North Carolina Newspapers

ncj By GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON Author of "Graurtark," 'The Hollow of Her i HandBeverlyof GrausUrk," "The Prince of Grau;! stark,"' Etc Etc GREEN FANCY LIARS. Synopsis. Thomas K. Barnes, a wealthy young New Yorker, on a walking trip in New Eng land near the Canadian border, is given a lift in an automobile by a mysterious and attractive girl bound for a house called Green Fancy. At Hart's tavern Barnes finds a stranded troupe of "barn-storming" actors, of which Lyndon Rushcroft is the star and "Miss Thackeray" the leading lady. They are doing hotel work for their board. He learns Green Fancy is a house of mystery. That night two mounted men leave the tavern under odd circumstances. One is shot dead near by; the other is brought back dying. The sheriff detains Barnes. Green Fancy guests appear and say the mystery does not concern Green Fancy. CHAPTER V Continued. The two men looked at him, plainly perplexed. "When was all this?' inquired De Soto. "Early last evening. He picked up your latest guest at the corners, and she insisted in his driving me to the tavern before the storm broke. I've been terribly anxious about her. She must have been caught out in all that frightful" "What's this you are saying, Mr. Barnes?" cut in De Soto, frowning. "No guest arrived at Green Fancy last evening, nor was one expected." Barnes stared. "Do you mean to say that she didn't get there, after all?" ., ' "She? A woman, was It?" demand ed O'Dowd. "Bedad, if she said she -was coming to Green Fancy she was .-spoofing you. Are you sure it was old "Peter who gave you that Jolly ride?" "No, I am not sure," said Barnes .uneasily. "She was afoot, having -walked from the station below. I met "'her at the corners and she asked me if I knew how far it was to Green ;Faucy, or something like that. Said : she was going there. Then along came the automobile, rattling down this very road aa &cient Panhard driven iby an old codger. She seemed to think it was all right to hop in and trust herself to him, although she'd never seen him before." "The .antique Panhard fits in all Tight," said O'Dowd, "but I'm hanged if the woman fits at all. No such per son arrived at Green Fancy last night." "Did you get a square look at the driver's face?" demanded De Soto. "It was almost too dark to see, but ne was oia, narcnet-racea, ana spose with an accent." "Then it couldn't have been Peter," said De Soto positively. "He's old, right enough, but he is as big as the side of a house, with a face like a full moon, and he is Yankee to his toes. By gad, Barnes, the plot thickens I A woman has been added to the mystery. Now, who the devil is she and what has become of her?" CHAPTER VI. Charity Begins Far From Home, and a Stroll in the Wildwood Follows. Mr. Rushcroft was furious when he arose at eleven o'clock on themorning after the double murder, havifcg slept like a top through all of the commo tion. He boomed all over the place, vocal castigations falling right and left on the guilty and the innocent without distinction. "I donX e how you managed to sleep through it," Barnes broke in. "Yjou must have an unusually clear conscience, Mr. Rushcroft." "I haven't any conscience at all, sir," roared the star. "I had an unusually full stomach, that's what was the mat ter with me. I take oath now, sir, never to eat again as long as I live. A man who cannot govern his beastly appetite ought to defy it, If nothing else. "I gather from that remark that you omitted breakfast this morning." "Breakfast, sir? In God's name, I Implore you not to refer to anything so disgusting as stewed prunes and bacon at a time like this. . My mind Is n "How about luncheon? Will you Join me at twelve-thirty V "That's quite another matter, said Mr. Rushcroft readily. "Luncheon is an esthetic tribute to the physical In telllgence of man, If you know what I mean. I shall be delighted to join you. Twelve-thirty, did you say?" "It would" give me great pleasure if your daughter would also grace the festal board. I think It Is too bad that she has to go about In the gown she vrears, Mr. Rushcroft," said Barnes. "She's much too splendid for that. I have a proposition I'd like to make to you later on. I cannot make