Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Barnwell People-Sentinel, Barnwell, S. Thursday, June 18, 1936 By MARY HASTINGS BRADLEY e Copyright by D. Appleton- ‘ Century Co., Inc. WNU Servic* SYNOPSIS Leila Seton, young- and beautiful and an expert on paintingH, la conimlsaioned to go over the collection of painting* In the home of the wealthy Kellera In New York, where a party is in progress. From her window she witnesses a man In another room strike a woman. Short ly after Mrs. Keller sends up word,mask ing Mt>r to Join the party at dinner. Leila hastily dresses and goes down. She Is seated between Mr. Deck, a critic, and Monty Mitchell, a noted lawyer. Introductions follow. There are Mr. Harrlden, Miss Letty Van Alstyn, Mrs. Crane, Mrs. Watkins and Frince and Princess Hancinl, guests. Leila finds • he la taking the place of Nora Harri- den. Dan Harrlden leaves the table, jind Mitchell explains he has gone up !o see how his wife's headache Is. He returns shortly. Deck, saying he must put in a call, leaves. Upon his return, he begs Leila to secretly take a mes sage to Nora “to take no steps until I see you.” Leila consents. Leila finds the Harrlden rooms empty and so In forms Deck. Coming out she passes Letty. Harrlden asks Princess Uanctnt to run up and see his wife. The prin cess reports the absence of Nora. Search Is fruitless. Harrlden admits that he had a row, and believes she is spite fully hiding. Anson, a maid, reports seeing Deck near Nora's room. Letty telis of seeing Leila come from the room. Leila accuses Harrlden of hav ing struck his wife. CHAPTER II—Continued —3— I could only stand and stare, gripped In a horrible uncertainty. I could not swear that the figure In the window had been his. But It was In'her room, and If not he— Very stiffly I said: “I certainly saw a man’s figure In that room, and saw him strike a woman. The curtains were not drawn, and he was standing In the window.” An odd shiver ran across Harrlden’s face. It was like a tremor through Ice, I thought; and then the hard ness and the stiffness reflrmed. He aald, through lips that seemed to be enunciating with painfulness: “I have no means of knowing who was in my wife’s room before I came up.” There was a perfectly ghastly al ienee. I didn’t dare look at Alan Deck, though I know I was asking my self If It had been he In that room, he who had slapped that woman, then plunged off to the gallery later, to bit ter, reproachful brooding. I could understand his eyes, then. I could understand his agony of eager ness to see her again, at once—his message he had tried to send by me: To take no steps. It was all a mystery to me, bit 1 wished I had bitten my tongue out before 1 had blurted out my angry words. Keller came suddenly to my rescue. ^ “AH this Is 'getting us nowhere; petty rows don’t matter. The ques tion Is, where has Nora gone to? Since she hasn’t changed her clothes, she’s probably somewhere about, and I suggest we go out and help the men who are looking.” The men trooped off for coats against the chill of the October night, and we women were left together. I hud a feeling that I was in disgrace, a dangerous Interloper who might ex plode at any moment with more shat tering bombs of revelation. Suddenly Mrs. Crane said, In her practical voice: “A bandit couldn’t possibly have got In here, could he, Carrie—in 4ho window and carried her off?” “It sounds fantastic,” said Sirs. Keller. , “WVdl, It’s been done.” , “I don’t think that’s possible. Look and see for yourself,” said her sister; and they came to the window. I has tened to help undo the bolts, and op ened the wide casement. We all looked out In turn, the crisp air strik ing sharply on our bare shoulders and arms. I liked the shiver of it; It seemed to speak of clarity and reullty, after all this politer of domestic brawls and a vanished woman. One by one we three craned our heads over the edge, examining the scanty stone sill. “It doesn’t look possible,” Mrs. Crane admitted. “He might have used a ladder though — those thugs manage anything." , “That's too fantastic,” said Mrs. Keller again. She added dryly : '‘You’ll find Nora is safe in New York, enjoy ing the powwow. ... I shall never forgive her—treating me like this.” Down below us, we could