THE CHARLOTTE NEWS, CHARLOTTE, N. C., &JNDAY MORNING, JUNE 26, 1921.
T
3l(Q.
'HEG
IH.--THE PHANTOM ARMY
RAY MASK
"i. I
l!
1m
o
ME fall morning: Garth paused
on the threshold of the inspec
tor's office, and, surprised and
curious, glanced quickly witn-
It was not so mucn
m.
that Nora sat by tho window, clothed
in her habitual black, nor was his in
terest quickened by he fact that she
knitted deftly on 3o;ne heavy, gray
garment. Rather his concern cantered
On the inspector who had left his desn
and whose corpulent, lethargic figure
moved about the room with an excep
tional and occentric animation. To
ease the perceptible ttrain Garth spoke
to Nora.
"Seems to mo you knit no matter
where you are.'
"Whsn one knits f t r the hospitals,
she answered, ";'.ny plac-3 will do. I
had hoped my exa-n.j'.o might quiet
father. I only dropped in for a chat,
and look at him. What a welcome!
I'm afraid, Jim. he hat something dis
agreeable for ycu.v
The inspector paused and sat on the
edge of his. dsk. '
"Maybe so. Ma be not," lie rumbled.
"1 don't ike working through th dark,
so I don't like to ask anybody else to
do it. I've got to, though. Cheer up,'
Garth. I'm asking you."
He raised his pap?r cuttef and jab
bed at the-4lesk with a massive petu
lance. "Ever since I got down this morn
ing," he went on, "I've been hound
'ed by telegrams and long-distance
calls. "Well? Do you want a holiday?
It's apt to be a hell of a holiday. Ex
cuse me, Nora."
"I see," Garth said. "Something out
of town.
"That's the rumpus," he answereJ.
and Garth saw that his eyes were not.
quite steady. "Don't know anything
about it myself unless they'd like Garth
to chase a few spooks. Here's the lav
out. It's a man who's done me a good
many favors. There's no secret po-
Jl Li,n 1 inters. x in ill 1110 uii. ciia "
asked me for a good detective, nli.ni
you. Garth. That's the queer side, the
side I don't like. He insists on hi3
man's showing up as a guest, knowing
no more than a random guest would
know. Sounds like tommy-rot, but he
isn't sure himself there's anything out
of the way. He wants you, if you
take it up, to live quietly in the house,
keeping your eyes peeled. He expects
you to put him wise to the trouble or
to stake your reputation that then
isn't any trouble at all. Are you will
ing to jump into a chase blindly that
way? He'd like the fellow that swunv
the Hennion job, but if you turned it
down cold I couldn't help it, could I?"
"Nonsense, chief " Garth answered
"Never heard of such a thing, but it
sounds interesting. I'll take a shot at
it."
"Here's his name and address. Catch
the ten o'clock from the Grand Central
and you'll get up there tonight." ,
.Garth took the slip. Before placing
it in his pocket he glaifced it over.
"Andrew Alden." he saw. "Leave
Boston from North Station on four
o'clock train and get off at Deacon's
Bay."
"I've heard of Mr. " Garth began.
The inspector's quick, angry shake of
the head in Nora's direction brought
him to an abrupt pause. Hewalked t
Nora and took her hand.
"Then I won't see you until after my
holiday," he said with a smile.
"I agree with father," she said. "It
isn't safe to walk through the dark.
Won't you tell me where you're going?"
"I'll leave that for the inspector," m
answered. "I have to rush to pick up
my tilings on the way to the train."
When Garth had left, Nora aro se
and faced her father.
"Why," she asked, "wouldn't you lat
Jim tell me the man's name?"
"What did you come dowa for thte
CAG
New Arrivals in
BRASS
WHITE
BRONZE GREEN
in shapes
SQUARE
' 1 and
ROUND
Buy a
New Home
for Your
Canary
Priced
$4.50
to .
$10.00
Matheson
HARDWARE &
PAINT CO.
The Good Service
Store
Everything in House
hold Goods
30 W. Trade St.
morning anyway? - No sense in your
getting upset. A detective bureau isn't
a nursery."
"Politics!" she cried. "And Jim's
leaving from the Grand Central. I
know. He's going to Mr. Alden's at
Deacon's Bay. I see why you wouldn't
let him tell me."
"Place is all right," the inspector
said stubbornly. "You've seen it. You
were there with me two summers ago.
What's the matter with the place?"
