Newspapers / The Chatham Record (Pittsboro, … / June 6, 1929, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE TWO !l The H RED H LAMP 1 ||. w j I MARY ROBERTS RINEHART Copyright by Geo. H. Doran Company WNU Service f July 19. ' A sudden and terrifying storm out ride. Above the howling of the wind I can hear the surf beating against ;tbe shore. Halliday reports, over the ‘telephone, that the float is in danger ' and that the runway has broken loose. ißut there is nothing to do. I have ! jnst been out, and I do not propose to •be soaked again. (Note: The approach of the storm ;had made Jane very nervous, and I had driven in to Doctor Hayward’s for a sleeping medicine for her.) ; Jock is as bad as Jane, and should have a narcotic also! He is moving uneasily from place to place, now and then emitting a dismal howl, and Clara is sitting forlornly at the foot of i the staircase, under the impression that It is the only place free from metal in the house, and thus less like ly to attract the lightning. It is indeed a night for dark deeds. And for dark thoughts. . . . I wonder if I have any justification for my suspicions? Why should Hay ward, preparing to go out to an ob stetric case, start me along a new and probably unjustified line of thought? Surely, of all men in the world, he has the best right to carry ether. I must be careful not to do as Greenough has done, allow my necessity for finding the guilty man to run away with my .judgment. And ye,t, In spite of myself, I cannot help feeling that Hayward fulfills • many of the requirements. He alone, of all the people hereabout, is free to move about the country at night with out suspicion. He knew Uncle Horace “as well as anybody.” He is—and God forgive me if I am wrong—enough -of a sailor to know and use the half bitch. There are other points, also. He is about my age, if anything older, but he is a muscular man. And he is, like fill general practitioners in the coun try, byway of being a surgeon also 'He would know, how to find the jug ular vein of a sheep. . i V “In all earnestness I appeal to you to consider the enormity of the iead." wrote poor old Horace, more than a year ago. But while killing sheep is unpleasant, even sad, there is no par ticular enormity in it. I pass by a leg of spring-time lamb without consider Ijig that £ £ragedy lies jjplffnd The murder of Ca?r<sff3y, too, cannot com£ under the sTrTcI tires of that letter; it was done as a matter of protection. Nearest of all to the possibilities suggested by the letter comes the at tack on Halliday, and If the sheep killer did that, why not have put his devilish symbol on the car during that silent ride of a mile before he pro pareg to strike? 1 Why have crept in later and done It : But here again—the doctor had ac cess, to the car, after Greenough hac examined it. He went in alone, a* cording to Clara, and was-there 50.... time. Was it, then, the doctor’s typewriim which wrote the cipher over whirh Halliday has been puzzling? T - GeLTr, K. 28? - •" 7 '’* July 20. Maggie :• Morrison disappeared In'*, night; disappeared as comp’etely\ though she had been wiped from tin face of the earth by the storm. Livingstone telephoned me the fact'* at seven this morning, and Hallida\ and I took the car and w nt ovc» We have been out with the scan hing party all day, hut without result. Tonight the search is still going on. Starr has sworn in more deputies, and the entire countryside is aroused Jane has been ill all day, and has kept her bed. July 21. No trace of the unfortunate girl to night, and all hope of finding her alive is slowly being abandoned. I can now record such facts as w» know. Relative t** the mystery. f I he girl went in to Oakville yestei day to do some shopping, and re mained for dinner with Thomas am J One Last Hope “I’ve got one advantage over you still,” said the horse as he looked at the automobile that was sharing the barn. “When I’m worn out I can be worked up into canned beef and gum drops. and you can’t.” The South is having a difficult year. Arkansas, Texas, Georgia and California suffered cyclones; bama was hit by floods and now Florida turn*; up with a citrus pest which threatens the fruit crop of that state. . , t . . Human races are fleeting and changeful, but the. human race re mains. • A single grateful thought'toward Heaven is the most oW;** m-ayer. —— The weakest spot. iu every man wheu lie himself -ho -is-... his wife, la -spite *©f Thomas’ prophecy of a -storm she insisted on staying over for a moving picture, and it was therefore ten-thirty when, alone in the farm truck, she started out of town. Nothing more is known of her move ments, save' that she got as far as the Hilburn road, about two hundred yards beyond the Livingstones’ gate The truck was found there yesterday morning at daylight by an early la borer on the Morrison farm, who, how ever, thought that she had abandoned it there during the storm the night before, and neglected to report it. At the farm house itself there was no uneasiness, as the family supposed the girl remained in town. But when the hour came for her to start with her milk delivery, and she had not ar rived, inquiries were set on foot. The truck shows no signs of any struggle, and that robbery was not the motive of whatever has happened is shown by the fact that the missing girl’s pocketbook was found behind the seat of the truck, where she usual ly placed it. Greenough and the sheriff were on the ground