Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1926-8-11, Page 7WEDNESDAY, AU GI; ST 11th, 11120 THE BRUSSELS POST The Red Lam (Copyright) by MARY ROBERTS RINEHART DF -•••••• �aY r ;;;lap Neel' 'i sie But he tells nu that a county de- tedium from town, sent by tho shel- lit, is coaling down to look into the matter. And there is a certain re- lief in this. It seems to nn.,that we have to do with some sort of relig- ions mania, symbolistic in its mnni- fi.;tation, The sheep is the ancient sacrifice of many fiths. This belief is strengthened by Thomas' statement that in each case the first one there has been left on a nearby rock or, in one Instailce, on a fence, a small cabalistic design roughly drawn in chalk.. , , , S.00 P.M. I feel like a maul who has dreamed of some horrible: or gro- tesque figure, and wakes to find it perched on his bed -post. The detective sent by Brenchley, the Sheriff, has just been here, a man named Greenough, a heavy -set indiv- idual with a pleasant enough manner and a damnable smile, behind which be cone:eais a considerable amount of shrewdness. Ile had, of course, gathered togclh• er the local superstitions, and be was inclined to •be facetious concerning guy ownership of the reel lamb. But he was serious enough about tin: busi- ness that had brought him. "It's probably psychopathic," he said, "and the psychopath is a poor individual to let loose in any c:nn- nhunity,. especially when he's got a knife:" My own suggestion of religious mania seemed to interest him. "It's possible," he said. "It's a queer time in the world, Mr. Porter. People seem ready to-do anything, to escape reality. And from that to de- lusional insanity isn'tigrery far." I suppose I looked surprised at that, for he sniffled. "I read a good bit," be said,. "tad my kind of work is about nine -tenths psychology, anyhow. You've got to know what your criminal was think- ing, and then try to think like him. The third degree is •nothing but ap- plied psychology." He smiled again. "But that's a long way from sheep - killing. Now I'll ask you something. Did you ever hear of a circle, with et triangle inside it?" I suppose I started, and I had a quick impression that his eyes were on me, shrewdly speculative behind his glasses. But the next moment he had reached into his pocket and drawn out a pencil and an envelope. "Like this," he said, and drawing the infernal symbolslowly and Painstak- ingly, ingly, held it out to me. To save my life I could not keep my hand steady; the envelope visibly quivered, and I saw his eyes on it. "What clo you mean, hear of it?" 1 asked. And then it came to me sud- denly that that ridiculous statement of mine had somehow got to the fel- low's ears, and that he was quietly hoaxing ace. "Good Lord!" I said, and groaned. "So you've happened on that too!" "So you know somethiny about it?" Inc said quietly, and leaned for- ward. "Now, do you mind' telling me what you know," Ho had not been hoaxing Inc. There was a curious significance in his manner, in the way he was look- ing at me, and it persisted while I told my absurd story, Told it baclly; I realize, and haltingly; that I had picked up a book on Black Magic somewhere or other, and had as promptly forgotten it, save for ono or two catch phrases and that infernal symbol of a triangle in a circle; how I had foolishly repeated them to a group of women, and now seemed likely to never hear the last of it. "As I gather, the Lear woman -hes spread it all over town," I said. "She dabbles in spiritualism, or something and it seems to have appealed to.her imagination." — "It has certanly appealed to some- body's imagination," he said. "That's the mark our friend, the sheep -killer, has been leaving." Letterheads Envelopes Billheads And all kinds of Business Stationelry printed at The Post Publishing House. We will do a job that will do 'exceit to your business. Look over your stock of Office Stationery and i1 it requires replenishing call us by telephone $i The Fust Publishin_. Nauss ile wets very cordial as he picked up his hat and prepared to depn>t. Ile was sorry to have had to trouble me; nice little place I had there, 11,• understood rwas fighting shy of the other house. He would do the: same thing; ho didn't believe in ghosts, but he was afraid of them. And so out onto the drive, leaving. MP with a full and firm conviction that lie suspects me of killing some forty odd sheep in the last few nights, probably in the celebration of seam Meek uk Mass of my own psycho- ,.::::: July 2nd. Liarkin thinks he has rented the house.. I made a telephone message from him the excuse to go to town this morning. Mr. Bethel was not present, but his secretary was, a