it, how ever, without consulting Miss Thack eray's feelings." ' "My dear fellow T beamed Rush croft, seizing the other's hand. "One Copyright by Dodd, Mead and Company, Inc. frequently " reads in books about it coming like this, at first sight; but, damme, I never dreamed that it ever really happened. Count on me! She ought to leave the stage, the dear child. No more fitted to it than an Easter lily. Her place is in the home, the" "Good Lord, I am not thinking of" And Barnes, aghast, stopped before blurting out the words that leaped to his lips. "I mean to say this is a prop osition that may also affect your ex cellent companions, Bacon and Dilllng ford, as well as yourself."' At twelve-thirty sharp Barnes came down from his room freshly shaved and brushed, to find not only Mr. Rush croft and Miss Thackeray awaiting him in the office, but the Messrs. DI1 llngford and Bacon as well. v "I took the liberty, old fellow," said Rushcroft, addressing Barnes, "of ask ing my excellent co-workers to join us in our repast." . "Delighted to have you with us, gen tlemen," said Barnes affably. The sole topic of conversation for the first half hour was the mysterious slaying of thtir fellow lodgers. Mr. Rushcroft complained bitterly of the outrageous, high-handed action of the coroner and sheriff In Imposing upon him and his company the same re strictions that had been applied to Barnes. They were not to leave thf county until the authorities gave the word. One would have thought, to hear the star's indignant lamentations, that he and his party were in a posi tion to depart when they pleased. Jt would have been difficult to imagine that he was not actually rolling in money instead of being absolutely penniless. j Barnes had been Immersed in his own thoughts for some time. A slight frown, as of reflection, darkened hjs eyes. Suddenly perhaps impolitely he interrupted Mr. Rushcroft's flow of eloquence. "Have you any objection, Mr. Rush croft, to a more or less personal ques tion concerning your own private er misfortunes?" he asked, leaning for ward. For a moment one could have heard a pin drop. Mr. Rushcroft evidently held his breath. There could be no mistake about that. "It's rather delicate, but would you mind telling me just how Jnuch jou were stuck up for by the er was lit a writ of attachment?" . I "It was," said the star. "A writ of inquisition, you might as well sub stitute. The act of a polluted, Impe cunious, parsimonious what shall j I say? Well, I will be as simple as pos sible hotel keeper. Ninety-seven dol lars and forty cents. For that pitiful amount he subjected me to " "Well, that Isn't so bad," said Barnes, vastly relieved. He was cov ertly watching. Miss Thackeray's half averted face as he ventured upon the proposition he had decided to put be fore them. "I am . prepared and wil ling to advance this amount, Mr. Rush croft, and to take your personal note as security." Rushcroft leaned back in his chair and stuck his thumbs in the armholes of his vest. He displayed no undue elation. Instead he affected profound calculations. His daughter shot & swift, searching look at. the would-be Samaritan. There was a heightened color in her cheeks. "Moreover, I shall be happy to in crease the amount of the loan suffi ciently to cover your return at onj:e to JSew York, If you so desire by train." Barnes smiled as he added the last two words. "Extremely kind of you, my dear Barnes," said the actor, running his fingers through his hair. "Tour faith in me is most gratifying. I I really don't know what to say to you, sir." May I inquire Just how you ex pect to profit by this transaction, Mr. 5arnes7" Miss Thackeray asked steadily. He started, catching her meaning.1 "My dear Miss Thackeray," he ex claimed, "this transaction is solely be tween your father and me. I shall have no other claim to press." "I wish I could believe that," she said. ; 4You may believe it," he assured her. "It isn't the usual course," she said quietly; and her face brightened. "You are not like most men, Mr. Barnes." I "My dear child," said Rushcroft, "you must leave this matter to our friend and me. I fancy I know en honest man when I see him. My dear fellow, fortune is but temporarily frowning upon me. In a few weeks I shall be