when we got there, as well as a small knot of country folk, kept at a distance by a deputy or two, and already a small posse, hastily recruit ed, was beating the wood nearby. Such clews as there may have been, how ever, had been obliterated by the storm. There is no trace of the dreaded symbol in chalk. . . . Halliday has reconstructed the story, in view of his own experience. “The fellow was waiting,” he said, “and hailed her, as he hailed me. He knew nobody would pass a man caught out in a storm like that He got in, and closed the storm curtains, and of course she hadn’t a chance in the world.” Possibly five hundred men and boys have been searching steadily since yesterday morning; the back country, where it happened, is fairly open; the sea, with its salt marshes, both of which would give unlimited oppor tunity for concealment, is fully six miles by road from where the truck was found. ... % Much talk is going around as to a story from the lighthouse on the ex treme tip of Robinson's point today. As is to be expected, the superstitious are making considerable capital of it. And I myself am not disposed to dis miss it without considerable thought. The story is as follows: On the night of the tragedy, a fly ing night bird of some sort broke one of those windows of the lighthouse which protect the light itself. The keeper and the second keeper repaired it as best they could, but the terrific gusts of the wind made them uneasy, and they remained on watch. They sat, high in the air, in the room just beneath the light, now and then glancing up to see that all was well. The storm increased in violence and as the sea came np the surf beat on the rocks below with a crashing only equaled by the thunder itself. As is usual in the high tide of the full moon, the low portion of the point to landward, and the keeper’s houses, the engine shed, boathouse and oil storage tank were soon cut off from the maia land by a strip of angry ocean. ftevgrtheless, they were comfortable enough, tmd the under-keeper had acfimTTy fallen asleep, at eleven when came a sudden lull in tKe storm. It 'was that time, which I well remember, when there came one of those ominous and quiv ering pauses in the attack which seem, not a promise of peace, but a gathering together of all the powers of wind, sea and sky for one final and tremendous effort. And in that pause Ward, the light keeper, heard something below in the tower. He touched his assistant on the shoulder and he sat up. Both of them then distinctly heard footsteps on the lowest flight of stairs, five floors belo%. They were alone in the tower; out off from the mainland by a rushing strip of tide, and no boat could have Neither One of Them Moved or Spoke landed through the surf. And outsidt j was that unearthly quiet which was more sinister than the storm itself. .. Neither, one of them , moved or spoke. I but the keeper remembers that, as the f steps came on inexorably, a cold ait began to.eddy around the small oireu far room, and that he'looked up .at i the fed- light apprehensively. - At the top of-the second tiigtit ilw steps paused, and*’both keepers <bev, a’, breath’" Then they heard a smnP dry cough, and the steps recon* nienced on the third level. •• ' Up and up. The stairs curved round the inside wall of the tower. . . and they knew they would not fee what was climbing until it was fairly on them. They sat there, their eyes glued to the door, and heard the steps coming up the last round. Whatever it was. it was on them. It reached the top, and the next step would bring it into view. Then the storm burst again, in an explosion that fairly set the tower rocking, and simultaneously the elec tric lights in the room went out. It was then that the assistant keep er swears that something touched him; something cold; but there seems to be no doubt, whether that is true or not, that the whole room was filled with the cold eddying wind referred to before. I prefer to trust the head-keeper’s statement. Ward is an unemotional type, and this is what he says: “I was scared enough, but when the lights went out I looked up at the lamp. It’s an oil burner, and it was all right. Old Faithful, we call it. Well, you have to understand that we weren’t entirely in the dark, even then; some of the red light from above came down, and I could see where Jim was standing. I couldn’t see him, y’understand, but I could see where he was. And there was a third party in the room, over near the stair-door. That is, he was there one minute; the next he was gone.” Keeping close together the two men went down through the successive floors of the tower. They found noth ing, and the outer door was still closed and bolted. In view of so detailed and corrobor ative a statement, the final support of my early skepticism has had a seveie blow. . . . What would be the change, should we enter another world, with the same faculties we have now, but no limita tions in their use? To sorrow, to love, even perhaps to hate. And who shall laugh at the poor ghost who, knowing and suffering all things, makes its des perate attempt to avert a wickedness? To convey, through the thick mantle of the flesh, a knowledge that is not conveyance. To stand by, wringing its pale amorphous hands, while crimes go on and unnecessary wretchedness inhabits the earth? Nothing bodily accounts for person ality. Back of everything physical, and greater than anything physical, is the mind. And is not an at