Show THE RETURN of Q ANTHONY TRENT By WYNDHAM MARTYN by A no Ma CHAPTER VIII-Continued VIII VIII Continued 18 1 As for tor Thorpe Thorp Anthony Trent had declared that out of ot the mIsts mista of night nighta a ship would corn come bringing him the of ot the dogs does be ho lo loved ed etl Thorpe straIned his eyes yes until they ached Then Ihen nebulous vast and some ome great form torm had bad materialized Itself from the mist and borne down upon bin A leap of ot amazIng agility saved savell hIm bin from bring being sacrificed on the concrete con concrete cret crete floor of the bathing ba 1 Q The ship aIded tided by the deep water came on as though the land were equally her sphere It was as when the crew rew dazed by the flashIng of ot lights and the shouts shout ot of armed men tried tc te leap Into safety that Regan and allies lost their and sprang to pleasing action Pierre alone of ot the men aboard was not yet anxious to give gle himself up op to unknown authorities There were too many men with search searchlights searchlights lights for tor him to assume It was wa an nn ac- ac accidental accidental ac accidental gathering Ills flis first aim was to secrete the jewels Then he be made hIs way on deck and ran forward The moon ra mac v for tor the moment tree free ot of clouds The outline of ot the bIg white house bouse the configuration of ot the gardens and the depth of ot the water Inshore all pointed to the present dan dnn danger danger ger of ot his situation shrank bark from the rails lie he II knew of ct no po possible way to turn torn this thia unbelievable situation to his own advantage loge tagI Vi When hen lien he be turned a away way from the sIght that disturbed him he be b saw what he be supposed was the Evil One himself standIng behind him with folded arms It was a 8 being of ot great stature clad from head to heel beel In black On Its head was the curious cap he be bad seen so FO many carnival devils deUs wear I Terre was superstitious at heart beart and he be knew In that moment there were no acts of ot good to be found In his life lite which would help belp him Ills his arms dropped to his sides helplessly ly It Is rate Fate he lie murmured hIs bis courage cour courage courage age gone The thins thing In black advanced a step and griped him by the arm It was a grip of ot numbing strength lou sou ov can call It anything you like me saId Anthony Trent PIerre made no resistance when his opponent searched him tor for the booty he lie had bad so soV V J lately hidden tm or or did he offer to struggle lIe He knew too well tb the feel teel ot of a weapon pressed agaInst his body Come Lome and show me where you yoo ve re put them said Trent If It If you try any tricks I shall shoot I 1 think IdI I Id d dI I refer to shoot so den don t hesitate to cut cot and aDd run What What I cried confounded to discover that the man he had sneered at had bod by some extraordinary means brought ruin upon him You would kill 1111 me Im I m afraid you yon are not going to give me the chance said Anthony Trent sincerely CHAPTER IX The Terrors by Night Mr Ur had bad not been kindly used ft W hen ben commanded hIm to sit alone In 10 slit darkness of ot the hall ball and shoot any fleeting robbers he accepted the mIssIon with Joy But ut he be was os old and felt the chill chili of ot the nIght winds hen ben halt half an hour hoor hid Ind gone by I 11 t c determined to go co to his room and get a hen IT coat He Ill reached hIs bis suite In time to see Mr Ir leatman holding up s rIng to tie lie It e light It lt was plaIn tt tie e detective hid made a thorough Perch of ot the room made a an aHi tiling n Ins Ing leap tor for s legs less Cum Glin bert Lert s head hearl struck tte tle side of nf a 0 bureau in 10 falling consciousness dawned upon him 1 t Ie e was wab tied and his lils jaws s jaw from the violence with which the gag Lad had been used So stirred by rage race Vas vas the old tighter fighter at the Indignity that Le be struggled led to free tree himself with tre Ire tre- rr efforts The rope was proof against hi his strength lie Ile had better luck with the gag After Arter a time lime ho he found himself lt able to use ose his voice rolce Into the nIght be he sent yell after aCler yell TI e a corridors o of 01 the silent house e 1 I I 1 Is shouts and ond brought terror to nil all who heard Mr Strauss sleeping In the next room sat up In bed and listened hor bor Snoring In a twin bed lied her bus hus husLand Land band slept on Mrs Strauss switched cn n tie tl tI e a lights light and padded across the floor to the jewel box which for all Its silver beauty was as steel lined and had bad a combination lock r of ot alue alue remained to her atIla Grant Gront heard