Show 0 sanda by sara ware BASSETT copyright by too the penn rub pub co T service ea SYNOPSIS 1 future of 0 the still youthful and ly barcla ilowe recently y ned ed by death from her idling self bisband is band Is a converset conver conversational sat tit bit tonal r r housewives of the little ittle hamlet katon iton eligible bachelors and wid h also are interested barcla de her u un nouat fortunato matrimonial al ex ece c e finds ads pleasure in her life but ely it at t times and nd has invited her husbands na niece ce hayden aydon II t she che has never seen to visit lier her irl rl arrives and marcia takes to it t once while sylvia expecting to elderly aunt finds mar ore ilk like e a 8 sister ister A stranger str aneer on erge of exhaustion finds his nay macias tir cias home ill III continued 4 at disaster had laid him hei hero c ss before them I 1 alf if their questions penetrated his lausness lous ness the stranger ly d his bis eyes ekes rry to come here like this hi be lured the fog was so thick I 1 ny my bearings and my powerboat power boat aground ive been trying hours t her off ashes hard and fast on oa sand bar struggled to rise and marcia ing beside him helped him into right position where he sat lean garast her shoulder seem to have brought in about the he sea with me he apologized ig ag about in vague half balf dazed in n i matter were used to salt here she answered how do reel eel youre not hurt aly ly a little nothing much ive something SO queer to my wrist I 1 trying to push the boat off and thang suddenly gave way ruing ming his head aside he bit his 3 it if in pain ell telephone doctor stetson while you remain in wet clothes there Is no surer of catching cold do you think could get upstairs if sylvia slvia aal led ded you yoi guess so it if it far im aby dizzy I 1 dont know why I 1 se ise though I 1 must shed these togs tog lu certainly must come sylvia a hand well help him up a i im not in such a bad way as ad int bat I 1 can get up alone he pro pra 1 only please walt wait just another te the whole place has suddenly i to pitch again like a ship I 1 in 0 man ean perhaps I 1 may be faint ent eaten anything for a lay day or hy by you tell me the soup sylvia I 1 only wish I 1 had some y well at least this Is hot anti anil warm you up ill fee feed you I 1 me the cur cup and sylvia tt it I 1 feel like a baby fretted the ger a 3 matter we must get some hot inside you right away dont about how its done said the ical minded marcia there you better already later you shall a real honest to goodness meal and call doctor stetson sylvia pen the bed in the lie room opposite you might light the heater beater too the girl sped away marcia turned d her visitor appose we ve try to make the now shall we but what es me Is your wet clothing im I 1 take your death of 0 cold ne peel off your shoes and i do that and I 1 believe I 1 coull you out of your water soaked ter er it if I 1 were to cut the sleeve I 1 try we mind wreck t for I 1 have another I 1 can give e man did not answer tead lead he sat tense and unsmiling penetrating enet rating brown eyes fixed faed on las face apparently the ecru crystallized in him some swift atlon for after letting tits his glance I 1 I 1 about the room to convince him that no one was within bearing abed forward kere here Is something else id rather did for me first he whispered ring ang his olce until it became at ai inaudible ive a package here ill ah take charge of its in my shirt but for this infernal I 1 could reach it it it get it 1 rather you talk about lt if aued lie he hurriedly just put it safe place will you please ertain lyl but unquestioning marcia it her hand beneath his sodden ing and drew forth a email lat flat wrapped rapped in a bedraggled hand chandker ker 1 I i 4 ti louk look out for it VII ill be obliged ti f comae I 1 will smiled marcia kl ki here Is tay my pet place brick iii III the hearth Is loose and r it it Is plenty of space for this li ii ill luck it in there just hold it a second until I 1 pry the brick up there we arel are now give it to me she reached hurriedly for the package but as their hands met the moist clinging handkerchief became entangled in their linger and slipping lipping from its coverings a leather jewel case dropped to the floor door out of it t rolled a flashing necklace an and d a confusion confusion of smaller gems marcia stilled stifled an involuntary cry nevertheless she neither looked up nor belated de sorry to be so clumsy she muttered as she swiftly scooped up the jewels it was well A ell she had made haste for no sooner was the clasp on the hie bos bog snapped anti anil the trew treasure tre aure kure concealed be thel the floor loor than sylvia returned and a moment later came both doctor jared stetson