on my feet again, zipping along on the crest of the wave. I dare say I can return the money to you. in a month or six weeks. If " "Oh, father 1" cried Miss Thackeray. "Well make lit six months, and I'll pay any rate of Interest you desire. J Six per cent, eight per cent, ten per " "bix per cent, sir, and we will make it a year from 'date." "Agreed. Get up and dance for us, Dilly! We shall be in New York to morrow I" j . "You forget the dictatorial sheriff, Mr. Rushcroft," said Barnes. "The varlet !" barked Mr. Rushcroft, It was arranged that Dillingford and Bacon were to go to Hornville in a hired motor that afternoon, secure the judgment, pay the costs, and attend to the removal of the personal belong ings of the stranded quartette from the hotel to Hart's Taver.J ; The younger actors stoutly refused, to ac cept Barnes offer to pay their- board while at the Tavern. That, they de clared, would be. charity, and they pre ferred his friendship and his "respect to anything of that sort. Mis4 Thack eray, however, was to be immediately relieved of her position as chamber maid. She was to become a: : paying guest. Jf., Rushcroft took the whole affair with the most noteworthy complacency! He seemed to regard it as his due, or more properly speaking as if be were doing Barnes a great favor in allowing him to lend money to a person ;of his Importance. j-J; "A thought has just come Co me, ray dear fellow," he remarked las. they arose from table. ' "With the , proper kind of backing I could put oyer one of the most stupendous things the the ater has known in fifty years. v dont mind saying to you although it's rather sub rosa that I have written a play a four-act drama that will pack the biggest house on Broadwajr to the roof for as many months as we'd care to stay. Perhaps you will allow me to talk It over with you a little later oh. You will be interested, I'm , sure. ml Rushcroft Took the Whole Affair With the Most Noteworthy Complacency. Egad, sir, I'll read the play to you. I'll What ho, landlord. Have , your best automobile sent a round to the door as quickly as possible. A couple of my men are going to Hornville to fetch hither my " "Just a minute," interrupted ! Put nam Jones, wholly unimpressed.! "A man just called you up on the; phone, Mr. Barnes. I told him you was en tertaining royalty at lunch, and couldn't be disturbed. So he asked me to have you call him up as soon as you revived. His words, not mine. Call up Mr. O'Dowd at Green Fancy. Here's the number." jf The mellow voice of the Irishman soon responded to Barnes call, j, J, "I called you up to relieve your mind regarding the young woman who came last night," he said. "You ob serve that I say 'came.' She's quite all right, saf e, and sound, and no cause for uneasiness. I thought you meant that she was coming here as a guest, and so I made the very natural! mis take of saying she hadn't comeat all at all. The young woman in question is Mrs. Van Dyke's maid. But,' bless me soul, how was I to know she! was even in existence,! much less expected by train or motor or Shanks' j mare? Well, she's here, so there's the end of our mystery." ' ;J -.' Barnes was slow in replying. He was doubting his own ears. It was not; conceivable that an ordinary or even an extraordinary lady's maid could have possessed the exquisite voice and manner of his chance acquaintance of the day before, or the temerity to order that sour-faced chauffeur about as if The chauffeur I v , I "But I thought you said that Mr. Curtis chauffeur was moon-faced and" :n "He is, bedad," broke in Mr. O'Dowd, chuckling. 'That's what de ceived, me entirely, and no wonder. It wasn't Peter at all, but the rapscallion washer who went after her. He was instructed to tell Peter to meet the f ouf o'clock train, and the blockhead forgot to give the order. Bedad, what does he do but sneak out after- her himself, scared out of bis boots for fear of what he was to get from Peter. i naa the whole story from Mrs. 1 Van .VWelT rm tremendously relieved, ' said Barnes slowly. - - "And so am I," said O'Dowd with conviction. "I have seen the heroine of our busted romance. She's a good-; looking girl. v I'm not surprised that she kept her. veil down. If you were to leave it to me, though, I'd - say