Newspapers / The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, … / Jan. 10, 1928, edition 1 / Page 3
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Chapter I. MRS. HOWARD FEATHERSTONE spent much time thinking up things for her broth er, Archibald Bennett, to do, and as Archie was the ideal bachelor brother, he accepted her commissions in the most amiable spirit and his services were unfailingly satisfactory “The agent who had been looking up a summer house for us says this is an unus ual opportunity, as there are a few places to let at Bailey Harbor and this one is unex pectedly on the market. Howard’s simply swamped with work—and we’d all appre ciate it if you could run up there for us.” The many preoccupations of his brother in-law, who held a seat in Congress and took his job seriously, were well known to Archie, and as Archie had nothing on earth to do, it was eminently fitting that he should as sume some of Featherstone’s domestic bur dens. Archie had planned to leave for the Canadian Rockies two days later, but he ob ligingly agreed to take a look at the Bailey Harbor house that had been placed so provi dentially within reach of his sister. “The owner belongs to that old New Eng land Congdon family,” Mrs. Featherstone explained; “they date from the beginning of time, and some of them are a trifle eccen tric.” “If you’re renting a house from that fam ily it’s just as well to look into it carefully. All right, May, I’ll inspect the premises for you.” Archie was already mentally planning the details of his trip with his customary ex actness. He traveled constantly in the in terest of his health and knew train sche dules by heart. Archie s condition was always a grateiui topic of conversation and now Mrs. Feather stone, in her most sisterly tone, broached the subject of his health, if & “I haven’t much faith in this idea of your going to the Rockies; you know you tried the Alps five years ago and altitude nearly killed you.” Archie smiled wanly. “I seem doomed to sit on the sidelines and watch the game,” he agreed gloomily. — To look at him no one would bleieve that he had a nerve in his tall frame. Once a friend carried him off to a farm where an autocratic athletic trained rejuvenated tired business men, and Archie survived the heroic treatment and reappeared bronzed and hard ened and feeling better than h^ ever had felt in his life. But after a winter spenljj in an office and leisure to think of himself as an invalid, he .renewed his acquaintance with the waiting room of specialists. “There will be a few people in for dinner tonight,” remarked Mrs. Featbejstone as he anu rose to go; "very simple, you Know, Howard just telephoned that ftb can’t pos sibly come, so if you can arrange it, Archie —lit will be a real help to me.” ^ “All right, May. I was going to have din ner with Weld and Coburn, but if you really want me—” “Oh, that’s perfectly fine of you, Archie! And Isabel Perry will be ? here; you know she’s the dearest girl, and I always thought you really did like1 her. Her father lost all his money before he died and she’s had a position as gymnasium teacher in Miss Gor don's school. This summer site’s to run a girl’s camp up in Michigan and *she can’t help making a splendid success Qf^it.” .When he found himself sitting beside her later at Mrs. Featherstone’s table she said to him: “I passed you on the street the other day and made frantic efforts to attract your at tention but you were in a trance1-and failed to see my signals.” .«I Was taking my walk,” he stammered, ;“My walk!” she repeated. “You speak as though you had a monopoly of ttiSt form of exerise. I must say you didn’t appear to be enjoying yourself. Your aspect was wholly funereal and your demeanor was that of a man with a certain number of miles wished on him.” “Four a day,” Archie confessed, with an air of resignation; "two in the morning and two before dinner. By the doctor’s orders,” he added with the wistful smile that usual ly evoked sympathetic murmurs in feminine auditors. “Oh, the doctor!” remarked the girl as though she had no great opinion of doctors in general or of Mr. Bennett’s medical ad visers in particular. He was used to a great deal of sympathy and he was convinced that Miss Perry was an utterly unsympathetic person. “What would you call a good walk?” he asked a little tartly. “Oh, ten, twenty, thirty! I’ve done fif teen and gone to a dance at the end of a tramp.” “But you haven’t my handicap,” he pro tested defensively. “You can’t be very gay about walking when you’re warned that ex cessive fatigue may have disastrous con sequences !” She was not wholly without feeling foi lier face grew grave for a moment and she met his eyes searchingly with something of the professional scrutiny to which he had long been accustomed. “Eyes clear, color very good; voice a trifle weak and suggesting timidity and feeble