and 1 kislia wenslow narcia nodded the doctor elsh happened to be in the office when bour 3 our niece alece called up tin an hearin earin li ion lind had a man patient he thought debbe lie might lie he of use what stuat pears to be the trouble sir ive 1 ve done something to my right tt AN rist 11 11 it II ni in m wl elih afi skilled hand lie he pushed hack back the dripping sleeve youre a dille alte waterlogged water logged I 1 notice observed he ieca reen board something of the sort returned the man the flicker of a smile mr for the fraction of a second marcia heckt hesitated abed con continued linued in an even ann tone mr carlton grounded ground cd his boat and had bad lo 10 swim ashore you dont bayt aal ayl well I 1 aint surprised taint no day to be afloat IOU ou cut alls tits fag with a carvin knife how come you to take your jour boat out I 1 in n such weather the doctor demanded 1 I was mas was cruising oh an the fog abut down on you yon I 1 see sec fog has a trick of doln that unless one keeps an eye for fog symptoms tais now what 11 recommend for you first of all mr carlton Is a warm bed you look clean beat out better let lish an me help you upstairs an out oot of your wet things cause with a wrist such as yours I 1 figger you wont wet be ery cry handy at buttons not that elsh is a professional ladys maid that aint exactly his callin call ln still in spite spile of bein town sheriff he can turn liis its hand to other things its lucky he can too for he dont get much she riffin down this way war wilton go in for crime in fact we was laughin bout that very thin thing this noon at the post office tears rears theres been a robbery at one of the long island estates quantities of jewelry taken an no trace of the thief the alarm was sent out over the radio early yesterday an lis listening in elsh I 1 here got quite het bet up an not a little envious lie he said he most wished the burglary had took place in our town excitement abeln at a pretty low ebb now marcia standing by the stove spun about now elisha dont you run down wilton why I 1 have twenty five dollars in my purse this minute slie she asserted taking a worn ctorn pocketbook pocket book from her dress and slapping it with challenging leng ing candor down upon apon the table 1 I keep it in that cli abina alia box bos above the stove that might serve as a starter remarked the stranger regarding her quizzically she faced him chin drawn in and head high and defiant besides that in my top bureau drawer Is a string of gold beads that belonged to my great grandmother she continued daring laughter curlin curling her lips they tire are very old and ar are really quite valuable I 1 well make a note of 0 those too nodded the man his ees on hers im afraid all I 1 can offer in the way of burglary inducements that belat the case spose you an me start gettin the pLit patient lent upstairs I 1 lash broke in doctor stetson it if we ire dont next we know hell be havin pneumonia as well as a bad v wrist alst the strangers admiring glance itself on marceas Mar clas what Is my next nest move he be inquired t 1 I told you before you must taka tak off your wet things and rest she repealed you still prescribe that treatment 1 I 1 still prescribe it in spite of f the the symptoms why not was her quick answer very well I 1 am ready gentlemen erect even with a hint of deliance in his bis mocking smile the man rose to his full height before we go hoever lm ever 4 I 1 must correct a slight error ion ou misunderstood my name it Is nt carlton Carl tonT tod it Is heath Sta stanley tiley heath CHAPTER IV and yet you told me marcia macef a this was a quiet adventure leM less p place I 1 ace burat out sylvia the instant the door had closed it seem so to me when shipwrecked mariners marinero ma fall into your arms entirely without warning I 1 call it thrilling who do you suppose lie he Is ile he told us Ms name of course beath stanley heath its quite a romantic name too put but I 1 mean that I 1 mean where did become he come from and why dianthe he tell you not a word obviously the girl was disappointed 1 I thought peili aps lie he might have while I 1 was upstairs I 1 was gone long enough for him to pour out to you his entire history at least it seemed so to me I 1 ransacked every closet and draper in sight trying to find something for him to put on it until I 1 struck that old soa sea chest in the hall that I 1 discovered pajamas and underwear der wear I 1 hope you dont mind my taking them A sillier passed over marcia SI arcla no they were jasons I 1 ought to hiie bae told aou ou they were there I 1 kept them thiern because I 1 thought they might sometime be useful well they certainly ire are replied syl sahia ia they will exactly fit mr heath where do