OCR Text |
Show , THE SPANISH FORK TRESS, SPANISH FORK. UTAH THE EWE By Elizabeth Jordan Chapter VU ' '12 A ' Message. The secretary d rested for dinner that night with hla mind on several new problems, the first of which was the problem of the black leather cuse. Looked at from every possible angle, he could not wholly solve It. though he was rapidly evolving a working theory. If be were to have any peace and comfort this year, If he were to get back his nervous strength and recover for himself the man he had been, he must do certain things, and do them quickly. Among them, he must once and for all do away with the melodramatic mysteries of Tawno Her. He must find out what there was In the house that " crept along hulls and climbed up to transoms and stole and duplicated leather cases and then returned them. After that, perhaps, he would have some comfort a condition he could not hope for now. This very night, for example, he was probably In for some Infernal manifestation that would deprive him of the sleep he so urgently needed. However, he was, In a way. prepared for these. He had two pistols now, and the other articles he had bought. The pistols were loaded and ready. In one way the fact was reassuring. In another It disturbed him. He did not wish to do any Impulsive ebootlng and subsequently and bitterly regret It. He began to feel that he had made a mistake In buying the pistols. He considered hiding them In his trunk. He ended by hiding one there and slipping the other Into a pocket of bis evening trousers. It was a very small, unobtrusive pistol. He had been careful to select that kind. And undoubtedly It would be safer In his hands than In the dark and sinister habl he had seen through his transom window the night before. Dinner that night was again almost gay. Madame Hvoeslef was her most engaging self. Evidently, with the transference of the black leather case to the Trust companys vaults a great weight had rolled oil her mind. Verity aud Dall Campbell responded to her mood. Soft ripples of luughter swept the table, luughter In which did not join but which he subconsciously enjoyed. It was rather wonderful to hear Verity Campbell laugh, and he had not realized that her beautiful but rather cold fuce could be ao warmed and illumined as he aaw It now. Her laugh was delicious soft, low, and full of mirth. He listened to Mrs. Pardee but looking at Verity, and as he looked his dislike of her and hla Inner masculine resentment of her cool gave place to bit first Imof genuine admiration. Somepulse thing like admiration had stirred In him when he watched her play with He began to realize that the beautiful Miss Campbell hnd two sides That was disturbing. With the discovery of an attractive aide, he could not lend hlmBelf to the wholehearted disapproval of her which he had expected ami desired to feel. Her singing after dinner strengthened tills conviction. It, too, reflected her new mood. The Slavic songs to which heretofore she and Madame llvocslef had largely confined themselves made way tonight for French and Spanish numbers. In which the predominating theme of love was wedded to that of Joy. IJstenlng In his corner, Renshaw felt hla Up cnrl a trifle. Much that girl The foreigner knew. knew about love There waa a woman who had loved few times and and lived and died been born again, always with a heart Ken-sha- tVe-we- 1 I foreigner was. In a way, pardonable. Certainly he had Indulged In It without the sense of recoil be now felt. The recoil merged Into a grim amusement at his own expense. He waa making progress, he was getting bnck in touch with life, when be found himself speculating about women! ".He resolutely centered hla thoughts on the black leather case. He went up to hla room at eleven oclock. Before he opened the door he stood for a moment In front of It, silently studying the lock. It was a good lock, but an ordinary one. A trifle he had bought In town would effectually prevent It from being locked from the outside. He entered his room aud Inserted this trille Into the keyhole, nodding with satisfaction as he did so. No one outside could lock his door tonight. On the other hand, neither could he himself lock It. He drew forward a chair, Inserted Its back under the door-knoand ao placed It that a certain effort would be required to push the