The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, February 01, 1917, Page SIX, Image 6
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SYNOPSIS.
Adventurous Jerry Carson embarks
In search of hidden treasure with the
promise of Loonttne Walcott to be his
wife on his return. Her father favors
Sebastian Navarre. Jerry's ship is burned,
he is reported lost. Sebastian presses
his attentions. Jerry suddenly turns up
to confront charges of the Navarres
against him. In a struggle for a forged
paper Diego Navarre is killed and Jerry
is convicted of the murder. He escapes,
and finds the treasure and a wonderful
chemical pellet. Leontine is forced to
marry Sebastian. On the honeymoon,
he attacks her in a rage. Suddenly he is
confronted by a weird apparition. Ravengar
forces a confession from Louie.
Sebastian attempts to get it. An earthquake
occurs; in the excitement Red
Finn steals the confession and tiees. He
appears in New York as Romanoff and
enlists the aid of Madame Blaneu.
Leontine confronts her husband in the
gambling house. The Shadow battles
for her and she escapes with the confession.
One-Lamp Louie follows her and
takes the paper from hor. The Shadow
saves Navarre from robbery. Romanoff
attempts to kidnap Sebastian and Leon- j
tine, but Ravengar appears to thwart
them. Biarvca and her thugs are puzzled j
by Ravengar's repeated escapos and returns
to his cellar prison.
, Seventh Episode.
. The Awakening.
Suddenly Rlanca turned on Roman- I
off and his companions and ordered
them from the cellar. Nothing loath
to escape the anger of their employer, '
they tiled away. Bianca closed the I
door behind them and seated herself
upon the couch at ftuvengar's side.
"Why don't you like me?" she asked.
Ravengar rose to his feet, with the
suspicion of a mocking smile on his
face.
"Indeed, madame, in spite of my imprisonment
here I have conceived the j
highest respect for my jailor," he answered.
Bianca turned furiously upon him.
"It isn't often that I have praetU
catty to^d a man that I am interested
in him," she cried. "Tills is the second
time that I have?I have admitted
it to you."
Ravengar looked at her so searchiugly
that Bianca, even in her angry
humiliation, felt baflled.
She Hung herstjjf from the cellar and
bolted the door 011 the outside. Then
she went up to her boudoir und threw
herself upon the lounge in an agony
of humiliation.
Suddenly, as she raised her eyes,
she saw in the far corner of the room |
the same mysterious vision as before. \
There were the two flaming eyes, the ;
death-white hands; and, as she j
watched, she saw the hands trace, in
phosphorescent letters upon the air,
the message:
"If you would win Itavengar's love, 1
obtain from Sebastian Navarre a confession
of the forgery whicli blackens ,
the name of a dead man."
She spraug to her feet and ran ;
across the room. The writing faded
out. The corner was empty.
She recoiled in terror. The same :
warning as before, and obviously a !
spirit warning! What did it mean?
She resolved to get the confession
from Sebastian.
A ring! Woo Lee stood In the doorway.
He indicated that a visitor stood
in the hall.
"All right. I'll see him," said B1anca.
To her amazement, almost horror,
Sebastian himself came into the room.
He looked at her for a moment.
Then he bowed and came forward, his
smile answering Bianca's own.
"I'm sorry that business matter didn't i
go through," he said. "I might have j
bought that so-called confession j
from you. Of course it was blackmail, ;
but my wife was making trouble for j
me."
"Wives generally do make trouble,"
said Bianca, with the wit of her kind.
"Won't you sit down, Sonor Navarre?"
He took his seat beside her. "I j
don't know what happened to that
wretched puper," he continued, "but
my wife lost it or had it stolen. Anyway,
that's all over now, and this time
I haven't come on business."
"On what, then?" nsked Bianca very
alluringly.
"Pleasure," answered Sebastian.
"To see you. Bianca, I?"
Bianca leaned toward him, smiling;
Bianca's face was very near his own.
He clasped her in his arms and their
lips met.
The charms of Bianca had supplanted
the desirability for Leontlne in Sebastian's
mind. The woman whom
he had married under so strange a
compact, that she was to be his wife
in name, whom he had pursued so
relentlessly, now faded out of the
man's mind. To her relief, almost
gratitude, Leontlne found that Sebastian
cared for her no longer.