"No use trying to pull the wool over
my eyes," Nora answered. "It's th
loneliest place I've ever seen, and you
ought to know I'd remember Mr. Al
den's big furnaces and machine-shop I
read the papers, father. He's staying
up so late this year on account of the
enormous war orders he's taken. Yoj
know as well as I do that that mav
mean real danger for Jim. What did
Mr. Alden tell you?"
"I sometimes think, Nora, you'd make
a better detective than any of us.
Alden's sick and nervous. I guess that's
all t amounts to. He's probably scared
some German sympathizer may take a
pot shot at him for filling thesA con
tracts. And he's worried about his wife.
She won't leave him there alone, and it
seems all their servants, except old
John have cleared out."
' "You said something to Jim about
spooks," Nora prompted.
"Silly talk. Alden says, about the
woods back of his house. You remem
ber. There was some kind of a fight
there during the Revolution a lot of
men ambushed and massacred. Serv
ants got talking said they saw things
there on foggy nights."
The inspector lowered his voice to a
more serious key.
"The angle I don't like is that Alden's
valet was found dead in those woods
yesterday morninn. Not a mark on
him. Coroner, I believe, says apoplexy,
but Alden's nervous, and the rest of the
halp cleared out. Alden and his wife
are alone with old John. Confound it,
Nora, I had to send him somebody."
"But without a word of this!"
"Jim." he said, "can take care of him
self if anybody can. Seems to me
you're prettv anxious. Sure you haven't
anything to tell me about you and
him?"
"I've nothing to tell you, father," she
answered. "Nothing now. I don't
know. Honestly, I don't know. I only
know I've been through one such ex
perience., and if anything happened o
Jim that I could help, I'd never forgive
myself."
'
' The night had gathered swiftly be
hind a curtain of rain. The last streak
of gray had long faded when Garth's
train drew up at Deacon's Bay station
a small building with a shed like an
exaggerated collar about its throat. At
this hour there was no operator on
duty. Garth saw a horse and carriage
at the rear. He walked to it.
"Could you drive me to Mr. Andrew
Aldan's place?" he asked.
"Proobably you're the party I'm look
ing for. If you're Mr. Garth from New
York, step in."
Without warning, through an open
space, Garth saw a flame spring up
ward, tearing the mist and splashing
the sky with wanton scarlet.
"What's that?" he asked sharply.
"Mr. Alden's furnaces," he answered.
Garth stirred.
"I see. Iron. Steel. And now it
works night and day?"
"On war orders," the native an
swered. "Now you wouldn't think we'd
ever have got in the war, would you?
There's a whole town board shacks
to take care of the men more'n fifteen
hundred of them."
"None of my business," the man went
on, "but it's funny -Mr. Alden's having
company- now." :
"Maybe you'll tell me why," he en
couraged. "Because," the driver answered, "al
though Mr. Alden stands to make a
pile of money, he's paying for it in
some ways. You didn't hear about his
yacht?"
Garth shook his head.
"Maybe some of these rough work
men he's -got up from the city, or
maybe somebody wanted to pay him
out. Took it out of his boathouse a
few nights agq, started on a joy-ride,
I suppose, and ran it on the rocks."
"Much loss?" Garth asked.
"Total, except lor the iurmsnings
."Are you one of Mr. Alden s serv
ants?" The driver's laugh wls "uncomfort
able. .
"That's what T meant about his hav
ing company. There aren't any serv.
ants except the old butler. V A woman
from the village goes to ge A breakfast
and lunch for them, but she won't stay
after dark."
"Why did the servants quit?"
"Mr. Alden's right on the ocean
only house for two miles. You see he
owns, a big piece of this coast woods
right down to the water. They've u!
ways told about a lot of soldiers be
ing killed in those woods during the
Revolution. All my life I've heard
talk about seeing things there. Serv
ants got talking a few days ago said
they saw shadows in grave clothes go
ing through the woods. I laughed sit
that, too. But I didn't laugh when
they founB Mr. Alden's valet yesterday
morning, dead as a door nail."
Garth whistled.
"Violence?"
"Not a sign. Coroner says apoplexy,
but that doesn't convince anybody that
doesn't want to be."
-They turned through a gateway, and,
across a broad lawn, he caught a
glimpse of lights, dim, unreal, as on
might picture will-o-the-wisps. But the
night and the mist could not hide from
Garth the size of the house, significant
of wealth and a habit of comfort.
In response to his ring he heard a
step drag across the floor, but the door
was not opened at once. Instead a
quavering voice demanded his identity.
With some impatience Garth grac
ed the knob, and, as he heard the car
riage retreat towards the town, called
out:
"My name is Garth. I'm expected."
