Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-13
The Argus Daily Story
The Closed Door-By Clarissa Mackie.
copyrighted. 1911 by Associated Literary Bureau

.he burning of the car. He extin-
guished the lamp. and. with his re-
volver ready, he crept silently up the
stairs, alert for a sound from the man
waiting above.
As he reached the head of the stairs
something rushed at him out Of the
gloom-something that twined long
arms about him and tried to throw
him backward down the stairs.
"Let go or I'll shootw warned Ian
dis as he struggled with the man.
There was no reply. only his assail-
ant took a fresh hold. Lean fingers
strove to catch at the motorists throat,
but the heavy fur coat served Lands
q good turn now. He was enabled to
wriggle out Of Its folds. which he left
In the mans hands. while he plunged
recklessly into the darkness. He bang
ed into a solid wall, followed 1t down
to an open doorway and turned into a
room Just as the man came running
lightly after him.
Lands snapped on his light and saw
a square room with a closed door in
the rear wall. The door must lead to
q
bar fitted into q socket that secured
it. Two windows in the room were
without glass. and through them the
rain beat relentlessly, and the roar of
the river was very plain.
Lands saw this in one sweeping
glance before his assailant appeared
In the doorway-a tall, lean form of a
man with glaring black eyes and fierce
smile.
Robinson" yelled Lands. ''YouI
Why, man, what are you doing here!
was on my way to take the money
to you"
81 know It." laughed the other fiend.
| ishly. II know it. I've tracked you
| from Foxboro. I'll take the money
now-now. Lands! Hand it over or
by heaven you'll never leave this
house aliveT'
Lands stared. Was his friend mad
/ This Robinson was the man he was
going to serve-to lend him $4,000,
for which he had the cash in his pock-
| cts.
you'll get the money in proper form
in Riverbank tomorrow morning, Jim, -
| ue Salu calmly.
"Ill have it now. l shall never 60
back to Riverbank. I'm going to
South America, and need 1t to start
afresh with. If 1 make n pile you'll
get it back. If 1 don't, you won't be
bothered with me again"
You're crazy" said Lands, turning
to the other door, Come with me-
Jim, and forget your worries. You've
had lot of trouble, and guess you're
pretty nervous. Come along, and
walk back to Riverbank"-
"Never!" yelled the crazed financier
leaping at Lands, who ducked anC
ran for the closed door.
Robinson was upon him instantly
curved his long fingers around his ben
efactor's neck and choked him int
half consciousness. Then when Landi:
sank Imply to the floor, powerless t
check his assailant, the others finger
searched his clothing for the $4,000 il
cash.
He snatched at Landis' leather wal
let, and the fallen man watched him ii
helpless anger as the robber opened /
and saw the thick mass of banknotes
Still holding 1t in his hand, Robinson
kicked Lands away from the CLOSED
door, thrust up the bar, opened tn
door, passed through, slamming tn
door behind him.
Lands thought he heard Robinson
yell once after that. but the wind anC
rain and rush Of the river deadened al
other sounds.
The electric pocket lamp lay on tn,
floor, its white glare lighting the bar,
boards and throwing the upper part o
the room in deep shadow. Lands la.
there for several hours before he coulC
arouse himself from the stupor which
had resulted from Robinson's brutal at
tack upon him.
Then the first gray light of dawI
gave him courage to rouse himself anC
investigate. The first thing he did wa
to open the closed door to find where
his assailant had fed.
AS it swung inward Lands uttere'
a startled cry and stepped back.
Jim Robinson, his false friend, hat
stepped through that door into eter
nifty.
Lands leaned forth, faint and sicl
with apprehension.
There was no sign of Robinson, bu
caught among the rocks below wal
Lands leather wallet, containing thu
/. little fortune.
Hours afterward, when lands arriv
, ed in Riverbank with a farmers wag
. on towing what was left of his LITTLE
runabout. he found the little town fl
an uproar Of excitement.
James Robinson. its principal citi
: zen, had fallen, and his dead body hst
just been washed up on the banks nea
! the railroad bridge.
They said 1t was a clear case OF sui
eide, but Lands had seen his falls
friend walk through the door that sep
arated life from death. and he knew
the truth.