you suppose he came from and how long has he been knocking about in that boat I 1 wonder lider how do I 1 know dear marall sighed as it if determined to control her patience you tou know as much about him as I 1 do I 1 mean slie she corrected honesty forcing her to amend the assertion ser tion almost ns as much I 1 dl did d to he hi sure ta talk k with him a little while waiting for the hie doctor but be did not tell me anything about himself the moving inQ viii jot chairs overhead and the soun sound d of feet creaking down the stairway heralded the return of 0 jared stetson and alisha marcia went to in meet them taint a broken wrist SI 11 arcla was the doctors greeting on entering the kitchen I 1 dont think it Is ive bandaged it an lish elsh an me lime hanc your friend snug g an warm la ia tied bod tomorrow ill look in again for tonight the bandage will do A hot water bottle be amiss nor a square meal neither beyond them two things lings ti there aint much you can do at pr ebent but let him sleep seems a nice of lelier feler known him ion long not at so very long why marcia barcla 1 I broke in sylvia one sometimes mes comes to know a person rather well nell though even in a short time went on the older woman ignoring the interruption spose a comin to see you yon that brought him down this way ellsha volunteered somehow I 1 dont recall mechin him before ue ile liken been here before was the measured response oh so lies new to wilton waters ell eh that grobly accounts for tits his aground fine lookin cha chap p lias has quite an air to him bothin Not liln cheap bout his clothes neither they was al quality clear through to ills hla skin silk with monograms mono grams on lem em must be a man of means I 1 silence greeted the observation likely he Is barin a powerboat power boat an leisure to cruise round in her persisted the undaunted ellsha 1 I really say well apparently he aint one that boasts of tits his possessions an to lit his credit interposed jared stetson good elyshas Ells Elis has bas interest in the stranger was not however to be so easily diverted seen the boat he be inquired IN no 0 11 oh ob you yon aint I 1 I 1 forgot to ask neath heath the name of her im sort of a crank on the names of boats it always riles me to have a foolish name given a boat no matter how small she Is her plank ln is all that divides her owner from fathoms of water an in view of the fact hed oughter aughter regard her soberly an give ire her a decent name well I 1 hops hope the name of mr heatha heaths boat will meet with your a approval p ventured sylvia archly 1 I hope twill was the glum retort as the sherin sheriff followed doctor stetson through the doorway the moment the door banged behind them sylla sahia turned toward marcia forgive my butting in dear apologized slie she but I 1 was so sur surprised you did say you know mr heath you yes cut but but sometimes its just as well not to tell all you know especially in a place like this was the evasive response was the reply a rebuke or merely a caution silvia did not know arid and what was the meaning of the rose color that flooded the elder wom ans cheek had marcia really meant to give the impression that she knew stanley heath and if so why sylvia wracked cracked her brain for answers to these questions she would have been interested indeed n had she known that while she wrestled with the ent enigma ma marcia to all appearances busy preparing the tray for the invalid upstairs was searching her heart bicart for answers to the same questions why had bad she sought to shield this str stranger auger the man was nothing to her of his past she had not the sll slightest beest knowledge indeed he might be the greatest villain in the world in fact circumstances proclaimed d him a thief nevertheless th eless blie bhe did not could not bel believe iee it there Ther ewas was something bom ething too tine la ia his face his eyes true he had made no attempt either to defend himself or to explain away the file suspicions he must have known would arise in her mind on the contrary with a devil may care audacity that fascinated her he actually appeared to have tried to deepen in her mind the impression of his guilt still she refused to believe even in the face of overwhelming evidence she clung to her unreasoning faith la ia him suppose he had bad stolen the gems and fled with them from long island suppose lie he had lost his bearings in the tog fog tossed on the sea for a day and a night and then run aground at her doorstep it was possible quite possible even probable yet was it not for a man like stanley heath marcia stubbornly insisted so deep was the convIct conviction lon she shrank lest he ha should feel called upon to justify or defend himself TO BE CONTINUED |