door open. He could oat he taken wholly by surprise. After these simple preparations, he rend and auioked for a time. Then, with a sense of expectation mingled with other emotions. In which excitement, resentment, anxiety and nervousness predominated In turn, he undressed, got Into bed and turned out the lights, putting one of the new revolvers under his pillow, but wlthlo Immediate reach, as the final precaution for an Interesting vigil. He waited with taut nerves. It was almost midnight, time for the nocturnal activities of the Thing to begin. As soon as he heard the sounds announcing the Thing's near approach, he would fling open the door and spring out upon whatever was there. After that well, after that he would at least know what he was up against. The clock on his mantel struck twelve. He was almost convinced that nothing would happen. Possibly the Thing did not roam about every night. Possibly It would never roam about again. Probably It had been shut up, confined lie closed hls eyes, and swiftly opened them again. Something had touched them, passed them, and was focused on the wall. It was the blue circle and tlda time he studied It closely. It was a circle about the size of a sliver dime. Its blue color was a singularly vivid hue. It danced and quivered on the wall beside him, ao close to him that he could put up hls hand and touch it. As he did ao, It vanished and the familiar darkness of the room closed around him. He lay still and for the first time seriously tried to explain the circle to himself. It was, of course, as he had held from the first, a redaction from That somewhere, from something. wise conclusion waa still obvious. But from what? The visiting light appeared again. It waa as feverishly active now as It hod been motionless on Its previous visits. It touched hls face, flitted about, and came to rest on the footboard of hls bed. It touched hla hand, and flew to the opposite wall. It played about hls lips and leaped to the door leading to the halt, where It glowed silently on a panel. Renshnw watched It with a gaze that shifted when It did. If he closed hls eyes) It lingered on the lids till he reopened them. Its character changed. It had been Interesting at first. It became annoying, like the repeated attacks of one mosquito on a hot night. It became more thnn annoying. It became first Infuriating and at last simply devilish. ne rose and, going In turn to the room's four windows, stared out at each. With hls movement the light He could see nothing disappeared. outside hut the storm and the torbranches of oaks tured, wind-flunand maples. lie went to hls door, opened It and glanced down the dark No sound or movement corridor. there rewarded him. He closed the under door, replaced the clmlr-hacthe knob, and returned to hls bed. As toon as he was comfortably settled, the blue hall entered, touched Ills face, and danced for a moment on the wall. Then suddenly It grew quiet and remained fixed In one sMit, like a watchful and Infernal blue eye. The clock struck two, the deep-tonestrokes sounding ominous In the darkness. Two o'clock! And he Imd been on the edge of hls nerves That sort of thing since eleven! would not tlo It simply could not he endured Tomorrow he would tell Campbell that he. Renshaw, must go away, that he was not up to the work. But no, that would not do. either, lie had already shown that he wua up to the work. Campbell had referred at dinner to a lot of things to he done the next diiy. Well. then, he cottld say he waa not In as gmal condition as he had Imagined. A sudden memory seared hls He could not resign! He hnd no situation to resign simply because he had refused a situation. He waa not Ida own master. He was. for a year, David Campbell's property bought and, In part, actually paid for. On the morning of the day that had only Just ended, Campbell hud given him generous advance on the pur chase price: and the greuler part of that, advance he. Renshaw, hnd al ready spent In town. Even assuming that he was willing to break the agreement he and Campbell had en . , k d the Door and 8tard Incredulously. Vtrlty Campbell Stood Before Him. attuned to life and the master bsnd. Site must have had many lovers. She was the type whose Inuer fires were fierce and consuming and soon exhausted. and readily replenished. He wondered what