thin boy with a bad skin and with his hair pomaded until it looks as thnugh it is painted on his head. Ho smoked one cigarette after another as we talked. If to -mor> ow is fair, Mr. Bethel will motor out and look over his pro- perty. It appears that he is in feeb- le health. If it is not, Gordon, the secretary, will conte alone. It de- velops that, although the boy is a local product, and not one to bo par- ticularly proud of, Ili'. Bethel comes from the west; Cameron's note to Larkin merely introduced him, but assumed no responsibility. As, how- ever, he offers the rent in advance, the matter of references becomes, ate Larkin says, an unimportant detail. I get the impression from the sec- retary that the old man is writing a book, and- wishes to be undisturbed, and if his choice of a secretary fair- ly represents him, he will be, From Larkin I heard that he had heard of the circle in a triangle from Helena Lear herself, at a dinner -tab- le, and that, he has no idea that it is at all wide -spread. Ile regards the use of it by the sheep -killer as, pure- ly coincidence, which greatly cheers me. Nevertheless, I went to the hears and lunchd there. Helena has agreed to spread the thing no further, and I carte away with a great sense of re- lief. Into the bargain, Lear tells me that Cameron, after studying the photograph I sent hint, is inclined to think it is the result of a double ex- posure. "Doable exposure or a thought im- age," Lear says. "He has had some success himself in getting curious forms on a sensitized plate. Got the. number five once, after concentrating on it for an hour! I asked him about Doyle's fairies, but he only laughed," • All in all, I feel to -day that .l was unduly apprehensive last night. •The weather is magnificient; lficlilh, .in knickerbockers and a sweater, has been holding nails for young Halli- day to -day while he repairs •the float. Jane has taken over from Thomas the care of the flower beds around the cottage, and has been busy there all afternoon with a weed -puller and 0 hoe, and I have found the sails for the sloop, mildewed but usable, in the attic of the Lodge. No more sheep were killed `last night. I understand Greenough has put guards on all the nearby flocks, and advised outlying farms to do the same thing. Maggie Morrison told us this morning that they were doing it, but in, I gathered, a half-hearted manner, Moot of them- believe that by his very nature, the marauder is impervious to shot and shell. "Joe Wiling," she says, "saw some- thing moving around his cow barn a night or so ago, and, he fired right into it. But when he ran up there was+nothing there" • \One curious thing, however, has been brought in by Starr. who stopped on his way past to -day, In a mead- ow riot far from the Livingstone place two large stones which had lain there for years, had been moved to- gether and stood on their edges„:and a fiat slab of rock laid across them, On top of :this when it was found, there lay a small heap of fine sand. One can figure, of course, that hero fs all altar, erected by the sante un- balanced hind which has 'been killing the sleep. But no offering has yet been laid on it. Latter: Halliday spent the evening here; and I walked back with him, He tells ire that 'on his first night in the boat -house, he saw a light mov- ing over the salt marsh, about three hundred :feet away. He was sitting on the small balcony of the boat-hou,o, whieli sul'iounds it on threei sides, and glancing toward the marsh, saw a. light there, It seemed to float above the neeemh at a distance' of three or :Cour feet, and was :intermittent. At -first he thought it was s0lmeone on the way Ce the beach, with a flash light, or a lantern, _and he watched With -.anise oulti.osity. Earlier in this evening he had himself walked along the e(lge of the swamp and dcrei bel it was not passable, But half way through the marsh the light etollp,ed and then disappeared, "I decided the chap whoever it was,- was in trouble," he sa1d, ".a" I called to him, - But there was no nos :weer, and the light didn't appear a- +eain,o "Marsh gas, probably," 1 explain- ed, "Methane, 0,11., of course," "Marsh gam burns with a thin blue ]lne., doesn't it? This was a small light, rather white. I waited an hour or so, brit it didn't show again." I have ,since my return, looked up the book on the Oakville phenomena. whirl I disroverecl on the desk of the main house. It is not significant, but it's interesting to find that Mrs. Riggs produced fleeting lights, sometimes of a bluish -green, from the cabinet, again a sparkling point which goner, qtly localized near her head. But I cannot .finis any record of a light persisting for any length