that it's a . sin to carry discretion so far ns all that. You see what I mean,, don't you?" His rich laugh came over 'the wire. : ' - " V v . "Perfectly. Thank you for letting me know.. My. mind is at rest.' Good by." As he hung up the receiver he said to himself, "You.are a most af fable, convincing chap, Mr. O'Dowd, but I don't believe a word you say. That woman Is no lady's maid, and you-'ve known,-all the time that she was there." At four o'clock he set out alone for a tramp up the mountain road in which the two men had been shot down. His mind was quite clear. Roon and Paul were not ordinary rob bers. They were, no doubt, honest men. He would have said that they were thieves . bent on burglarizing Green Fancy were .t not for the dis closures of Miss Thackeray and the very convincing proof that they were not shot by the same man. It was not beyond reason indeed, It was quite probable that they were trying to cross the border in that event their real operations would be confined to the Canadian side of, the line, fie could not free himself of tin suspicion that Green Fancy possessed the key to the situation. Roon and his companion could hot have had the slightest interest in his movements up to the instant he encountered the young woman at the crossroads. His busy brain suddenly suffered the shock of a distinct conclusion. Was she a fellow conspirator? Was she the in side worker at Green Fancy in a well laid plan to rifle the place? Could it be possible that she was the confederate of these painstaking agents who lurked with sijster pa tience outside the very gates of the place called Green Fancy? His ramble carried him far beyond the spot where Roon's body was found and where young .Conley ' had come upon the tethered horses. His eager, curious gaze swept the forest to the left of the road in search of Green Fancy. Overcome by a rash, daring impulse, he climbed over the stake and rider fence and sauntered among the big trees which so far had ob scured the house from view. The trees grew very thickly on the slope, and they were unusually large. -He pro gressed deeper into the wood. At the end of what must have been a mile he halted. There was no sign of habi tation, no indication that man had ever penetrated so far into the forest. As he was on the point of retracing his steps toward the road his gaze fell upon a huge moss-covered rock less than a hundred yards away. He stared, and gradually it began to take on angles and planes and recesses of the most astounding symmetry. Un der his widening gaze It was trans formed into a substantial object of cubes and gables and yes, windows. He was looking upon the strange home of the even stranger Mr. Cur tis Green Fancy. Now he understood why it- was called Green Fancy! Its surroundings were no greener than itself; it seemed to melt into the foliage, to become a part of the natural landscape. Moun tain ivy literally enveloped it. Ex posed sections of the house were paint ed green; the doors were green; the leafy porches and their columns, the chimney pots, the window hangings all were the color of the unchanging forest. And it was a place of huge dimensions, low and long and ram bling. " 'Gad," he said to himself, "what manner of crank is he who would bury himseif like this? Of all the crazy ideas I ever " His reflections ended there.' A wom an crossed his vision; a woman stroll ing slowly toward him through the in tricate avenues of the wildwood. 1 I Wi PRESS ASSOCIATION MEETING i" Barnes meets "Mrs. Van Dyke's maid," and the mys tery deepens. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Longfellow Justly Popular. Longfellow is justly popular as the poet who, above all other poets of this country, has expressed with a varied and finished art the simple, natural, elemental affections and sesttonts. His literary productions are confined almost entirely to those In poetic form. Hyperion, a rather florid romance, and Kavanagh, a romance of somewhat bet ter quality, are the two exceptions. His well-known "Psalm of Life. "The Spng of Hiawatha." "Evangeline. and many other poems have made his name a familiar household word, and every 'schoolboy is familiar with "The Village Blacksmith." "The Wreck . of the Hesperus.' and the "Building of