Show the handsome man by MARGARET TURNBULL illustrations by copyright by margaret turnbull W N U service CHAPTER VIII continued 16 but her father had her answer now and was stud ing it over she was gure that he was not satisfied though be said in a level voice to both of them well tomorrow or today rather will tell more than we know DOW good morning children here comes august the secretary walked toward the dining room door and after a moment ll oberta joined him she did not until sir george moved toward the stairway decent of yon not to tell but you gee it gasn wasn t necessary 1 I dont enow he answered slowly 1 I am sorry you spoke why she challenged him lie shook bis head just have an idea that it Is the last straw to your fuher I 1 dont think he will sleep tonight now about you oh I 1 wont sleep either I 1 m going up to get a club or as its america maybe a revolver and watch his door roberta laughed how melodia malic and how unreal 1 look out on this soft countryside still and quiet what could happen between now and daylight nothing sir george said noncom and turned to leave her or anything roberta called after him challengingly and when she saw him safely up the stairs she went swiftly out to the landing place it she could only get there and tell jack to go away before sir george came out again on the terrace 1 jack looking his picturesque best in the moonlight anthe tiny beach was not BO easy to send away lie had something to find out before he went and something to tell alie girl which would make his own position stronger it took him some moments and much I 1 tact to get the information when he anew at last that tomorrow macbeth 8 had planned to send his secretary to the bank he reluctantly released the denous girl after a burst of furious jealousy which terrified vehemently he had told her that it was because of her fathers other guest the cursed englishman that he had refused to come to the dance tonight to meet sir george was to denounce him publicly as a scoundrel then had followed a long bitter tale of sir george s meeting with conquest and destruction of a certain senorita mercedes what roberta finally gathered was f that sir george had met this senorita mercedes on the steamer bound for t bew york had heartlessly singled her I 1 out and as heartlessly thrown her over when he found how little money she t r had the tale was cunningly told it made sir george seem cheap indeed yet somehow the story also cheapened f the story teller L roberta was glad alien jack navar F ro finally paddled noiselessly away she was inwardly raging at him at 11 sir george at the whole world and s she was half sick with lack of sleep fatigue and the fear that sir george might find her there the gods were kind to her she 1 discovered that her father and his secretary were on the other side of the terrace guiltily and vowing she would never do this again for jack or any other man roberta crept upstairs t wrong with you laymac lad Mac f beth asked sharply the last thing ton said had no sense 1 I beg pardon his secretary turned from the window I 1 forgot for a moment because be hesitated because I 1 am trying to put a scheme into words that will make you see how feasible it Is well let me have it and III sort out the wheat from the chaff the secretary looked at his chief with a cool eye its almost all wheat he drew a long breath and sat down beside Mac Beths chair the men you have reason to fear are after the payroll will be looking for two things first that the cash will travel from new york and pass through long stretches of lonely coun try in jersey before it crosses the river here macbeth nodded or second they will have gotten wind through some source of the fact that you have an account at the local bank and although it may b given out that it a merely a household account they will have their sus if go they will be looking lor a car coming from the bank in toe village to the camp again macbeth nodded well he E sense so far your plan send an armored car from new bork at the usual time only there cut be any money in that car and 9 men will be armed fl cBeth merely raised an espres eyebrow assent S alme finished his fl eyed PP 1 I 1 binl in pat ith the money my pocket and deliver it to ray browne on time macbeth whistled and stared at him I 1 dont want to expose you will not be exposing any ot tl beorse sald sly tor a inocent propose that t tt would be well worth the expense of the armored car sir it we the state police and they caught some ot the rascals tha thinking you 13 of ya 1 wa the lounger man laughed who would believe that beauty Sand lson was doing anything but strolling alon to meet a girl or if they met me higher up the river I 1 am of course indulging in the british passion for walking the river road or the towpath 1 I he towpath of course that has long lonely stretches les but they cant be traveled by motor their motor would have to be left on the road macbeth looked at him jealously its what I 1 would like to do myself but thinking of aggy 1 hesitate to allow you to aggas stepson frowned of course aggy to know that would be fatal robertas not to know either ashes not to know even the smallest detail it its to be a successful trip what do you mean macbeth asked what I 1 said and sir george forgot his customary respectful attitude and unconsciously assumed a dogmatic tone nothing can or will be done sir george crawled noiselessly and slowly behind the desk unless both of the women in abs tbs house are kept absolutely ignorant of what Is going on and especially your daughter macbeth lay back on his pillows and surveyed the determined young face