initiative. Introspective; a little self-con scious, and unimportant nervous symptoms indicated by the rolling of bread crumbs.” “I’ve paid doctors large fees for telling me> the same things,” he said. “I wish you would write those items down for me. I’m in earnest about that.” “Your case interests me and I’ll consider this matter of advising you.” “I shall expect the document tomorrow afternoon!” “You’re a tremendously formal person, Mr. Bennett. What you really need is a good hard jar. Every morning you know exactly what you’re going to do every hour of the day. It’s routine that kills. Suppose you were to hold up a bank messenger in Wall Street and skip with a satchelful of negoti able securities and then, after the papers were through ragging the police for their in efficiency you would drive up to the bank in a taxi, walk in and return the money, say ing you had found it in the old family pew at Trinity when you went in to say your prayers! Here would be an opportunity to break the force of habit and awaken your self-confidence.” “Am I to understand that you practice what you preach? I don’t mean to imperti nent, but really,—” "Oh, I’m perfectly capable oi doing any thing I’ve suggested. I mean to dig for buried treasure this summer, realizing the dream of a lifetime. Talk about romance being dead! My grandfther was a planter in Mississippi before the Civil War. In about 1860 he saw trouble ahead, and as he was opposed to secession he turned everything he had into gold, bought several tracts of land in Michigan and New York and secretly planted his money. My father inherited the land, and that’s where I’m opening my camp.” “And the gold hasn’t been found?” asked Archie, deeply interested. “Not a coin so far! You see grandfather made his will in war time and only divided ■ the land, being afraid to mention the buried document that would become a public record when he died.” “This is most exciting. It’s only unfortu nate that it’s not pirate gold to give zest tc your enterprise.” “Oh, the pirate in the story is a cousin of mine, who inherited the land up near the St. Lawrence and has dug all over it without results My father gave the Michigan scen ery to me, but this cousin of mine has been digging on my land, most unwarrantably! He’s rather a dashing young person!” When it came time for Isabel to say good night to her hostess, Bennett was hovering near to offer his services in calling her car. “Nothing like that for me! Rut-” she hesitated and said with mock gravity, “if you’re not afraid of the night air or the -ex cessive fatigue, you might take me home. That will add a mile to your prescription but you can ride back!” She spoke of her plans for the summer with charming candor as they set off at a brisk pace Isabel was enthusiastic about the summer camp; if it succeeded she meant to conduct an outdoor school for girls, moving it from Michigan to Florida with the changing sea sons. There was no question of her making a success of it, he said, marveling at her vi tality, her exuberance, the confidence with which she viewed the future “I wish you all good luck,” he said when they reached the house of the friend she was visiting. “The camp will be a great suc cess—I’m sure of that. This has been the happiest evening I’ve spent since—” “Since you began taking everything so hard? Please quit looking on your life as a burden; try to get some fun out of it!” “Don’t forget me in the rush of things! And particularly don’t forget that note of instructions. I’m counting on that! If I don’t get it I will be terribly disappointed.” She surveyed him gravely then answered lightly, “Oh, very well! You shall have it, sir!” Chapter II Archie didn’t know that the note caused Isabel a great deal of trouble. She must write a note that would not require an answer; this she felt to be imperatively de manded by the circumstance. She thought Archibald Bennett a nice fellow and she felt sorry for him, but no more and no less sorry than she would have been for any one else who failed to find the world a pleasant place to live in. Something a little cryptic, yet something that would discourage furth er confidences without wounding him—this would solve the problem. Finally she hit upon these lines and copied them in her best hand: He either fears his fate too much, * Or his deserts are small, At" 'That dares not put it to the touch • To gain or lose it all. After reading the lines aloud several times she decided that they would serve her purpose admirably and dispatched it to Mr. Bennett immediately. The note reached Archie just as he was leaving his sister’s house He had hoped for a long letter in the vein of the girl’s chaffing humor, and the size of the missive was a dis tinct disappointment. He opened it guardedly, and his face fell as he pondered the verse. It was a neat, well-bred slap at him as a man without initi ative or