Show ahe RETURN ANTHON TRENT CHAPTER VIII continued 17 t was not easy tor him tonight to ire als attention to the dancing the s passed with intolerable stow ness he knew that not until every roest bad gone and tho staying in tte house were asleep would the dan i arons alerre evolve tooru the ember square shouldered detective the did not stay late la a ane their going broke up the party so socially preeminent pre eminent that tte lesser lights did not care to re at two the ial motor had rolled down the drive by three there vu not a light in any window the den bad become tired and the women knew the value of sleep bad abandoned his lesem alance to a rugged guardian of the law he was crafty creeping and ribbons ons tonight he was determined to take no risks ue wanted to make certain that anthony trent had gone to bed and was not about to patrol the exterior of the house but be as anaed the yeatman carriage as he knocked upon arents trents door after a pau e a sleepy voice bade ua enter saw that trent had been compelled to rise from bis bed assume a dressing gown and cone into the sitting room of bis suite he was not in his customary good temper loo are the third be bean crossly who has tried to present me from first mr gambert wanted ne to share sentry go ith him see payson grant thought 1 ought to be out etere on the wet rass look leg tor burglars in every buh and cow you come your especial grievance t merely to suggest that you lesue to patrol the grounds with me was smiling amiably 1 I am going bow then you go alone said anthony trent irritably weats this con piracy to make me a martji tor an man s house and lot jaben be paused as though struck ty sudden perplexing thought it to do with you why theold ao accountant figure in a thing s tike this the time Is come said the other impressively to tell you the truth 1 m a detective engaged by mrs grant to protect her guests he was gratified at the astonish 1 bent be had produced bad never liked trent ue mid see that over tills young man 1 the thought so bold and debonair fear MS creeping la 13 there any danger do you sup poser ate hope not answered nut I 1 shall not sleep ton lohl I 1 shall atch particularly this flour because Is here that they will come for the win I 1 shall not ask any lurkin creature what his business is I 1 shall it was plain that anthony trent did ot relish danger so close at hand rm going to lock my door be eald ly add that s a thlin I 1 neer do when he had closed trent s door m heard the key turn in the lock made a esaure es ture of vulgar do at the bolted door on his side of it anthony trent asi chuckling softly tehal infernal for a crook tike to k he could outwit or the hala ho had been the master calm lnell he dl not waste much time in shang ng the shades down he i 00 from a locked trunk the second cl tie bathing suits be bad bought afternoon it nas a cult of knitted wool black color which covered him from neck the were length on VB h Is head he put an aviator a giue to he scraped an auto au fyhen the lightb were put out the es raised and the window softly enel he drew on the same heavy he had used to climb the j DS rod and lowered to t marble ter ruie he had noticed ws that the white aims 1 I of the steamer was abeli 08 re markedly tsiun on the jumious n was a sy upturn ol 01 w waa growing rougher heo he came near the arnt could at elret detect 11 een his straining ayee made w tb yond the white fringe ol 01 1 a at rising and falling in the H e could see every now and aik oik a man at ade oara and to keep the boat la the banle J ly he mid thore and ship and iii wes shrewdly that he was fi A 8 lelerre OK treal P would conn he hod two pran pa ac kaalt mm the ural waa 1 ali t of mademoiselle dupan loti waa the poisoning of the ia the man in the boat on oars and dreaming of the ease aed liens would bring him did Q t see at which to bo alarmed during his alli ue wished bis leader would make hate these summer storms along the jersey coast had an almost violence at times so axed nere his eye on the spot where the signals would cash that he had no idea a a few yards from him the men on the tramp were leaning anxiously over the veasel s side when the black dad swim mer clambered up the anchor chains got a grip of the hawse hole opening and pulled himself on deck merging into the black night be crept to the unoccupied bridge and climbed to the top of the little deckhouse here where no light shone on him none would look for invaders although launch was camped ped he clambered safely aboard the broad beamed rowboat and was pulled to the side of la belle alliance the captain cheered at the news of complete success took the wheel alg behind the weapon was a most sur being baled ht orders put the vessel into the teeth of the wind and stood out to sea in the cabin was ing his exploit 0 the sense of achievement led to much boasting lie described