Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-11-29
The Phantom
Skater
Copyright. 1915. western Newspaper uDicp.l
By cEcILLK LANcDoN


regarding the necessity of my mission.
l had been ordered TO call upon Evan
Rees and SIlas Dunn and receive In
structions.
| found Rees to be an avowed mort
gage banker with leaning to surrept-
tious chattel loans Dunn was a re-
tired lawyer. They were counterparts
old. shriveled. with shrewd faces
and furtlve eyes.
1--WE have sent for you to learn the
identity of u person who is annoying
Ne considerably" spoke Rees first of
all.
"Name?" ! suggested.
Unknown. This annoyance" inter
polated Dunn. "has come in the shape
of letters tackled to our fence posts,
thrown in at an open window, or push
ed under our doors They alternate
between our respective homes. They
demand of each of us $4,000 by the
first of the ensuing month. or"
The speaker made complex gesture
that might indicate a bullet knife
| thrust or dose of poison. Then he
1
tons the fact that we are nearer to
our doom so many days, and demand
repeated that through the local paper
we indicate our willingness to come
to terms"
Some one seems TO have imported
/ city black-hand methods" I submitted.
"These letters observed Dunn, fare
all delivered after midnight We have
set a watch, but have not been able to
catch the man. We want you to do
that, and, when you have accomplished
the feat. turn him over to u.s."
Now l was impressed with the be-
( lief that these two old men were not
disclosing to me all the facts Of the
Z case, but hung around first one and
I then the other of the two homes for
three nights. The weather was cold
and did not fancy the exposure and
monotony of my task. The fifth night,
however, brought along a decided tok-
en- Of interest.
1t must have been two O'clock in
the morning and the moon was shining
| clear and full. was concealed by
some shrubbery at the side of the
( Dunn residence, when the metallic
/ swish of skates on the firm ice of the
! river not two hundred yards distant
attracted my attention. Speeding along
was the 1.-THE. closely attired figure of
man. His evolutions were graceful
and expert. As he arrived opposite
the Dunn place, he circled TO the shore
and unshipped from his waist what
made out to be a small bow and ar
row. He poised ii and / noted a white
object at the end of the arrow. IT
sped over my head, landed against an
upper window of the Dunn home, pene-
trated pane and was, felt certain
another of those menacing letters.
The sender did not daily. He went
back the course he had just come. a
swaying, flashing figure, almost eerie
and phantom like in his presentment.
The next day I learned from Dunn
that the arrow had indeed brought a
new menacing missive. He took out
his wallet and showed 1t to me: "Ten
days more-act. or take the conse-
quences," 1t said.
1t was after Dunn had left me that.
looking down casually, noticed fold
ed piece of paper that he must have
dropped. I opened and perused it. In
form 1t was a receipt acknowledging
an obligation to deliver to Robert Wills
$4,000 in stock of certain corpora
ton. 1t was dated two years back.
The next night Went over the frog
en- ice up the river to the point where
II branched off from the lake, hoping
to intercept my phantom skater if he
appeared again on his unique mission.
Traversing the shores of the lake my
glance was fixed on a light beyond,
showing through line of trees on
little island. / investigated this. to be
led to an old hut The light shone
through one of the windows. Glanc-
ing within / saw q man seated on a
stool adjusting pair of skates. 1 rec
ognized that slim, alert figure acted
on speedy impulse Approaching the
door-I pressed against it. Being un-
locked it opened readily. stood with
in the room beyond. It's inmate sprang
excltedly to his feet.
"who are you" he demanded sharp
~.
"A friend" l replied. "Come to
save you delivering your letter at Broc-
ton. I'll do 1t for you"
1t took me ten minutes to gain the
confidence Of the young man. Then
he told all. He claimed that his faith
er had been induced by Dunn and
Rees to join them in promoting cor
poration which had been very success
full He had died suddenly and no evil
dence left except few casual remarks
he had made. With an impoverished
mother and sister on his hands. en-
gagged to a beautiful young lady he
could not wed on account of his pow
erty. my man had started out planning
to brighten the two schemers into
making restitution.
And the mintue / knew that his faith
/ er was Robert Wills / solved the enig-
ma and showed him the receipt that
established his claim. The next day
labored with Dunn and Rees and they