she and Miss Camp-bel- l talked slmut when they were almie. Certainly not about love I The foreigner was too aophlstlcated to per mil Verity Campbell's clear eyea to rest on any untidy pages In her book of lire. lie rectlled hla vagabond thoughts suddenness that brought him with Without an upright In his chair. ne felt that apee. reasons, his lysing tlatlou as to the possible lovers of the By WILLARD K. BRADLEY tered Into, he must work a month te pay off the obligation Imposed by that irn. Wtiitta Nwpp r Union advance. In other words, be was a fixture here. He could not leave. . vr OU any you can restore sight to Hla eyes bad closed and be had althe blind?" Old Simon asked, most lost consciousness when - he putting down "The Discovery of Amerheard a noise In the ball. It was not ica, though not before he turned the the familiar thump, nor waa It the corner of hla page. Mr. Sklfllngton nodded. equally abhorrent sound of crawling. It was the sound of footsteps light "How are you going to do It?" and running. There was also the "Have your office boy go out and sound of hurried, excited breathing bring iu the first blind person he meets and of a rap on hls door. He sprang and then I'll ahowr you." out of bed and hastened to open It, Turning to hls office boy, Old Simon disturbed yet reussured by the rap. told him to do as Mr. Skltfington hade. It was alarmed, but It waa normal, lie In less tliHn five minutes the boy rethrew open the door and stared In- turned with a mun encumbered with credulously. Verity Campbell stood a sign advertising hls affliction, a bunbefore him In the darkness, lie could dle of pencils and a battered tin cup. not see her, hut be knew her even beMr. Skltfington surrendered Ids chair fore she spoke to him In a voice to the blind man and then, after the hushed ond terrified. fashion of certain physicians, removes "Oh, Mr. Renshaw," she gasped, hls 1'rtnce Albert, draped It gently "please come with me quickly I I across the back of Old Simon'a swivel cant find either Jenks or Jumea chair, and rolled up hls sleeves. After and something dreadful has happened returning the blind man's to grandfather!" spectacles, he produced a bottle and Renshaw nodded and stepped back from It poured a quantity of golden into hla room. fluid. This he applied to the unsee"One moment, he said, "and I will ing one's lids. After a second or so be with you." they begun to flutter. In another secHe thrust hls feet Into slippers and ond, they were up, and the blind pulled a dressing gown over hls pa man's eyeballs were visible. juntas, knotting the cords of the robe Realizing that he could again see, as he rejoined her. He bad to run to the man threw hls arms around hla catch up with her. Having summoned savior's neck and said: 1 1 can him, she was almost at the end of ca n see I see I Oh, my friend, how will I ever lie able to repay you? Oh, my little Rosie I Now 1 will be able to see your dear little face for the first time!" Mr. Sklfllngton gently released himself front the grateful man's embrace and, with a Munsfleldlan gesture, said : Thata all right, my friend; thats all right I The pleasure 1 derive from helping a suffering fellowmun repays me hundredfold. Go to your little Roale and may God bless you both I The grateful man kissed the sleeve of Mr. Hklftlngton's coat and then silently departed. Turning to Old Simon, Mr. Skltfington asked: "Are you eonvlnced, Mr. Atkinson?" ' Old Simon evaded Mr. Sklfflngton'a query and answered It by asking: "How much will you take for your restorer?" "Five tnousand dollars," answered Mr. Sklfllngton. Old Slinon hulked st the amount requested and then blew hls Napoleonic nose. Then he began to rub hls hald-pat- e and, whistle an ancient waltz. Then he became strangely silent, a merry twinkle In hls crafty eyes. "Ill give you thirty-seve- n hundred; He Lifted the Light Figure In Hla not a cent morel" he said finally. After hemming and hawing for a Arms as Easily as If It Had Been few minutes, Mr. Sklfllngton decided the Body of a Child. to accept Old Simons offer. the corridor when she felt him beOld Simon produced a check-hooside Iter. As they hurried past the from the bottom drawer of his roll top central hall landing and Into the west desk. After blotting what he had d wing of the house, he asked a written, be tore the check