Newspaper Page Text
Out of the Darkness
WHISKY RUNNERS
John Bartley, noted
vestigator. recently returned
;M_ret Service work during •
war is asked by the governor of
New York to Investigate
tonous attempted robbery ottbm
Robert Slyke home at Circle h* ’
near Saratoga, and to establl.h the
-uiit or Innocence of two me
tne penitentiary for the crime. A
miscarriage of Justice Is suspected-
Bartley finds In It the restaging ol
an old case, Is Interested aßr * e *
to solve the mystery. With ms
friend, Pelt, a newspaper man,
Bartley goes to Circle Bake, tt>
air becoming the guests of lion
Currie, an old friend. The three
vrsit the Slyke home. Slyke re
sents Bartley's coming, saying he
is satisfied the two men in prison
are guilty. Bartley Is not. Next
morning Slyke Is found dead In
bed, apparently having shot him
self. Miss Potter, the dead man's
sister-in-law, the village police
chit f. Roche, and the family phy
sician, Doctor King, all agree Slyke
killed himself, but Bartley Insists
he was murdered. Investigating,
Bartley finds evidence that Slyke,
after a card party he bad given,
was shot on the tower of the house,
undressed, and placed in bed. Dur
ing his absence from the room
someone removes the revolver
from Slyke’s hand. A floy working
In the garage asserts he heard a
shot during the night, apparently
"In the air,” of course really on
the tower. Ruth, Slyke’s step
daughter, still further complicates
the case. Pelt Interviews the mem
bers of the card party. He finds
to his surprise that Slyke, appar
ently wealthy broker, had offered
to sell his friends whisky. He finds
evidence that the mep In jail for
attempted robbery of Slyke were
framed.” Bartley decides the mur
der was not planned in advance.
CHAPTER VI
— lo ■
The Vault in the Woods.
We found Currie waiting for us In
one of his large cars, with his chauf
feur. There were few cars on the
road, anil in a very short time we ar
rived in. Saratoga. “
We left the car before one of the
hotels and followed Bartley to the
public library. Bartley spent several
moments glancing through the card
catalogue before he crossed to the
loan desk, and asked the pretty young
librarian for “Griffeth’s Mysteries of
Crimes.” She returned in a moment
with two volumes, bound in red cloth.
Bartley opened one to the place where
the date when a book is taken out Is
stamped. There was only one date
on the white slip, and Bartley copied
it in' his notebook. Then, turning to
the librarian, he asked her how they
had happened to buy the book, and
if she knew r who it was that had
taken It from the library the one
time It had gone out.
Looking through her cards, she told
him that the book had been a gift,
and that the only person that had
ever taken it out was James Brlf
feur. Bartley raised his eyebrows in
surprise but did not ask her anything
more.
As soon as we were again on the
street, he told us that so far as he
knew the only account of the Edling
ham burglary, other than the one in
the rare pamphlet that he owned, had
been published in the volumes he had
been glancing at. Currie, of course,
did not understand what he was talk
ing about; and Bartley gave him the
details of the English crime, and
ended by saying that, from the very
first it had been his opinion that who
ever had faked the burglary at Slyke’s
had read the account of the English
crime. Then, with a little rueful
smile, he added that the one person
who had taken the boo:r from the
library was Slyke’s chauffeur.
lie might have said more had we
not reached Currie’s club Just then.
M e sat and talked until about eleven
o’clock; then we started to walk
home.
As we were leaving the club, we
met a young man whom Currie intro
duced to us as Captain Lowe, com
mander of the local branch of the
state police. As he was going In our
direction, we fell into step together;
and be told us of his work and how
the state troopers had reduced crime
so much that farmers’ wdves now had
a sense of security, even in the most
remote country districts. The great
e.-t trouble they had at present, he
told us with a laugh, was with the
smuggling of whisky, not only Into
Saratoga but even as far as Albany
and Troy. Though they knew that a
good deal of whisky was getting
trough, they could not discover who
w;:s running It. At the barracks he
bade us goodnight.
As we passed the driveway that led
lr,to the Slyke grounds, Currie told us
that it ran through nearly a mile of
der-e woods before It reached the
• We were about a thousand
-•-e: beyond the entrance when Bart
suddenly stopped.
"What’s that?” he asked In a low
voice.
