PAGE TWO
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,* CHAPTER 5»
. BUT EVEN as Turner uttered the
words he knew that he wrestled with
a power against which be could
never prevail. Out of his own heart
came the word ot command, and be
had no choke but to obey.
He spoke to" Joe Penny brtelly.
peremptorily. "You go and get
brandy I We shall want it, l’U find
the rope."
He broke free from Ills stiff Inertia
and dasned. across to the shed. He
found a coll of rope in a corner and
slung it on his arm. Then he raced
out again, meeting Joe Penny- as he
emerged from the bar.
"You say there are three fellows
up there?" he questioned.
"Yes. sir, Jim Walls and his two
lads. He’s got a bad leg, but his
arms are all right. He can heave on
a rope. And the boys—they’re
young, but they can pull too. And
I’m pretty hefty—only Pve got no
head left for them cliff Jobs. I’m
nearly 70. you know, sir,” said Joe
apologetically.
Tiggie nodded, and they swung
Into the path that led most directly
to the cliffs of Slimby Point. "Water
high. I suppose?” he said.
"Oh yes. sir. Tide won't be down
tor another three hours, and you
can’t take a boat among them rocks,
not to get really near 'em. I’ll ring
up the coastguard at Coombe if you
can’t do It. sir. but it’ll take 'em a
long while to get here.” Joe Penny
glanced at his companion in momen
tary doubt.
But though his face was hard set,
as though carved in stone, Tiggle’s
answer was reassuring. ’Til do the
Job.” he said.
And as he spoke, very strangely
there came a lightening of the gloom
around them and a ghostly gleam of
sunshine shone down through the
, veil.
“ To Tiggie, as he strode forward at
the highest speed that poor panting
•Joe could muster, it was as though
}n that moment scales fell from his
eyes, and the mist was no longer red,
but silvery white—touched with the
glory of God.
When they reached the edge of the
cliff above the Slimby Rock, the mist
had gathered again so thickly that
Jio object within a dozen yards was
yylsihle. Jim Walls, an old ’long
shoreman with whom Tiggie had had
■tuny a pleasant gossip, was there
With his two boys of 14 and 16 and
?he rough apparatus for cliff rescue
with which Tiggie was already
, familiar.
. "He’s left callin’," said Walls.
"Can’t heai nothin’ but the sea birds
now.”
Nothing but the shrieking sea
birds and the desolate sound of the
Invisible sea, and the long, searching
call of the lightship siren that seemed
to come in its weird persistence from
all directions at once!
Tiggie took the flask of brandy
from Joe Penny and thrust it Into
his pocket. He threw the extra coil
•f rope down, and In doing so dis
covered the stout ash stick belonging
to Harvey still in his hand. He ut
tered a half-smothered oath and
flung the thing from him. far out
Into the white daikness which re
ceived It in silence, giving back no
sound. •
"Now then!" said Tiggie.
The task before him was one which
he had not begun to contemplate in
detail. It was only when It came to
the point that he realized that being
let down the face of an overhanging
cliff was a very different sensation
from being pulled up It. Something
like blank dismay entered his soul
as he set himself to the task which
filled him with a physical shrinking
which was new to him. The feeling
cf unplumbed depth below, the in
ability to do anything to help him
self beyond avoiding unnecessary
bumps against outstanding frag
ments of rock, the Isolation in which
the mist enwrapped him, and the
utter powerlessness of dangling at
she end of a rope which ill chance
might sever at any moment, all went
to make an unforgettable Impression
j.-.uppn. Tingle’s newly awakened imag-
W, tnafitjn wh.k*h nothing in after life
Wajljytn Perhaps the vlolefice
of rtaotlon through which he had
passed served to Intensify the horror
of the experience, hut horror was
certainly • his prevailing sentiment
and It took the utmost resolution of
which he was capable to keep It at
arm’s length.
"Damn it all!” he expostulated
with himself. "If Harvey could do
Jt, surely to goodness I can!”
Tee, Harvey had done precisely the
same thing tar him two nights be
"'Grand National” Winner
|||. iF JPirar wl|
Miss Dorothy Paget proudly leading in Golden Miller after he won Grand
National Steeplechase, British turf classic, which brought fortunes to
American holders of winning tickets in Irish sweepstakes.
io*Btr9i.Pjr*&l
fore, and doubtless, had he been on
the spot, he would have done it again
for this man, wborri he had so coolly
advised him to murder. A funny
chap—Harvey 1 It was difficult to
know how to take him. One thing
alone was certain. It was impossible
to gauge him by ordinary standards,
and this descent which was so terri
fying to a man of normal intelli
gence would probably rail to strike
any sort of dread into his fantastic
soul.
Ah! His feet scraped and jerked
upon something solid at last, and he
sent up a shout to the men above
him. He could bear the wash of the
waves below him far more distinctly
now. but the crying of the sea gulls
sounded remote, as though heard
through a curtain. He was standing
upon firm rock, hut great care was
needed, for the mist was thicker here
and any step to right or left might
send him floundering over the edge.