of time, or following a definite course, July aril. The house is rented. As it rain- ed this morning, the -secretary came alone, and seemed very well satisfied. But at the Last moment my con- science began to worry me, and per- haps too, for none of our motives aro unmixed, I was afraid he su:specced something, He made some observa- tion about the rent being low for a property of that size, and glanced at mc. as he said it, so I plunged. "I think Pd better be honest with you, even if it costs me money," T said. "The. house is cheap because it —well, it isn't an easy house to rent." "Too lonely, eh?" "Partly that, and partly because— a portion of the house is very old, and there Have been some stories about it circulating in the neighbor- hood for years." "Ghost stories?" "You can call them that." He seemed to be amused, rather than alarmed. He grinned broadly and took out a cigarette. "Ghosts won't bother me any," he said rather boastfully. "What kind "I -don't believe anyone claims to of a ghost?" Have seen anything. The reports are mostly of raps and various noises." He seemed to take a peculiar, al- most a furtive, enjoyment out of my statement, my confession, rather. "Hot -dog!" -he said. "Well, raps won't bother me, and Mr. Bethel's got a `leaf ear; he can turn that up at night if they worry him." • Se the house is rented, • unless something unexpected turns up, and 1 have done my part. But I confess to an extreme distaste for the secre- taryand ] may a Edith find herself with a small problem on her hands. For just before we left he spied her on the float, and gave her a careful In- spection. "That looks pretty good to me," he said. And althouh his gesture em- braced the water front his eyes were on her. I have arranged with Annie Coch- rane, following Gordon's query about a servant, to resume her old position at the main house. She refuses to re- train after dark, but I presume this will be satisfactory. She will also commence to -morrow to get the house in readiness. With that strange swiftness with which news travels in the country, already tlhe'word has gone out that the place is rented, and I lay to that our sudden popularity thts a:eterno.on. The first to arribe was Dr. Hayward, as nor -vane and jerky as ever, fiddling with his collar, and when foe a mom- ent excluded from the talk, gnawing abstractedly at his finger enols. Noth- ing escapes the man; I sometimes feel that he goes about on his rounds, col- lecting gossip as assiduously as he disperses the medicines he puts np in his small dispensary, and that his mind is similarly stocked with it, put up neatly on shelves and in order, so that he can conveniently put his hand on it, He addressed himself Meetly to Jane—there is a certain type of medi- cal loan who wins his way into fam- ilies by the :favor of women, and is more at ease with them than with its nen-folic—and only beat a circuit- ous route to the subject uppermost in his hind, which clearly was that an elderly invalid had taken Twin Hollows and would require a physic- iatn. In the courseof this roundabout talk, however, I carne finally to the eonclusion 'that, like the detective, he was watching me. And, as had haps pened with Greenough, I became ab- sttrdly self-conscious, The very knowledge that, the moment I looked away, his eyes slid to me and there remained, made me awkward. As a result 1 upset mei ton -cup, and while Jane eves ]currying fora cloth to re- pair the damage, he said: "Pretty nervous, aren't you?" "Not particularly. But happen to specialize in upsetting reit-cups," "Flow are you sleeping?" "Like a 'top," I assured hint with a certain truculence, I dare say. Bot The "Daddy WI them mP3" says—. Waterman's Ink adds to the efficiency of Water - man's Fountain Pens and Waterman's Pen adds to the efficiency of Waternnan's Ink. To perfectly function, foun- tain pen ink must be free from sediment, it must flow freely and never clog. Water - man's Ink will do this. It's packed in neat boxes, so that you may keep one bottle at the office and one at home. We recommend Waterman's Ink for use in any fountain pea.. Jeweler Wroxeter he is fairly thick-skinned. IIB passed it over by giving lois collar a twitch. "Dream any?" he inquired. By heaven! The fellow was not only watching me; he was analyzing me. And with that peculiar perverse humor which, I feel to -night, may get me into trouble yet, I answered. I . who seldom dream, and then the be- nign dreams of an uneventful life and an easy conscience, I answered: "Horribly!" He leaned back and took to biting a finger, staring at me m':• "Wits! do you mean by 'horribly'?" lie in- quired. But some gleam of reason carie to me then, and I