1 listened a moment, but the only
V? I could hear was the horn of a
extant automobile.
r
Charles J. Dutton
ObptHkM m fcj DodM, IM and Ce.. tea
Bartley continued, “I thought I
heard a car In the woods, there on the
left”
Currie, who was a few feet In front
of us, laughed. “John,” he said,
“you’re hearing things. No car can
be in those woods. Those are the
trees you see from my house, and
they stretch for some miles without
a break. Slyke owns this part of
them. You could not have heard a
car.”
Bartley placed his hand on his
friend’s shoulder. “That’s what I
thought, Bob. But I did hear a mo
tor; of that I am sure."
He paused, then added suddenly,
“Listen! There It Is once more.”
This time we all heard the faint
sound of a motor running slowly and
with difficulty. There was no doubt
of It; It came from the woods before
us. It sounded as if a car were run
ning a few feet, then stopping, as it
would do on a very bad road when
having difficulty in getting through.
As we stood listening to the strange
sound coming through the woods,
Bartley said: “You say, Currie, that
there is no road there, yet by the
sound of It I should say that was a
truck. What do you say to going and
finding out what it means?”
Currie gave an excluiuatlon of dis
gust. “But it’s none of our business,
John.”
“Just at the present moment, every
thing that takes place on Slyke’s es
tate Is our business. I want to know
what a car Is doing in those woods at
this time of night.”
“Oh, I’m game If the rest of you
are,” Currie responded.
With a caution from Bartley uot to
make any noise, we left the road and
entered the woods. It was lucky for
us that there were not many vines or
much underbrush, or we should not
have gotten very far. There was no
path, and w’e fell over stumps and
broken branches and bumped Into
trees at almost every 6tep. Bartley
had a. pocket torch with him, but he
did not want to use It. Once or
twice, though, lie did flash It for a
second so that we could disentangle
ourselves from the vines that had
wrapped themselves around our feet.
We had not heard the motor for
several moments when a car loomed
so suddenly out of the shadowy dark
ness ahead of us that we almost fell
over It. It was a great truck, loaded
with small cases. Upon Its top, a
little darker than the night, we made
out the figures of two men, while a
third disentangled Itself from the
gloom In front of the car with a
muffled oath, and climbed to the
driver’s seat The car started for
ward with a lunge along the road, If
it could be called such, that had been
made by felling trees and leaving
their stumps still standing. The
driver must have been familiar with
It, for no one who was not *ould have
driven that truck over it without
lights. ,
“I want to get the number," Bart
ley whispered, as It lurched ahead.
He crept softjy up behind the slow
ly moving car. For the faintest part
of a second I saw the flash of his
light. The next he was back „t our
side.
“There is no license plate on the
car. There’s something wrong there.
Come along!”
As the truck, lurching from side to
side, was not going faster than three
miles an hour, we had no difficulty In
keeping up with it. We had followed
It for perhaps five minutes when It
came out suddenly onto the road that
Currie said led to Slyke’s house. Here
It paused, the motor running softly.
We crept closer and heard a voice
say, “Well, Jim, here’s to luck. We
will make a run of it."
Just at thL moment Currie tripped
over a root. He tried to save himself,
grabbed at my arm, missed, and went
to the ground with a loud crash. As
he fell, Bartley Jerked me to one side
and threw me on my face. The sound
of Currie’s fall was like a young
earthquake, and did sot escape those
on the truck. As I went down I saw
one of the men turn and fire. The
next second, gaining speed with every
foot, the truck shot down the road.
With the truck gone we no longer
needed to hide; we rose and rushed
to Currie to see If he were shot. As
Bartley’s light flashed over him, we
discovered that he was gittihg up, and
swearing to himself. His face was
covered with dirt and one eye was
beginning to turn black, but he was
otherwise unhurt.
“John,” he demanded, “what the
devil made that tire explode?"
“That was not a tire. Bob. Some
one on the truck heard you as you fell
and took a shot at you.’*
“Took a shot at me?” cried Currie,
In utter disbelief. “My O—, why?”
Bartley helped him to his feet and
brushed the dirt from his clothes be
THE DANtELSVILLE MONITOR. DANIELSVILLE. GEORGIA.
fore te answered: “”It’s a darned
good thing they missed you. Those
men on top of the boxes were there
to protect them. I wonder what was
in them.”
Bartley was anxious to learn what
that truck was doing In the
and why the men on It were so deter
mined that no one should know what
they were carrying, that they were
willing to fire upon anyone who In
terfered. As we followed the tracks
with the aid of Bartley’s pocket torch,
we saw that the wheels had sunk a
foot into the sod in places, and that
more than one heavily loaded truck
had passed this way.