courage. At the dinner table she had expressed much the same thought that was condensed in the verse, but the quotation, unrelieved by her smile, carried a sting. Perhaps this was the way Isabel Perry thougnt ol mm, as a loser in tue game w life; but he experienced a pleasant tingle in the blood when he reflected that this may have been the wrong reading and very dif ferent from the sense she meant to convey. His spirits soared as he decided that the last line was intended to be read unbrokenly and that it constituted a challenge flung at him with a toss of her head, a flash of her brown eyes. Archie was lulled to sleep by the encour aging thought that what she had done was to give him a commission to redeem himself by strange and moving adventures. At two o’clock he reached Bailey Harbor He stepped into the only taxi in sight and drove to the village druggist’s for the key to the Congdon house. “Just go in and take your time to it,” said the man. “Lights and water haven’t been turned off and if you take the house your fp^s can step right in. If you don’t find it convenient to stop here again, just leave the key under the door mat.” “I guess you’ll find the place all ship shape,” said the driver, as they set off. “Folks came up early but didn’t stay long. Let in a hurry. Family troubles, I reckon! I don’t know nothin’, mind ye, but there’s talk she had trouble with her husband.” The confidences of the chauffeur only mild ly interested Archie. It was unseasonably warm and the air was lifeless and humid. “Think it will rain ?” he asked the driver. “Yep,” he replied with a glance at the sea. “There’s going to be a lively kick-up before mornin’.” They reached the house and Archie dis charged the driver. In a moment he was standing in a big living-room that exhaled an atmosphere of comfort and good taste. Fully satisfied with his investigations, Archie picked up a book, became absorbed and read until he was roused by a clap of thunder that seemed tc shake the world. Hurrying to the window he found that the storm had already broken and that it would be impossible for him to catch the five-eleven He turned on the lights and sat down to. think. The roof and walls rang under the downpour and he decided that after all to spend the night in an abandoned house would be a lark. The storm showed no sign of abating and as nightfall deepened the gloom he set about making himself comfortable. Feeling twinges of hunger, he explored the kitchen pantry. The Congdons had left a well-stocked larder and, finding bacon, eggs and bread, he de cided that the cooking would be a jolly inci dent of the adventure. In arranging the table he found a telegram under a plate at what he assumed to be Mrs Congdon’s place. His curiosity overcame his scruples and he read the message: New York, Juno 10, 1017. Mrs. Alice B. Congdon, Bailey Harbor, Maine. Your letter has your characteristic touch of cruelty. We may as well part now and be done with it. But the children you can not have. Remember that I relinquish none of my rights on this point. I demand that you surrender Edith at once and' I will communicate with you later about the cus tody of Harold until such time as he is old enough to come to me. Putney Congdon. The cautious hint of the taxi driver that domestic difficulties were responsible for the breaking up of the Congdon household found here a painful corroboration. After speculating on the affair for a few moments he went ahead with the preparation of his supper. lie wished Isabel could see him and know that for once the routine of his life had been interrupted only to find himself resourceful and the easy master of his fate. He made a point of washing the disher and putting them carefully away. These mat ters attended to, he roamed over the house which now had a new interest for him sinet the Congdon family skeleton had come ouf of its closet and danced round the dinner table. In a drawer of the desk was an auto matic pistol and a box of cartridges. This Archie thrust into his pocket thinking it not a bad idea to iie prepared for invasion. Then he switched off the lights in the lower rooms and established himself in the guest chamber, lie was half asleep when lit was roused by footsteps on the veranda be low. Chapter III. It was close upon midnight and the presence of a prowler on the premises caused his heart to gallop wildly. lie seized the pistol, crepf to the window and peered cautiously out. when a sound in the room below renewed hi? alarm. He gained the door in two jumps. He could hear the opening and closing of draw ers and see the flash of an electric lamp as the intruder moved swiftly about. Then through the vast silence of the big house the unknown gave voice to his anger and disap pointment : “Well, I’ll be damned!” A series of Quick flashes on the wall gave warning of the intruder’s invasion of th upper rooms. Archie drew