Beginning' o "Sfce Black Bag'," the Story of Mystery
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VOLUME 9i:
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; DURHAM, N. C MAY 13, 1909
NUMBER 2.
BU1MM1
KECQMIBEfe
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II II 141 . - mj w
III II 111 . AMI II MAf
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ii iii u sjar
By Louis Joseph Vance
Copyright, 1008, by the Bobba-Merrlll Co.
y Lady Romano hat many
tendants. Mainly they are clad
hauberk and helm, or they
rry rapier at their sides and
year strange oaths. Bat some
ncs we encounter in the pages
f a novel a genuine knight in
odern broadcloth or in tweed,
Via speaks the language of our
yn day and may be met on
yoadway or Stale street Such
Philip Kirkwood, artist
Inter, whose adventures in pur
it of the mysterious black
I and whose heroic deeds in
10 service of his beautiful lady'
e are worth the staying up
te o' nights to read. To dt
end to the idiom of the day,
Vhe Black Bag" is "the real
ing"in the storyline, thrilling,
htterious but not too mys-
yioasand most interesting.
CIlAPTEtt L
IT PON a certain dreary AprB
I afternoon tn tbt year of grace
I I 19u6 I be apprebenaiona of
W fbUln Klrkwood. Em. Mint.
were enlivened by tb discovery
kt be was ocupylng that singularly
tresstng aoclal position wblcb may
tatnmed op succinctly In a phrase
oncb kff usage grown proverbial
De tn London. Inevitably an ex
:lst because of his youth (be bad
turned twrotj-flve), be took no
ut of mtilsMnt tuatteea and would
' bare reseated the urgestloa
t bu ease tu aartblna- bat alto
iter deplorable and forlorn.
pat be waa not actually at tb end
resources went for nothing. II
W the distinction a quibble, mock-
'r Immaterial, Ilka tb ator of
was In bia pucktt, too Insignificant
tutitton when contraated wUb bia
hit And bia baa of supplies, tb
rlran city of bia nativity, whence.
Bit v it boot a glow of pride In bta
t tiesrt. ba wa wont to register
f ri ljni bostelrlea, bad been srbl-
- rat off from hi in by one of
sreidents sardonically classified
ijiurance and express corporations
ta of Cod.
v. to on wbo baa tired alt bia
urenely In accord with tb die-
f bia owo sweet will, taking no
iM fur tb morrow, such a situ-
naturally seems both appalling
V Intolerable, at tb flrxt blush. It
' be con fumed that, to bej;ln with.
pvwd drew a long and dlsconso-
fee over bia tlx.
pn be rerlntely shrugged It off
F pnt In acarrh of man's moat
'Jul damb frlrad-to wit. bia pipe.
bleb, wben found and filled, he
d with a aplll twitted from tb
of a cable message.
('a about time." b announced,
king the paper blacken and butn
trrate fir, "that I wa doing
tiling to pror my title to a II r
And thla wo all bia valedictory
tsnUhcd competence. "Anyway,
1 Mdit better off tban those poor
oter there. I really bar a
!-nl to be thankful for now that
"'fitlon'o drawn to It"
(be ensuing few mlnntea be
At It all orer. aol-erly. but with a
' heart. -standing at o window of
'i.m In th Hotel Pless. bands
l trousers pockets, pipe fuming
Wititv, bl sure wandering out
Itlurrwl Infinitude of wet. shin-
f and sooty chimney pot.
' cam a rapping at th door.
rk(,(4 re moved tb fl from be-
n iilii teeth long enough to aay
' In. pleasantly. y
ln.h waa turned, and th door
""I Klrkwood. awlnelne on on
'Md. N-altant Hn tb threah-
tlluilnuilv Bitur la the llrery
' Hew fl bc.
f Klrkwo.id?"
'illeman to ace yoo. air."
wood nodded a en In. amlllnr
row him n i.ln... t I.. ml.i k..
lb word were fairly out of
"louth a man aterred Into tb
Wremwlkr Klrkwood atmoat
Jumping forward to ael bU
band.
denr.boyr replied tb latter.
"'lighted to a Tou. Cot rone
"t an hour aeo and cam, at anrm
.... . " f
miatitr toofl of ran. t
ineiiae. Her, are clgara, Wb
k iwwfla m moat miner
;'d lonely mortal m Jhe foot
n fnnry." ThMrr mnn ore(;
"1,,nf. at KirSiW(Kl. "lba tuna-
atcement Vnowa ine." Jo offered x- J
planatlon of bta unceremonious appear-!
ance. "so I took the liberty of following
on tb beela of the bell bop, dear boy.