tribute of matter. July 22. The body has not been found, and the sheriff has raised the reward to five thousand dollars. This with Liv ingstone’s original five hundred for the sheep-killer, which is to go to the finder of the murderer as being in all probability the same Individual, raises the reward to fifty-five hundred dol lars. Today, however, certain information acquired by Halliday has shifted the scene of the search to the saft marshes and the bay, and tonight, as 1 glance from my window I can see lanterns moving in the marsh beyond the main house, and up and down the shore. Jane has made coffee, and those of the searchers who come up tiffs way from the beach have been stopping fn. Halliday’s discovery, made today, is os fallows: He calculated just how far the truck would have to go after it \vas ruffled, before it stopped, and went badi To that point, wTiich was not far from the entrance to the Liv- i ingstone drive. Already the crowd of : searchers and sensation hunters had pretty well destroyed any clew that might have been ieft, but about twen- ! ly yards from the gates he found marks in the mud indicating that, noi 1 only had the truck been backed to that point, but it had been turned There and headed back toward Oak ville and the bay. Jut-1 where it left the road again, if at nil, is a question. I believe Halil day has taken a scraping from the wheels and proposes to have it anal yzed. He finds something suspicious in it. I cannot say what l have spent today reorganizing my household. None of the women, in cluding Clara, are to leave it after nightfall unaccompanied, and although no entrance Into any house lias yet been attempted, Halliday and I have spi nt the late afternoon tightening, window locks and adding new bolts where they are necessary. Jane has entirely recovered, and lias today resumed work on her tapestry, with us a barometer of normality. She has even agreed to dine at the Liv ingstones tonight, not particularly to m.v delight. “Come over and dine,” Mrs. Liv ingstone telephoned, “and lot’s have i little bridge. I've h.rd the horrors for three days.” “You don’t object to my wearing my revolver, as a part of my - evening outfit?” “Everybody’s doing it.” site said. “This house hits been turned into an arsenal.” Later: Doctor Hayward stopped in this evening for a final profession:!' visit to Jane, and on an impulse l showed him Lncle Horace’s letter. ' may be mistaken, hut it seemed to me that, under pretense of reading it s* second time, he was playing for time “Curious!” he said, when he passed it hack to me. “What do you make of it?” “The last part of it is fairly cleat He was in danger, and knew it.” “But the rest of it?? he said. “What does he say? The wickedness of the Idea. What idea?” “You haven't any opinion on that yourself?” • fie said slowly. **l can't sa> that I have..” •The tetivi.n or whatever' it w.;- seemed to relax then. “As a tnuteV «• fslft.’ .he -ad *•] thorn'hi j| \ V ps h<! I dressed r : <o when ! commenced r WeM Lad -a ter-i; argument not Un.<. THE CHATHAM RECORD, PIfTSBORQ, N. C. before nisdeatu, on outhanada. I be lieved in putting the unfit out of the world; he didn’t But of course the end of it settles that.” He laughed again, bit the end of a thumb, hesitated, and then got his hat. “Danger!” he said. “And the police! No, that wasn’t for me.” “And you still believe he died of heart disease?” “It was his heart, all right,” he said, and going out, climbed heavily into his car. He seemed abstracted, and made no reply to my good-night. I can read into this what I like. His manner was not that of a guilty man; on the other hand, it was not entirely natural, either. He was both watch ful and self-conscious. And I do not believe he read the letter twice. . . . One of the evening newspapers to night prints a photostatic copy of the cipher found in our garage, and offers a prize for its solution. Edith’s memory Is shown to have been faulty In only one particular. The cipher, as published reads: GeLTr, K. 24. (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK) <g>- TOWN PROGRESS TALKS r-rrj^ Foremost among the institutions which develop a town is the home newspaper. It stands for progress; it is fair to all; it nurses no grudges; It protects Its people from unwelcome publicity and causes needless sorrow to no one: it boosts every enterprise and supports all public improvements, sometimes at a financial loss; it pro motes good fellowship at home and good feeling toward the town abroad The editor regards his position as a solemn responsibility; he endeavors l< be the leader in all movements that will beep hi» town abreast of com peting towns; he does not fill his col uiiins with the scum of the news tc fill his till with dollars, though it bebauch the community. So why not a statue to /he town’s best friend, the home non’^r.^per. £ * •A* It, *i» *T» ▲ •a? y! It. £ ■v | Bank of Moncure j 1 adds new features ( * •x* •»< :fc 3 Ijj We have arranged to sell the American Express Com- $. W. pany’s Travelers’ Checks, which are payable the world 3 $ over, at any of 16,000 express offices or any bank. J • O* X They are what you need to take with you when you $ & make a journey. • # 3 jjj SAMPLES OF NEW CURRENCY I *: | $ ■ $ This bank has samples of the new U. S. currency, a bill J jm each of the denominations of SI, S 2, §5, and §lO. Come $ and see them. The new currency will be issued about 3 *, July 10. , 1 f. !