The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, October 28, 1938, Image 6
THE SUN, NEWBERRY, S. C- FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1938
BANNER SERIAL FICTION-
She Painted Her Face
A stMty of tme. and inbique ... 6^ DORNFORD TATES
O Dosnford TaUs
CHAPTER V—Continued
—U—
"On the contrary,” said I, “we’re
practically home. I’m going to get
pen and ink—for you to take down.”
Leaving him staring, I entered
the room on my left, passed to a ta
ble and dipped a pen in some ink.
Then I came back and gave it to
Herrick and watched him begin to
descend.
Brenda, of course, was wide-eyed:
but it was not for me to tell her
what we had found.
We waited together in silence till
Herrick came back—alone.
"Elizabeth wants you again,” was
as much as he said.
In some surprise, I took the torch
from him and again descended the
stair.
As I entered the little chamber—
"Look," said Elizabeth, pointing.
"Is that all right?"
I stooped to regard the vellum.
She had written a line beneath
her grandfather’s name.
“Elizabeth Virgil, Countess of
Brief, only child of the foregoing’s
first-born son.”
“Yes,” said I. “There’s no mis
take about that.”
She gave me the pen, and picked
up the great gold ring. Then she
turnnkl to look again at the body,
sunk in its stall.
“Secing’s believing,” she said.
"But no chemist could do today
whst Gollanx has done.”
That, of course, was most true.
By every right, the body should
have been dust. Instead, it had the
air of a waxwork. And that, I sup
pose, was why it was in no way
offensive, but only remarkable.
After a long look—
"We’d better be going,” she said,
and turned to the stair.
There was now no cause for haste,
for leave before midnight we dared
not, in case Brief was not asleep:
and that was the hour at which Win
ter was to be by the mouth of the
drive. (He, of course, knew no more
than that we were within the tower
and that ell was well, for I had
twice sent him that signal a short
half-hour before dawn. This, from
the leads of the tower, which were
easily reached.) Indeed, we were
faced with the prospect of being
confined for three hours with noth
ing to do, for though we were all
worn out, excitement and impa
tience, between them, would not al
low us to rest. But first, of course,
we had to cover our tracks.
(Here let me say that I make no
excuse for the outlook which I have
this moment set down. It was ours,
at that time: and if I am to be
honest, it must be declared.)
Now that we knew the secret, it
took us a very short while to return
to their ancient order the elements
we had displaced, but dust that the
years have laid cannot be repro
duced in ten minutes of time, and
half an hour went by before I was
satisfied with the look of the thirty-
sixth step, within whose stone the
key to the chamber lay. Whilst I
was attending to this, with Brenda
to give me light, my lady and Her
rick together composed a full note
of what we had found in the cham
ber and what the statement set
forth. They were at work in the
bedroom, that is to say, the upper
most room of the tower.
I had finished my work on the
step and, with Brenda behind me,
was going upstairs to the bedroom
quietly enough. We had passed by
the door and I was about, being
by, to relight my torch, when a
sound there was no mistaking
rapped out of the dark. It was the
clack of a latch.
The two of us stood still as death.
Again the iron was raised—by
somebody standing on the other side
of the door . . . and pressure was
put on the oak—which could not
open because we had made it fast
... Then whoever was there gave
in, and the latch fell back into
place.
I was up the stairs in a flash, to
give the alarm.
Elizabeth paled, and Herrick sti
fled an oath.
“If we can, we must bolt,” said I.
"By way of the courtyard, cf
course: and so to the belvedere.”
"Is that step all right?” said Her
rick.
“Thank God, yes,” said I. "I
was on my way up.”
As luck would have it, our stuff
was ready to hand, and before two
minutes had passed, we had packed
it anyhow and were ready to leave.
We had intended, of course, to re
store to the rooms we had used the
order we had found in them when
we came, but this was not now
worth doing, and so we let them be.
As the four of us stole past the
door, the latch was raised and let
fall and the oak was urged, as
ihough some one refused to allow
ihat the bolts had been shot.
As fast as I dared, I led the way
down the stair . . .
We were, I suppose, some 50 sec
onds too late.
As I gained the hall, I heard the
sound that I dreaded some 18 inches
away—a key being tried in the door
at the foot of the stair.
It was, of course, tried to no pur
pose. The door was heavily barred.
But it meant that both exits were
held, and that we were caught in
the tower as rats in a trap.
CHAPTER VI
I often think that we fully de
served our plight, for, once we pos
sessed the secret we set out to find,
we should not have lest a moment
in leaving the tower. To cover our
tracks was essential, but that we
could have done in a quarter of an
hour. Then again we needed the
darkness, but dusk would have
served our turn. And that we had.
We preferred to ignore a grave per
il because for 43 hours it had never
lifted its head, losing sight of the
staring fact that if it should lift its
head, we were bound to be caught.
Be these things as they may,
move. If you should get clear . . .”
“I’ll give you a flash,” said I,
“from the bend of the stair.”
Herrick nodded and took out a cig
arette.
By this time -those in the court
yard were fairly assaulting the oak,
and since, when the latch was
drawn, the door could be moved to
and fro for an eighth of an inch,
a not inconsiderable uproar invaded
the room.
“Put out that light,” said Her
rick.
As I did his bidding, he stepped
to the door of the chamber and
flung it back with a crash.
The uproar beyond stopped dead.
Then—
“Who the devil is there?” roared
the steward. “Open at once.”
A thick voice replied in German.
“What does this mean—disturbing
respectable people at this time of
“Too easy,” I said, with an eye
on the way we had come. "And if
I’m not back in three minutes,
please give me your word you’ll
go on. I cannot tell what may
happen. If there’s a hitch, it may
be better for us to leave by the low
er door. But we couldn’t do that
unless we were sure you’d es
caped.”
Elizabeth shook her head.
“If you don’t come, I shall use
my'judgment,” she said.
I shrugged my shoulders and
went. There was no time to argue.
Any moment someone might visit
the upper floor.
I have so far said nothing of what
we were most afraid of that sum
mer night—the entrance of Percy
Virgil upon the scene. Not only was
the fellow efficient—he would have
secured both doors before he did
anything else—but he had good
"On the Contrary,” I Said, “We’re Practically Home. 1
when I heard that key move in the
lock, I was ready to do myself vio-
olence for throwing away the
chance of escape we had had: for,
had we behaved—not with prudence,
but common sense, we should at
that time have been nearing the
mouth of the drive.
After a moment’s hesitation, 1 led
the way through the hall and into
the room beyond. Then I shut the
door behind Herrick, lighted a torch
and threw the beam on the floor.
I touched Elizabeth’s arm.
“First, tell me this,” I said. “Is
the roof any good?”
“I’ve no idea,” she said, and
pushed back her sable hair. “There
might be a way—I don’t know.”
I shook my head.
To seek such a path by night
would have been a desperate ven
ture for Herrick and me: the pres
ence of our companions ruled such
an enterprise out.
“Then I can think of nothing,”
said I, “except to draw them away
from the upper door. If we can
only do that, we may still get clear.
Out of the upper do*r, where we
heard them first—across the land
ing you spoke of into your suite—
down your staircase-turret—out of
the castle and up to the belvedere.
Winter will still be there, if we can
be quick, to lead us over the ridge
and down to the Roils.”
“A feint?” said Herrick, frown
ing.
“That’s my idea,” said I. “A
demonstration down here—at the
lower door. I admit it’s a damned
thin chance, but what else can we
do?”
“What sort of demonstration?”
said Elizabeth.
1 looked at Herripk.
“D’you think you could do it?” I
said. “Disguise your voice and—
and parley with them in German?
I mean . . .”
Herrick’s face was a study.
“I see,” he said slowly. “ ‘Par
ley.’ And how, when the parley’s
over, do I get out? Up a hundred
steps and then through a house
I don’t know. Or don’t I get out?”
“I shall come back,” I said, “as
soon as they’re safe in the suite.”
With my words we heard some
body pound on the lower door.
“Who is within?” they demanded.
“Open at once.”
Herrick looked at Elizabeth.
“Is that his lordship?” he said.
“I’d like to, er, parley with him.”
My lady smiled.
“That was Bertram,” she said.
“The steward. I’m afraid he may
get rather fussed.”
“A little bit pompous?” said Her
rick.
“A shade, perhaps. But a most
respectable man.”
“Leave him to me,” said Herrick,
and settled his coat. “And when I
take up the running, stand by to
night? Go and wipe your snout, you
old toss-pot, and burn the towel.”
A savage hiccough subscribed this
most offensive command.
Then a wave of scandalized con
sequence burst on the lower door.
The oak was pounded and shaken,
and choking cries of protest stood
out of a motley clamor of orders
and threats.
I touched Elizabeth’s arm and
made for the stair.
As the girls stumbled on to my
heels, I opened the upper door.
Beyond this, curtains were hang
ing, heavy and thick. I cautiously
lifted one, to see the broadest land
ing I ever knew. In its midst was
an oveal well, some 40 feet wide,
with a bronze balustrade about it
and the heads of twin flights of
stairs upon either side. (To give
some idea of their size, each step
was but two inches high, and some
twelve feet long.) The landing itself
was dim, but a brilliance rose out
of the well 'and the sumptuous flights
of stairs ran down into light. So
far as I could see, there was nobody
hereabouts, but the sound of voices
and movements came from a low
er floor.
Elizabeth, peering beside me,
caught my wrist.
“Quick,” she breathed, and urged
me across the carpet to a door
which was close to the head of the
farther stair.
An instant later, the three of us
entered her suite.
Far More Good Snakes Than Bad Ones,
Yet All Are Doomed Without Reason
The sight of a cottage owner on a
lake in Oakland county beating a
harmless garter snake to death as
it attempted to crawl over his lawn
calls to mind the many unwarrant
ed prejudices that exist in the ani
mal world, particularly among man
kind, observes Albert Stoll Jr., writ
ing in the Detroit News.
Snakes, toads, frogs, newts,
skunks, weasels, porcupines, multi
tudes of insects, some birds and
many other smaller mammals repel
most of us. According to our own
interpretation they have no rights,
and any interference, imaginary or
otherwise, with our plans or selfish
desires brings on the''death war
rant. And our definition of good
and bad among the lower creatures
depends principally on our aversion
to the species. We condemn snakes
because there are some that are
poisonous; there are far more good
snakes than bad ones, yet they all
suffer the same end.
The fisherman shoots merganser
ducks, blue herons and kingfishers
because he thinks they are eating
his trout. He doesn’t know for cer
tain, but according to his light they
have no business on his trout stream
even though they were there long
before the angler.
And so down tne entire list of
birds of prey, cold-blooded amphi
bians and reptiles; predatory ani
mals and winged and crawling
insects. We destroy more often with
out reason or justice thinking that
we are better able to judge the
worth of creatures than the forces
that were responsible for their
creation. And in so doing, more
frequently than not, we destroy a
balance that Nature ordained when
the world was created.
Lamp Patented in 1798
In 1798 the first lamp patent was
issued to John Love, of South Caro
lina, for a tallow lamp. The earliest
patented lamp known is the nursery
lamp made by William Hode, of
Boston, dated 1812. The second ear
liest example, says the Rocky
Mountain Herald, appeared nearly
two decades later, in 1831, and
the patent was issued to John W.
Schulz and William Trull. Between
the granting of these two patents JO
others had been issued.
Cultuis on the Payroll
CONTRARY to the impression
* among many scholars, culture
in this world is absolutely depend
ent upon economic prosperity. It
was no accident that the Peri-
clean age came at a time when
ancient Greece was very prosper
ous and had established a thou
sand trading posts in all parts of
the civilized world. When her
commercial prosperity died out,
the culture of Greece was at an
end too.
The great Augustan period of
Roman literature flowered when
the Roman Empire enjoyed its
peak of commercial prosperity
and collapsed when the economic
system collapsed. The same was
true with the Italian Renaissance,
that golden period of art and cul?
ture.
At every age in history it was
the material wealth of industry
that stimulated and supported cul
tural pursuits. As a result, cul
ture today is most widespread in
those lands where industry is most
productive.
In the United States we have
had 150 years of unparalleled pro
ductivity. With only 7 per cent
of the world’s population living
here, we have produced one-half
of all the wealth on this globe.
That is why, in these same 150
years, we have been able to build
more schools and colleges than all
the rest of the world combined.
Among the greatest media for
disseminating culture in this coun
try are newspapers, magazines,
and radio, in all of which we lead
the world. The "combined circu
lation of the 13,000 periodicals and
newspapers included in the cen
sus is over 300,000,000—nearly 10
for every family. There are 700
broadcasting stations in the Unit
ed States and 80 per cent of all
families own radios.
These great instruments of edu
cation and culture in our country
are supported chiefly by revenue
from the advertising of merchants
and manufacturers. The amount
readers pay for most newspapers
and magazines represents only a
small portion of their actual cost.
Thus the very finest in literature,
art, and music is provided for the
people without cost, as a by-prod
uct of the efficient working of our
commercial system.
Advertising does much more for
culture besides supporting the
bulk of our printed publications
and radio broadcasts. Our entire
economic prosperity is linked up
with advertising, which is an in
dispensable part of the important
process of large-scale sellihg on
the part of our merchants without
which our modern industries could
not operate and could not support
present-day cultural activities.
Advertising helps to bring down
the cost of the things necessary to
a civilized existence and popular
izes culture itself. The merchant
who advertises can sell for less
than the merchant who does not
advertise.
In many ways, advertising sul
sidizes education for' the masM
and stimulates people with tho
necessary desire to attain a higher
level of culture.
Copyright, 193*.
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cause to remember both Herrick
and me; and though we made good
our escape, if he set eyes upon us
the police would be at Raven very
nearly as soon as the Rd^ v But
now I disclose this dread, for as I
whipped over the landing, I heard
his sinister voice.
I think he was giving some or
der. Be that as it may, his un
mistakable accents rang out of the
well.
In a flash I was past the cur
tains and back in the tower and was
cursing its stairway anew, because
to go down it too fast was to break
your neck.
As I came within earshot—
“Only let me get out,” belched
Herrick, fumbling the bolts of his
door. “I’ll teach you to talk to
your betters. I warn you, Bertie,
I’ll tie your snout round your neck.”
And there I flashed my torch—
and saw him leap for the stair.
I turned and climbed befora him
for all I was worth . . .
Eighty - eight merciless steps,
wedge-shaped, steep and naked,
curling between walls that were hos
tile and, when you sought for a
handhold, bruised your nails . . .
After a little, you seemed to make
no progress, to be no more than the
pitiful, captive squirrel climbing his
endless wheel . . . Up, up, up . . .
For less than a minute, I know: but
such is the power of apprehension,
it seemed an age.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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