And bow are you? Why the anxloua
undertone I detected In your note?"
He continued to atare curiously Into
Klrkwood' face. At a glance thla
Mr. Breutwlck waa a man of talllah
Qpure md rather slender, with a conn
tenonce thin and flushed a aenaltlr
pink, out of which bia ere shone,
keen, alert, humorous and a trace
wistful behind his glasses. His yeara
were Indeterminate, with tb aspect of
fifty, tb apirlt and tb rerv of thirty
assorted oddly. But bis banda were
old. delicate, fin and fragile, and the
Hps beneath the drooping white mus
tache at time trembled, almost Im
perceptibly, with tb generous senti
ments tbat com with mellow age. Ue
held bia back straight and bia bead
with aa air an air tbat waa Dot a
iwanrer. but t be aign token of sea
soned experience In tb world. Tb
moat carping could bar found no
flaw In tb quiet taste of bia attire.
To Bum up. Klrkwood'a very good
friend, and bis only on then In Los
Jon, Mr. Brentwlck. looked and waa
in Engllah gentleman. .
"WbyT be persisted aa tb younger
man bealtated. 1 am be re to And oat
Tontcbt 1 leave for tb continent. la
tb meantime"
"And at midnight I sail for tb
States." added Klrkwood. That la
mainly why I wished to a you to
aay r"odby for tb time."
"Voti'r going bom" A ahadow
clouded Brentwlck'a clear cyea.
"To flgbt It out, aboulder to s boul
der, with my brethren la adversity."
Tb clood lifted. That ta the spir
it T declared tb elder man. "For tba
moment I did you tb tnjnatlc to bo
iler that you wer running away.
Bnt now I understand. Forgive me.
Pardon, too, th stupidity which I
must lay at the door of my advancing
years. To me the thought of you aa a
rarinlan fixture baa become such a
commonplace, I'btllp, that tb news of
tb disaster bardly stirred me. Now
I remember tbat you ar a Califor
nia a."
"I waa born In Fan Francisco," af
firmed Klrkwood. a bit Badly. "My
futher and mother wer burled there.'
"And your fortune?"
"I Inherited my father Interest Is
tb firm of Klrkwood & Vanderllp.
Wben I ram over to atudy painting I
left everything In Vanderllp'a banda.
The burtuesa afforded m a handsome
living."
."You bar beard from Mr. Vander
llp r
"Fifteen minutes ago." Klrkwood
took a cablegram, still damp, from bia
pntket and banded It to bia guest
I'nfoldlng It the latter read:
KtrfcwooA. na, London:
Hiy where rou are. No ano4 eomttts
bark. Rverrtblna gone. So Insurance.
Letter follows. VANDERUF.
"Wben I got the newa In Tarta,"
Klrkwood volunteered, "I tried th
banks. They refused to honor my
draft. I bad a little money In hand,
enough to aee me borne, ao I cloned
the studio and came across. I'm
booked on the Minneapolis, sailing
from Tilbury at daybreak. Th boat
train leaves at 1130. I bad hoped
yog might I able to din with ro and
see me off."'
In silence- Brctitwlrk returned tba
cable roe. Then, with a thought
ful lot.k. "You are sure thla Is wiser
be tiiTled.
It's the only thing I can see."
"But your pnrtncf says"
"Naturally b thinks that by thla
time I ahonld have lesrned to paint
well enough to supptirt myself for a
few lumitba until be can get things
running again. Perhaps I might."
Breutwlck supported the presumption
with a decided gesture. "But bav 1
a rUrlit to leav Vanderllp to fight It
out a lone T For Vanderllp baa a wife
and kiddle to support I"
"Your genlusP
"My ability, such as It la. and that
only. It can wait. No; this means
simply tbat 1 must come down front
th clouds, plant my feet on solid
earth an.l get to work."
"The sentiment Is Bound," admitted
Brentwlck, "th practlc of It folly,
llav you alopiied to think what part
a rising young portrait painter can
contribute toward the rebuilding of a
devastated cityT
"Tb painting fan wait" reiterated
Klrkwood. "1 can work like other
men."
"o can do yourself and your gen
lu grave Injustice, and 1 fear me you
1K, dear boy. It's tn keeping with
your berthage of American olmlltiney.
?iowi.lf U W'TCfl ''fin of money"
( Ml , .
"ErerytlUuo yone, A'o insurance' ,
"sMr. Brentwlck,' Klrkwood protest
ed vehemently, "I've ample for my
present needs," be added.