And this meant happiness to her.
Since the death of her lover of long
ago, Jerry Carson, in the convict camp,
she had felt incapable of loving. Sebastian's
new indifference enabled her
to face life with tranquillity again. She
went into society, with Sebastian's
equal indifference; and that was how
she found herself with Mr. Bob Hamilton
on the grounds of the Dirigible
> G^) AUTHOR OF "BE>
YOND THE FRONl
TIER" "MAID OF
1 THE FOREST." "I1Y
A CV LADY OF THE
IjUl/rr NORTH." ETC.
iPMf Vjj NOVELIZED FROM THE
W^r PHOTOPLAY SERIAL
^ ^ 0 OF THE SAME NAME
|| A 1 BY GEORGE B SEITZ.
II II 0 RELEASED BY PATHE.
>W 1 corvnioHT me. it ramoau
pakkjsm |
ffftrSH 7 7 7
club one bright spring afternoon.
They motored out together, with Sebastian's
approvaL Mr. Hamilton was
a young balloon enthusiast; he was to
fly in the long-distance race the following
week.
Bob turned to Leontlne. "I am thlukIng
of asking a very during request.
Mrs. Navarre," he said.
"Don't be afraid," replied Leontlne,
laughing.
"You know each balloon Is to carry 1
a pilot and passenger. The passenger
who was to have accompanied me
?my sister-in-law, backed out yesterday.
IIow would you like to come,
Mrs. Navarre?"
"I should love It," said Leontlne enthusiastically.
"May we regard It as settled," persisted
Bob.
"If my husband doesn't object," said
Leontlne. "Oh, no, I don't believe he
will."
"Why, there is Sonor Navarre!" exclaimed
Hob Hamilton suddenly turnin#?.
Following his look, Leontlno perceived
her husband, accompanying a
flashily dressed woman of singular
beauty?in fact, Hianca. 1
Sebastian hnd accepted Bianca's in- 1
vitation to motor out to the grounds, j
in spite of the knowledge that his wife
would be there. Ills infatuation for
Iiianca had grown steadily. Now, see- ,
ing himself observed, he left her and
came to Loontine rather sullenly.
"Sebastian, Mr. Hamilton wants me
to be his passenger in the balloon
llight next week," said Leontlue.
"Shalt I?"
"K.v all means, if you wish," answered
Sebastian, mentally computing
the chances of an accident.
She looked about her while the two
men engaged in conversation. Her
eyes f??11 upon a sportily clothed man |
of middle age, who, leaning against a
rope, was watching the grounds.
Loontine started. She recognized
the man. It was the little crook, Louis
Lamb, or One-Lamp Louie.
Another man had recognized OneLamp
Louie. This was Avery, Mr.
Hamilton's assistant in the shed, a
sinister-looking individual?in fact,
one of those typical hangers-on of all
athletic and sports meetings. lie
stared at Louie in astonishment; then '
he Hung the fag of his cigarette away
and went up to him.
"Hello, One-Lamp!" he said easily.
"Don't you remember your old pal
Avery who did time with you three
years ago?"
Louie gazed at him dully. "I never |
saw you in my life before," he answered.
And while Avery, completely taken
aback, stared at him, Louie sauntered
away through the thinning crowds in
the direction of the madhouse.
Since Louie had received the blow
on the head from a falling beam in j
the cabaret fire, he had had no memo- ;
rles whatever of his past life.
Another man upon the grounds had j
recognized Louie. This was Romanoff, :
Hianca's chief accomplice. Romanoff
knew all about Louie.
He followed Louie to the madhouse ;
and waited while Louie tossed down a i
glass of whisky. The little crook came |
out and glanced cautiously about him.
and then made his way toward a secluded
spot in the hushes near by.
Romanoff crept stealthily after him. :
He saw Louie leaning against a tree, '
counting out his bills. Romanoff drew :
rnvnlvnr hie ?iiwl I
The'butt descended on Louie's lioud.
With a fearful cry Louie tumbled pros-1
trate among the trees. Romanoff
snatched the wallet from his hand and}
1 disappeared through the undergrowth.