We followed the road for about half
a mile before It ended In a clearing,
a quarter of an acre square.
Bartley examined the four sides of
the clearing carefully before he came
back to us and said, In a voice that
sounded strange in the darkness,
“The road ends here. I have an Idea
that this Is where they “’got their load.”
Currie had been peering through
the darkness as the flashes of Bart
ley’s light shot between the trees. “I
have a fool Idea, John,” he said slow
ly, “that I know where we are.”
“You do?” came the eager response.
“Yes. If lam not mistaken, we are
within a hundred yards of the old
cemetery that is on Slyke’s ground.
It must be over a hundred years old,
and was founded by the early settlers.
Several years ago Slyke showed me
the place. We had the devil of a time
reaching It, for there was no path
to It. All there Is left of It Is an did
vault and half a dozen stumbling
tombstones.”
I was unable to see Bartley’s face,
but his voice was eager.
“A vault! What kind?” he asked.
“Why,” replied Currie, “Just a
vault. One of those things dug Into
the side of a hill where dead bodies
are placed. If I am right,
small hill only a few yards from
here.”
Bartley turned and, flashing his
light on the ground, moved it slowly
back and forth as he advanced. He
paused and bent to examine the
ground. ,
“I guess I have it,” he called to us.
“Here are footprints.”
Without giving us time tv examine
them, he went deeper into the woods,
and we followed. Some fifty feet
from the clearing, the little path we
were on ended abruptly in a small
mound.
“It’s your vault, Currie," said Bart
ley.
His light rested on the mnsstve
wooden door of an old-fashioned
burial vault dug out of the hillside
and fastened securely by a large lock.
As Bartley examined It, he gave a
little whistle. “Well, Currie, t t may
he an old vault, and an old door, hut
the lock on it Is modem. It has been
placed there within a short time. I
am going to open it.”
• With a thir piece of wire . -id a bit
of steel, Bartley picked the lock, then
flung the door open and turned his
flashlight Into the darkness within.
I think that Currie and myself both
held our breath as the light swept
back and forth over the walls and
floor. It disclosed nothing more star
tling than a number of boxes, similar
to those we had seen on the truck,
piled one on the other against the
walls. It was plain enough where the
load had been gotten.
Bartley led the way in and closed
the door behind us. Once more he
swept the vault with his torch, and
this time we noticed a lantern on a
box and lit it.
The vault was about twenty-five
feet long and had been dug into the
side of the hill, hut the sides and
roof were of stone. Along the walls
were niches for coffins, and these were
pileJ high, and the floor as well, with
hundreds of small boxes. The flame
of the lantern flickered In a draft and
queer shadows danced on the walls,
while a musty, earthy smell rose half
chokingly. It was not the most pleas
ant place to be In.
But Bartley did not seem .o mind It.
He stood In the center of the floor,
glancing around the vault with such
an amused smile that I new that
something had pleased him particu
larly. Suddenly he went to the near
est box, ripped off the cover, and drew
out a bottle. We crow'ded around him
as he removed the paper and dis
closed the label of a well-known
brand of imported whisky.
“T’ it’s what I expected,” Bartley
commented. “We know now what was
on that truck. Captain Lowe won’t
have to hunt any longer for the place
where they hide smuggled whisky.”
Currie cried, “Why, It's Slyke’e
chauffeurl”
CTO EE CONTINUED.)
Sound Philosophy.
Nay, of nothing may we be more
sure than this: that, If we cannot
sanctify our present lot, we could
sanctify no other. —James Martlneau.
SMALL COLONIAL
STYLEBUNGfILOW
Home Design That Carries With
It an Irresistible Appeal.
NOT EXPENSIVE TO BUILD
Even to Studied Use of Natural
Shadow This Small Home Shows
Evidence of Careful Pictorial
Planning Exteriorly.
By WILLIAM A. RADFORD
Mr. William A. Radford will answer
questions and Rive advice FREE OF
COST on all subjects pertaining to the
subject of building, for the readers of this
paper. On account of his wide experience
as Editor, Author and Manufacturer, he
is, without doubt, the highest authority
on ail these subjects. Address all Inquiries
to William a. Radford, No. 1527 Prairie
avenue, Chicago, 111., and only inclose
two-cent stamp for reply.
