Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-12
The Most Exciting Serial
of the Year.
SERIALIzED
By J. w. McCONAUGHY
Copyright, 1918. by Star Coz
TO-DAY'S INSTALLMENT.

temptuOus tones. 1T takes no bravery
to fight a coward-and that's what this
ghost is! It's a coward, like every other
spoOk. Did you ever hear Of any spirit
that walked in the daytime? Never!
They sneak and dodge and hide in crum-
bling and deserted places. l tell you that
men are not half so afraid of spirits as
spirits are of men. Face the supernatu-
raj. and it is beaten before the fight be-
gins spooks. horse thieves and peevish
wildcats can all be tanned by the same
little charm"
He stopped in a dead silence. The 9TH
ers were staring at him intently. but
with highly different expressions.
Charm ?" repeated the Duke. vaguely.
What is it," asked the Princess.
breathlessly.
Unostentatiously, Jarvis produced his
pistol. handling It as one might handle
familiar pencil. To one reared in a
community where firearms are never
seen excepting in the windows of the
hardware store the sight of a pistol oc-
casions either panic or the utmost indif-
ference, depending entirely on the de-
gree of ignorance or natural timldity.
But in localities where the revolver is as
common and serves the same purpose
as the rapier Of medieval Europe 1t is a
known and fixed quantity. To one ma
tive to those localities the interest in
the appearance of the pistol is directed
entirely toward the man who displays
it-what manner of man he is and what
is his manner Of handling the weapon.
ha1
cepting once or twice on the field OF
honor and strapped to the thigh of
cavalry man. He was an utter stranger
to the type of man to whom a 44-cali-
Der revolver is a shield sword Conse-
quently. though any ten-year-old boy
from the lower Ohio Valley could have
told him at one glance that Warren
Jarvis carried a revolver Because it
was a protection and not menace, as
it is to be unused, the appearance of
the weapon seemed to amuse him, rath-
er than otherwise.
A Joke.
Il had been hoping, Mr. Warren" he
said, with light scorn, that you had
some subtle method Of handling this
problem. But no! You propose to meet
the forces of the supernatural with fire.
arms! l may tell you that this specter
has been fired at before without the
nghtest effect"
Jarvis smiled and nodded as he re-
turned the pistol to his pocket.
quite likely" Your Excelency /
have seen rifle fire that had not the
slightest effect on a wilGcat-for the
h.,
wilder than the cat"
The Duke made gesture as If waiv-
ing all responsibility.
Il am sorry for you, Mr.. Warren.
You will find the ghost more real than
the treasure"
But the treasure is real. Carlos!" ex-
claimed the Princess, with spirit
Would l have crossed the ocean for
this locket unless l knew? Why, with
this paer total stranger, anybody who
had never seen the castle. could walk
right up to the place and point out the
very stone that hides it,"
For the barest fraction of a second
the glances of the two men crossed like
foils.
Pretty dangerous sort of Aaper to
,
Look out that somebody doesn't get
there ahead of you"
Yes, It is a dangerous paper" Chin
ed in the Duke in the same time, IF
It leads any one into the castle"
The young man laughed, silently and
naturally.
well. Your Excellency, ia go a long
way for the fun of unraveling a good
mystery with a little spice of danger
thrown in"
Dangerous Ground.
The Duke nodded as II he understood
and sympathized with the feeling. Then.
as if something had just occurred to
him, he remarked
You needn't have gone so far, Mr..
Warren. You are leaving a very un-
usual case behind you in New York.
suppose you read the papers on your
way to the boat?'
The young mans lips twitched and
he glaIfced at the trunk
why, no. l was so wrapped up in
my baggage l really didn't have a
chance"
He glanced sly1y at the Princess. who
Immediately discovered something of in
terest out of a portfolio.
This win interest you. too. cousin"
remarked the Duke, picking up news
paper he had dropped when he first pre-
scented himself to his kinswoman. You
were at the Vanderlip last night. / be-
lieve" He opened the paper, found