such a
would show him a profit.
;?!T';\V"-u , .
He Keld his head downwards m-i
-sideways;;?' looking: up from under hi
heavy and untidy eyebrows.
"Like to speak to you private, sir,"
he said in hi? !r;<ky voice.
Luke glanced at the manager am
signalled him to leave the room. Mi
Stiles left with the afeost teluc
' ar.ee.
"Sit down, will you?"
Not taking his eyes from I.uke'
face. IJfe visitor stretched' out a ham
and drew r. chair to him.
Well?"
The visitor sat down.
HHIIflMMMWMHnMUBMHfliilHMMHn
in a suspeeteu. he said in a low
hoarse voice. "The Spar re r spoke ui
for him. hut the beak handed oil
the tmvc moor.. The Gunner's ap
pealin* to the sessions."
Luke nodded.
"He has trot throe numths* hart
labor and is appealing? I hope h.
gets off. Did he send you to me''"
Lowing nodded slowly. He had the
appearance of a man who was lying
and expected to be found out at an.*
moment.
"Yes. A few quid would do h:;n i
bit of good. He '.cants a mouthpiece
The Sparrer says he'll get off?an
the Sparrer knows."
Sparrow?"
A slow smile dawned on Mr. Lewing's
face.
"He's a busy?a detective. Bird b\
name?"
^?ukc nodded. He remembered Mr
Sparrow, whose activities w. re ap
parently not wholly confined to in
quests.
"I was inside meself?for breakin
an' enterinV confided Lewincr. "bui
fhoi- fniilrlr'f nrnvo nftthin' so 1 col
out- But me an" the Gunners iiK<
Iii-others. He win.the ne*t cell ti
me at Brixton an' he told me to poj
up an" tave a talk with you?a few
(juid would help him."
Luke was puzzled. His acquaint
ar.ce with the redoubtable gupniar
who called himself Haynes was ;
slight one. but it had struck him
t durintr their brief interview in th<
Carlton, that the Gunner had the
manners and certainly the vocabu
lary of a gentleman, and that thi;
mean sneak-thief who was looking ai
him stealthily from the other side ot
the table was hardly the type of man
f in whom the Gunner would confide
7 copycight e
his commissions.
Luke felt in his pocket ami took.'
out a few pound notes.
"1 suppose you know Mi. Bird*
very well?" he asked as he counted
the money.
The man grinned.
"The Sparrer? I should say so!
He's always goin' on about the children
of the poor?but he's always
la^gur em! He pretends there's a
I? t of poor people who are sufferin'
because of the likes of?" he was
about to say "me" but changed his
mind?"of fellows who go on the
crook. That's silly. It you can't do
work you've got to do something: you!
can't siiiive. The last time the Spar-J
gjver started talkin' tc me about it, I
says: 'Look here. Mr. Bird, why don't
you go after the children of the rich
an' make 'em pay theii whack to
these children of the poor?* He
couldn't answer me. He was dumbfounded.
I'm always beatin" people
: in arguments."
He seemed rather proud of this
accomplishment: was not without his
vanities, even if he hail to lie about j
v~~*r?^nv_r
rinq slip upon her finger.
*' i i . is tin pounds. Give that to I
: ''"?! mend. I mih't help him much)
moio. I'd like to know what happens;
to hini. and he can write to me here."
R? AI r.vo o'clock Margaret Laferre
stopped from her car at the door of
?jthe Marylebone registrar's office and
v Luke, waiting in the room of thai
ri official, turned to greet the palest
11' bride that had ever entered those
; ioir.n.outplace portals,
ci i She spoke not at all, only nnsxveriTtir
the nut_to
iibher. :W"'th a s h u d c j?i~^kc? felt the ringf
s:ip upon her finger. r
t it was a:i i'\vi sr. quickly that she j
could not believe that the first act!
of her vengeance was played. Stnne-j
J body put a pen into her hand, and a;
squat forefinger showed her the i
place where she must- sign her name. j
- For a long time she hud the pgii, j
- and when she wrote it wavered in
j her fingers and the .scrawled signa V|;t;ure
looked like nothing she had ever
(? -een.
I. Leaving for Paris that night?the
- i Meurvce. or wa> it the Hristol?
,>j There was some confusion in her
di mind about these details: anyway,
s; thejradid not iv.attei if she kept her
v courage. The two o'clock wedding J
- had been an inspiration. She went:
.[< }" hack to her house?Luke was coming j
bSK dinner; they were to leave imou- ;
l^uxteiy after 10 catch the night boat'1
ikSSfei'lw Southampton.
Luke's voice was .tremulous. They j
uere Yalone in her pretty little draw-!
" ing room, and he was sitting by her.
side, his arm around her. She was;
i very still ami unyielding, but he!
_ thought that he understood this.