This unusually well-proportioned
bungalow owes its undeniable appeal
to the well-developed Colonial design;
also, to the Intelligent use which has
been made of that little understood
pictorial value, shadow. If you will
observe the roof, you will find that the
shingles have been laid in a definite
pattern, which gives a pleasing shad
owed line at regular Intervals, nn-1
breaks the flat monotony of the roof
ing. The walls are finished In wide
drop siding that gives a pleasing effect
of shaflowed lines and the projecting
window bays, flanking the handsome
porch entrance, help further to give
chnrncter to the entire front by their
reflected shadows. Shadow is worth
emphasizing In a house. A house with
out pleasing shadow lines from the
form of the structure is like a picture
or piece of sculpture that is shadow
less; its attractiveness is greatly less
ened. Even trees should be studied
with relation to this idea of shadow
and how they can he made to em
phasize tlfe structural lines and up
IT Porch 1
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n n |KlilENlNl| DEDRM.
ibn L *
COLOMNADe i:# ™™" , | | | C[ ft, ■■Mir !*■■ Illf|
Livimßh. |jg| Dedßm.
-*• I pT ij,
Platform T
UEE3J
pearance of the house through their
leafy silhouettes.
However, this bungalow is pleasing
for another reason—it is well designed.
There were no bungalows In Colonial
times, so this one must be an adapta
tion of Colonial design as applied to a
bungalow. Yet the doorway with its
porch and quaint flnials, and the win
dow bays that project from the roof
and carry the cornice line around to
a balanced ending —these are carefully
and intelligently handled. The result
is that the Colonial features, carefully
fitted to the design, combine and make
an effect that is without a Jarring
note.
Entrance is through a vestibule.
There are five rooms and the living
room is the first one visible to the vis
itor. It is well proportioned, 15 feet
by 13 feet, and divided from the dining
room by a colonnade which has the
merit of making a more spacious view
of the interior. It would be nice to
have bookcases on the living room side
of this colonnade and china closets
backing against them from the dining
room side. The dining room Is 12 feet
by 15 feet G Inches, and with Its bay
window Is a very pleasant place.
The kitchen commands a view of
the front entrance through the hall
way. It Is 9 feet G inches by 11 feet,
has the sink right by the window and
Its pantry has an ice-recelvlng door
enabling the refrigerator to be filled
from the outside.
The two bedrooms adjoin the bath
room, to which access Is had from an
extension of the hall. These rooms
are assured full privacy by reason of
their well-planned location, no matter
If there are visitors In the dining room
or living room.
Over nil dimensions of this bunga
low, exclusive of the front porch ter
race and the rear porch, are 43 feet by
30 feet.
The natural finish for a design of
this nature would he qreahi white out
side and cream white or mahogany
finish for the interior woodwork.
Attractive ns It undoubtedly Is, and
radiating an effect of superiority, this
bungalow would not represent a great
outlay. It could be built for a small
initial investment, prdVklod the pros
pective tenant made the proper ar
rangements with his real estate dealer
or with a building and loan associa
tion. It holds many possibilities and
could serve the needs of newly mar
ried couples ns well as older couples
who appreciate the coifapactness and
work-lessening advantages of a one
floor bungalow.
New Bombing Plane.
What Is said to he'the largest air
plane yet constructed In this country,
and the latest development In bombing
planes, has Just been completed at
factory of the Wltteman Aircraft cor
poratlon, Hasbrouck Heights, N. J.
This leviathan of the air has been
named the Barling Bomber, lri honor
of Its designer, and will he used at the
Wilbur Wright field near Fairfield, O.
Even In this day of big things the
plane is something to make one pause.
It is a trlplane of 120 feet spread, has
Floor Plan.
a height of 28 feet and an overall
length of 05 feet. The plane weighs
about 20 tons and Is capable of carry
ing 10,800 pounds of bombs with a
crew of four men.
This plane was built for experiment,
and has been so constructed thut dif
ferent sizes of bombs may he carried at
the same time. Six 400-horse power
Liberty motors burn 180 gallons of gas
oline an hour. A telephone will enable
conversation from the tail to the nose
of the airplane.
Remarkably Preserved.
In an Egyptian tomb a vase was
found containing honey still liquid af
ter 30 centuries. Cushions on the arm
chairs found In this tomb were still so
soft and well preserved that one could
toss them across the room without do
ing them damage.