davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-10
tcoNr1SUED.l
TWO VIEWS
OF A FACE
- :.eS!
A Story For Halloween
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

1t is singular how certain callings
will be considered criminal in one age
and respectable in another. There was
Il period-the early part of the nine
teenth century when the professional
gambler in what is now the middle
west was quite Il prominent parsonage
in the community. So in England
there was Il period when the highway
man. especially he who robbed the rich
and gave to the poor. was regarded Il
very good medium for the equalizing
Of funds. Some Of England's best
blood has been represented on the high
way.
One evening a couple of hundred
years ago a gentleman and his daugh-
ter were humping along in a chaise on
an unpaved road that led from London
to their home lear Clough when they
were stopped by a masked horseman
who appeared at the window and de-
handed their valuables. Sir Evan
Briefly, the father, produced his money
and his watch without resistance. but
Evelyn. his daughter, demurred.
II will give you. sir" she said. 1.-The
only valuable article l have. which
you cannot take from me by force. pro-
vided you will give me a glimpse Of
your features"
pray what may that be?"
Il shall not tell you"
The robber hesitated, then lifted his
mask, and by the side light on the
chaise Evelyn saw the face Of a young
man, singularly handsome and refined.
She remained silent for a time, and the
highwayman said:
II have kept my part Of the contract.
1t only remains for you to keep yours.
What is this article that l may not
take by force?"
MY heart"
At that moment there was a sound
of horses hoofs coming. and the high
wayman rode away with the words:
$50 be it. I shall some day call
for it."
Evelyn Briefly was but seventeen
when she made this bargain, When
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-10

'"This-this Is horrible, Leslie" he
said. Il can hardly believe it."
1t is true, MI. Turner"
"Wh-why was I not-called at once?'
he demanded.
Il notified you. You were-you must
have gone to sleep again"
Where's Williamsy:" He turned to
me.
Il can get him for you"
Tell him to bring me a highball.
My mouths sticky" He ran his
tongue owe his dry lips. "And-take
a message from me to Richardson"
He stopped. startled. Indeed, Miss
Lee and | had both started. TO
who's running the boat. anyhow-Sin-
gleton:"
"Mr. Singleton is Il prisoner in the
forward house," l said gravely.
The effect Of this was astonishing.
He stared at us both. and, finding cor
roboration In Miss Lees face, his own
took on an instant expression of relief.
He dropped to the side Of the bed, and
his color came slowly back. He even
smiled-a crafty grin that was mex.
pressibly horrible.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-10
CHAPTER W.
Prisoners

n n Y first thought had been for the
V women, and, unluckily, to save
them a shock | had all evil
- dences of the crime cleared
away as quickly as possible. Stains
that might have been of invaluable
service IN determining the murderer
We're washed away almost before they
were dry. l realized this now too late.
But the TX remained, and l felt that
its handle probably contained a record
for more skillful eyes than mine to
read, prints that under the microscope
would reveal the murderer's identity
as clearly as a photograph.
l sent for Burns, who reported that
he had locked the AK in the captains
cabin. He gave me the key, which l
fastened to Il string and hung around
my neck under my shirt. He also re.
ported that. as l had suggested. the
crew had gone. two at a time. into the
Iorecastle and had brought up what
they needed to stay on deck. The fore
castle had been closed and locked in
the presence of the crew and the key
given to Burns, who fastened it to his
watch chain. The two hatchways lead
ing to the hold had been fastened
down also, and Oleson, who was ships
carpenter, had nailed them fast.
'The bodies-all ready, Leslie" Burns
said. his face working. what are we
going to do with them?'
Wei have to take them back"
but we can't do that. It's a two
weeks matter, and in this weather.
I'VE will take them back. Burns" 1
said shortly, and he assented mechan.
ically:
AYE, aye, sir"
Just how it was to be done was a
difficult thing to decide. Miss Lee had
not appeared yet, and the three Of us,
Jones, Burns and l, talked it over
Jones suggested that we put them in
one Of the lifeboats and nail we it u
canvas and tarpaulin cover.
shuddered, but the idea was a good
one, and ! asked Burns to go up and
get the boat ready.
1--WE must let the ome up this aft
ernoon." said. ''and. IL 1t Is possible.
try to Keep them from learning where
the bodies are ,We.cpn rope Off u part
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-10