hear the ■voices of some of the men returning. “They haven’t found her,” said Mrs. Crane, drawing In her head. ‘‘I expect HI get a cold In my nose for this.” I took one more look out, down at that group of men; and so It was I who saw first what there was to see- down In the checker of shade In the shrubbery directly beneath the win dow. Something half hidden—a faint, lightish blur. I said excitedly: “Mrs. Keller— Isn’t there something there?” And I drew back for her to look. She called sharply down to the men: “Look there—In the shrubbery—under Um window. There is something—" It was invisible from where they were, for the shrubbery was thick and high, and the front part unbroken. Nearer the house the branches hai bent In under the burden that they found there, the still slight body of a woman In gold pajamas: the life less form of Nora Harrlden. CHAPTER III It pouldn’t be real, I felt. It was like some scene In a dreadful play. These couldn’t be real people; this wasn’t a real death. ... It didn’t seem possible that Nora Harrlden emild be dead; my Impression of her vitality, of her exultant allveness, was so Intense that I could not bring my self to believe In her death. Not till 1 had looked on her face. I saw the thin, sharp curve of the reddened lips, like little knife-blades, and thought—In spite of my pity for the dead—that It was a hard, cruel, triumphing little mouth, made for ex’ ultancy. They were kneeling all about her, feeling her pulse, her body. She lay In those Incongruous gold pajamas, one slim silken foot bare of Us shining slipper, on a sofa In the hall, until (he doctor came. No bones were broken, he reported; the bushes had eased her fall. But over her ear was a ghastly wound with the blood dried about It, and dark stains on her temple. “Struck on something hard,” he said saplently. “Penetrated — death must have been almost Immediate." His voice, as he phrased that, slid Into a consolatory cadence. He w’as looking up at the husband, who stood motionless beside him, his head slight ly bent. I could not see his face; his hands were clenched at the sides. I felt suddenly a queer pity for those hands—I wondered If one of them had Indeed struck out at.that adored woman who had Infuriated him go much. ... , And then I thought again that It might have been Alan Deck. Surely the husband would rather have the onus of that blow upon himself than admit that another man was lounging In his wife’s room—though perhaps these people thought little of casual intimacies. A conference was going on. I heard Harriden’s voice saying, In his grim, unshaken tones: “She probably want ed more air—tried to open the win dow wider, and was dlzxy—she’d taken headache stuff—and fell." “Oh, an accident, undoubtedly," said Keller In his convincing, everyday voice. I heard the doctor assenting. I had a feeling that he would assent po litely to anything these plutocratic cli ents dictated—with bis own secret reservations. “She was there on the bed when you came up, wasn’t she, Dan?" Mrs. Kel ler asked. The husband hesitated. “I couldn’t be sure. The room was dark, and I assumed she was still on the bed sleeping, so didn’t speak.” He added, with positiveness now: "She was there when I went down. When I came In to see her after I had dresse'd—that was at eight, or a little after—she said her head ached, and she want ed nothing sent up. I rang for the maid and told her not to come In to do anything In the room—that Mrs. Harrlden wanted complete rest. I don’t remember whether Mrs. Harrl den said anything further to you or not, Anson. Did she?" “Why no, sir,” said Anson. “It was Just you, sir, at the door." “But you saw her there on the bed." "Why, yes, sir,” said Anson, a little surprlsedly. “I could see through the door. You sort of whispered to me. You said she was asleep.” “Did I?” said Harrlden wearily. “I forget—I think she’d turned over and wanted to sleep. And I don’t remem ber whether the window was open or not. I suppose It was a little way." "Anson,” said Mrs. Keller, “was the window open when you came up?" “Why, yes, ma’am, It was," said An son promptly. “I remember the room felt chilly, so I closed and locked It.’’ Whether Nora Harrlden had gone out that window before her husband looked In, or Just afterward. It had all happened while’ we were sitting down there about that dinner-table, eating and drinking and uttering our banali ties. There was more talk, I rememhef; and then Nora Harrlden was carried upstairs. Her husband carried her, her hare arms drooping over his big shoulders, her blood stained head like a child’s asleep on him, and took her to the bed I had seen waiting. Then Mrs. Keller, practical In all stress, said abruptly. “Look here, Dan —I want you to take charge of her tilings.” She went to the closet. “If tier pearls are In there, I don’t want the responsibility. Take them In your room,” she said, and stepped quickly inside. Tlie next instant she gave a queer, muffled cry and came stumbling out. “Quick—somebody—come I" she said incoherently. And then. In a thin voice of hor ror: “It’s blood! I stepped In It!” Mrs. Crane caught hold of her and we all stood about, staring down at the Jade green slipper she lifted, at the wet, dark stain on the sole. The princess gave a little cry, and Keller and the doctor hurried Into the closet. Harrlden stood rigid by his wife’s bed. Then both men came backing out, and Keller was holding up a fore finger, dark stained and sticky. “It’s blood all right," he said. The doctor, looking down at his own finger, nodded affirmatively. Every one stood staring at them a moment then fluttered forward to that open closet door and I went with them. The light was on In It. On the floor. Just under a sweep of orchid ailk. Jay a dark heavy pool, jts edges hlmred wkere feet had stepped Into It. It must have been there, dark, unregarded, when Harrlden had stepped In, to glance about for his wife's gold pajamas. Harrlden marched to the closet door, and I shrank aside, trembling In my excitement and pity. He seemed to stay there quite a time, and when he came out his face was more than ever like granite. * “Yes, It’s blood," he said, as If no else's word could be accepted. I glanced about for Alan Deck. He was not hi the room; he had not fol lowed when wq had trooped lika sheep after Harrlden and his dead wife. Per haps the sight of Nora in Harrlden’s arms. ... I was grateful that he was spared the sight of Nora Harrl- den's blood on her closet floor. “This puts a new complexion on It,” said Keller. His words seemed Incon gruous, but Ijis tone did full Justice to the terrible gravity of the situa tion. He turned directly to HarrideTn. “That blood In the closet — that came before she went out the window. This doesn’t look an accident. Dan. Some one got ln^ here. Some thug—” His eyes turned to the window. “I suppose that way is possible,” he said grudgingly, “though how any one could get In the grounds— I suppose he was after her jewelry. He got In, thinking the room empty, went to her closet to rummage, and she Jumped off the bed after him—she had plenty of pluck.” He paused, and the assenting un dertone of murmur about him con- ’firmed Nora llarrlden’s pluck. “Then," said Keller, "he struck her and flung her out.” Keller’s next question, so eminent ly that of the practical man, seemed “If* Blood l” to me shocking In Its Immediate con cern for material things. “Better see If anything’s missing," he advised briskly. “See If he got away with anything." Harrlden did not stir. “What the devil does It matter?" he growled. He looked half savage with pain, at bay against the world. The doctor spoke up persuasively. “But you want to have the man ap prehended, Mr. Harrlden. The man who has done this—" Glancing toward the still figure on the bed he hesitat ed. Even In the presence of death the word murder had an Incredible quality in that house. “Every moment Is of value," he urged. “Any jewel taken would be a clue. If—If you can bring yourself to It, Mr. Harrlden—" Harrlden gave him a glance of cold contempt, ns If for the imputation of weakness, and like a man suddenly waking moved forward; “I know where she put the box," he said, as Keller made to anticipate him, to save him the sight of that dark pool, and he went into the closet. Harriden’s bulk filled the doorway when he moved forward, gingerly, stopped and fumbled. I remember Mrs. Crane’s saying In a low tone to Keller, “Hadn't you better telephone the lodge—have them keep a sharp lookout?” and his telling