Show the T he DES TR 0 YING 11 NGEL ANGEL 4 by BV louls louis joseph vanco vance A new mystery develops in this installment of the rho Des destroying troyl ng angel whitaker finds much in miss flakes manner to puzzle him h im and make him wonder if well read for yourself you will recall that whitaker returning to new york several years after his supposed death discovers his wife now a famous c actress known as s sara law about to marry drummond his old c partner drummond disappears supposedly a suicide and sara asking e c her husband to agree to a divorce also drops out of sight eight c whitaker mysteriously assaulted goes to the country homo home of his c c friend martin ember he makes the acquaintance of pretty miss flake a neighbor finds spies are watching her and follows her he abductors when they kidnap her in a motor boat both crafts are wrecked on n a reef whitaker and the girl are tossed upon an island lately abandoned CHAPTER XIII continued 16 the reminder lind had an effect singularly distressing lie ile turned a little faint was seized with a slight sensation of giddiness nt at tho the thought ot of food so that ho he was glad ot of tho the catboat for support ob you arel are I 1 compassion thrilled her tone im so sony come isyou it you can walk she caught his hand fiand as it if to help hint him onward wo we can build a fire and have something hot theres plenty of fuel hut but what did you do III 1 I oil oh I 1 took my eggs an natural barring some salt and pepper I 1 was in too much ot of a hurry burry to bother with a stove stoe why shyin in a hurry she made no answer for an instant ile ho turned to look at her wondering to his unutterable astonishment she not only failed to meet ills his glance but tried to seem unconscious ot of it the admirable ease case and gracious gra clous self possession which lie had learned to associate with her personality na inalienable all enable traits were altogether gone just then obliterated by it a singular excite attitude of constraint and dence of self consciousness site she seemed almost to shrink from ills regard and held her face a little averted from him bilm the full lips tense lashes low and trembling upon her checks halfway up to the farmhouse a memory shot through whitakers mind as startling as lightning streaking athwart a peaceful evening sky lie ITO stopped with an exclamation that brought the girl beside him to a standstill with r questioning eyes but tho the others 1 1 he stammered the others she repeated blankly they tho the men who brought you here V her lips tightened she moved her head in slow negation tani 1 I have seen nothing of either cither of them horror and pity filled him conjuring up a vision of wild raying baying waters mad with blood lust and in their jaws arms and heads helplessly whirling and tossing poor devils 1 ill he muttered she said nothing when he looked for sympathy in ler face ho he found it set and inscrutable ile he delayed another moment thinking that soon boon she must speak offer him some sort of explanation but she eho remained uncommunicative and ho he could not bring himself to need acx lous to pry into her affairs ile took a tentative step onward she bite responded instantly to the suggestion but in silence the farmhouse stood on high ground commanding an uninterrupted sweep of the horizon As they drew near it whitaker paused pause dand and turned narrowing ills eyes its as lie ho attempted to read the riddle of the enigmatic amber tint ed distances there was not a sail visible in all tho ilia blue cup of the th osea sea 1 I dont know said whitaker slowly as much to himself as to ills companion its odd it passes f me cant you tell where we are arc she inquired anxiously not definitely defini I 1 know of course we must be somewhere off the south roast coast of new england there tire are islands oft off the south coast of massachusetts chu a number of them nantucket you know and marthas vineyard this might bo be either only it because summer resorts that lia ho swept his bis land hand toward the land in the northeast might bo be either and probably Is 13 one of lem cm at lie ilia same time it may bo be the mainland I 1 dont know then then what tire are wo we to do ile iio looked round slinking shaking a dubious licad bead of course theres nothing like it a flagpole here wo we might nail a plank to the corner of the root and a table cloth to that I 1 suppose and build fires by night he nodded best suggestion yet rn ril to co that very thing tonight after ive had bad a bite to cat I 1 she started impatiently away oh come cornel come I 1 what cm am I 1 thinking of to lot let you stand aland there starving by inches they entered the house by the back door finding themselves in the kitchen that mean and a asem bly room of 0 narrow and pinched lives tho the immaculate cleanliness of decent close clos poverty lay jay over it nil all like a might blight whitaker bused buard himself tin immediately med lately with the stove there was a full woodbur near by and within a very few minutes he had a brisk fire going the woman had disappeared in the tha direction of the bain she returned la in good time with halt half a dozen eggs r origne ng in the pantry and cupboards she aha brought to light a quantity ot of supply G n side ot of bacon flour potatoes sugar ton small stores of edibles lo in tins im hungry again myself sho she dl declared attacking the problem of simple cookery with a will and a confident air that promised much the aroma of frying bacon the steam of brewing ten tea were all but intolerable to an empty stomach whitaker left the kitchen hurriedly and in an en ani deavor to control himself hlin gelf made a round of the other rooms there were two others on tho the ground floor tn in the upper story four small belchambers bedchambers bed chambers above them an attic gloomy and echoing nowhere did ho be discover anything to moderate the impression made by the kitchen it was all impeccably neat desperately bare be depressed repressed lie he turned toward tho the head of the stairs below a door whined on its hinges and the he woman called him her voice ringing through the hallway allway li with an effect of richness deep toned and bell true ile iio w was as staggered by something in the quality of that full throated cry something that smote ills his memory until it was quick nick and vibrant like a harp swept by an old familiar hand i hugh II