OF the deck FOR them and ask them not
TO leave it."
Miss Lee came out then and Burns
went on deck.
You must not keep us prisoners any
longer. Leslie" she said. Put a guard
over us If you must. but let us up in
the air."
This afternoon. Miss Lee" | said.
This morning you are better below"
She understood me, but she had no
conception Of the brutality Of the
crime even then.
II am not u child. | wish to see
them. l shall have to testify
You will not see them, Miss Lee"
Twill you take me to Karen's room?"
| could see no reason for %objecting;
but so thorough was the panic that
had infected US all that | would not
allow her in until l had preceded her,
and had searched in the clothes closet
and under the two hunks. Williams
had not reached this room yet. and
there was Il pool Of blood on the floor.
She had u great deal Of courage. She
glanced ae the stain. and looked away
again quickly.
"l-think | shall not come in. viii
you look at the bell register for me?
What bell is registered?:"
Three" ''"s' :"
Then it was not my sisters bell
that rang. 1t was Mr.. Wallis"
1T must be Il mistake. Perhaps the
wires
Mrs. Turner's room is number one.
Please go back and ask her to ring her
bell. while | see how it registers"
But | would not leave her there
alone. ! went with her to her sisters
door. and together we returned to the
maids cabin. Mrs. Turner had rung
as We requested. and her bell had
registered ''one."
He rang for help" she cried. and
broke down utterly. She dropped into
a chair in the chart room and cried soft
Iy, helpIessly. while 1 stood by, unable
to think Of anything to do or say. |
think now that it was the best thing
she could have done. though at the
time l was alarmed. | ventured. finally.
"Pleaser' | said.
She stopped crying after a time, and
| knew the exact instant when she
realized my touch. l. felt her stiffen;
without looking up. she drew away
from my hand: and ! stepped back.
hurt and angry-the hurt for her, the
anger that l could not remember that
| was her hired servant.
Mr.. Turner is awake, / beliey e." l
said stif1y.
VERY WELL"
She turned back into the main cabin;
but she paused at the storeroom door.
1T is curious that you heard moth
ing" she said slowly. You slept with
this door open, didn't you?"
II was locked in"
She stopped quickly and looked at
the lock. T..
"You broke it open?"
YES"
You are SURE it was locked?"
THE bolt is still shot" showed
her.
'"Then-where is the key?"
1.-The key"
Certainly. Find the key and you
will find the nan who locked you in"
Unless" I reminded her. ut flew out
when / broke the lock-"
I'm that case it will be on the floor"
But an exhaustive search Of the
cabin floor discovered no key. Jones,
seeing us searching, helped. his revol.
yer In n hand and n lighted match In
the other. handling both with an aban.
don OF ease that threatened us alter.
nntely with fire and n bullet. But
there WIS no kew,
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-10

1T stalfdS to reason. miss" he said.
When we had given up. that since the
key isn't here. it isn't on the ship. That
there key is Il sort of red hot give
away. No one is going to carry u thing
like that around. Either it's here in
this %cabin-which it isn't-or it's over
board"
VERY likely. Jones. But l shall ask
Mr.. Turner to search the men"
She went toward Turner's door, and
Jones leaned over me, putting a hand
on my arm.
She's right. boy" he said quickly,
Don't let 'em know what you're after.
but so through their pockets. And
their shoes" he called after me "A
key slips into a shoe mighty easy"
But, after all, it was not necessary.
The key was to be found. and very
soon.
Exactly what occurred during Elsa
Lees visit to her brother-in-law's
cabin ! have never learned. He was
sober. | know. and somewhat dazed.
with no recollection whatever of the
previous night except Il hazy idea that
he had quarreled with Richardson.
The voices from Turner's cabin came
steadily, Miss Lees low tones. Tur-
ner's heavy bass only now and then.
Once heard her give Il startled ex-
clamation. and both Jones and leaped
to the door. But the next m she
was talking again quietly.
Ten minuteS-hfteen-pasSed. grew
restless and tool to wandering about
the cabin. Mrs. Johns came to the door
opposite and asked to have tea sent
down to the stewardess. called the
request up the companionway. un.
willing to leave the cabin for a mo-
ment. When | came back Jones vas
standing at the door Of Wallis cabin,
looking in. His face was pale.
Look here" he said hoarsely. Look
at the bell. He must have tried to
push the button"
L stared in. Williams had put the
cabin to rights us nearly as he could.
The soaked mattress was gone, and a
clean linen sheet was spread over the
unk Poor Wallis clothing. as he had
X it Off the night before, hung on a
mahogany stand beside the bed, and
above. almost concealed by his coat,
was the bell. Jones eyes were fixed on
the darklsh smear. owe and around
the bell, on the white paint.
| measured the height Of the bell
from the bed. 1t was well above and
to n side-a smear rather than a
print. too indeterminate to he of any
value, sinister. cruel.
He didn't do that, Charlie | said.
He couldn't have got up to it AFTER
That is the murderer's mark. He
leaned there. n hand against the
wall. to look down at his work. And,
Without knowing 1t, be pressed the
button that reused the two women"
He had not heard the story Of Hen
rietta Sloane, and as we waited / told
him. Some of the tension was relax
ing. He tried. in his argumentative
German way. to drag me into a dis
cusSlOn as to the REORGANIZATION of q
death that resulted from an accidental
ringing Of a bell. But my ears were
alert for the voices near by. and soon
Miss Lee opened the door.
Turner vas sitting on his bunk. He
had made an attempt to shave and had
cut his chin severel!. He was in a
dressing gown and was holding IL
handkerchief to his face. He peered
at me over it with red trimmed eyes,
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-10
he Fertilizinq Rain.