the young fellow thinks roberta will get excited about him he thought aloud he said robertas not the girl to get excited about your dangers perhaps not said hla secretary grimly but ashes not to know for more reasons than one lot he added as he saw Mac Beths expression that the girl herself may not be perfectly loyal and trustworthy but and he said it with due emphasis 1 I am not trusting some of her quaint companions macbeth found he could get nothing more from him then and finally gave it up mind I 1 dont agree with you about roberta he said emphatically ashes high strung and determined but ashes my serl and I 1 know I 1 can trust her that may be but after all she Is young and she picks her friends rather carelessly to my way of thinking la it on with roberta in the dark completely ely or Is it off and you tell the girl the scheme macbeth thought awhile and then held out his hand its a good businesslike nes workable scheme so well say its on and all females barred donel said sir george ray browne will meet me halt way and get the money up there or be found in the canal CHAPTER IX the sun shone brightly on the towpath as sir george crossed the bridge on his way to the bank ho had the small car roberta usually drove she had refused emphatically sir georges invitation to join him saying no thanks ive more interesting things to do than drive to that rotten old village beautiful morning with nothing more exciting at the end than the bink and post office he looked at her tranquilly he knew that behind the brusque refusal lurked a determination not to accod pany him anywhere ever evidently whatever tale roberta had been told down by the landing had been black I 1 find your village and post office quite interesting anything I 1 can bring you aggy she shook her head be careful of yourself laddie mind thon awful turning at the bridge and dont be reckless roberta laughed sir george regarded her gravely the joke he was always careful of lady Sand lson s dignity and feelings roberta realized this and despite her prejudice liked it she turned quickly to her aunt now 1 I laughing at you aunt aggy but merely at the thought of any chance to be reckless in this place what danger could jurk between this island and the post office you would be surprised sir george said levelly with a glance at his stepmother how full of adventure a countryside can be I 1 shall be home late today he observed casually as he rose have several matters to look after for mr macbeth I 1 may even be too late for dinner aggy aggy looked at him as he went toward the door and her expression was such as to cause her stepson to wonder it robert macbeth had not after all confided something to his shrewd little sister keep yourself out of mischief it its a possible thing laddie was all that she said however As tor roberta she allowed a slender eyebrow to itself ever so slightly lie was irked by that eyebrow however as he went down the steps to the car everything that he was about to do seemed somehow silly and melodramatic in view of that lifted eyebrow what a danger signal the girl was anyway there was no keeping her out of mischief sir george went the river road toward the bank going over and over in his mind his carefully laid plans which despite his sober thoughtfulness still seemed somehow theatrical and a bit unreal in this setting how roger would laugh if he ever knew he parked his car near the bank it was early and there were few cars about after a careful look about him sir george went into the bank lie had seen nothing unusual when be entered two cars only were parked in front of the bank when he went inside business was going on as usual lie went directly to the bank managers room it was divided oft from the front and the rest of the bank offices by a partition of wood and glass the upper part of this partition did not reach all the way up to the old fashioned belling it was only about eight feet high the bank manager was ready for sir george when be entered the payroll money was on the desk although the ordinary observer would not have known it as it was in a flat oilskin package sir george roughly counted over the money and then proceeded to put it in a safety belt about his waist securing the package by safety pins the putting of the money in the belt was accomplished without fear of observation by the simple ex of going behind the desk and pulling open the door of an old fash boned cupboard so that it formed a screen between him the windows and the door to the private office at the other side of this was a heavy steel filing case sir george finished stowing the money away and was just about to step out of his retreat when he beard a curious sound from the manager and immediately afterward the words hands up I 1 he could scarcely believe at first that he had heard the long dreaded words he thought his imagination had tricked him screened as he was be stood motionless and peered out of the crack of the door he saw the manager deadly pale bis hands in the air slowly approaching him was a man with a pistol in one band there was a most uncommon and a deadly silence in the main office instantly and noiselessly sir george lowered himself he had remembered he was six feet three he gradually let himself down on the floor still hidden by the desk he slowly stretched himself out the paralyzed bank manager was standing motion less while the intruder gathered in what small amount of money lay upon the desk sir george crawled noiselessly and slowly behind the desk rejoicing for once in his height ha stretched out a long arm and caught the thief whose back was turned to him by his ankles TO BE |