A moment later the car containing'
Leontine and Rob Hamilton came
from the grounds.
"What was that?" exclaimed Leontine,
laying her hand on her companion's
arm.
Bob stopped the car and sprang into
the road. A faint moaning was heard |
! among the bushes at one side. lie i
pushed the overhanging shrubs apart
j and came upon Louie, half-conscious,
with a gaping wound In his head.
Looking up, he saw that Leontine had
followed him.
"Why, it's?it's Louis Lamb!" exclaimed
Leontine, suddenly remembering
the little man's name.
"He must have been slugged. We'd
better take him to a hospital," suggested
Bob.
"No!" cried Leontine. "Take him to
my home."
"But, Mrs. Navarre?" protested
Boh.
i "I fnpnn tiiflt ttiHk \ffr 1l,nnii?An ?? I
- ? ? ? <f ? ~ ?"?" ? ? ?? l"U|
Leontine.
Sebastian, returning later Iq the
| afternoon, was vaguely conscious of a
i stir in the apartment. Entering Leontine's
boudoir, he discovered his wife'
seated beside the couch on which lay
the figure of a man.
"Nothing happened to HamiltonV* j
he asked, hurrying forward.
The look in his wife's eyes frightened
him. He advanced to the side
of the couch. To his horror he found
v' >
THB KOUfcT Hfifi
himself looking again Into the face
of hla companion of the forgery, the
man whom he had last seen at White's
Village, in western Canada.
As he stood staring at Louie In mingled
terror and rage he saw that
Louie's eyes were open. And there
was a look of recognition In them.
Leontlne had left the room. Sebastian
and Ixmie looked at each other.
Then Louie spoke.
"I know you, Sebastian Navarre,"
he said. "You paid me to forge the
| vaper which Jerry Carson was supposed
to huve given you in return for
that money you never lent him."
I Sebastian quivered, as If he were
about to spring at Louie's throat.
He could not know that the stunning
blow on the head had restored
Louie's memory as it had been before
he received the first blow from the
falling beam at the cabaret fire.
Louis Lamb rose to his feet and
staggered toward him, pushing out
weakly with his hands.
"Lerame go!" he said, looking at
Sebastian sourly. "Take your hands
off me. You got no right to stop me."
He pushed past him and encountered
Leontine In the doorway. She tried
to stop him, but Louie evaded her and
passed into the hall. Leontine and Sebastian,
looking at each other, heard
his lumbering footsteps pass along tTie
floor, heard the door open and close.
Louie was gone. And still they
looked into each other's eyes.
"Did you hoar what that fellow
said?" Sebastian asked.
Leontine nodded quietly. I
"What did he mean? Who Is he? I
don't remember seeing Uiiu before?
AAV AO I I ^ ( illlj <1J.
"I don't believe it," she returned.
"Leontine,' lie said, "I guess we
have made a mistake over our marriage.
I was to blame. Will you agree
to divorce me if 1 give you the op- !
portonlty?"
Leontine raised her head, and it was
a long time before she answered ,
him.
"You shall have your divorce," she
said, "when you have confessed your
crime and cleared Jerry Carson's
name."
"^o you did recognize me this morn-1
ing, eh?"
One-Lamp Louie looked at Avery,
Lob Hamilton's assistant, in astonishment.
"I don't know what you mean," he
answered. "I never saw you this morning."
"What do you mean, One-Lamp?
Weren't you on these grounds this
morning, and didn't I speak to you,
and didn't you tell me that you'd never
seen me before?"
"I dunno," said Louie weakly. "I
been sick. Somebody slugged me and
picked my pocket. I can't remember ;
much. I want to talk to you on buslness,
Avery."
14 T 1 "X XT f A% *
*. ui-iiiii iur?. rxavarre saying uuu
slio was going up with your boss, Bob
Hamilton."
"Maybe she is. Maybe she ain't.
What business is it of yours?"
"Suppose Mr. Hamilton was taken
sick. Wouldn't you go up with her
then?"
"Maybe I would. Why?"