& REGULAR BANKING BUSINESS | *x» «7* * 4t £ • This bank does a regular banking business, and will * if; appreciate your patronage. We pay 4% on savings 3 •** , ' .. ; 4: # deposits. k "r ... . J I 3 / Safety and Service is our Motto £ $ | THE BANK OF MONCURE | IJ 4; ' Moncure North Carolina I 4: ■ - ■ -r.. .. . - a 13* - rr....- ••• - f; -- :=* •• * 4:* .*.•■ 1 * • •' ••• i- . '.'.f- *\ Sly Favorite Stories l»y Irvin Cobb The Final Bang IN ORDER that the point of this story may be made clear, a word or two of preliminary explanation is required. Arthur Hopkins, one of the most successful of the younger group of theatrical producers, is a squarely built little man, not more than five feet six inches in height and with rather an emphatic way of speaking. It is characteristic of him that once he has made up' his mind to a thing, he acts upon his decision with dis patch; nor, when be expresses him self, is there ever any donbt as to his exact meaning. A season or so back, he put on rather an expensive play for it tryont before bringing it into New York. The production did not' seem to go very well on the road. • Nevertheless, the members of the cast, with the pro verbial optimism of actor-folk, were hopeful that business might pick up and that, once they reached the big town, the piece might have a success ful run. But back In the home office Hop kins took a different view of the pros pects. He ran through the figures of the box office reports, as sent in by the road manager, and Immediately wired the latter to cancel all further bookings, pay the members of the company the required two weeks’ sal ary, and ship the scenery and the properties back to the storehouse Considerably disappointed at this out come, the troupers returned to the city to look for new engagements. Naturally, Hopkins’ action in so abruptly withdrawing the production became the subject of common gossip in the theatrical district. A few days later, Wilton Lackaye was In the Lambs’ club. An aspiring dramatist approached him. “Say, Lackaye.” he began, “maybe you can help me out. My latest com edy has just gone into rehearsals. It locks pretty good, too—everybody seems to like it; hut we’re shy a good gag tine for the last act. You know how it helps, sometimes. If you bring the final curtain down with a * wallop. I’ve racked my brain but I can't think of anything. I’m hoping < maybe you can help me. If you’ve got time, I’ll tell you briefly what the .'concluding scene is like and perhaps that’ll give you an Inspiration.” *1 don’t think you need to do all that,” said Lackaye, softly. “If I get you, what you want is something abort and snappy to close a new show with?” “That’s it.” “All right,” said Lackaye, “here It Is in two words: ‘Arthur Hopkins’!” THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1929 JUST ONIONS ~~ (The Mecklenburg Times) • Recently when a number of f ers were invited to the meeting of the Charlotte Rotary Club to lea! Mr. Schaub, of the State College 5 on farm conditions, Tom Broom tarm demonstration agent -p„ ’ Union county was present. r ° m In our conversation with him fni lowing the meeting he said that one* he told a group of farmers i n hi? county that if they wanted to hf millionaires to grow onions Thi was because he had sensed a grow mg appetite for onions and because the crop was was easily grown a J very productive. a . There is a man in this county who is growing onions and from the re ports coming to use he is making decided success of the crop. According to reports coming to thi. office B. W. Richardson came to thi! county from South Carolina some time ago and located in the Thomas boro section of the county. Last fall he planted one acre of onions" and during the month of December sold 400 dozen bunches of the onions at $1.75 per dozen. A few weeks ago the produce man for the Atlantic and 4 Pacific Tea Company went out and looked over the remainder of the crop which was estimated at 700 dozen. There were to be delivered 60 dozen a day and the price w»« 75 cents a dozen. Now if you will take your pencil and figure a little vou will find that the total income from the crop off one acre was about SI2OO. Forty bushels of onion sets were planted on the acre. We have no figures as to the amount of fertilizer and labor, but we are sure that Mr. Richardson had a good profit from this crop more than many farmers get from a dozen acres of cotton. First Berries Bring Handsome Returns The dewberry season is on and for the next two weeks the Carolina fruit hills will be the scene of great activ ity in picking, packing and shipping the berries. First shipments, which went forward the middle of last week, netted handsome prices to the growers of around SB.OO a crate. Such prices do not hold up long, of course, and if the season’s average is half of that it will be good. Vines are small and there is little hope of a big yield, although if rain and sunshine comes in exactly the right proportion and at exactly the right time production may approach that of last year. Quality of the first berries was excellent. Hundreds of negroes were busy Monday picking berries, that being the first big pick ing of the year. $ We cannot hear what some men say, for what they are sounds too loudly. Good thoughts are no better than good dreams unless they are exe cuted.
The Chatham Record (Pittsboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 6, 1929, edition 1
2
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