"Thank heavens you've come, sir,"
the old man said.
"Then you know," Garth answerefl
"What's wrong here?"
"Who is that? sIt it is Mr. Garth
bring him to me at once."
"I'm glad you've come. I I was
afraid you mightn't make it."
The man wore a dressing gown and
slippers. His hair was untidy. From
his cadaverous face eyes gleamed as If
with a newly-born hope- He put his
hands on the chair arms and started to
rise, . then, with a sigh, he sank back
again.
"You'll excuse me," he said. "I've not
been myself lately. It is an effort for
me to get up, but I am glad to see you,
Garth very glad."
A stifled Bound behind Garth caused
him to turn swiftly. He was in time
to see, the distortion of the woman's
features increase, to watch the resist
less tears sparkle in her eyes and fall,
to be shamed by the laborious sobs
which, after she had covered her face,
shook her in freeing themselves.
He advanped, at a loss, shocked by
this unforseen breakdown. He took Al
den's hand, but the other appeared to
have forgotten his presence.
, "Don't; Cora," he mumbled. "You
mustn't do that any more. We are no
longer alone:"
Garth glanced from one to the other,
answering to, the atmosphere of dis
may, whick moment by moment Df.
came more iinavoidable.
At last Mrs. Alden resumed her con
trol. She faced Garth annine-cHm.
, Its because I can't get him awav."
Mrs. Alden's outstretched hand, he no
ticed, did not waver,
r "What does this mean?" he cried.
. "It means," she answered in, a tired
voice, "that if you read what is on that
'paper you'll leave me no choice. I
shall" have to shoots
Alden whimpered again. The paper
fluttered to the floor and rested, whito
apd uncommunicative,. ' beneath the
table. His face set. He pointed ac
cusingly towards the rear window.
The gesture was clear to Garth. He
knew what it meant before his eye
followed its direction. Before he had4-
seen, he appreciated almost . palpably
the new presence in the room. At thj
moment it seemed inevitable to him
that the tense group should be joined
by a stronger force, the Inspiration,
" ''' ' '' II
she said wistfully. "And he's sick. Any
body can see that."
"A week or two more," Alden said,
"until the works are running right.
Then we'll go back to New York. I've
had trouble replacing unsatisfactory
workmen, and I can't make the govern
ment wait."
"You've a doctor?" Garth asked.
"From the village," Alden answered.
"I'm afraid he doesn't understand me."
. "Then," Garth said firmly, "I should
let the works go to blazes until I'd
looked after myself."
"It's nothing cold, maybe a touch of
the gout. I sometimes suffer, and my
nerves are a little undex.- Too much
involved here, Mr. Garth. You couldn't
afford to take chances with that."
"I couldnt'" he answered captiously.
"I'm not so sure about you."
Mrs. Alden approached him timidly.
"You'll forgive our Welcome? You'll
try to understand? You see we've no
servants b"ut old John. Shall I tell him
to get you something a whiskey and
soda?" ..
Garth shook his head.
"I never drink when I'm at work."
He glanced at his watch. Mrs. Alden
caught th gesture. She walked to a
cabinet and measured her husband's
medicine.
"It's time," she said as. she gave it
to him, "that we all were in bed. Shall
I ring for John?"
"I'll ring," Garth answered, "a little
later. I should be glad of a word
with your husband."
"See here," Garth exploSed at last,
"There's no point in your closing your
confidence to me. It only makes mat
ters a thousand times more difficult.
You afraid. Of what?" 0
"Don't think," he managed - to get
out "that I'm a coward. I'll stay. My
contracts will be carried through."
"No," Garth answered, "you're not
that kind of a coward, but there's some
thing else. Don't deny, Mr. Alden,
You're more than sick. You're afraid.
What is it?"
"A a coward."
The" words stumbled Out of his mouth
"But I don't know what it is. You're
to tell me, Mr. Garth, if it's anything."
' "This rot about the woods and the
spirits of dead soldiers?" Garth asked.
Alden stirred.- He nodded in the di
rection of the rear casement windows.
'Just across the lawn."
"You haven't seen?" Garth asked
sharply.
"But," Alden said, "the servants"
"Nonsense, Mr. Alden. Tliat's one of
the commonest superstitions the world
over, that soldiers come back to the
battlefields where they have died, and
in time of war"
"If there's nothing in it," Alden
whiskered, "why is it so common? Why
did my servants swear they had seen?
And the fog! We've had too much fog
lately every night for a week. My
man died in the fog."