"And suppose there was an accident
up aloft, what would happen?" per- ;
sisted Louie. "Suppose a dare bomb
was to be set oil' wrong and the bal
"He Came Into My Room, Knocked Me
Down, Gagged Me and Tied Me to
the Bedpoatl"
loon got burned?you'd have about
half a minute to get uway in your
parachute, wouldn't you?"
"What of it?"
"You couldn't both get away in the
parachute? She'd croak, wouldn't she?
Croak up there in the burning balloon,
and then down she'd come?phutr?
like a rocket."
"Say, what are you driving at?" demaided
Avery, rising to his feet and
looking fixedly at Louie.
Louie extracted a wallet from his
POI'KCH.
"Fifteen hundred, nnd the same afterward,"
he said. "Now, am I talkins
sense, Avery?"
"I guess so," muttered the pilot,
picking up the bills. "Sit down, One
LALD. OMWAT, AO.
Lamp. Tell me what the meaning of
the game Is and just what you want
rae to dot."
a
At midnight Sebastian's telephone
rang. Sebastian, who was brooding
in his library, took down the receiver
irritably. "Well?" he demanded.
"This is your friend. One-Lamp
Louie," answered the voice.
"You?you?" sputtered Sebastian.
"Keep calm, old pal. I said 'your
friend.' I guess she's got It on us all
right, and she'll put it across unless
we do something. Kver hear of her
friend. Boh Hamilton?"
"Confound you, whut do you want?"
"Huve your friend Bob to lunch bbfore
you start for the ground. If ne
gets taken sick at your house everything
will con>e out all right. Hey!
Cut out the questions. I'll attend to
the rest ot the business. Good-by."
Bob Hamilton was In high spirits at
the luncheon, and Sebastian showed
all the graciousness of which he was
capable.
Navarre poured out two liquor
glasses of cordial. Bob raised his toward
Leontlne.
"To a successful flight, madnme,"
he said smiling.
"Queer taste to that stuff," said Bob.
"Pretty strong, though."
"It is strong," said Sebastian smiling.
"My friend must have l>jpen joking
when he told tue it was like light
I \V?!1 T tliinlr T
VI \ ll| A liUUU A IIVUA laic: (IUIU
at the door."
He went out. Leontine and Boh
were together. The girl looked in
astonishment at Bob's flushed face.
"I guess we'd better he?starting,"
said Bob, with something of an effort.
lie was watching her in perplexity.
"Come along," he said of- j
fering her his arm. Only he offered j
it to space, bes'de her. He put his ,
hand to his head.
"I guesh that cordial?pretty shtrong !
slituff," said Boh.
"Mr. Hamilton! What is the matter?"
asked Leontine, as he swayed
and clutched at the table.
Sebastian appeared in the doorway,
cool and suave as before. "We're
r?ady," he said. "Heady, Leontine?
Mr. Hamilton? Why?aren't you feel- j
ing well?"
"I'm all right," muttered Bob thick- i
ly. "Pretty?shtrong slituff?"
lie tumbled forward on the floor.
"Telephone the doctor ! Quick !" insisted
Leontine.
Sebastian ran to the telephone In
the hall. Leontine kneeled beside Boh
Hamilton, who opened his eyes and
looker! lit hor In 11 dn'/iwl wnv
I
"Oh, what is the matter?" she
cried.
"Wine?drugged," said Bob thickly.
"Not old Sebastian's fault. I
Butler bribed, perhaps. Rivals hate i
my balloon."
"Never mind the balloon, Mr. Hamilton,"
cried Leontiue, half crying.
Bob struggled up on the lounge. Outside
Leontiue could hear Sebastian
telephoning. And she knew instinctively
that he had drugged the cordial.
"Listen," muttered Bob, sitting up.
"If I can't go?you must go with my
man Avery. Promise me, Madame Nuvarre."
"Oh, I can't go up?I'm not thinking
of that at all," said Leontine.
"You must. You must start at once,
i Promise me," persisted Bob.
"I promise, then," said Leontine.
"I'm all right now," said Bob, trying
to rise as Sebastian came In. "I'm
going?take you."
"Nonsense," said Sebastian, hurrying
forward. "We must take care of
you until you are better, Mr. Humilj
ton."