Probably few students Of agriculture
realize the fertilizing qualities of tropi-
cal rains. In the Annales de Geogra-
Dhie M. Guillaume Capus, who has
chemically studied the effects of rainy
weather. in French Indo-China. says
that lightning produces large amounts
Of nitric acid. In the thirteen dis
tricts Of the Tonkin delta of Indo.Chi-
ma, where thunderstorms are frequent.
M. Capus asserts that the lightning
annually produces an amoun Of at.
mospheric nitrogen equivalent to 49,.
800 tons OF nitrate Of soda. or 1880
tons Of sulphate of ammonia. the
value OF which 10 nearly $20.000.0 900.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-10

Singleton" he said. why do they
nov do they know it was he?"
He had quarreIed with the captain
last night, and he was on duty ut the
M OF the-when the thing happened.
The man at the wheel claims to have
seen him in the chart room Just before.
and there was other evidence, l believe.
Ihe lookout saw him forward. With
something, possibly the ax-not deci,
s1ve, of course, but enough to justify
putting him in irons. Somebody did it,
and the murderer is on board. Mr.. Tur.
ner."
His grin had faded. but the crafty
look In his pale blue eyes remained.
Where are-they?" he asked in Il
different tone.
"On deck"
I'VE can't keep them in this
weather"
I'VE must" | said. I'VE will have
to get to the nearest port as quickly
as we can. and surrender ourselves and
the bodies. This thing will have to
be sifted to the bottom. Mr.. Turner"
lie fell n u passion at that, in
slstlng that the bodies be buried at
once, asserting his ownership of the
vessel as his authority, demanding to
know what /, a forecastle hand, had
to say about it. He ended by demand
ing Williams.
opened the door and called to
Charlie Jones to send the butler, and
stood by, waiting for the fresh ex-
plosion that was coming. Williams
shakily confessed that there was no
whisky Oh board.
Where is it," Turner Numbered.
Il ordered it overheard" l said.
Turner whirled on me. in~credulity
and rage in his face.
YOU
| put the best face l could on the
matter, and eyed him steadily. There
has been too much drinking on this
ship" | said. IF you doubt it go up
and look at the three bodies on the
deck
What have you to do about it?'
With Schwartz gone. Captain Rich
ardson dead and Singleton in irons the
crew had no officers. They asked me
to take charge"
so! And you used your authority
to NEEDLE with what does not concern
you. The ship has an officer while |
am on it. And there will be no mutiny."
lie flung into the main cabin and
made for the forward companionway.
stepped back to allow Miss Lee to
precede me. She was standing. her
Dack to the dressing stand, facing the
door. She looked at me and made Il
helpless gesture with her hands. as il
the situation were beyond her. Then
l saw her look down. She took a quick
step or two toward the door and.
STOPPING, picked up some small object
from almost under my foot. The moi
dent would have passed without no
tice had she not, in attempting to wrap
it in her handkerchief. dropped it. /
saw then that it was q key.
Let me get it for you" | said. TO
my amaZement, she put her foot
owe it.
please see what Mr.. Turner is do
ing" b said. ut is the key to my
jewel case
1T is not the key to u jewel case"
1T does not concern you what it is"
1T is the key to the storeroom
door,"
You IRE stronger than I am. You
look the brute. You can knock me
away and get it" ;;ss,4,
-aa1GI ri
~ m,., tcoSr1SUED.l
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-10