ugh sho elio called and again hugh where aro arc you ile ho paused grasping tho ilia balustrade and with some borne difficulty dl managed to articulate here coming 1111 hurry Every things ready waiting an instant to steady ills his nerves lie ho descended and reentered entered re tile the kitchen itchen the meal ineal was waiting walting on the table the woman too faced him as lie ho entered waiting in ilia chair nearest tile the stove but once within tho the room lie paused so long beside tho the door ills hand upon tho the knot knob and stared so strangely at her that she moved uneasily grow grew restless and disturbed A gleam of apprehension flickered in her ter eyes why the matter she asked with forced lightness elgh nes 3 I why dont you como come in and sit down ile he said abruptly you called me hugh I 1 she inclined lier her head smiling mischievously ly 1 I admit it do you mind mind nol no 1 lie he shut tho the door advanced and dropped into ills his chair still searching her atte with his bis troubled gaze only lie ho said you startled me I 1 think expect hope on so short nn an acquaintance she rho suggested archly perhaps youre right I 1 think and yet 1 I do think with the man who risked its his life for me im n little Ju justified stifled in forgetting even that weve never met through the medium of a conventional introduction I 1 it that but ile ho hesitated trying to formulate phrases phrase s to explain the singular sensation that had assailed him when sho she called him a sensation the precise nature of which lie ho himself did not as yet understand der stand sho she interrupted brusquely dont lets waste time talking I 1 cant wait Al another lother instant silently submissive lie ho took up his knife and fork and fell to CHAPTER XIV the beacon the girl was the first to finish she had eaten little in comparison comp arlson 1 chiefly perhaps because eho required less than he be she rested her elbows easily on thol the table cradled her chin between her half closed hands ner her eyes grew lark with speculation and oddly lambent lie he ate on n unconscious of her attitude when lie ho had finished he leaned back a little in his chair surprised her intent gaze gaze laughed I 1 sheepishly and laughing sighed with repletion A smile of sympathetic under tinder standing darkened tho the corners of her lips its coming on night said ho he you forgotten our signal fires ive got my work cut out for me to forage for fuel I 1 must get right at it IV the girl rose quickly do you ou mind waiting a h little I 1 neglect my dishes sho she worked rapidly above tile the steaming dishpan dish pan busy and intent the fair licad head bowed the cheeks faintly flushed whitaker lounged profoundly intrigued tri trl gued watching her with sober and studious eyed what did it mean this impression that had come to him so suddenly within tho the hour that he be had known her or someone strangely like her at some forgotten time as in some previous existence exist euce it was her voice that had made him think that her voice of marvelous allure crystal pure as flexible na as tempered steel strong tender rich compassionate compelling where had ho he bward it before and when its almost dark her plen pleasant sant accents broke in upon his bis tin quite finished the girl scrubbed her arms and hands briskly with nith a dry towel and turned down her slab es facing him with willi herdine her dine frank friendly smile finite if youre ready 1 whenever you are lie said enid with tin on oddly ceremonious bow to his surprise she drew back her brows end nd lips contracting to level lines her eyes informed with the light of aonder wonder shot through with the flash ings 8 of a resentful temper why do you look at alo me sov so she mio demanded sharply are you thinking I 1 sho she checked her frown relax relaxed edher her smile flickered softly am I 1 such a fright 1 I beg your pardon he said hastily 1 I was ans merely thinking wondering she seemed about to speak but said nothing lie ile did not round out ills apology A little distance apart they stood staring at one another in that weird unnatural light wherein tho the glow from thelama the lamp contended garashi ly with the ebbing flush of day and again ho he was muto mute in bewildered inquiry before that puzzling phenomenon of inscrutable emotion which olnee before since his awakening had been disclosed to him in her mantling color in the quickening of her breath and tile the agitation of her bosom in the timid dumb questioning of eyes grown strangely shy and frightened and then in a twinkling an impatient pitt lent gesture exercised exorcised the inexplicable mood that had possessed her and she regained her normal self reliant poise as if by witchcraft what a quaint creature you are hugh she cried her smile wIllin whimsical youve a way of looking jut at one that gives me the creeps it if you dont X there was wa not a sall sail visible stop it I 1 swear I 1 shall think youre the devill devil 1 stop it do you hear wo luc sir and come build our bonfire 1 she swung lithely away and was vols out of the house before lie ho could regain ills his wits and follow off in fit tile the north where had marked down the em cin purpled headland during the ho afternoon a white light lanced the gloom abrico with a sweeping blade vanished unit was ru re placed by a glare of angry red which in its turn winked out what Is it the girl risked A j ship ahil signalling sign alling no a lighthouse probably n first order light with its characteristic hash not duplicated anywhere along this section of the atlantic const coast if I 1 knew anything of such matters it would be easy enough to tell from that just about where we are arc if that information would help us dut but it we can see their light see ours wont they and send to and out the matter perhaps at least lets hope so pretty sure of it but they rony think the natives here bra are merely celebrating their silver wedding or roose belts refusal of n third term or tho the accession of edward the seventh or anything please dont be silly billy and discouraging do get to work and build tile the ure 11 lie obeyed with humility and expedition tion where do you think k mist miss fluke fiske learned her hep rescuers rescue e rs ra f first name do you believe she ahe knows more bout the kid kidnapers 7 P and their chelp intention titan than is she withes wishes whitaker to know TO BEI BE CONTINUED |