Garth whistled. -
"Could they have mistaken him for
you?" .
"There were no marks on tfffe body."
"We are talking too much. I I want
you to stay and judge fo yourself."
"Why," he asked himeelft "won't
these people talk? What do they ex
pect me to find in this house?"
So he pressed the electric bell and
walked to the hall. He met John there.
"Please show me to my room," he
said. 'Mr. Alden's asleep. perhaps
you'd better speak to his wife before
you disturb him."
John bowed and let him upstairs.
"Goodnight, sir," he said, opening
the door. "My you sleep well. It's
a little hard here lately'. . ...
Garth closed the door, shrugging his
shoulders, Of what a delicacy the
threat must be to require such scrupu
lous handling! "If there is anything,"
Alden had . said. Garth brought his
hands together.
"There is something," he muttered,
"something as dangerqus as the death
Alden Is manufacturing back there."
He went to bed, but restlessness re
turned to him. He had lost adcount of
time. He had been, perhaps, on the
frontier of sleep, for, as he sprang up
right, he could not be all at once sure
what had aroused him. A man's groan
he thought. Suddenly, tearing through
the dafkness, came the affirmation a
feminine scream, full or terror, abruptly
ended.
He threw on his clothes, grasped hi
revolver, dashed down the stors, and
gurst into the living-room.
"Tell me what's " happened," Garth
commanded.
The woman's voice was scarcely intelligible-
.
"I let him sleep here. Just now he
groaned. 1 ran in. Somebody some
thing had attacked him. i ran in. I
I -saw it."
"Where?'.'
She pointed to the rear window.
"I saw it going out there. It was
foggy. It went in the fog. I couldn't "
Garth Sprang to the window. It was,
in fact, half open. Before he could get
through Mrs. Alden had caught hia arm.
"Don't follow. It isn't safe out there"."
"I want that man," he said.
She pointed at her husband.
"Look at him. He saw it in the fog
that came through the window. It is
all fog out there. Don't leave me alone."
He thrust the revolver impatiently in
her hand.
"Then take this. Not much use out
side on such a night."
The moon, he knew, was at the full,
but its golden rotundity was heavily
veiled tonight. Garth could hear noth
ing, but he waited breathlessly, still
straining his ears- This, he mused, was
the place where many soldiers had died
in battle, the setting for ghostly legends,
the spot where the servants had fancied
a terrifying and bodiless reanimation.
the death-bed of Alden's valet.
Without warning he stumbled -and
pitched forward to his knees. Reaching
out to save himself, his fingers touched
something wet, cold, and possessed of a
revealing quality which in one breath
less moment drove into his brain : the
excuse for those at the house. It -was
necessary to strip the mask of night
from the face of the one who lay,: de
feated and beyond resistance,1 in the
path of the shadowy army.
He took his pocket lamp from his
coat and pressed the control. The light
fought through the fog to the face of
the old servant who a few hours ago
had begged to get Mrs. Alden away,
whose lips had been incomprehensibly
sealed.
Garth sprang to his feet. He knew
his limitations. He must have -help,
and now Alden must be made to talk.
He ran back to the house and stepped
through the window. The lamp had
been lighted. -It shone on Mrs. Alden
who bent over the writing-table, her
gaze directed hypotically towards the
huddled man in the chair, Garth, since
he came from the rear, could not see
Alden's face at first.
"Mrs. Alden," he said, "I found your
man. out there " V
"Not de "
Garth nodded.
"I must have help. Where's the tele
phone?" he asked.
He started for the hall.
"Lock that window," he said. "I've
left it open.
Suddenly he paused and turned- A
sound, scarcely human, had come from
the chair a hollow an meaningless
vocal attempt, as though there were
were no palate behind it, no tongue to
shape its intention.
From where he stood Garth could
see Alden distinctly . enough. His head
was sunk forward on his chest. Hie
fingers clutched powerlessly at the
chair arms. His eyes flashed with a
passionate purpose which drew ' Garth
magnetically until he was close and
had stooped and was1 staripg into them
with a curiosity almost as pronounced
as their eagerness.
"What is it, Mr. Alden?" he asked.
Alden's lips moved. His throat work
ed. His face set in a grotesque grim-
LC6
"There's danger for all of us," Garth
tried. "The time for silence has pass
ed." Garth drew back. Now when it was
too late Alden wanted to talk.
"Mrs. Alden," Garth whispered. "You
know your husband can't speak! Look
at him!"
She turned on him. '
"Why did you come? It is your
fault."