questioned as TO ncr lntcnC wnen she
made it she replied that she could not
explain what induced her to say that
in exchange for Il view of the mans
features she would give the only val
liable article she had, nor had She
framed 4 reply as to what the article
was. She only knew that when she
saw the ~strikingly handsome features
Of a gentleman the answer came to her
from she knew not where and her re-
ply WAS Involuntary.
That was Il period when Cromwelrs
lronsides had defeated the forces of
King Charles /. and Cromwell had
made himself lord protector of Eng.
land. The kings adherents were de-
prlvcd OF their fortunes and scatter
ed. Some Of them sought service in
the armies Of foreign sovereigns, and
some. in order to make a living, took
to the road. Among these was Lord
Walter Wheatleigh. whose father, the
Earl of Portland. had been killed at
Naseby fighting for the king. Walter.
the last Of his race. had served under
Prince Rupert, and after the behead-
ing of the king his estates had been
confscated, leaving him penniless. He
was one Of those who took to the road
Tor a living, and it was he who had
stopped the chaisc Of Sir Evan Briefly
n made the singular bargain with
Evelyn. He afterward joined the
young king Charles ~ on the con
linen and at the restoration returned
with dhe king. Who restored to him his
ancestral estates.
Meanwhile Evelyn Briefly grew to
be q handsome woman. The face Of
the h~ighWayman and the mysterious
influence that had induced her to
pledge him her heart in exchange for
a glimpse Of it never left her. The
years went by. and he did not return
to claim his own. Sometimes she
dreaded he would and sometimes fear
ed he would not. After awhile she be-
gan to think that he had suffered for
his crimes on the gallows.
One October evening-it was Hal
loWeen-Evelyn stole out Of her home
"hu NSIC hNloSS LAC ILLUS 10 Tie river
bank. The moon was but u few days
old and was dividing the day and the
night, Evelyn stood on the river bank
among scattered trees and. raising a
mirror she held in her hand, said
aloud:
Good moon. show me my future
husband"
!, There was a sound of breaking twigs
behind her, and a face appeared reflect
ed in the glass. It was the well re-
! membered face Of the highwayman.
Mistress Briefly" he said, .one
night some years ago I gave you a
sight of my face for your heart. To
give you good measure | give yo;1 an
other sight of the same unworthy OBJ
ject"
Evelyn dropped the mirror and
turned.
The highWaymah!!" she exclaimed.
The repentant highwayman. former
~ Walter Wheatleigh Of Prince Ru-
pert's army, then reduced to make a
living on the road, now Earl of Pent.
land
>" did not know what | was saw
Ing said tile girl. turning nway. The
young earl caught her. saying:
Nevertheless you said it. and I
have come for my own"
Evelyn Briefly became Countess of
Pentland and for a short while a
member Of the court of King Charles.
But the profigacy of the court soon
drove her to her husbands home near
Windsor. where she remained. living a
somewhat secluded life with her bus
band and her children.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-10

Ralph Leslie, college man, ships as deck
steward on Marshall Turner's yacht Ella
and is befriended by Elsa Lee.
Turner Is drinking heavily. Charlie
Jones, a sailor, says the Ella is a bad
ship. Captain Richardson strikes Mato
Singleton for drinking.
Mrs. Johns, a guest, is frightened anu
asks Leslie to sleep in the after house.
He finds himself locked in.
Vail, a guest, Captain Richardson and
Karen Hansen. a maid, are found MUIR
dered by Leslie. Turner and Singleton
are drunk.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-10
The Story by Chapters.

IL Plan a Voyage.
Ill UncIinch My Hands.
I'LL Quote Omar khayyam.
IVA Terrible Night.
V.-We Find the Ak.
Vl.-Prisoners.
VIl.-"The Dead Line"
VIIl.-The First Mate Talks.
lx.-From the Crows Nest.
X.-Jones Stumbles Over Some-
thing.
xl.-The Ak Is Gone.
Kill Take the Stand.
Xlll.-OIeson's Story.
XlV.-"A Bad Woman"
xV.-Turner's Story.
xVI.-Free Again.
xVil.-The Thing.
xVlIl.-The Sea Again.
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-12-20
If CLAREMORE CAN HELP.
c PLEASE COMMAND "