Bob loaned against the lounge and
shook his head. "No. Got to go up
in the balloon," he said,
i At that moment the doctor entered.
He was a Spaniard, a crony of Sebastian's,
and Leontine knew that she
| would get no help from him. He made
a swift examination of the patient.
"What is it?" Sebastian asked.
"I should say," said the doctor
suavely, "that this gentleman has
been dining not wisely, but too well."
I *' \T AnconcA I" T ?? ?
imucn-u.n- . i-Aviiiiiuru uciiiiiiur mi*
grily. "Mr. Hamilton has been
drugged."
The doctor looked at her quizzically.
"Of that, ma da me, you are the only
possible judge," he answered.
She looked at Sebastian defiantly,
lie opened his mouth as if to speak;
then turned awuy and shrugged his
shoulders again.
With some show of feeling he assisted
Hob into the auto and watched it
roll away.
*******
Leontine had a curious sense of
personal recognition when she met
Avery at the grounds.
They were a little late, for the oth
or balloons were ready to begin the
! llight. A long line of the giant spheres
j filled the grounds, and an immense
crowd pressed and Jostled about them.
Suddenly Leontine saw a sight
which sent a shiver through her. Not
far away among the crowd, were her
husband and the woman Hlanca.
Then Leontine perceived another
thing which added to her disquietude.
Approaching her car was the little
croflk th? ntun thA host
W? (HUM IT tlVIU nilV ?IUT?
carried to hor t^ome after the attack
on him. He was coming straight toward
hor, and as Avery descended to
tost the ropes he saw Louie approach
him and begin to speak to him.
Loon tine's mind went drifting off, as
was its wont, to the memories of
Jerry in far-away Argentina, and she
did not see the look of astonishment
upon One-Lnntp's face as he accosted
Avery.
The mechanician, smiling grimly,
t
i iti - ' \
i ? I?: :?? J \, ' 3 .1
14U
** km J
y 1 \sf?/
v.. ,v t ' ?. ..< k
"This Will Carry You
climbed back into the car. At that hidmeat
Sebastian approached. He hud
decided to speak with Leontlne. 4
"Leontine?" he began.
The ^rii*l saw remorse upon his face.
Iler husband seemed torn by some internal
struggle. "Leontine," he began ;
again, "if you decide not to go?"
Then Leontine saw Blanca, beautif
nl, alluring, smiling at Sebastian
from where she stood among the
crowd. The look of remorse disappeared
from Sebastian's face.
He bent toward her and kissed her.
"I hope you'll have a pleasant trip,"
he said.
"Stand clear!" shouted the pilot.
Men were releasing all the ropes
of the balloons simultaneously. The
great gas spheres strained upward.
At that moment a man, luitless, coatless,
and disheveled, came running out
of the shed in which llnmilton'8 bulloon
had been housed. He rushed up i
to One-Lamp Louie and gibbered excitedly,
pointing to where the balloon I
was already shooting upward into the |
sUy, Louie stared at him in consternu- j
tlon.
"Avery?" he yelled, above the din of |
the applauding multitude. ''Who?who
?who's the man, your double, in the |
car?"
Avery, shaking with excitement, an- !
swered in Louie's ear:
"I don't know. I never saw him
before. He came into my room an
hour ago, knocked me down, gagged
me, and tied me to the bedpost. I've I
only just worked free."
Louie gripped his arm fiercely.
"You've busted everything!" he
screamed. "You've cooked my goose
and yours too. Gimme back that
money!"
"Well, I guess not," answered
Avery with a grin. "It's all right,
partner."
"What d'yer mean?"
"The tlare bomb's hidden in the basket
of the car, and it's set to go off at
halfpast eight o'clock this evening.
Am t that what you wanted, One 1
Lamp?"
Leontlne felt no fear as the earth
seemed to slip away beneath her. She
leaned dreamily over the edge of the
basket and watched the crowds grow
j smaller, until the black sea of heads
beneath was only a blur.
She fell to watching her silent companion,
who busied himself with his
anemometer and hygrometer. Already,
under his guidance, Avery's balloon had
taken the lead, and the rest tapered
off in a straggling line, the last disappearing
in the mists of the horizon.