Garth pointed at the cabinet where
the medicine was kept. The night
mare whimpering did not cease.
,,'Get something," Garth - directed.
The doctor must have left you a nar
cotic." ;
She walked with a pronounced lurch
to the cabinet where Garth beard her
tumbling among the bottles, but he did
net turn away from Alden. The im
becile sounds stopped, but the lip
worked ineffectively again. One of tho
hands moved slowly with an apparent
sanity of purpose.-. Garth realized that
it was motioning him back. Alden
started to rise. Garth saw his veins
swell and the emaciated muscles stra'n
as he literally dragged himself out of
the chair and braced his elbows
against the writing-table. He grasp
ed a pencil and wrote . rapidly on .t
piece of paper. Garth understood, and
he reached out for the sheet on which
Alden had written the words perhaps
a warning, perhaps the truth--which
his tongue had been unable to form.
"Don't touch that paper." s
There was a new quality about the
voice Garth could not deny. , There wa
no more tinkling of. glass at the cabi
net. He found it difficult to credit Mrs.
Alden with that clear, authoritative
command., t He turned warily and look
,ed into the muzzl of his own -revolver.
"Don't Touch That Paper."
He Found it Difficult to
Credit Miss Alden with that
Clear, Authoritative Command.
probably, of the mysteries that had
posed it. and that worked ahead, he
could not doubt, to a graver issue for
Alden and himself.
The newcomer glided from the shad
ows by the window and moved to Mrs.
Alden's side huge, powerful. The cap,
drawn low over his eyes, avd the thick
growth about the mouth, robbed h3
face of expression and gave to his ac
tions a mechanical precision not light
ly to be disturbed. He took the re
volver from the woman.
"I couldn't," she said. "He hasn't
read. It won't be necessary?"
"Necessary," the man answered in a
voice with a German accent, -"but yo j
were right. Not in that way. It leaves
too. much evidence. As the other3
went." . - -.
"No more death," she cried. 'IThere
has been too much death."
'.'These . days the. world is full of
death," He answered. "What are one
or two here?'"
The voice carried as little expression
as the face or the figure, but an accent,
which Garth knew, hindered - its flow,
and defined the situation with a brutal
clearness.'
He turned at a slipping behind him,
a heavy fall. : Alden lay on tho fkor,
his hand stretched towards the fuiils
spot of .white beneath the tab!. His
wife stumbled across and knelt beside
him, restlessly fingering his shoulders.
"Andrew!" she cried. "You don't
understand. Look at me. You h.iWi
to understand. I love you. Nothing
changes that."
The newcomer moved to her, and,
without relaxing his vigilance, grasped
her arm.
"There's too much to be done tonight
for tears. Keep your watch."
He indicated Garth.
"I'll come back ana-altnd to h-m
later." -
' She continued 10 stre at her hus
band's closed eyes.
"He knows now, but you- shan't Kill
him. I tell you you 3han t kill him."
"Where the occasion arises you xsll
follow your duty," h said. N.
He turned to. Garth, pointing to the
oak door in the retff corner. -
"You will go in there."
A flashing recollection of Nora de
cided Garth. Resistance now, he knew,
as he studied the great figure, would
mean the end, whereas, .f he vaattfrd
and obeyed, the knife, secreted in ins
belt, offered a possible c-.:cain?.
. "Wait!" the man snapped.
He thrust the revolver in Mrs. Al
den's hand while he ran quickly over
Garth's clothing. The thicknesal of
the belt escaped him. He found only
the pocket lamp.
"The telephone is disconnected, " he
said evidently to reassure the woman.
"Your husband is too weak to leave the
house, and no one will come near it
until daylight. We won't cross that
bridge before we reach it."
She shuddered.
The other opened the oak door and
motioned Garth to enter. He went
through, simulating a profound dejec
tion, but actually reaching out again to
confidence. For the "man would come
back to visit him with th sll-ant, un
demonstrative violence that had done
for the two men in the woods, but Garth
would be waiting for him, behind the"
door, with his knife. Therefore, when
the door was locked, he commenced
hopefully, to examine his prison.
The arrangement, nevertheless, gave
him one advantage. A single door to
guard removed the threat of a surprise.
In the center of the floor he found
a considerable heap of wood, probably
the fittings of the place. He scarcely
dared- pause to examine it. He hur
ried back to his post at the doorway,
removed the knife from his belt, joint
ed it, and tested the point against his
finger. He didn't know how long his
respite would last. He couldn't haz
ard a guess as to the nature of the big
man's occupation. He could only esti
mate its importance by the fact that
it had prevented the other's dealing
summarily with him. .