the Ship, which are the melodious phrasing of thoughts and feelings dear to the children even of a larger growth. r Kettledrum Is Old. .The Greeks and Romans danced. to the accompaniment of the tympanum -from which our modern kettledrum has been adapted but failed to apply tfiis instrument of percussion to war fare, and it Is not till the seventh century that the Moors and Saracens of Spain Introduced the drum among European soldiery, having themselves acquired Jt from the Hindus through Persian traders. The ancient word "taber-or as thn French call It "tambour denotes the origin, th Persian word for (Lmd being tablr. Editor of North Carolina Held the Greatest Meetlng'in Their History v at Wrightsvllle Beach. Wilmington. ! July . 31. The .first day's session of the annual convention of the North , Carolina 'Press Associa tion for 1919 was made memorable by reason of the fact ' that in : honor of the annual assembling vof the editors the first concrete ship from a govern ment owned shipyard was launched here. .;;v'- ' -. Another event which -made the day one of exceptional interest was the presence of the secretary of the Navy, Hon. Josephus Daniels, who paid his respects to his fellow brethren of the press in an address at the Victoria Theater, witnessed with them the launching of the ship Cape Fear, spoke to the two thousand operatives of the Carolina Shipbuilding Corporation, which is building 12 steel ships of large tonnage here, lunched with the editors and -their wives at the mess hall of the Carolina Shipbuilding Cor poration, and left, returning to Wash ington. The program of the Press Associa tion was so badly disarranged by the arrival an hour late of Secretary Dan iels train that contemplated sessions at the Oceanic hotel were practically abandoned save for the night session and the day given .over to the exer cises " incident to the ship launching and the visit to the plant, where the stel ships are building. There were, however, formal open ing exercises at the Oceanic, the ad dress of welcome being delivered by Mayor P. Q. Moore, after the conven tion was called to order, by President Z. W. Whitehead. President Z. W. Whitehead deliver ed the President's annual address at the night session of the North Caro lina Association following a cordial wefcome to the editors by Mayor Thos. H. Wright, of Wrightsville Beach. A cordial' response in behalf of the news paper men was made by Editor J. F. Hurley, of Salisbury, and Editor J. J. Fariss, of High Point. Mr. H. R. Dwire, editor of the Winston-Salem Sentinel, delivered the an nual oration. (By REV. 771 August 1. After a year of patient if not watchful waiting, Editor J. iA. Sharpe of the Lumber-ton Robesonian, came into his own and was elected president of the North Carolina Press Association, which had a busy day's session. Mrs.- Carolina Land, man aging editor of the Albemarle News, succeeded in making her point that women have a place in newspaper work so .clear and definite that the editors were ready at the conclusion of her very Interesting talk to elect Miss Beatrice Cobb of Morganton, as orator for next year's 'meeting. Sections of the report of the com mittee on resolutions committing the Torth Carolina Press Association to endorsement of the peace treaty with out reservations provoked the most prolonged discussion of the conven tion. The resolution was finally adopt ed by a vote of 32 to 3 and was then made unanimous. Various matters of interest were discussed as the question of exchanges, the cash in advance plan of subscrip tion, political advertising, etc. The cash in advance plan for subscription, it was almost unanimously agreed, was the business-like way of hand ling the question. ; f Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows: President J. A. Sharpe, Lumberton Robesonian; first vice-president, R. T. Wade, Morehead City Coaster; second vice-president, J. F .Hurley, Salisbury Post ; third vice-president, Parker An derson, Wilmington Dispatch; secretary-treasurer, John B. Sherrill, Con cord Tribune; historian, M. L. Ship man, French Broad Hustler; orator, Miss Beatrice Sobb, Morganton News Herald; poet, D. L. St. Clair, San ford Express; executive committee, W. C. Hammer, E .B. Jeffress, I. S. Lon