this went to and he
push Ced) me down that hole a long
tall negro black that hoo it vase long
sleam tall negro
This note was crowded toward the
extreme bottom edge OF the page,
and was therefore evidently the first
note, and the writer did not have
room on this page to finish; either
that, or he was possessed by desire
to emphasize still more strongly the
physical characteristics of the "mur-
derer'. The other, or second note Cin
penclD read: -. but that long
tall black negro did buy his self"
one Of the first efforts Of the police
was to locate the author OF these
notes. In pursuance of this purpose,
each of six suspects. among them
Frank and Newt Lee. were required
to write portions Of the notes for
comparison Of handwriting All Of
the suspects gave specimens OF their
handwriting without hesitation except
Conley, who claimed that he could
not write. The proof that he could
wrlte was finally furnished after three
weeks by Frank. who did not know
that Conley's handwriting had not
been compared with the handwriting
of the murder notes" or that Con-
ley had denied that he would write
tho police had kept these facts to
themselves but the credit Of the dis
covery was denied TO Frank at the
time and claimed by the police with
sensational flourish, in fuli-page
newspaper story. as clever piece OF
clairyoyant detective work. There Is
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-12-20

ten days after It was discovered he
could write During all that time no
denied having been at the factory that
day-in strong contract TO Frank who
promptly admitted he had seen the
little girl at the factory and had paid
her off Frank was indicted after tho
police and the prosecutor knew that
Conley had admitted tho authorship
Of the murder notes" but the grand
jury was not advised Of this fact The
TO understand that they had over
whelming evidence Of Franks guilt
Jim Conley, obliged to acllnowl-
edge authorship Of tho murder
notes" by the knowledge II the police
that he could write. and by a COM
parison OF the murder notes with
his handwriting finally admitted that
he was at the factory on saturday,
This admission was made after the
visit to the jail " a woman witness
who saw a negro In the factory en-
trance that day During this visit
Conley was nOticeably nervous ono
OF the officers testified that he
'chewed his lips and twlrleJ a Gig
aret I'm his fingers; he didn't seem TO
know how 10 hold onto IL. he could
not keep his feet still" Conley had
no mission at the factory that day.
unless his story, told for the first time
al tho trial. was true, that he was
there at Franks direction. fortified
with bottle Of cheap whlskey. TO
see that nobody entered the factory
during Franks "nirtatlons" Frank
was to give certain signal from tho
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-12-20

second floor by stamping with his
feet, when tho front door downstairs
was 10 be locked until such time as
he whstled all right" when the door
was TO be unlocked
\ Drunken Negro In the shadows.
II Mary Phagan went down the
stairway that noon, as Frank de-
clared. then she was in plain view.
with her silver mesh bag IN her hand,
OF this semi-lntUXicated. lustful, i'm
proVdent and impecunlUus negro.
who lay concealed all that morning
in the shadow OF "A pile OF packing
boxes stacked at the front Of the stair
way. This entrance was always dark,
even with a burning gas jet. but on
that saturday II was darker than
usual because Of the lowering day
without and because, being a holiday.
tho gas was eXtinguished. At the
foot Of the stairway was an elevator
shaft which led TO the still darker
cellar or basement. and alongside of
this elevator shaft was also trap
door leading to the basement by
means of q ladder-the hole re-
ferred to In one OF the murder
notes" Il my theory of this crime is
correct. for the negro made the notes
In part tell truth, just as he made his
main story In part tell truth.
On the Saturday of the murder, not
withstandlng IT was a holiday. Frank,
who was all attention TO business, had
gone TO the factory to catch up with
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-12-20
The Murder Notes"

Among the suspects was a colored
man named Jim" Conley, who had
been arrested on the Thursday sue
ceedlng the murder because of the
fact that he was seen washing a shirt
in the factory He was a floor sweeper
employed on the fourth floor. Conley
lay I'm Jail for three weeks. almost
forgotten, while the whlrlwind OF
calumny had been swirling about
Franks head Then It was dlscov-
cred that Conley could write The
significance OF this discovery Is eX-
plained by the fact that near the body
OF Mary Phagan were found pencil
and two pieces OF paper, on which
were written a note or notes, ad-
dressed to Mary Phagan's mother
witch the murdered girl was sup
posed" to have written, and in which
she told her mother how she was
murdered, giving a physical descrip-
ton of the person who, according to
the notes. murdered her. This de-
scrlptlon was exactly tho reverse Of
"Jlm" Conleys physical characterist-
les. The notes described the MUIR
derer as long. tall. sleam, black
negro" Conley Is short and stout.
with "ginger cake" complexion
These notes are here reproduced with
several unprlntable words elided.
One note read Gin penciD: MAN
that negro hire (d) down here did
Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-12-20
THE FANK
CASE

low of the mnelps ON the previous
trial day, as tnrsp terrifying bays
swept over the crowd lu rrpcatus
waves outside, FRANKS wife In the
courtroom, shrank each time lu ter
ror behind her escort her face Whitr
as death