Cautiously he felt his way.
And then very suddenly he stopped,
for a man’s voice came to him out
of the void—a feeble, gasping voice.
"Here! Pm here!”
Tiggie peered about him. The
voice seemed to come from below.
He found himself close to the edge
of the rock, and went down upon
hands and knees, peering over.
"Here!" gasped the voice again.
Then he saw In a crevice about
eight feet below him a dark, crum
pled mass. He pulled on the rope
and proceeded to swing himself
down.
A few seconds later he was kneel
ing In a slimy hollow of rock beside
the man upon whom he had sworn
such deadly vengeance so brief a
time before.
He was lying In a heap like a half
empty sack, his limbs huddled under
him at strange angles, his head sunk
between his shoulders. His clothes
were In tatters and his face clotted
with blood which still oozed from a
wound on the temple. His eyes were
half closnd. but they opened wide at
Tiggle’s touch, regarding him with a
fixed and dreadful stare.
"You —Is It?" he said.
“Yes, me,” said Tiggie.
Norman’s lips drew back, ex
posing his teeth. “Didn’t expect—
you.” he muttered.
"Afraid you’re badly damaged.”
said Tiggie, trying to get an arm
behind him.
“Damaged!" gasped Norman. "T’m
—done for. Don’t move me! I’m all
—ln pieces."
“I’ve got some brandy here,” said
Tiggie.
A faint gleam lightened the star
ing eyes. "Let’s—have It!” gasped
Norman.
Tiggie opened the flask and put It
to the drawn Ups. Norman drank
with obvious difficulty, concentrating
all his strength upon the effort,
while Tiggie supported hls head and
did hls utmost to prevent the liquid
spilling over.
It todk effect very quickly. Some
thing of the wildness passed from
hls look, and he addressed Tiggie
with more coherence.
“What did you come down here
for?'*
“To help you," said Tiggie.
Norman’s Ups went back Into the
old sneer. "Or to finish me—
which?" he said.
"To help you," repeated Tiggie
steadily.
Norman’s eyes met hls with a
questioning. Incredulous look. Then,
"Where’s the devil who pushed me
over?” he asked abruptly.
“What?" said Tiggie
Norman repeated hls words with
deliberate insistence. “The devil
who pushed me overt Has he come
along too —to see the end of me?”
“Good God!" gasped Tiggie. “D’you
know what you're saying?"
"Yes. Ido know.” Contemptuous
ly the answer came. "He got me up
there—to meet you. But you were—
discreet enough—to keep out of
sight."
"What the devil . . ." burst from
Tiggie; and then, commanding him
self. “No. You’re wrong. I wasn’t
there.”
, "Oh!" sprtd Norman.. “Yop>weren’t
.tfiere.” Hfc seemed td-ton Sitter *rilA
for a space, hls ey<ra? over which Ik
glassy look was stealing, stll) upon
Tiggle’s agitated countenance. “Yes,”
he said at last, "I believe that’s the
truth —though you’d have given your
eyes to murder me, wouldn’t you?”
“Not from behind,” said Tiggie
with a kind of desperate bluntness.
There was something so funda
mental, so terribly real, in the situa
tion that he felt almost stunned by
It, as one who contemplates an ele
ment too closely to grasp Its entire
HBfllMtSdrf, TN. CJ DAILY DISPATCH,’ TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1934
significance. He was not afraid, but
awed to the very depths. For h«
knew that within the next few min
utes he would look upon Death.
Norman’s voice, quiet now. and
slightly supercilious, had in it more
individuality than bis look In which
expression was waning like a sink
ing flame. “No—not from behind. I
give you that. You’re one of those
blundering fools that go head down
at everything. It’d take a wfltei
devil than you—to do me In ft wa*
—a wilier devil." He paused. % ae
though some obstruction checked bis
utterance.
“Have some more brandy!” said
Tiggie.'
He held it again to the livid lips;
but they had begun to sag. and swal
lowing was almost an Impossibility.
“Poor chap!” whispered Tiggie.
The words escaped him half un
consciously. but they reached the
ears of the dying man. and suddenly
the waning light returned like a
flame renewed He regarded Tiggie
once more attentively.
“D’you mean—me?” he said.
"Yes." With the simplicity that
made hls soul as the soul of a child
Tiggie answered him. "I’m sorry for
you—damn’ sorry.”
"Sorry!" repeated Norman as if
dazed. The light began to fail again,
but the passing spirit paused on the
threshold, arrested by that one
amazing word, and held It up once
more. "Listen!” he said. "Then I’m
sorry too —sorry I crossed you—
sorry I went after her again—sorry
—for—everything. Understand?”
Again something rose in his throat,
and the power ot speech went out in
a rattling sound as of broken ma
chinery. But the light still shone for
a few seconds longer, and ere it
failed Tiggie's hand came with a
warm compassion and grasped the
nerveless hand that could not grasp
it in return.
“That's all right.” he said. “That’s
all right.”