laughed. "Sorry, Hayward," I said, "I could- n't resist it. I never dream, at least nothing I can remember. But you were being so professional—" Jane's return prevented the apolo- gy which was on his lips, and he went back to the local gossip. Once 1 mentioned the matter of the sheep, but ,he rather dexterously side-step- ped it, and finally brought the :talk around to the renting of the house. But I am confident that Greenough has been to him about me, and has asked him to give an opinion on my mental balance. I was on guard after that; deter- mined to exhibit myself in my most rational manner. But there is some- thing upsetting in the mere thought that one's sanity is being brought in- to question. One's usually automa- tic acts become self-conscious ones. And t1 -night I could laugh, if I were not somewhat disturbed by it, at the care with which I placed my cigarette on the saucer of lay tea -cup and flung the silver spoon into the grate; at the sudden comprehension of what I had clone, and my wild leap to recover the spoon; and at Hayward's intent ex- pression as 1 turned from the fire- place with the spoon in my hand ans muttered something. about being the original man who put his umbrella to bed and stood himself in the corner, He was too absorbed to smile. He left finally, when the Living - stones arrived. "You must take good care of this fine husband of yours, Mrs. Porter," he said, holding her hand in the pat- ernal fashion of his type, "He's prob- ably been overdoing it a bit." The result of which is that Jane herself has taken to watching me quietly, over her tapestry, and that she sug- gested this evening that I take a course of bromide for any nerves. Irritated at Hayward as I was, and annoyed at myself, 1 saw him to his car, and asked him the question which has been in the back of my mind ever since found the letter in the library closk. "By the way," I said, "you know any Uncle Horace pretty well. Bet- ter than 1 did, in recent years. Did he have many friends—I mean, local- ly?" He straightened his tie with a jerk. "He had no intimates at all, so far as I lc now. I knew him as well as anybody. He rather liked Mrs. Liv- ingstone, but he had no use for Liv- ingstone hhOselfe" "Weil, I'll change the question, Do you know of any quarrol lie had had, shortly before his death?" "That's easier, He quarrelled with a good many people. I imagine yon know that as well as T do." " IIe never mentioned to you that he had had a definite difference of opinion with anyone?" Looking back to -night over that conversation I am inclined to think that he had an answer for that ques- tion, and that ire almost gave it. Tint he changed lois mind. The purpose. of his visit: must have come to hien,.. Greenough's story about that idiotic circle anti my own lame explanation of it, and all the outrageous mean 111 which I had involved myself.'. like to know why you gels 1:1 that.?" lac said instead. "Ile• had never talked to you abeet , i'll1nh oat the police, 1n Hanle emcl•- "Never. I see what you're drivine. •eft, Porter," 11•• added. "I admit, I had ,Dote t-hour,•ht of that nhys 1f a' the, time. .But the autopsy al:owe l the cause of death all right. Il wasn't murdered." "The blow en the head had noth- ins to do with it, then?" ff 1d/uli'c,1 at mo quickly. "If it. 00.1.9 a blow," he said, "it didn't help matters any, of coarse. But I prefer to think that tbe head injury was; received as he fell." Ili, hesitated. "Don't you??" "Naturally," I agreed. But there e was a sigiiifrc enc,• in the, pause of his, followe,I by "dont you' whieli 1108 stayed with me ever Since. It was almost as .hough, in view of Greenouglie visit to him and my own gtust'.ons, 1_ballbeen snmc how re- sponsible for the poor old boy': death and was seeking reassurance. 1:00 A.M. I am not able to eleeen, and so, recipient of all my r•epo'o.a= $ions, I come to you. I have repeat- ed my little formula over and over, as some people count sheep. "Milton and Dryden and Pope," ":Hilton and Dryden and Pope," but without re- sult, Yet I have seen whole class- rooms succumb to the soporific effect of that or some similar Phrase in the early hours of a bright morning. I have been out, in dressing genvm and slippers, and wandered away down the main road, where I wa:: sur- prlssd by a countryman with a truck load of produce and probably recog- nized. If any more sheep are killed to -night! What am T to think about this red lamp business? Into every situation it insistently intrudes itself. It w•as Mania, rr11 olel Horace `lied; I had turned fc on in the closed and shuttered don the day I received that curious message about the letter; Jane lights it to de- velop the pictures of the