the weird shouts and mss ras instantly awake She burt burst Into her Ler husband s a room and shook I lm with Ith to a state of ot com coin comI I n The yells horrified him Oh Payson sl e cried hal bat can ean It beg be t be up There was no DO answer At the garage all was silent f e II fl cy ey ve ye cut cot the wire tre Grant V l lIe He was aflame with fear tear In his mind there w wi is only one on Lion Uon Frank Sutton Button There s a some gem one outside Don Dont t to 10 o he exclaimed holding her arm The sentence In to Sutton sletter s sletter letter It It may OlDY be tonight I Imay Imay Imay may be behInd any ony door you ou open Inspired In inspired him with extravagant terrors Frank rank t Is out there for Cor thedoor the thedoor thedoor door to open I I cant can t wait her here while some ot of my guests may be murdered she de do- declared dared broke from Crom his hI gra grasp p and cam came to the door Who Who Is It itt be demanded Ale Me Ie said sold a voice vol Mr Ir Strauss s stal talking tal king When 11 hen they let him In his talk tall was or of missing jewels burglars and the shrIeks coming from Crom a 8 room Within W a few tew moments Mrs lira Grant Gront learned that almost 1 e e every cry one of ot her friends had bad bc b been n robbed showed that her ber 0 own n rubles had bad been taken While the company stood In the maIn corridor herded together for tor company In their tears fears the alarming sounds of ot the wrecking of ot the bathIng pavilion was brought broucht to them by the winds from rom the sea Then came the savage shouting of ot men the mystery our oos flashing of ot lights and the noIse of ot Indescribable confusion contusion They all al started when a voice volet In Inthe Inthe the lower hall was wo heard It was Mr Brewster He lie bod bad called In the local police They 11 Ii be hero here right away he be saId There was now an on air of ot the fighting male about him Come on 00 down folks tolls But Dut Brewster lost something of ot hIs courage when the tile s sounds u of ot men s loud voices came near It was Vas too soon for tor the police to have bae come Thorpe tl ti tie I a butler boller entered first There was n ft bruise on his face tace but the man he was leading had bad fared even worse bad a blacken blackenIng blackenIng Ing eye and ond a swelling nose no e c hot ot for tor years had bad Thorpe enjoyed himself elt so much 1 eatman I Payson Grant ex exclaImed exclaimed exclaimed claImed It was the first time he be had bod opened his mouth Then came the footmen and each with his prisoner It was difficult to understand what hat these uncouth un uncouth couth looking men were ere do ilo ng In Deal Beach Dench To the guests straIning their eyes to see the last comer It seemed that the devil de was ascending the marble steps carrying carl Ing a suitcase When It ItI I was opened the suitcase revealed not noti i only all that had bad been taken talen from the mansion man lon but bot also the I spoils polls of ot other homers homer I Payson Grant found none of ot the prIsoners looked In the leat least lea t like Frank Sutton He tIe took heart beart and joined Anthony Trent In a he t toddy Lets Let s 5 bear Lear all nil about It he be ex exclaImed exclaimed exclaimed claImed He found himself In a better bettu humor now no for It seemed plain that Teat n n had planted these letters from Captain Sutton He lie was glad when Brewster rew Informed him the local police force torce had hod lI been en summoned Ills one aim now was to rid himself elt of the menace which pursued him s social ambitions were of ot little account when hen his tery ery life was endangered Sutton had planted catman 1 teat cut cutman man In his po position All that would have bove to come out In e evidence 1 The Zhe he poll police pollee C was aas as not a lengthy or very SC ere st ere one Trent wn was glad He lie had not yet made up hi his mInd just how much of ot his hb suspicIons of Yeatman he would Ire to tho at the And he could not be sure that tt tte e notorIety hI he ha hal I achieved ed woul be worth while key Iel t string nt at him a as as though le I e su suspected 1 t Im In truth I wait wa astounded at the manner In which a n single min had taken coin mand of ot L Li Pelle Alliance and landed hIm and his pang gang of ot toughs where armed men meD were n drawn up for their reception recel He lie knew new of 01 course that the Anthony Trent whose hose qualities he had comprehended too late Lad bad set out to glie gl him a 0 loor i our e opInIon of oC him so 0 that he might t Wl work rl unhindered It was aas as rather miller too an on affair e esen e en for Cor the luckiest amateur But Dut 1 i was dried dr away to ali a aIe Ii Ie ck ek up