"Of course," conceded Brentwlck.
with a sigh. T didn't realty hope yoa
would avail yourself of our friendship.
Now, there's my homo hi Aspen Vil
la. Tou have seen ttr
"la your absence this afternoon your
estimable butler, with commendable
discretion, kept me without th doors,"
laughed tb young man.
"It's a comfortable borne. Tou would
not consent to ahar It with me un-
tir-
"Too are more than good; but hon
estly, I must sail tonight I wanted
only this cbanc to ae you before I
left lou'll dine with me, won't you?"
"If you wonld stay In London. Phil
ip, we would dine together not once,
but many times. Aa It la, I myself am
booked for Munich, to be gone a week.
on bUKlneaa. I have many affaire need
ing attention between now and the
0:10 train from Victoria. If you will
be my guest at Aspen Villas"
"Please r begged Klrkwood. with a
little laugh of pleasure because of the
other Insistence. "I only wish 1
could. Another day"
"Oh, yoa will make your mllllonf' la
a year and return scandalously In
dependent It'a In your American
blood." Frail white fingers tapped an
arm of the chair aa their owner atared
gravely Into the fire. "I confess 1
envy you." be observed.
"Tb opportunity to make a million
In a year?" chuckled Klrkwood.
"No. ; I envy yoa your romance.
Tou bare youth, unconquerable youth,
and the world before yoa. I must ga
ll rose stiffly, as though suddenly
made conscious of bis age. The old
eyea peered more than a trifle wist
fully now Into Klrkwood'a. "You will
not fall to call on me by cable, dent
boy. If you necd-anytblng? I ask It
aa a favor. I'm glad yoa wished to
see me before going out of my life.
One lcarne to value the friendship of
youth, Philip. Good by, and good luck
attend, you." .
Abitie one more, Klrkwood returned
to hla window. The disappointment
he felt at lelng robtted of bis antici
pated pleasure In Brent wlrk'a com
pany at dinner colored bis mood un
pleasantly. Hla musings merged Into
vacuity. Into a dull gray mist of hope
lessness comparable only to th dismal
skies then lowering over London town.
Brentwlck waa good, but Brentwlck
was mistaken. There wa really noth
ing for Klrkwood to do but to go
ahead. But, one steamer trunk re
mained to be packed. The boat train
would leave before midnight th
steamer with the morning tide. By
the morrow' noon b would b apo
tb blgh seas, within ten days In New
Tork and among friends, and theu
The problem of tbat afterward per
plexed Klrkwood more than be cared
to own. Brentwlck bad opened bia
yea to the fact that be would b
practically naeleaa In San Francisco.
II could hot harbor the thought of
going back only to become a charge
upon Vanderllp. No: be waa resolved
that thenceforward he mnst rely upon
himself, carve out hla own destiny.
!Pit-wonM the art that he bad nil
tlvafed wltli stirh assiduity yield him
a livelihood If sincerely practiced with
that cti.l In view? Would the mental
and physical equipment of a painter,
heretofore dilettante, enable bim to
become self supporting?
There came a rapping at V door.
The knob waa turned by a diminu
tive figure In the livery of the Pless
pagea. ' .... . .
"Mr. Klrkwood r
Klrkwood nodded.
"Gentleman to see you. elr." -"
Klrkwood nodded again, smiling. If
eomewhutperplexed, Enoourased, the
child advanced, proffering a silver
card fray at the end of 'an unnaturally
rigid forearm. Klrkwood took the
card dubiously between thumb and
forefinger and Inspected It without
prejudice. .
"'Georse B. Calendar." he read.
"'George B. Calendar! But I know
no such person. Sure there'a no mis
take, young man?".
The close cropped, bullet shaped
British head was agitated lu vigorous
negation, nnd "Card for Mr. Klrk
wood!" waa mumbled In dispassionate
accents appropriate to a recitation by
rote. , ' ,
"Very well. But before you show
him up ask thla Mr. Calendar If be
la quite sure be wants to see Philip
Klrkwood."
"Yesslr.".1 ;
The child marched out punctiliously
closing the door. Klrkwood tamped
down the tobacco In bis pipe and
puffed energetically, dismissing the in
terruption to bis reverie as a matter
of no consequence an obvious mistake
to be rectified by two words with this
Mr. Calendar w hom he did not know.
At the knock be had almost hoped
It might b Brentwlck, returning with
a changed mind about the bid to din
ner. Re regretted Brentwlck sincerely.