out of the question or two. She replied In book and, bolding It aloft, said: a voice that trembled. "Young man. you will get tills when Madame Hvoeslef Is with him," she I get the formula of your restorer!" said. "I called her first, when I could This last whs a part of the transacnot get the servants. I can't Imagine tion Mr. Skltfington evidently had not what has happened to Jenks. He Is taken Into account. ao reliable and faithful. But Aunt Formula? Er yes, why of course ! Katharine soya they take a car and go Of course you shall have the formula. Into town sometimes at night, and perYea, yes. of course! The original was haps she Is right, though I never accidentally destroyed, but I'll write thought ao." out another one!" "Whnfa the matter with your grandMr. Sklfllngton grabbed a small father?" scratch pad and an Indelible pencil Renshnw's tong, swinging stride was from the desk and hurriedly begun to now her with easily keeping pace scribble something about nitroglycerin. shorter steps. ' and blsulphate. Then he tore "I don't know. I heard a fall. Hla Ipecac off what he had written and handed hedromn Is next to mine, you know. It to Old Simon. 1 thought I heard a groan. I ran out "Here I your formula! he assertIn the hall to Ids door and knocked. old upon When there was no answer, I went In. ed like some monarch of He was lying In hls bedroom, on the handing the key to the drawbridge of one of Ids vassals. floor." s Old Simon took It from Mr. Ski "Hurt? Cnwnselonr?" fingers berlnged, nlcotlne-stalneI ran for help for "1 don't know Then he Jenks first, then, when I couldn't find and perused It carefully. him. for Madame Hvoeslef. Auntie gave tbe check to the miracle perIt of no use. of course. In a crista, so former, who thanked Old Simon profusely, bowed a bow worthy of Cheswe didn't even wak her." terfield, opened the door, closed It, She stopped as they reached what was evidently the door of the old and was gone. Old Simon then returned the checkman's tiedroom. and passed through In book to its place In the bottom drawer alienee, leasing the door open for and resumed hls readof hla roll-toto follow her. Hls first Impulse was one of shock ing of "The Discovery of America." at the seeming IIMeneet of the . The office boy tiptoed over to Old prone figure on the floor, over which Simon desk and noiselessly removed a small leather rase from the top Mart n me Hvoeslef eras distractedly he took a pair keeping guard. Her dark face lighted drawer. Out of this binoculars marine of man as relief with the young up and, going to the window, focused Joined her. them on two gentlemen standing In 1 have not ventured to do anya shaft of golden sunlight In the diswhisIn she quick explained thing." an extremely hippy per. "He breathes; hut I did not tance and holding know If It would be wise to lift i!a conversation. "How much did you get?" head " "Thirty-sevehundred !" ' Renshaw knelt beside hls master, "Hot That's elgliten hundred dog! and Ida heart lightened. He had been fifty each!" afraid of violence, even of tragedy. aud ' bot"Pretty good for a twenty-cen- t Anything, he now believed, might hap tle of cream soda and a formula not Bit veemlugly lien In Tawno Ker. worth a half a hoot In hades! common what had happened wa And then the two gentlemen winked enough. The old man had felt 111. had meaningly at each other, turned the iMscn. Imd perhaps tried to call for corner and were lost to sight. help, and had fallen unconscious. The hoy turned excitedly to old "Wlmt Is II Simon and breathlessly exclaimed: Verity asked the question In a whisMr. Atkinson, you'd better have per. Ths young man went on with hls that check stopped ! The bank closes hurried examination. In fifteen minutes. I Just saw" "A shock. Im afraid." la lie dying? vj hit's all right, Alexander." Old "No no, Indeed. Ils'a unconscious, Blinon rut In. "If that gentleman d hut hls heart Is working well. Tim hadu't been so anxious to first thing to do Is to make him get off with that check he would have noticed that It was duted 'October 12, He lifted the light figure In hls arms H92,' and waa signed by Christopher ns easily as If It had been tbe body of Columbus!" a child, and carrying It to the tied laid It between the sheets, drawing the Excuse Without Merit ' lieddotlilng carefully np around It suffer youth to he an eirue Never ' TO HE CONTINUED t for Inadequacy, nor age and fun lit Cultivated hazel nuts have a bl' be an' excuse for Indolence. L. II Hayden.only half as hard as wild ones (. (O Sr Tbs Csotary Cs.) WNU Ssrvles. g He Threw Open HOW TWO WOMEN The Miracle Worker AVOIDED OPERATIONS The Following Letters of 'Mrs. Thurston and Mrs. Beard Carry an Encouraging Message to Other Sick Women . Vegetable Compound that I told my husband I wo 1 j try it before I gave up. I soon began to feel that it was doing me good. The awful misery , began to leave me, also the backache. 