with scornful laughter the kind of people he had ched among for the past week and had so neatly and in his jeers he remembered altu special emphasis anthony trent the men about him made him repeal how he had won his victories they laughed particularly at gambert alio had anally been beaten and robbed ot a diamond of five barats carats which flawed before them no person in the grant household had been more puzzled than thorpe the butter when during alie dancing arent drew him aside said trent I 1 m on the track of the man who those two dogs I 1 take it huud like to be in at the death 7 breathed heavily 1 hope 11 get the chance im goldi to give it to yu now pay to what 1 say wide eyed with as whan he heard ats like a bauk sir said thorpe its like the sort of book I 1 fancy red blooded books dunt all have happy end in s trent reminded him 1 m not too sure of this nil of you must be armed and all ot you auxt ta have there 11 possibly be no need to shoot but every man ol 01 the bubb kuust te captured or 1 shall be branded as the prize tool ion under mand he said as the music stopped that one incautious move on the part ot you and your men the lighting of one match or the smell of tobacco smoke may rob yon of all this fun As for me well I 1 dont want to think of what they 11 say to me it anything ses wrong the of the tramp steamer la belle alliance was on the perils of the sea and the unfortunate which often ocrus and associating alerre with fine of the most deadly when he stared into the mouth of a blue black barrel behind the weapon was a must surprising being in the dim it looked as some strange creature of the sea had risen from his kingdom to luimee atiat ot tall dripping net and rested in mi inam man manner this apparition advanced closer until the gasped altti a certain emotion of relief when he saw he had to do with a man cut a man with a loaded pistol may not be welcomed as a friend in situations of this sort was menace in the eyes that stared into those of the captain 1 I ve taken charge said anthony trent and it I 1 near anything from you you go back the way I 1 came ue made a tree and sweeping ture toward the apel sea keeping his weapon pointed to the sailor trent stooped and picked up a small coll of rope hardly resisting the captain was bound hand and toot then he was shoved into a corner and trent took the wheel the wind was freshening from the east the storm long expected was at band only the captain knew that the madman at the wheel was altering the course of the vessel on shore thorpe the footman and the four men from the garage were waiting in states of varying excitement thorpe would tell them no more than there djs danger ahead and probably monetary reward tor it in his struggle to gain the very position he now occupied trent had somewhat sight of the ending of alie adventure ue was doing a fool hardy trick and it might cost him a great deal incidentally it might cost him his life there was no moon to show him the landmarks on which he relied he signaled half speed ahead and strained his eyes to see pres antly the white line of breakers showed ahead aej then lifting itself above the waterside mist he saw the white italian palace had built isow that he was sure of his direction and knew he was headed for the abandoned harbor he signaled full speed ahead it was one of the most moments of his life when be saw la belle alliance dart forward and begin to climb the private beach A wave lifted her so high at the last that her blunt old bow smashed the ornamental bathing houses and came to a rest among atie wood it would have been tm possible to have a prettier landing piled up on a beach and not for the first time lay la belle alliance at least trent thought there need be no loss by drowning through bis exploit eight nun came swarming up on deck having no idea where they were they wasted no time in curs ing an unskillful captain they saw the shining sands and they heard the breakers behind them and they leaped ashore thorpe s instructions while concise not been explanatory ue had been bidden gather his six men and keep them hidden in an unlighted ga rage until the moment came the particular moment was to be indicated by mr leatman himself who would act all unconsciously the amazing news was that this yeatman so far from being a detective was a burglar and a dangerous one should yeatman discover thorpe spying upon him trent thought le would shoot the butler unless the butler was quicker with the gun it had been a moment of the utmost tenseness when leatman passed with ing five feet of the watching butler and even stopped for a moment aa though listening six men denied the little knowledge of the matter he possessed kept silence admirably they were conscious of a certain mysterious sense of imminent danger crouched on the damp sand they waited for some terror to creep upon them from the deep TO BE |