shouse for Larkin, and Nylie's sheep are killed. What is more, Jane sees a face, eith- er outside the window or behind her in the pantry. From the moment of its entrance -into the house, after ,•kt•hteen years of quid, the old sinr- fes off' hauntint*s are revived, neaps are beard, footsteps wander about, and furniture appear to nonce., Is Greenough right and ant T ready for the psychopathic ward of some hospital? Is this accumulation of I evidence actual, or have 1 imagined it? And yeti am sane 0 t0 1, ase- , patently. I listen, and 1 laei • thy. familiar :sounds of nicht-tile• here, jock moving around un»n.'ily in Jane's bedroom next to mine; the rhythmic creaking of the run -way to the float, as the wash of the tide swings it to and fro on its roller:,. I hear no voices whispering.,.,, Yet Mrs. Livingstone was most ex- plicit this afternoon. She clearly has no nerves, being complaecznt with the complacence of fat rapidly gain- ed in middle age, and no imagination or she would have taken lemon in her tea, and no sugar. But she sat there; ignoring little Livingstone's at- tempts to change the snbjec•I, and soberly warned lee against renting the house. Jane's farce was a study. So feu• I had been able to keep from her much of the local gossip about the house. and all of the talk about the red lamp. But now she heard it all, garnished and embellished, an,l I caught her eyes fixed on me piteous- ly. "Is it too late, William?" Ate ask- ed. "Must we rent it now?" • "It's all signed, sealed and deliv- ered, lay dear," I said. "But all is not lost. To -morrow morning I shall take my little hatchet and smash the lamp to kingdom come," Mrs. Livingstone took a slice of calve. "I'm sure you have my perinis• cion," she said, "and as I gave it to your Uncle Horace, T dare say I have a right to say so." "Perhaps you would like to have :it bark?" "God forbid!" she said yuiekiy. I "Oh, for heaven's sake," Living- stone put in irritably, "let's talk a- bout something else. Mrs. Porter, will you show me your garden?" ' I had a feeling that his wife had i wanted just this, perhaps had given him some secret signal, for she set- tled back the moment they had ,gone and, so to speak, opened fire. "You're not a spiritist, Mr. Por- ter?u "`I and a eyrie; I am a carrion crow'," I quoted. But I saw the words bait no meaning, for her. °1110 may have felt some underlying am- usement in tam, however, for elf. stiffened c! som, wilat, and rather ab- ruptly changed her point of attack. (To Be Continued). ROSINESS S �pHE Industrial Niar•cgage and 9 Savings Company, of Sarnia (Ontario. at, p1'',,45 to a,ivimoe money pis Mnrtmngrr on g-, d laude, Partici, deeming n,,,nuy on farm mortgagee will please apply 10 Janes Cowan, 1 aforth, Ont., who will fur af,a rates and other partie•ahtrr. The Industrial Mortgage and Savings Company r .'zae�' ;ll. 461,max' AGENT FOR fire, Automobile and Wind ins, .COMPANIES For Brussels and vicinity Phone 647 JAMES M'FADZEAN Agent Hold Mutual Fire insurance Company Also Hartford Windstorm and Tornado Insurance Phone 42 Boz 1 TOrnberry 4treet 13rngsole MO. SUTHERLAND & SOH �prLIMITEDCOMM9.0 0.4070E10 o. M. SCOTT A:(c 4�`.'r'4 i�` A a ri(!ri 2°•d'exa g PRICES MODERATE For rsferenocs consult any parson whose males Ihaveoffieaatedat. Phone 2828 T. T. M'RAE M. B., M. C. P., ell 5, O. M. O. H., Village of Brusaela. Physialan, Surgeon, Acoouehour Office at residence, opposite Melville Church, wllliam street. Qa $zjil'4r.w'►3111 BARRISTER, SOLICITOR, CONVEYANCER, NOTARY PUBLIC LECKiE BLOCK - oBRUSSELS DR. WARDLAW Honor graduate Of the Ontario Veterinary College. Dav and night calls. Offioe opposite Flour 28111, Ethel. ?UtC 1(r') '.Cp1L(r1,(]' iii ®s' *' • 4.141.196 m�- 'l'ime's ds -9 t 0 VaIu Modern methods and appliances have set a new standard for a day's work. Time is one big factor. This is true in the factory, on the farm, in the hone or what not. Time is money to -day, And anything that mul- tiplies ,the value of an hour is increasingly valuable. Advertising is an annihilator of time. It pro- vides a short cut between a manufacturer or mer- chant and you. It makes it possible to tell in a few minutes all you want to know about the services or articles you need. A quick glance through THE BRUSSELS POST en- ables you to sift the things that interest you, and in a min- ute yon can know jnst where and when to go for wilat you want. Figure out how mush valuable time advertising saves you If you use it properly, '.Chink how much needless walk- ing and talking Weaves you and yottr neighbors. Yes, Advertising', has a I3ig Value to You—Don't Fail to Read It I 15 THE IRUSEL6 P i ST �i� exickens.0 ( iE lr , '> . F>; Amp co..4cr) 1sf)