her to do It, She was Just moving away from the phone when Harrlden came out of the closet, bearing a morocco-covered box. “It’s locked, all right,” he re ported. "Well, If It’s locked there can’t be anything missing—the thief wouldn’t lock It up again," Mrs. Keller mur mured. "We might open It, anyway, to make sure," said Keller. “Do you know where the key is?” “She kept It somewhere In her dressing case." Harrlden went to a small green dressing case whose opening lid showed fittings of green enamel set In gold, lovely, luxurious fittings that any woman's heart would envy, and began gambling atynit In It. I don’t know why I watched his strong, blunt fln- l?ers so closely. They seemed to fas cinate me. I felt so deadly sorry fer them, In the work they had to do. Once he paused and hls face had a queer, arrested look; I remember thinking that some especially Intimate posses sion of hls wife’s had touched some chord of deep and bitter remembrance. He swept hls fingers back and forth over the silk for a moment as If he had forgotten what he was after, then suddenly hls hand lowered and be drew out a small key. “Well, the man would n£ver lock the case and put the key back there again.” Mrs. Keller murmured with a sort of petty triumph. “He might—Just to put people off,” Mrs. Watkins declared with the same sort of obstinacy. ( "He mtght hays bad a pass key.* ■aid the princess thoughtfully. Harrlden unlocked the case; he op ened the lid and made such slow busi ness of examining It, staring down Into each tray of bright, glistening things that I wondered If he were thinking that those lovely baubles would never go about her throat and wrists again. He must be thinking it. Then hls voice came, with that sharp, almost grumbling irritation In It. "The pearls are here—and the emeralds. And a lot of other Junk. But the diamond chain Isn’t here." “The diamond chain—her yellow dia monds?” Mrs. Keller caught up quick ly. “Why, she was wearing them!" Harrlden stood a moment as if re- memberlng. Hls eyebrows kept twitch ing but that was the only sign of emo tion In that rigid face. “Yes. she was wearing the chain," he said. “She had It on.” Some one said, “Hasn’t she it on now?” and Harrlden turned quickly to the bed. He bent over her, then straightened and came back to us. “It’s gone,” he said. “That’s a clue, then," the doctor de clared. “You must lose no time, Mr. Keller, In notifying the police." “The police!" said Keller. All hls repugnance toward the sensational publicity was In hls tone but he moved at once to the room phone, hls wife murmuring to him In agitated under tones. The doctor went on, “And noth ing more here must be touched. We must set a guard here." “Do we have to go through all this?" demanded "ilarrlden. “Let the damn diamonds go.” “I’m afraid we must,” Dr. Olliphant told him. “It’s the only way to get the—the man.” “They’ll never get ' him,” growled Harrhlen, * In grating contempt. Hls bleak eyes seemed to say, “And If they do, what’s that to me—now?” I knew how he must be flinching at hav ing his wife’s name dragged through the publicity of a murder case. “I’ll guard,” I heard him say gruff ly, and the doctor murmured that he would stay with him. I suspected he had hls Idea that Harrlden might do something desperate to himself If left alone Just then. We were all trooping downstairs, I rather on the outskirts, when Monty Mitchell dropped back beside me. Hls small, bright eyes were glittering be hind their glasses. "Why would Nora run lute that closet after a thief?” he put directly to me. “She had pluck, but she wasn’t a fool. She’d have run to the door and screamed.” “He may have caught her and dragged her In," I said, and then, “She was excited—no one of us knows what he’ll do when suddenly flung off balance." “I know damned well what 1 wouldn’t do," the young man retort ed. He had lost hls chatty, banter ing air; he looked extremely competent. He seemed quite pleasurably excited. "Anyway he shoved her in that clos et before she was dead," he went on. “She must have been there some lit tle time for all that blood to form. Then he thought again and decided to give it the look of an accident so ho put her out the window. ... A strong fellow.” I thought- of how easily Harrlden had carried hls wife up the stairs and murmured, “She doesn’t look heavy." “About a hundred and fifteen," said Mitchell practically. He paused at the foot of the stairs and stood beside me, frowning Intently as he tried to piece out the situation. He said, thinking aloud, “Dan did not see the blood when he went In to look for those gold pajamas—but then Dan was glancing along the level of hls eye. . . . This fellow might have seen It when he came back—I’d say he did, and that was the reason he locked the door and took the key away. Presuma bly the key was In the lock, np to then. . . . And I’d say that he got out the window. He had the dia monds and didn’t dare wait for more loot." “And I’d say,” I spoke up, some what spiritedly, “’that every one of you Is thinking about how It was done and what was taken and not about how awful It Is." Mitchell gave me a quick look. “You seem a simple-hearted young creature," he told me. "You never knew her — yet you rushed to her room to help her cover her slapped cheek.” He gave a short laugh. “You may be glad she wasn’t there—she’d have skinned you. She wouldn’t have dreamed you’d come In anything but malice." “You don’t make her sound very pleasant." “I never liked her," he said bluntly. “Come and have a drink. We need It" The others had set the example and as we entered the white dining-room for the second time that evening ] saw It was already filled and that a group was about Deck, who was stand ing straight and tall beside the buffet. I saw him put an empty glass down very slowly and carefully, and It came over me that It was only then that he' had heard of the grim discovery Is the closet. It was tragic enough, 1 thought, to know the woman you loved was dead, but to have to learn that she had been done to death, brutally, violently, to have to hear It and give no sign, ... ® The police had come, four or five local authorities, with a head official named Donahey whose eyes were as cynical as Harrtdeu’s own, and tbs house became a bustle of confusion. Fingerprint men and cameramen trooped upstairs to work, policemea tramped through all the rooms, search lights flashed outside the windows is the shrubbery. Again I had that senaa of grotesque unreality, as If this wen a scene from some morbid play. (TO BE CONTINUED). £ m When making cinnamon toast cut bananas In thin slices, arrange on toast, sprinkle with sugar and cin namon and brown under the broiler. • • • If cherries or berries are rolled In flour before putting them Into the pie crust the juice will be thickened and will not run out. * « * * Squeeze Into a tumbler the Juice of half a lemon and fill with grape Juice. Served cold this makes a deli cious drink. • • • If lattices for rose hushes and vines that grow on the house are put on hinges It will he easy to lay them on the ground when painting your house. —•—•' ^ The ribs of au old" umbrella may be used as stakes to -tie plants to. They are not conspicuous in a gar-, den. • • • Before polishing mahogany furni ture wash well with warm w’ater and rhite soap and dry thoroughly. • • • Fruit Juices aud gluger ale may be frozen Into cubes in a mechanical refrigerator and used for Iced drinks. © Associated Newspapers.—WNU Service. K: IF YOU WANT GOOD PRESERVES YOU HAVE TO SEAL THEIR DELICIOUS FLAVOR IN TIGHT. AND IF YOU HAVE TO SEAL THEIR * FLAVOR IN TIGHT YOU HAVE TO USE GENUINE PE-KO EDGE JAR RINGS. THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT! UNITED STATES RUBBER COMPANY MM $taM Mfear Piatets, te. 17M Inteny. Iter Yerk, ft. Y., >Ma ttt Pe-Ko Edge JAM RUBBERS VlOW FAR V y/i ' >V ^ ^ Hi 1 or- (ou need (jjuahtrp V sy/ll*/ New Way to MEASURE OIL VALUE After you drain and refill your crankcase, how far do you go before you have to add the first quart? If you don’t know, it’s worth checking. This »imple test gives you the real measure of oil economy and of oil quality, too. Because the oil that stands up best between refills is givn.g your motor the best lubrication. Try the “First Quart” Test with Quaker State. See if you don’t go farther than you ever did with any other oil under similar driving conditions. Quaker State Oil Refining Company, Oil City, Pa. Retail Price... 354 per Quart of Socpekuznc*' QUAKER STAIR MOTOR OHS AND SUPERNNE CREASES