Their wa a curloua sort of friend
ship, extraordinarily close In view of
the m eagerness of eirber'a Information
about the other, to say nothing of the
disparity tetweeo their ages. Con
cerning tbr elder man Klrkwood knew
little mor than tbat they had met on
shipboard, "coming over;" tbat Brent
wick bad spent som year In Amer
ica; that b was an Englishman by
birth, a eoemopolltaa by habit, by pro
fession a gentleman (employing thrf
term In ha moat uncompromisingly
British significance) and by inclina
tion a collector of ."articles of , virtu
and bigotry," 'la pursuit of which he
made frequent excursions to the conti
nent from hla residence la a quaint
qutet street of Old Brompton. It bad
been during hla not Infrequent but or
dinarily abbreviated, sojourns In Parts
tbat their steamer acquaintance bad
ripened Into an affection almost filial
on the one hand, almost paternal on
the other.
There came a rapping at tie door.
The knob waa turned; the door open
ed. Klrkwood, swinging on one heel,
beheld, hesitant upon the threshold, a
rather rotund figure of medium, height
clad in an expressionless gray "lounge
-'It with a brown "bowler" bat held
tentatively In one hand, an umbrella
weeping In the other. A voice, which
waa unctnooa and lnslnuatlve, emanat
ed from the figure. ..
"Mr. Klrkwoodr
Klrkwood nodded, with some effort
recalling the name. o detached bad
been bis thought sine th disappear
ance of the page.
"Yea. Mr. Calendar?"
"Are you-ab busy. Mr. Klrkwood?"
"Are yoa. Mr. Calendar?" Klrk
wood'a. smile robbed the retort of any
flavor of Incivility. ,
Encouraged, the man entered, pre
mising that be would detain his boat bnt
a momnt and readily surrendering bat
and umbrella. Klrkwood. putting the
latter aside. Invited hla caller to the
e.n.ir chair which Brentwlck had occu
pied by the fireplace.
"It take the edge off the dampness."
Klrkwood explained In deference to
the other's look of pleased surprise at
the cheerful bed of coals. "I'm afraid
I could never get acclimated to life In
a cold, dnmj room or a damp, cold
room such as yoa BrltNhcrj prefer."
"It Is grateful." Mr. Calendar agreed,
spreading plump and well cared for
bands to the warmth, "But yoa are
mistaken. I am aa much an American
as yourself."
"Year Klrkwood looked the man
over with more Interest, less matter of
course conrtesy.
He proved not unprepossessing, this
nnclasslflable Mr. Calendar. He was
dressed with some care, his complexion
waa good, and the futlnesa of bta' girth,
emphasized aa It waa by a notable
lack of Inches, bespoke a nature genlaL
easy going and sybaritic. Ills dark
eyes, heavy lidded, were active, cu
riously at time with a subdued glit
ter. In a face large, round, pink, of
which the other most remarkable fea
tures were a mustache, close trimmed
and showing streaks of gray; a chubby
nose and duplicate chins. Mr. Calen
dar waa, furthermore, possessed of a
polished bald spot girdled with a ton
sure of silvered hair circumstance
which lent soma factitious distinction
to a personality otherwise common
place. Hla manner might be best described
at uneasy, with assurance, aa though
he frequently found It necessary to
make up for hi unimpressive stature
by assuming an unnatural habit of au
thority. (Crnllnucd on iocond page.)
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CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK
. OF DURHAM, N. C.
ORGANIZED , MAY ist 1905.
'.', ' '
Capital I $100,000.00
Surplus and Undivided Profits ... .73,455.28
Stockholders Liability 100,000.00
Depositors Protection 273,455.28
B. N. Duke, Pres.
Officerai
J. S. Manning, Vice-Pres.
J. B. Mason, Cashier.
Directorsi
J.' B. Duke, President American Tobacco Company.
Y. E. Smith, Supt Durham Cotton Mfg. Company.
C. L. Haywood, of Haywood & Boone, Druggists.
. J. H. Southgate, of Southgate & Son, Insurance.
R. H. Rigsbee, Capitalist
Q. E. Rawls, Merchant
B. N. Duke,
IDirector American Tobacco Co., and Capitalist.
J. S. Manning, Attorney-at-Law.
N. M. Johnson, Physician and Surgeon.
J. B. Warren, Capitalist and Farmer.
. J. B. Mason, Cashier Citizens National Bank.
DEPOSITORY OF THE PEOPLE,
THE COUNTY OF DURHAM, THE CITY OF DURHAM
AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
It will pay to deposit your uninvested money in this Bank,
where it will be safe from fire and robbery, and earning you 4 pel
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