1 have a good appetite and am gain Ing in weight Taking the medicine ' was the beat thing I ever did. I fed like it has aaved my life and I do not hesitate to say ao to my friends. At ' least it aavea me from a dreaded operation and I am still taking It I am willing to answer letters from women asking about the medicine.' Mrs. Ethel Thurston, 824 North Pino Street, Lima, Ohio. i W 1 5- - v L Mr. Beard's Letter . blue-smoke- d - k low-tone- .. fling-ton'- d Ren-alia- p n r gosh-dlnge- ." MAS. ETHEk THUSSTON tt N. SINS BTSCCT, LIMA, OHIO I want to tell you Ohio. how your medicine baa helped me. For weeks I suffered with awful pains from inflammation and I was in auch misery that 1 had to bend double to t relief. I could not be touched or aired, bad awful pain all over my abdomen and could not touch my feet to the floor. It waa impossible for me to straighten op and the pains never ceased. I took treatments for some time and finally was told I would have to have an operation. I do not believe In operations, and I had read eo much about Lydia E. Pinkham a Uma, I will write you Eddy, Texas. few words, thinking it will do aome one else good. Two doctors said I would have to be operated on because for nearly twelve months I suffered from s weakness from which I could get no relief. I waa restless and nervous and waa not able to walk across the house. They said it waa the Change of Life. I saw Lydia E. Pinkhama Vegetable Compound advertised in the newspapers, and as I could not get any help from doctors I thought I would give that a trial. I began with the liquid and it helped me some, then you advised me to take the tablet form and 1 began to improve rapidly. I have gained in weight from 105 to 170 pounds. I recommend it to all women with this trouble." Mrs. M. E. Beard, R. No, 1, Bos 143, Eddy, Texas. ' , ' Right Word Vititort in Switzerland So greatly docs Switzerland depend on Us visitors that the revival last Cross-Wor- d Enthusluat (suddenly after prolonged, but vacant stare at season of tourist traffic brought a glow fat stranger) Ive got It I An eleof prosperity to the entire country.' ' phant 1 BAYER SAY ASPIRIN -j- emdmi. Unless you see the Bayer Cross on tablets you are not getting the genuine Bayer Aspirin proved safe by millions and prescribed by physicians 24 years for Colds Pain Headache Toothache Neuralgia Neuritis Lumbago Rheumatism m ; v .Accept only "Bayer' package which contains proven directions. v Awirla la tbe trade Mark Bandy "Bayer" boxes of 12 tablets Also bottles of 24 and 100 Druggists. ef Beyer ifaaatactnre ef ItmoaatUeaclSMtar e SallcyUcaciS Willie Knowt I Hoateas "Wbat part of ths chicken do you like, Willie?" Willie "HI bars some of ths meat, please." I I Perfect Fred "Enjoy your visit back In ths old homer Tom "Rather I Nobody remembered me I" Use Alabastine to save money Alabcstlne s dry powder in tvHits and lints Packed in 5 pound package, ready tor uas by mixing with cold or warm water. Full directions on every package. Apply ' with sn ordinary wall bruh. Suitable for ell .interior rur face plaa. ter, wall board, brick, cement, or canvas. IU m Any Color You Wknt Why use expensive paper or paint when for the cost of cleaning either you can have a fresh coat of Alabastine? Why put up with half toiled walla when for a little expense your home can be made bright and cheerful? With Alabastine you can have the exact color you wish. And it won't rub off. You can match exactly ruga or draperies. You can get the moat artistic results. You can do the work yourself if the decorators are not available. Ask your dealer for an Alabastine color card. Or write Mia Ruby Brandon, Home Beautiful Specialist, the Alabastine Co., Grand Rapid, Mich. KaJsmnim isnotAlabasim - rfV i ti |