before be he could determine what to do tic lie ened silence It was not until be he had discarded his hla Annette and land had drunk the hot toddy that hot Trent satisfied ned In What hat 1 hat made ninde me suspect him first I Ii tell tel you yoo I noticed that t te t I e used u ed toko to tobO too bO o down to the bathing pavilion and male make curious signals with a flashlight They were answered with a Oa flashlight much bigger than any Ito I I e er e e cr seen as close coe In I 1 swam swain around her tier one nIght when hen you all nil thought 1 J was writIng writ writIng Ling Ing letter In my room 1 I made outher out outher outher her name nome and port of registry try Then I 1 ed that she steamed north I Just before dawn It wasn r hard bard to find her In the shipping columns ot of I Ithe the morning papers I l motored to the highlands one day and saw her lyIng I nt at anchor with the Swedish flag flog I astern An old sailor told me she has as waIting for orders from her ber owner But Dut why tonight de do- demanded Many rca rca-ons One was that he bohas has bas been worrying about this calm weather breaking up Tomorrow no shIp as big as Ln La Belle Delle Alliance will willbe willbe be able to come In clo close e ne lIe bad to todo todo todo do It tonight or else give up op that way ot of escapee escape lie Ile was under a great nervous oos strain os as a I 1 saw Also 1 I tol fol followed followed lowed him out there this evening e and saw him signaling again I I played with luck as a partner The lookout with whom 1 I thought I 1 Iwas Iwas was going to have baye all nil sorts of ot trouble sneaked below to make mak sure be wasn wasa t tc c cheated of ot his bis share In the tho plunder lunder It was seven o 0 clock when Grant and his wife had seen the last of ot their guests to their rooms Thank God I can sleep now he be berold b said paid going to his own room I I m tamn It was VOS Yeatman who bo put those thos notes under my door frowned nt at the mention ot of the detective She had always thought herself a good judge of ot character a a a a a a After appearing at the prelimInary hearing bearing of ot and his crew Trent bade his bis hosts good by and ond motored to ew York Although he be b was anxious ious ions to go to Central Park West be remembered hIs bis new social obligations and went to the thesa sa an 1 an Boden Doden apartment where a Japanese e servant ant n-ant welcomed hla hl honorable employer Weld bad bod tried twice to get him on the telephone Trent was glad to hear bear It It lIe He designed de to make maLe use ot of 11 eld s friendliness to enlist hi Lila hIs al l J lIn JIn In a n new enterprise II lIe called up op at hIs bis club and made a luncheon lunch luncheon eon appointment for tor the ne nest t day Then It I e rang up the Central Park apartment It was always Mrs KIn KInney Kinney ney who answered the telephone lIe told her he would be with them that 1 at nine DIne Although be he felt oddly anxious amlous to bear Ma Mademoiselle DUlIn Dui In s voice o e again be lie did not ak n to speak to 10 her ber She was wis dIsappoInted hEn alien the she he learned this from the bou house house- housekeeper hou e keeper She told herself herselt that hIs of ot tenderness In the gardens of the Ue Grant home bome was an on evidence merely of ot his Ills sympathy and not a as s symptom of ot an de deeper per regard For the firt t time In hIs bis life An Anthony thony Trent Treat beheld himself ell honored on tl tI lie e first pages of ot the evening pa 1 IUS ers us There was a I h b of ot him himself himself self In polo kit taken token with Grant a 8 aDeal aDeal Deal DellI leach Bench I lour our Another shooed hoed ho ed edLa La Belle Delle Alliance stranded at the foot of the the- Grant gardens She Slie was lyIng high above e the low lowi enter oter mark Hone r on would ha e recognized Trent from the cut Under the polo bel helmet met hIs bis face tace looked block black In to almo almost t every St ry tl e c name ofIr of Mr Ir and Mrs George I Bixel el od out the Ibe 1 he a reader re Ider HUr auar that the Bixel and Grunts Grants bad lIall It II n nt nb I een bosom ow friends frIend r s ork he bl sui bUI posed rte ftc fI e women writers were ere nice to her lier rent front was not wholly holly free from as ns be he climbed the stairs to hula his u pi rim ut Mademoiselle Dupio DupIn would ul always nys nys be lie to hIm one of ot the most t remarkable of ot worren In AS the he Countess she slie had thrilled him hen sl 51 e I called herself herselt d tie de be had bad admired her ber beauty nn and 1 grace And as simple Duplo Dupin he had proof of ot her ber courage and n 0 more lucre Intimate notion of her ca es- es es quality TO DF CF |