Luke was bubbling over with ex-1
ciiemc ni ?he way like a boy who had
received a new and wonderful pros- j
s ent.
|? *T >ny, did you see that queer-looking
man standing on the pavement j
gas we came out? A fellow named;
Lowing?a thief of some kind. ij
wonder if he canto to pick pockets'? I
. Fll bet he did: touched Ms hat tot
-) me as f came out." !
L She was not listening, aval, after!
- he had gone, could remember nothing 1
that he hail said except somethingabout
flex. It was indecent of him toj
: mention the boy. l)anty rang her up.!
: but she would not sec or receive him. ;
She must go through now without'
hc-lp. Luke was corning at seven. At
r sYx she called him on the telephone,
and had one* panicky moment when
she feared that be had already left;
. his flat and could not be found. Then
she heard his voice.
''Darling, isn't it odd? I can't in*-1
lieve it?I still think ol myself as a :
crusty old bachelor?
BEca '" Luke. ^r?U ?rrt y a a do
thing for me.'" She found her voice j
at last. "No?no?don't interrupt.
It's a big thing. 1 don't want to go j
away tonight, not for a day or two. |
. I want to be alone, not to see you.,
. My nerves are in a terrible state;!'
j I think I am on the verge of a break- ;
* j down."
t' As she went on. he listened with l
: j a growing sense of alarm and dis-1
* ] ,1- , i ) ' 1,7 .* 1 '
; ! may. .-\nu - ?c?, nc nuv w.ir.tllle v. ,
?I himself.
j "I've been a senisn i'l uUr. Ofi
course, darling, 1 quite understand." i
The conversation did not occupy,
. five minutes of time; he could hardi
j ly realize what was happening, to :
, what he was agreeing, before he was1
. j sitting at his writing table staring;
, blankly at the telegraph forms by i
. | which he was to cancel so many pleas- j
. i ant arrangements.
Danty. waiting at Waterloo Sta;1
tion wiith a full view of the barrier,
' watched the mail-boat passengers fil
i ter through to the platform. He saw
, j the harrier close and the red tail
THE WATAUGA DEMOCRAT?EV
BLUFF
j/Ci&
3V EDG,^ WALLACE
lights of the train disappear into the
darkness, and went home humming a
little song, for Mr. and Mrs. Luke
Maddison were not among the passengers.
Luke did not even trouble to seej
Margaret at once. Before lunch he?
remembered and telephoned.
*T want to see you, darling. ' he
began.
"Why?" It was difficult to disguise
the suspicion she felt.
"1 want you to sign a little document,"
he said gaily.
So that was it! Danty had warned I
her. Only she had never dreamed that
she would be asked to renounce her
marriage portion so soon.
"Wife! It's wonderful?unbelievable!"
"A document?"
"1 want you to transfer some money
to me." he said. "It is the merest
formality?I've discovered that I,
have rather iess than 1 need."
She thought quickly.
"Very well, come to the house at
three o'clock."
He forgot that the bank closed at
three-thirty and agreed. After all, it
did not greatly matter if the eheck
was returned. It was merely a trans-j
ferer.ee from his personal account to;
the bank's.
He was. true to his methods, five,
minutes late, when he was shown into
her Yxillv sitting room. The first!
thing: mat strucx him was that shcj
was dressed. He hat! pictured her
resting in her negligee?in heel even.
She was not as pale as she had been. J
It was when he vent to take her in;
his arms that he had his first real
shock. I
"Don't kiss me?please!"
It was not a request; it was a per
emptor v c o m m a n d.
"Why?what is wrong, darling?"
She shook hoV head impatiently.
"Please tell me what you want."
Her thhc turned him eoid. It was.
hard, ^thuost antagonistic. He could
hardly believe the evidence of his I
senst
Stammering like a schoolboy, he!
told her in disjointed sentences of the'
situation which had arisen, and she j
listener! and did not sneak until he J
stoppedr"
Ninety-seven thousand pounds,"!
she said: "A tenth of tHat wouldI
have saved Hex."
He could only stare at him un-j
eoniprerjonamjcty.
"l! was rather dreadful to see aj
man make a god of money. Luke,
and to know that for its sake he is
wiiiir.fr -to sacrifice c.v?rn a ycung
life.'
him her voice_ sounded like the|
elan of a bell; to herself it hardly
seemed that it was she was was
speaking.
"And t" accuse this poor dead boy
of forgery to add that infamy to
**l?you are speaking oi me? he
said in a whisper.
She nodded.
"Of you. 1 knew that you were
coming to get your money back?
that is why I did not go with vou to
France. I wanted it to happen here.
Here, where 1 have friends ami can
meet you on even terms."
A pause, and then:
"Luke. ! am giving you no money.
You gave it to me?it is mine. Not
a penny can you have?not a penny."
She wished he would speak during
the silence that followed. She wished
he would rave, curse her, do all the
things that wore consistent with her
picture of him. Hut he said nothing.
no was rot'- even looking- at her. hat
was studying the pattern of the carpet.