And while he was speaking. Nor
man died.
• • •
“Death by misadventure” was the
pronouncement of the coroner’s Jury
at Coombe, and Tiggie turned and
left the court, mutely wondering at
the simple logic by which they had
arrived at that conclusion.
It had been Joe Penny’s doing in
the main. The landlord of "The Sea
Lion” was in his element on such
an occasion, and his theories regard
ing clift slides had been expounded
al great length. It was an un
doubted fact that s wide crack had
appeared at the top of the cliff above
the scene of the disaster, due ob
viously to the recent rains, and any
body as didn’t know the place and
even some as did might quite easily
stumble and go over the cliff in a
fog. The cliff path hadn't been safe
for years and it wasn’t likely to get
safer as time went on. If you under
stand my meaning, sir. Why the
gentleman had gone up there on such
foggy morning wasn’t any mystery
either. He'd only arrived the night
before and was exploring the lay of
the land. They all did it—especially
them artists —and it wasn’t a bit of
use talking. He never talked him
self. It was Jus* a waste of time. It
was only a marvel to him that fatal
accidents weren’t more frequent,
that was all he had to say about it.
Tiggle’s part had been compara
tively easy. He had identified the
body as that of John Norman, hus
band of Viola Norman at Cliff cot
tage. Fame, who was too ill to ap
pear. He had corroborated Joe
Penny’s statements regarding hls
own share in the attempted rescue
and had received the coroner’s com
pliments thereupon with considerable
embarrassment. As to John Nor
man’s last moments, he had not been
questioned very closely. Death by
misadventure had been a foregone
conclusion, and a« he went out again
into the open air he realized upon
what small details great issues hang.
Joe Penny’s dissertation upon the
effects of the rain upon the rock had
made Its mark upon minds already
predisposed to agree with him. Thg
jhry had evetv attempted to acfd at
rjdervid-’ t!& effect ■; that a ; rating
ought to: be. erected -along the Adga '
of the filiff tot the protection of Joe
Penny’s wandering artists, but this
had been disallowed by the coroner.
Fatal accidents In the vicinity were
very rare, as he pointed out, and to
erect railings all round the British
coast was scarcely a practical sug
gestion.
Tiggie went back to Fame In Joe
Penny’s car with a dull sense of
amusement behind hjs relief.
(to sst com Tin vain
Movie Memories
Carol Dempster
* v
Ten years ago :* After touring
with Ruth St. Denis as one of the
Denishawn dancers, Carol Demps
ter entered motion She
is shown here as Nancy Montague
in
" rrL j r\i j r\ » recalled by clark kinnaird ,
* Ine uOOQ UIU Days author of “TODAY is the day*y-'
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THEY DONE HIM WRONG—
Career of Jesse James (above)
ended 62 years ago today as he was
hanging pictures in his home in St.
Joseph, Mo. / Robert and James
Ford, members of his band, shot
him in the back to collect a SIO,OOO
reward offered for his capture
“dead or alive ”
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■■ « » i mu i n ■»»«■ ■-i i > ■■ ■ u 11
THE SPARK FLEW —And 31 years ago today the first news
was transmitted across the Atlantic (New York to London) by
wireless telegraph. The equpiment used was similar to that with
which William Marconi, its Irish-lialian inventor is shown in his
laboratory in 1901 #
id /
JtlW BKm
i 1 Z® SW
R The Needle I IBW
In The l\ Z«■ W“
1 fIMM 1
Haystack! <j
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It is not a matter of record as to
whether anyone, in the history of the
world, attempted to find the prover
bial “needle in the haystack,” but if
any one person ever did his task would
have been not more difficult than the
finding of the murderer in “The Spun
Jftfe, Smn fnfaw Mft/pnWJM
A TALE OF SCOTLAND YARD 6y
Beginning
Henderson Daily Dispatch
A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE—24 years ago today, Walter Wellman, newspaperman who believed in
making news instead of simply writing it, was preparing for the first attempt to fly the Atlantic. When
he got started from Atlantic City in October, in the airship America he didn’t attain his goal, but he did
break the world’s record for sustained flight by traveling 1,008 miles, and he was first to use wireless
successfully in an airship and demonstrate its possibilities in making air travel safer. Wellman is shown
(right) as he appeared, with broken arm. after he and crpw were rescued from the wrecked America at sea.
Copyright. 1834. Central Pros* Association
WHEN WALL STREET WAS “GREEN FASTUR.ES”— 30
years ago today Mrs. Hetty Howland Robinson Green then 09
Was a queen before whom mighty potentates of railroads and
banking kow-towed. But she pinched pennies and always wore
bargain-gought clothes like those she is wearing as she walks
with a secretary. Carriages were too expensive for this,mistress
of millions.
Glass Mystery”, the Henderson Daily
Dispatch newest serial story. Do you
need a mental spring tonic? Do your
wits need sharpening? Then join with
the best minds of the great Scotland
Yard in attempting to solve this al
most unbelievable plot.