He stiffened at a stealthy movement
of theJcey in the lock. Garth could
not doubt that the German was about
to enter, to annihilate in his subtle
manner an enemy he believed unarmed.
With his left hand he braced himself
against the door-frame for the strike,
while with his right hand he lifted the
knife. The necessity of striking with
out warning sickened him. He had
no choice. There was too much eager
help within ear-shot of an alarm.
The door, hinges responded to a pres
sure. The lamp had evidently been ex
tinguished again, for he saw in the un-
certain radiance a thing, scarcely de
finable as human, prone bevrm,,
threshold- ej0n the
Unexpectedly a brim, !..,..
in his eyes and went out. i u ,
t-
s on
he sensed the presenc
wf iiv uci urv ii'JWnvn . J
all his force. He reach; 1 0nlv ,'uh
ness. The one on the s'ii had 6mptl"
through. From somewhere n n, u'"Un
Garth heard the pa.v 0f h.,thou
feet. 1 h fiing
e iougnt away off,.. ts n.
flash, striving to locate thaiL 1112
hci
eu-!tci
Y.ftA entered. Thirf liu.-ivi. .1. .
rubbish knelt a for-r darker "ti1Cap
white darkness. ' 'an 'ha
-He moved noiselessly over t,
reached down .nd graced the k e
s-houlder, and, as the kIiouM.t ?
fi cm his tough, so he recoikd f,-, td
quality that revealed the prJcll '.t8
his presence of a""woman. " 'n
rnrougn nis amaze.neiit he hein
door close, but he felt sure hli""
now, Mrs. Alden was his pris-in 7;lf
hostage, if he chose, f :r lis 0n U ,n
and come to his aid.
"Get up,", he sail roughly
The woman's sigh cnvc'l'i ,,; ,
Something scraped beneath "iltr w
A tiny flame was bo.-n ,tnU tntn".'
the base of the rubbis i. " lKtD
Then the woman tuned siowiv ,
in the light of the flame. Ga-tn
face Nra'S exclted fyes a3 smiling
Incredulous, he graspj her arm.
lifted her to her feet, and stared Th
growing flame strut-. a lns!i ,rom
knife, drove into his br?.in a : lfc3r ''
tion of the monstrous luistinilmtandW
tvhirh had nparlv in .."T.v,-1 ,k. .. &
- - . mi
I nea-lv 1
'Med
m in ,
"Good God, Nora!
to "
Her smile grew.
"I didn't know whr T shoj1! 'rd m
here. I couldn't affort? to take chancer
"But I left you m New York " he
wen on uncertainly. "How vmi
come? Why are you here?"
"No time for explanations now " Sla
answered quickly. "We must get out
of here."
"The door has been shut." he said
'I'm afraid locked. Why did you lichi
that fire?" fe 1
She ran across, grasped the knob
then commenced to beat with hr fists
at the tin. -Suddenly she stopped. Her
shoulders dropped.
"No use," she whispered. "She must
have come in. She won't open now"
Garth hurried to her side.
"I don't understand," he said, "but
it's evident we are caught here, and
that fire has been fixed a signal?"
She nodded.
"Why did you light if"
"Because," she answered dully, "it
had to burn tonight."
The crisis they faced was clear to
him.
"Nora! In a minute this room will
be a furnace."
He imagined from the excitement
still flashing in her eye-; th': she did
not quite realize, but fu ; spo'ie with
out regret and her words carried the
shocking fatality of the German's.
"I'm sorry, Jim, but if I had known
we would be caught "
The vapor cut her voice. He reached
blindly towards her through the smoke
"Nora."
His heart leaped as she swayed a
little. Then he heard the grating of
the key in the lock.
Nora turned the knob. He pushed
against the door. They stumbled into
the next room, breathing deeply the
fresh clean air.
Alden's prostrate form lay Just with
in. His wife stood across the room by
the hall door, ' the revolver held list
lessly in her hand.
. . Garth , caught the meaning of the
tableau. -He glanced with admiration
at the ick man, appreciating the bitter
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and cost of operation at the
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III . to be desired in a closed car.
I The Sedan adds to those qual- H
sir ities real beauty of design LI
S J - and excellent good taste. 1 1
i jlf Th gnoliae consumption unusuauy law N ,
j T The tire mfleaga is umwually high ; A
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Lambeth, Inc.
I 6 W. First St. phone 721
j CHARLOTTE, N. C '