Presently he jerked up his head.
"Good-bye," he said, and turned
mi his heel.
She heard the door close 011 him.
and then there came u> her a realii'.ation
thai made her brain reel. She
loved him.
Why he graviitated to the Embankmeet
he could never tell; it seemed!
a natural objective He had no}
thought of suicide, no intention of
finding that gross way to forgcrfulness.
Walking slowly by the parapet.
h< eame to a halt before Scotland
Yard, and eyed that Gothic building'
incuriously. That big detective was I
there, the -Sparrow?the Sparrow. }
who righted so many wrongs, could
x.hicit deadened the mind of I.uke'
JladUiSon. The ''children of the
poor! " He smiled mirthlessly. He was
one of the children of the poor, the
natural charge of that big man. To
protect the children of the pom- and
punish the wrongdoer. Who bad done
wrong? Margaret. He tried hard to
apportion ai! blame to her. to hate i
he--. He shook his head and walked!
slowlv back towaui ftlackf lia s.
COXTIXL'Eli NEXT WEEK j
THE WEATHER
-
>?v<is.nei report lor the week end-1
ing Fberuary I. 1030. as compiled|
by Co-ODerative BtnHon. Appalachian 1
State Teachers College. Boone, J. T.
C. Wright, observer:
Average maximum temperature 35 j
degrees.
Average minimum temperature. IS;
degrees.
Average temperature. 27 degrees.
Average daily range in temperature.
l.r> degrees.
Greatest daily range in temperature
23 degrees: date. 21st.
Average temperature at S a. m.
Highest temperature reached. 45
degrees; date 28th.
Lowest temperature reached, i degrees;
date 31st.
Number inches of rainfall (including
melted snow), 1.07.
Number inches of snowfall, 10.
Greatest rainfall in 24 hours. .4 7
inches; date. 30th.
Number days with .01 inch or more
rainfall, 3.
Number of cloudy days. 2.
Number of partly cloudy days, 2. I
Direction of prevailing wind, east. |
. .
.
ERY THURSDAY?BOONE. N. C.
OF VALUES /
WILLYS
VALUE OF
...72 M/LE
48 IN SECOND .
.. . RICH BROA
. . . INTERNAL
HYDRAULIC
The 1930
I I
nave eeen
Willys Six.
SEDAN DE LUXE sive sales c
DOWN PAYMENT ONLY been ^ j
^90*7 sive Six wil
^ edented in
BALANCE IN 12 EASY
MONTHLY PAYMENTS YOU get u
List prices $695 to $850. oil at the
Prices L o. b. Toledo. O., . .
and specifications subject to m!l0S an nC
change without notice.
WILLYS-C
WISE BUYING !S TF
THE WILLYS-OVERL
MAXIMUM VALUE
YOU
^X7illr**c ^0
T '
NORTH WII.
Tr
i: Are Yoi
ii Just "Get
j |
4 Complete Battery Recharging Ser- C
4 ^ vice, and a Full Line of All
Kind* of Rs^iatAr *
! Freeze Solutions.
y
I Central Tir<
% DISTRIBUTORS FOR \
? W. R. Winkler, Manager
% LOCAL Dl
% J. H. Winkler, Blowing Rock A. A. Greene,
f<
FKBRUARY C, 19:50 ? }
~ \
THE YEAR
^ND THE NEW
S!X IS THE
THE YEAR!
S AN HOUR
. . 65 HORSEPOWER . ..
DCLOTH UPHOLSTERY
4-WHEEL BRAKES . . .
SHOCK ABSORBERS
Auto Shows throughout the country ^
a succession of triumphs for the new
The immediate popularity and impres.f
tk*> ^(/iilv* Si* nrnvp knw or^At ka\
emand for just such a car?an inexpen:H
speed and power capabilities unprecthe
low-priced field.
nusuai mileage per gallon of gas and
modern cruising speeds of 35 to 45
>ur.
DVERLAND, INC., TOLEDO, OHIO
IDE ECONOMY IN 1930
\HD POLICY IS SOUND,
FOR EVERY DOLLAR
I SPEND
Whippet Co.
KESBORO, N. C.
>>r?7
rp I
ir I ires|
ting Ky"? i
at describe your present tires? C
vorn smooth and slippery as ba- V
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may cause a blowout that could >
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;altp c\f VP rv fpw 1 a >-o flaof ^
svv Goodyears sell for, why C
ate another hour?with roads X
ery and tire-changing so disa- ^
rhese are first-rate values?pos- X
cause Goodyear builds nearly
a ui ad tires soiu today* Gome:
ave a look.
ts?All Fresh?Lifetime Guar- #
teed?Carefully Mounted ^ ^
mmsm
e Company t
VATAUGA COUNTY ^
Boone, North Carolina. J
ALERS: #
Deep Gap. Vila, Service Station, Vila, ^