back and waited. His thought? and emotions in this hour of danger inter ested him. It was immensely gratifying to him to realize that while his heart was beat ing quickly, his pulse was regular. The thief had become more cautious and was tiptoeing up the uncarpeted treads of the stair, still sending occasionally a bar of light ahead. He was now coming, boldly dowr the hall as though satisfied that the house was empty. A flash of his lamp fell upor the door frame just about Archie’s lefl hand. A flash clipped the dark for an in stant. Then a hand groped along the wal seeking the switch. Archie could hear its soft rasping over the wall. As the switch snapped the room flooded with light. The bewildering glare leap-1 ing out of the darkness held the man in the doorway and he raised his arm and passed his hand over his eyes to shield them from the light. The burglar’s shoulders drooped as he gaped at Archie’s figure which was reflected in a long mirror. The eyes of the two men met, the gaze of each grip ping and holding that of the other. Then swiftly the intruder jerked a pistol from his pocket And fired point blank into the mirror. The report crashed horribly in the room, followed by the tinkle of fragments of glass. Archie aimed at the doorway, but his hot seem ed only to hasten the man’s flight. A rug slipped and the fugitive fell with a frightened yell that rang eerily throught the house In the ball Archie turned on all the lights and gaining the landing fired at the retreating figure as it lurched toward the front door. At the crack of the gun the fugitive stopped short, clapped his hand to his shoulder and groaned, then sprang through the front door and Bennett heard immediately the quick patter of his feet on the The lock bore no evidence of having been forced. The frame of the photograph of the young girl that had so charmed him lay on the floor face down. Bennett pick ed it up and found that the picture had been removed. It was a cur ious business, but he dismissed tlie subject from his mind to con sider the graver business of how to avoid the disagreeable conse quences of his encounter. He must leave the house and escape from Bailey Harbor before daybreak, and he went upstairs and hurried ly began dressing. .At or.e o'clock he was drinking eolFee and munching toast and jam to fortfy himself for his journey. He had shot and perhaps killed a man, and his mind surged now with self-accusations. He needn’t have fired the shot —the thief was running away and very likely would not have molested him fur the. He was sorry for the fellow —wounded or dead, but in a mom ent he was shuddering as he re flected that the bullet that had :piintered the mirror had really been meant for him, and it had struck with great precision just where the reflection of his head hafl presented a fair target to the % startled marksman. He turned out the lights and placing the key under the door mat stole through the garden. The man he had shot down might even now fce lying dead in his path, and he lifted his feet high to avoid stumbling over the corsep. But more appalling was the thought that the fugitive might be lying in ambush, and he carried his pistol before him at arm’s length against such an emergency. He gained the road, glanced to ward the house, and set off in the general direction of the New Hampshire border. hMore Next Friday) risiirtw Her Secret Beautiiier Envy o{ Her Friends] Miss C. Delano, Washington, writes:! —“About two years ago I was bothered^ a great deal with a muddy, sallow andj pimply skin. Face creams, lotions and' beauty treatments failed to improve! for any length of time. I found I could; cover the blemishes with cosmetics, but this was only a temporary relief, j “My druggist recommended your, CARTER’S LITTLE LIVER PILLS,1 a purely vegetable laxative, and sug-| ■gested my trouble might be constipa tion. After a short while I noticed a wonderful difference. My complexion has improved, in fact noticeably so,my, triends speak of it and ask my secret, tl also want to tell you I feel a great r.eai better and headaches and bilious ness never bother me anv more.” CARTER'S LITTLE LIVER PILLS Sold all druggists 25c and 75c red pkgst. A Turner’s Almanac with every year’s subscription to the Smithfield Herald during January, 1928. NOTES ON THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR 1928 Peloubet’s Notes_$1.90 Arnold’s Notes_ .90 (By Mail 10c Extra) THE HERALD ROOK STORE Smithfield, North Carolina Announcement: We Are Now In Our New Store We thank our customers and friends for their liberal patronage last year and we will strive to merit the same in 1928. WE WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 1
The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.)
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Jan. 10, 1928, edition 1
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