don, Santford Maritn and H. B. Varner. "This is the twenty-third consecu tive year that Mr. Sherrill has held the office, of secretary-treasurer and in that time he has missed' but two meetings. Aug. 2. The matter which next to the endorsement of the League of Na tions exercised the newspaper men most was the proposition of a group of representatives, headed by J. L. Horne, of Rocky Mount Telegram to form three departments within the as sociation, one for the dailies,- one for the weeklies - and semi-weeklies and one for the trade papers. R. F. Beasley, commissioner of public welfare, presented some re marks on the task of the press in re construction. The association decided to hold a midwinter meeting in Greensboro early in the coming year. At 1:30 o'clock the Association adjourned. , State Summer School Ends. Chapel Hill. With the final 'exami nations the ' 1919 session of the Uni versity of North Carolina Summer School comes to an end. There has been an . increase, in attendance this year of almost 50 per cent over last year and in every way It has been the most successful session of the sum mer, school in recent years. Most of the attendants have remained for the entire term of six weeks, thus making it possible' for the instructors to car ry on; a much more comprehensive plan off work. v LESSON know JUNIOR WINNING OTHedT LESSON TfXtC" 19.20 "AfS-AM. .. I "0 me both ip T:eNv Judea. ana ,n w most parts of tl m dd, . Acta .,.lAW,I wJiAi;y Tot, ;M'-5'; IOR Tr,nTSJ6;H). about Jesus ( Tu"le'W : for Christ. TE T0PIC . sonal evanppw tv l'LT of all Christians Paul Called to 16:9-12). - The inclination of pan, uas to tarrvin;, Asia 'u -ae were hurriei a! nation. Reuli the unit- Of the Snirit w-o j . . ' ... C Mi l h 1 and as faithful in ciri openins.thom. Those.1 Paul saw in a vision o . donia pleading for heln V wiwj, me mystery of tw ' about him. As soon T was ; known they rendered 3 rts lrup se . they did not question h; delay action. Christ, rh" ant, is the pattern of obefe time. II. Paul Winning Lydin (Acts 16:13-15). 5 With Paul as leader, themfc went to Philippl where they eral days studying the coadi The. Jewish element in the, very insignificant, as therwi ford a synagogue, making it J ror tne devout people to fr$ river side for worship. Totis fm 4-"i w T.,1 5cii.uc-iiiis ram came ana ptg tne women gathered there. woman by Thyatira. a pn lleved In his message and was The work of the Lord hereto; humble beginning, but It was to transform all Europe and 4 Lydia's is .a typical convenk fore It Is worthy to note 1. Her attendance at the prayer (v. 13) 2. She listened to the pre: the Word of God (w. 1214). 3. Her heart was opened lr (v. 14). 4. She was baptized (v. 13) 5. Her household believed III. The Blessed Issue of 5t nlng (James 5:19, 20). The business of soul-savin; most important in which a id Ins can engage. Anyone wM aved can point lost souls toft Christ came to save the te 19:10). It Is the blessed K all'-Christians to labor tog God in rescuing the perishing ' suit of soul-saving is twofold: 1. It saves souls from dead Meditation unon the fl "saves." "soul." "death," will i conscious of the tremendous tttnoo nf snnl-3.nvin2. We BUS ho ralna nf thp SOlllS bfifOSf give ourselves to the works them. A soul is of more a tio vhnlo irnrld (Matt. 163 'trnlnArt smils ?0 much that Jesus to die for them (JotoJ'Jj 20). God's way of hiding sb man fi-rvm ft Pvprv sinner in- of sins, therefore hiaa that mltitD06 iiiuvli - - titude ?7ed 'is ft When sins are thus or aoa s signi iuicl -east is from the west, SPJ mnrrcrf mir t'ran.ssresslons sins against us no more. . iu. i iflht Tne neari ji . pears like such a. little as we see in the r Inw nnd humDie on i lug its bosom 'to receive kMm nf the sun's glw-J as it were in a orfm Ing around a sweet fraPV ino- 'nrpfullv and io. v . ' .,.nr rouu midst of other nu"' n all In like mann soms to drink in Jonathan &lwards ... . t.;I IS. wnax ( That which purities iW j. trial is by what is contrarj--ton. Despondency bh At To become iue - & thing in the worid J the thing before of man Is felly. ments vain. . A $f acter of Christ ana j like Christ.-Henry What Heaven Heaven Is wherjW love Is there heare and' the non. fBl should give to eaif U what the real &