Slowly the sun dipped into the west.
The fleet of balloons had vanished in
the distance. They were high above j
the clouds now, floating in a trans?
A. ,11 ^ m ^ _ i A. a. i fm
pa rem iueuiuin 01 paieai uiue. xue ;
gorgeous dying orb dipped on the horizon.
It disappeared in a yell of redden-1
ing clouds. These faded. The stars
appeared. The moon shone, hard and
brilliant, overhead. Night fell.
Leontine was aware that her companion
was looking at her.
"Are you happier?" he asked gently.
Two tears stole down Leontlne's
checks. She could not answer him.
Again the thought of the mysterious
llavengar came to her.
Who was this Ravengar? And who
was this Avery?
Suddenly Leontine saw a look of horror
in her companion's eyes. He was
looking at the bottom of the car. Leon
1
, <'
. . . s>r
,.* * - . -tV. *
V ,V
- >V
Down Safely," He Said.
:ii.?* 5jereei ved a small wisp of sinokc
coiling up among the basket-work.
Instantly the man had leaped forward
to where a small lire extinguisher
hung. lie snatched it up, inverted it,and
directed a steady stream from the
nozzle upon the blaze. Leontine heard
a sputtering sound. The smoke disappeared,
to reappear in half a dozen
other places. The whole bottom of tin
car was smoldering, and the fluid from
the lire extinguisher seemed to have in
effect upon it, unless to intensify tin
conflagration.
A little spurt of fire was seen. It
seemed to leap into existence. It rat
along the bottom of the basket. The
fire extinguisher was empty.
The man in the car cast a frenzied
look upward at the great balloon, its?
silken coat filled with inflammable
hydrogen gas. Already the gas was
expanding under (ho influence of the
heat, and the balloon was shooting up
wurd with prodigious rapidity.
"There's going to he an explosion*
In ir> seconds," said Lcontlne's companion,
dragging the parachute from
Its rest, lie thrust the handle Into hot
hands. "This will carry you down
safely," he said. "Don't let go. Un"
derstnnd me? Don't let go. Now, jump.'
And he drew her toward the edge of
the car.
The basket was ablaze from end tc
end. Yet Leontine hesitated. It wa>
fearful, standing there in the midst
of the circling llames and looking dowi
into those lleecy clouds beneath.
"Jump!" cried the man, and forcec
her over the car's edge.
Leontine fell into space. As sh?v,
did so the other pulled the cord tha.
opened the valve. The great ballooi
shot downward, passing her. Then shl<V
fell swiftly, and the parachute passerT
the balloon in turn. The dizzy
downward turned Leontine faint. \\\M* *
all the intensity of which she wi.''
capable, she clung to the parachute
handle. Then the swift descent ceaset
as the wind opened the parachute. Sh<
was falling earthward softly, as i
feather might fall. Above her hea<
was the black outline of the burn!in
balloon. And standing in the mlds (
of the flames Leontine saw her com
paniou.
The parachute plunged down. Tin
sea rushed up to meet it. Leontine fel (
the dazing shock of the icy water. Sin
felt the surface close above her head
Then the parachute bobbed up lik?
a cork, and, faint and dizzy, the gir
found herself afloat on the waves, tin
parachute and cork supports holding
her buoyantly.
Above her head she saw the her;
mass that hurtled downward.
As she watched, horror-stricken, sh<
| saw a column of flume shoot upward
I For one moment the lurid light playe?
about the balloon, gilding It agalns
| the sky. Silhouetted beneath th
I sphere she saw the figure of the pilot
' standing bareheaded, a tiny outlin
I thftt riinannanraH an u>UK o tavniAn o*
%?V%i M *7f TTIMI U iV * * * a V. V*
plosion, the balloon burst and vaD
lshed.
Then something cnrae falling fror
above. It was the long rope that hun,
from the bottom of the balloon. Leon
1 tine's companion was clinging to H
He had jumped for it at the moinen J
when the explosion occurred. Nov
1 from a height of 200 feet, he fei |
plunging Into the waves,
i Leontine cried out in horror as h
fell Into the wuter, not a dozen pace 1
from where she flouted.. She sprang t
'
r
: