The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, July 08, 1914, Image 5
t
Seven Keys
TO
Baldpate
KAKLJKKR MGGEtS
at****
the way, Mr. Cargan, you're up
?yppf frueeed I're reed e lot of msga
articles about you, aod tbey one
aid all agree that you're a good fel?
low. too1!! I
(rod kindling and paper
"Waatr Too mayor's roar seemed
to eb*U% the windows. ' Young mag.
a nerve like jours, you could
Wneedle toe price of a battleship from
Cgiwagw 1-1**- Be stood for a mo
sswnjfc gating almost in owe at Ma gee
TlasaY he burnt forth Into a whole soul
ad laugh. 1 in i good fellow/' be
seal ~r? ?how yon.*'
Be went tale the other room and
the borrtisd protests of Lou
V enJemdYeasneelf amid the esbes of
the ftdHnttw *vYhea be hud a Mass
aastet wsj Mr. Msgee camu shivering
from Ine other room end head ont bis
*atr. Onrfan.** ho laughed, ??you're a
prlnog^ Be noted with Interest that
tie eseyor's broad shoes were mighty
?oar $100,000.
Wlano Mr. Masse drew on bin clothes
the major and Mux set thoughtfully
?tt* fire, the former with his
bonds folded over the rest ex
?ease where no breakfast reposed. Mr.
Msgee explained to them that the
bolder of the sixth key bad arrived.
"A ksndsoeae young lady." be re?
mained. "Her name M Myrn Thorn
"OKI Benry Tbonihlirs daughter.'
fei sated taw major. "Well, seems I've
sort of loet too habit of being sur
Ptfeed now. I toil you. Lou, were
breaking bate the orchid division up
Wille Mr. Magee susred-tn Ice cold
water, another black mark sgainst the
berntU of aUMaste-he tuned owe* tn
his mind the events of tho nlgbt be
'ore,
U# wee ready to descents st lent and
carp Into the fntlor of tola suit with
grant coat and hat Xu reply to Mr.
Cnqnau s unasked quest Ion. be said.
Tto going up the mountain present
rj to rossen with our striking cook.**
"You ain't going to leere this Inn.
Magee," entd the mayor.
"Not sewn Is brtng beck a cook!
Come. Mr. Csrgan. be reasonable. Too
iaejr go with me If jon suspect my
motives''
?1~ usta s. n ?
Tbey went out into the hall snd Mr.
Mssws passed down the corridor to
the farther end. where be rapped on
the door of Mien Thornhtirs room. She
so ssaisil slmost Immedlstely, burled
beneath fere and wraps.
Too moot be nearly froren.*' re
Mr. Msgee pityingly. "You
your maid come down to the of
1 want yon to meet the other
"ID eome.' *bo replied. "Mr. Ma
see, 1'vte a lonfewlon to make. 1 In
rented the maid. It aeemed so hor?
ridly unconventional snd shocking?1
couldn't sdmlt thst I was alone. That
why I wouldn't let you Mild a
*<Dow*t worry,** sea ted Magee. "You'll
find we have alt the conveniences up
here, ill pressut yen to n chaperon
shortly?a Mrs. Norton, who Is bore
with her daughter. Allow me to In?
troduce Mr. Csrgan snd Mr. Max."
The girl bowed wMh n rather star?
tled sir. snd Mr. Csrgan mumbled
sosnothftog that had "ploaearo** In It
In the eawre tbey found Professor Sol?
tow snd Mr. Bland sitting gioomlly
before the fireplace.
**Oot the news. Msgee?" aaked the
haberdasher. "Paters has done s dls
appearing act"
it was eviu..*. m Magee that every
body looked upon Cetera aa bis crea
tare and laid tho hermit's alne at his
door. He laugbed.
"I'm going to bead a search party
shortly." b* said "Don't 1 detect the
odor of coffee In the distance*"
"Mr*. Norton." remarked Professor
Bolton dolefully, "baa kindly consent?
ed to do what she can."
The gin of tne etatioa came through
the dining room door. It ?raa evident
ehe had no share In tho general gloom
that the hermit's absence cast over
Baldpate tier eyes were bright with
the glorias of morning on s mountain.
In tbelr depths tbere wsa no room
for petty annoyances.
"Good saocotng." she said to Mr. Ma?
gno. "Isn't It braclug? Viaro you
been outside? Ob. !"
?Hies Norton ? Ml as Thorn hl 11." ex?
plained Magee "Miss Tbornhlll bsa
the sixth key, you know. She came
last nlgbt without any of us know
Inf."
With lukewarm smiles, tbe two girls
shook bands. Outwardly the gluoci
tbey exchanged were nonrhnlnht und
raausl. but somehow Mr Magee felt
that among the matteraAjbey establish
sd were social podhlon; wsj. cunning,
guile snd taste In drees.
Waeu tbe r? *r unsatisfactory tub
st* tu to for hienkfast waa consumed.
Mr. Magee rose briskly.
"Now." he said. "I'm going to run up
to tho hermit m shark aud reason with
him as beut I cid. I shall paint In
touching colors our ssd plight. If the
man has an atom of decency"?
"A walk on the mountain In the
morning." sa*d Miss Thornlitll quickly.
"8plendld. 1"
"Wonderful." put In Miss Norton.
"1, for one. can't resist. Eveu though
1 haven't been invited, I'm going
along." She smiled sweetly. She had
beaten the other girl by the breadth
of a balr, and she knew it. New glo?
ries shone In her eyes.
"Good for you!" aald Magee. The
evil hour of explanations was at hand
surely. "Run up and get your things."
While Miss Norton was gone Mr.
Csrgsn and Lou Max engaged In ear?
nest converse near a window. Aftor
which Mr. Max pulled on his over?
coat
"1 ain't been Invited either/' he said,
"but I reckon 111 go along. 1 always
wanted to see what a hermit lived
like when he'a really buckled down to
the hermit business. And then a walk
In the morning tas always been my first
rule for health. You don't mind, do
youT*
"Who sm 1." ssked Msgee, "that
1 should stand between you end
health? Come along, by all means."
The three went ont through the front
door and found under the anow a hint
of the path that led to the ahack of the
post card merchant
"Will you go ahead f aaked Magee
of Max.
"Sorry," grinned Max, "but I guess
ru bring up the rear."
"Suspicion," said Mr. Msgee, shak?
ing hie head, "has caused s lot of trou?
ble in the world. Remember the cruel?
ly practiced on Pueblo 8am."
"I do." replied Mr. Max, "and It
nearly breaks my heart But luere'a a
tHUe matter I forgot to mention last
night Suspicion Is all right in its
place."
"Where's that7' asked Mr. Msgee.
Mr. Max tapped his narrow chest.
"Here," he said. So the three began
the climb, Mr. Magee and the girl
ahead, Mr. Max leering at their heels.
Covertly Mr. Magee glanced at the
girl striding along by hla aide. The
red flamed In her cheeks; her long
lashes were flecked with the White of
the snow; her face waa such a one as
middle aged men dream of while their
fat wives read the evening paper'a
beauty hints at their aide. Far beyond
the ordinary woman waa she desirable
and pleasing. Mr. Msgee told himself
he bed been a fool, for he who hsd
fought so valiantly for her heart's de
sire at the foot of the steps had falter?
ed when the time came to hand her
the prise. Why? What place had cau?
tion In the wild scheme of the night
before? None surely. And yet he,
dolt. Idiot coward, had in the moment
of triumph turned cautious. Full con?
fession, he decided, was the only way
out
CHAPTER XIII.
The Quest of the Hermit,
DON'T know bow to begin."
Ill muttered the novelist whose
111 puppets' speeches had al
XmSmmJ wave been so apt. "Last
night yon sent me on a sort of quest
for tho golden fleece. 1 didn't know
who hsd been fleeced or whst the Ides
was. Bat 1 fared forth, gfl they aay.
I got It for you"?
The eyes of the girl glowed happily.
She waa beaming.
"I'm so glsd." she said. "But why
why didn't you give It to me laat
night? It would have meant so much
If you had."
"That" replied Mr. Magee, "Is what
I'm coming to?very reluctantly. Did
you note any spirit of caution In the
fellow who set forth on your quest and
dropped over the balcony rail? You
did not I waited on the porch and
saw Max tap the safe. 1 aaw him and
Cargan come out. I waited for them.
Just as I was about to Jump on them
somebody?tbo man with the seventh
key, I guess?did It for me. There waa
a scuffle I Joined It 1 emerged with
tho package everybody seems so In?
terested in."
"Yes," said the girl breathlessly.
"And then"
"I started to bring it to yon," went
on Magee, glancing over his shoulder
st Msx. "I was all aglow with ro?
mance and battle and all that sort of
thing. I pictured the thrill of hand?
ing you (be thing you bad aaked. 1
ran upstairs. At the head of the stairs
?I saw her."
The light died in her eyes. Re?
proach entered there.
"Yes," continued Magee, "your knight
errant lost his nerve. lie ceased to
run on schedule. She. too, asked me
I for that package of money."
i "Aud you gave It to her," aald the
girl scornfully.
"Oh. no." answered Magee quickly.
"Not so bad as tont I simply eat
dewu ou the steps uud thought 1 got
cautious. I decided to watt until to?
day. I?I did wait."
lie pnused. The girl tdrode on, look?
ing straight uheud.
"I know," be an id, "what you think.
I'm a One s(>eclineu of n innn to seud
on s bunt like that? ? weakkaeed
mollycoddle who pUSSOi Into n state of
coma at the crucial muneut. Hut? ,
I'm gniug to give you that package
yet"
The girl turned her bead. Mr Ms?
gee saw thnt her eyes were misty with
tears.
"You're playing with me." she said
brokenly. "I might have known.
And I tmated you. Yoti'ro in the game
with tho others and I thought you
wereu't. I staked my whole chance of
succosm on you. Now you're inn king
sport of me. You never Intended Is
give me itint n mey. You don't In?
tend to now."
"On my word," cried Magee, "I do
Intend to give It to you the minute
we get back to the inn! 1 havo it safe
in my room."
?'Give it to her," said the girl bitter?
ly. "Why don't you give it to Ler?"
Oh, the perversity of women!
"It's you 1 want to glvo it to," re?
plied Mngee warmly. "I don't know
what was tbe matter with me last
nlgbt. 1 was a fool. You don't be?
lieve in me, I know"? Her face was
cold and expressionless.
"And I wanted to believe in you?
so much," she said.
"Why did you want tor' cried Ma?
gee. "Why?"
She plodded on through the snow.
"You must believe," he pleaded. "I
don't know what all this is about?on
my word of honor. But I want to give
you that money, and 1 will?the min?
ute we get back to tbe inn. Will you
believe then? Will you?"
"I bate you," said the girl simply.
She should not have said that. As
far back as be could rvmember such
opposition had stirred I dr. Magee to
wild deeds. He opened his mouth,
snd words flowed forth. What were
the words?
"I love yout I lore you! Ever since
that moment in the station I have
loved you! I love you!"
Faintly he beard himself saying It
over and over. By the gods, he was
proposing?Inanely. In words of one
syllable, as the butcher's boy might
have told hlb love to the second kitch?
en maid.
"Move yon," he continued* Idiot!
Often Mr. Magee had thought of
the moment when he would tell his
love to a woman. It was a moment
of dim lights, music perhaps In the
distance, two souls caught up In the
magic of the moonlit night?a pretty
graceful speech from him, a sweet
gracious surrender from the girl. And
this?instead.
"1 love you." In heaven's name, was
be never going to stop saying it? "1
want you to believe."
Good lord! He recalled that a fel?
low novelist, whose love scenes were
regarded as models by young people
suffering tbe tender passion, had once
confessed that he proposed to bis wife
ou a street car and was accepted just
ss tbe conductor banded him his trans?
fers.
Tbe girl deliberately stopped. There
was never less of sweet gracious sur?
render in a suffragette hurling a stone
through s shopkeeper's window. She
eyed Mr. Magee pityingly, and they
stood until Mr. Max caught up with
them.
"So that's the hermit's shack." said
Max, Indicating the little wooden hat
at which tbey had arrived. "A funny
f 0 Q>* v>V\* .
"Why didnt you give it to me las*
night V
place for a guy to bury himself. I
should think he'd get to longing for
the white lights and the table d'notes
with red wine."
"A very unromantlc speech," reprov?
ed the girl. "You should be deeply
thrilled at the thought of penetrating
the secrets of tho hermitage. 1 am.
Are you, Mr. Mngee?"
She smiled up nt Magee, and be was
lu that state where he thought that In
the blue depths of her eyes he saw the
sunny slopes of the islands of the blest.
"I"? he caught himself In time. He
would not bo Idiot enough to babble it
again. He pulled hlmseV together.
"I'm going io make you believe In me,"
he said, with u touch of his old Jauntl
noes.
Mr. Max was knocking with charac?
teristic loudness nt the hermit's door.
Tho door of the hermit's abode open?
ed before Mr. Mux's masterful knock,
and the bearded llttlo man appeared ou
the threshold, lie was clad in a pur?
ple drossln? sjown that suggested some
womau had picked it. Surely no man
could have /'alien victim to that riot of
color.
"Come In." said Ihn hermit in n tone
so colorless It called added attention
to the gown. "Miss, you have the
clrilr. You'll have In bo contented with
that soup box davenport, gentlemen.
Well 7"
He stood rnclng (hem in tho middle
of his bvrmllnsje.
"We have coino to pleod"? began
Miss Norton, turning her eyes at their
full candle power on the hermit's
bearded face.
"1 beg pardon, miss." interrupted Mr.
Telcrs, "hut. It ain't any use, I've
thought it all out in the night WStches,
as tlntmpot says. I came up here to be
alone. 1 can't be a hermit and a cook
too. I can't and be true to myself.
No. you'll have to accept my resign*
tlt'ii. to take effect at once."
He sat down on an uncertain chair
and regarded them sorrowfully. Ills
long, well shaped (Ingers clutched the
cord of the purple gown.
"It Isn't hs though we were asking
you to give up the hermit business for
good," signed Mngce. "It's Just for
a short time?maybe only for a few
days. 1 should think you would * *1
como the diversion."
Mr. Peters shook his head vigorous?
ly. The brown curls waved flippantly
about bis shoulders.
"My Instincts." he replied, "ore away
from the crowd. 1 explained that to
you when we first met, Mr. Magee."
"Any man," commented Mr. IfIX,
"ought to be able to strangle his in
stlucta for a good salary, payable In
advance."
"You come here," said the hermit
with annoyance, "and you bring with
you the sentiments of the outside
world?the world I have foresworn.
Don't do it I ask you."
"I don't get you," reflected Mr. Max.
"No, pal. 1 don't quite grab this her?
mit game. It ain't human nature, 1
say. Way up here miles from the little
brass rail and the sporting extra and
other things that make life worth liv?
ing. It's beyond me."
"I'm not asking your approval," re?
plied the hermit. "All I ask la to be
let alone."
"Let me speak." said Miss Norton.
"Mr. Peters and I have been friends,
you might say, for three years. It was
three years ago my awed eyes first fell
upon him. selling bis postcards at the
inn. He was to me then the true ro?
mance, the man to whom the world
means nothing without a certain wo?
man at his side. That is what be has
meant to all the girls wuo came to
Baldpate. He Isn't going to shatter
my ideal of him-he Isn't going to re?
fuse a lady In distress. You will come
for Just a little while, won't you, Mr.
Peters V"
But Peters shook his head again.
"I dislike women aa a sex," he said,
"but I've always been gentle and easy
with isolated examples of 'em. It
ain't ray style to turn 'em down. But
this is asking too much. I'm sorry,
but 1 got to be true to my oath?I got
to be a hermit"
"Maybe." sneered Mr. Max, "he's got
good reason for being a hermit. May?
be there's brass buttons and blue uni?
forms mixed up In It."
"You come from the great world of
suspicion." answered the hermit, turn
Ing reproving eyes upon him. "Your
talk is natural. It goes with the life
you lead. But It Isn't true."
"And Mr. Max is the last who should
Insinuate." rebuked Mr. Magee. "Why.
only la i night he denounced suspi?
cion and bemoaned the fact that there
la so much of It in the world."
"Well he might." replied the hermit.
"Suspicion is the keynote of modem
life, especially In New York." He
drew the purple dressing gown closer
about bis plump form. "1 remember
the last time 1 was In the big town
aeelng a crowd of men In the grill room
of the Hoffman House. One of them,
long, lean, like an eel, stooped down
and whispered In the ear of a little
fellow with a diamond horseshoe dese
crating hla haberdashery and pointing
to another man near by. *No. 1 won't'
says the man with the diamonds. '1
don't introduce nobody to nobody.*
Let every man play bis own game, 1
say.' That's New York. That's the
essence of the town. '1 introduce no
body to nobody.'"
"It seems odd," remarked Mr. Ma
gee. "to hear you speak of the time
you walked on pavements."
"I haven't always been on Baldpate
mountain." replied the hermit. "Once
I, too, paid taxes and wore a derby
hat and sat in barbers' chairs. Yes.
I sat In 'em In many towns, in many
corners of this little round globe. But
that's all over now."
The three visitors gased at Mr. Pe
tern with a new interest.
. "New York." said Mr. Max softly, as
e better man might have spoken the
name of the girl be loved. "It's a great
little Christmas tree. The candles are
always burning, and the tinsel pres
ents always look good to me."
The hermit's eyes strayed far away
down the mountain and beyond.
L "New York." said he. and his ton?
waa that In which Max had said the
words, "a great little Christmas tree
It Is, with fine presents for the reach
Ing. Sometimes at night here 1 see it
sa It was four years ago. I see the
candles lit on the great white way. 1
hear the elevated roar and the news
boys shout and 'Diamond .Urn' Brady
applauding nt a musical comedy's first
night. New York!"
Mr. Max rose pompously and pointed
a yellow finger at tho hermit of Bald
pate mountain.
"I got you!" be cried in triumph.
"I'm wise! You want to go bnck."
A half hearted smile crossed the visi?
ble portion of the hermit's face.
M| iruPKR I'm about the poorest liar
in the world." be said, "i never got
awuy with but oue He in my life and
that was only for a little while. It
was a masterpiece while It lasted too.
But It was my only bit as a liar.
Usually I fall, as 1 have fulled now.
I lied when I said I couldn't cook for
you because I hod to be true to my
hermit's onlh. Thut isn't the reason
I'm afraid.''
"Afraid'/" echoed Mr. Magee.
(To be Continued.)
Dress reformers new want to secureI
iiiore comfort for men in decreeing;
n soft, flabby eollnr to take the place
of I he Starched and stiff article which
makes them su hot in the collar. The
fashion for men has been about the
same since the year One, hut refor.
nicis seem t<> be la?n| on Interfering
with their prerogative to wear any.
thing eld thing that comes to hand
(list. Wilmington tftnr.
When an honest man finds mil that
he has Stolen property in his posses?
sion he returns it to tlie owner. We
infer, therefore, that when Mr. J. P.
Morgan makes up his mind that it is.
right to hold on tu Martha Wash,
ington's will, he will return it to]
Fairfax county, Virginia. It was stol.
en from the courthouse during the
Civil War.
Justice Hughes again talked of fori
the presidency, but he hasn't Peon
doing anything to lead people to'want
to make him take chances on looking
lor another Job while he has one that
seems to he to his taste.?Wilmington
Star.
Delegates to the State convention
of a political party ought to put'
their ear to the ground before they
meet and take action. Instead of
that they put their wits to work and j
work them over time on wornout
ground.?Wilmington Star.
-
I In her suit for divorce Madame Sch.
umann.lleink stated in her testimony:
"I am a plain woman." Perhaps that's
the reason old man Schumann.lleink
I had to be sued for getting cold feet
on being a devoted and ohedient hus?
band.?Wilmington Star.
j Just as there are men who menace
the peace of Mexico, there are those
who are always starting something in
this country. Quite a number of men
are menaces of more or lesa dimcn.
Isions.?Wilmington Star.
Ranchers within and adjacent to
the Sierra national forest, California,
have formed a cooperative association
for the prevention of forest lircs.
They need to use lire in clearing land
for farming, and will do it on a com?
munity basis, with all members pres?
ent to prevent the fires' spread.
Kill or Killed.
Cumberland (Jap, Tenn., July
Claimlng it was a case of "kill or be
killed" Crockett Co Key today shot
and killed his stepfather, John Ling?
er. Linger was beetJng his wife and
stepdaughter and Iiis stepson inter
ferred.
That man L. I) Jennings of Sum
ter, is getting his tame on the lips
of the people already. He will be
a factor if he keeps up that stride
of his. If he lose:* this time he will
have laid a politic 1 foundation that
will he broad, deep and long.?Green?
wood Index.
The State of Pennsylvania cele?
brates two arbor days each year?
one for spring planting and one for
the fall?in April and October respec?
tively.
"Straining at a Gnat Swallowing a
Camel."
Chemical analysis of coffee, tea and
Coca-Cola as served in the home, at
restaurants and at soda fountain's,
shows that coffee and tea contain ap?
proximately twice as much caffeine as
does Coca-Cola. In other words, two
glasses of Coca-Cola are approximately
equivalent to one cup of tea or coffee
so far as the amount of caffeine ts
concerned.
The only other material difference
in chemical composition is that both
tea and coffee cont.'Jn tannic acid, a
substance found cp.ite generally In
plants, whereas Co??-Cola does not.
Coca-Cola may therefore he described
as an "Improved caffeine-containing
beverage" in which the tannic acid
has been left out, the caffeine reduced
in quantity and a deiightful combina?
tion of fruit flavors added. To use
tea or coffee and eschew Coca-Cola la
therefore a case of "straining at a
gnat and swallowing a camel."
v Time shows afl
VJ the one way to
*\ independence*
a Bank
Account*19
If July 4th?Independence day marks our
Nation's fight for liberty; and should re?
mind all to strive for individual indepen?
dence by starting a bank account.
U Without effort there is little chance
for accomplishment and none for oppor?
tunity. If you earn money, it is a duty to
save part of it and we are ready to aid
those who have the desire to become inde?
pendent. Start with $l.
4 Per Cent Interest Paid on Savings.
THE
BANK OF SUMTER
ESTABLISHED 1889
????????????????????????4??????????????????????????'
A "Quick Change"
Just begin saving a little each week ?
You'll be astonished at how soon you
will have brought about a change in your
financial condition. Try it.
The Peoples' Bank jj
?????????????? ???? ??????? ?????? !
Lumber, Lime, Cement,
BUILDING MA TERIAL GENERALLY
AND FEED OF ALL KINDS.
Booth-Shuler Lumber & Supply Co.
SucceMom to nooth-Harby l lvi Stock Co. and Ontr.ljl umber Co.
Goo. Epperson's Old Sten\d Opp. Covirt Homo