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

TO-DAY'S INSTALLMENT.
Brave" he exclaimed in low, con-
temptuous tones. 1T takes no bravery
to fight a coward-and that's what this
ghost is! It's 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 II 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
a 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 timidity
But in localities where the revolver is as
common and serves the same purpose
as the rapier of medieval Europe II 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.
The Duke had never seen a pistol ex-
eepting once or twice on the field of
honor and strapped to the thigh Of a
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- 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 a menace, as
it is to be unused. the appearance of
the weapon seemed TO amuse him. rath-
er than otherwise.
A Joke.
II 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
ightest effect"
Jarvis smiled and nodded as he re-
turned the pistol to his pocket
quite likely" Your Excellency. l
have seen rife fire that had not the
slightest effect on a wildcat-for the
very good reason that the shooting was
wilder than the cat"
The Duke made a gesture as If waiv-
ing all responsibility.
Il am sorry for you. Mr. Warren
You win 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 loeket 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 itl'
For the barest fraction OF a second
the glances of the two men crossed like |
foils.
pretty dangerous sort of paper to
have around" observed Jarvis. slowly.
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
1t leads any one into the castle"
The young man laughed silently and
naturally.
well, Your Excellency, I'd go long
way for the fun of unraveling a good
mystery with little spice of danger
thrown in"
Dangerous Ground.
The Duke nodded as If he understood
as if something had just occurred to
him, he remarked:
You needn't have gone so far, Mr..
Warren. You are leaving a very I'M
usual case behind you in New York.
I suppose you read the papers on your
way TO the boat?''
The young mans lips twitched and
he glanced at the trunk.
why, no. / was so wrapped up in
my baggage I really didn't have a
chance"
He glanced slyIy at the Princess. who
Immediately discovered something of in
terest out Of a portfolio
This will interest you. too, cousin"
remarked the Duke. picking up a news
paper he had dropped when he first pre-
scented himself to his kinswoman. You
were at the Vanderlip last night, I be
lieve," He opened the paper, found
the item he had in mind and read aloud:
% Pistol duel in Vanderlip Hotel
Guests awake in panic TO find prominent
Kentuclisn dangerously wounded by I'M
known assaiIant-Mysteriou escape