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Show s he WEDDBNG MAIMM VaUfSf MONTE CHAPTER IX Continued 15 low about Web? He was only lg to help me keep you out of I'm sure be isn't a murderer, cnn't be I But just the same, .J have him In jail. Oh, It wor-rnie. wor-rnie. Kylie. I can't help It." e kissed her on the lips and ? her to him. "It's almost worth ) know that you care so much, lrS$ing," lie muttered. illis pressed her sweetheart to 7! fiercely. Her face was white. ltwas really my fault that they S(ct you," she said. "I I was ki, at first, that you had done Slylie. It terrified me. That's 'Sit I lied to the police at first. t's why they suspect you." jie refused to meet his gaze as ni relinquished his hold upon her. tta:er i knew how determined you nt, Ia to stop the wedding, and then k oovered you were not in the ' "":ch, I didn't know what to Pnk. When Web Spears told me weren't there, I made some kind u, ?xcuse and ran around to ,the i j'isty in search of you. Nick iOltiCe was there. Jim Franklin was ip, )octor Abernathy's study. When c saw how troubled I was, he nked on the door and asked If tin were there. I can't tell you relieved I felt when I learned . weren t. iuie made a tremulous effort at a 'WI.e and evaded his arms. . (V must tell you the whole thing. n Jim never appeared at the al-nj al-nj I was terribly frightened. I d think only of you. You see, "'He. you had been so determined teep him from marrying Doris. J(! last thing you said to me was, 'III I 111' He Kissed Her on the Lips. """ere'U Dever be a wedding to-rt to-rt honey. I'm going to have a 553w-down with Jim Franklin.' That Tt ringing In my ears, there In gj"'. church, when he didn't come. I .jU't like him, either, but I was 3 ying for him to come, praying der than I ever have in my life, FOlause I was afraid if he didn't, JJlJieant that something terrible had ttipened, and that you were re- nsible." Don't worry, dear. Everything pitied out for the best." with awk- rdly gentle hands Itylie stroked 1 gold of her hair. piiiiFor the best? With Jim Frank- murdered, Web arrested for the WW and detectives shadowing ,11 K1! !" " 'I only meant that the wedding ltr,3 been stonned. even If I didn't r It. And they can't pin It on me. 1 Jjji innocent." He shrugged. "Oh, Ilia. Don't look at me like that u can't expect me to pretend any -jjrow for Jim Franklin's death. I Tied the man. The world Is better without him. Better off, I tell His voice had grown sudden-J$harsh. sudden-J$harsh. 'Do you realize what a h 1 Doris' rtai would have been, married to alj? With a chorus-girl mistress 'cVlt hnlf of New York knew about? ki not sorry for Franklin, I'm glad ! Rlltl tllilt " hPPened ! Glad that sister was saved from him, no .Vtter how It happened; I'll be flP'd If the murdorer gets away. I Jye they never find him." He sank a chair aid clasped his white e in both hinds. prThe girl wa on her knees beside )'., her soft arms clasping his es. 'You mustn't, Rylie, you -.stn,'!' she whispered. "No mat-l mat-l HjJ h'cw you feel, you must never Jik;'jke that again. What If some ( tfi else were to hear you? Oh, I think that it's my fault that "t'J suspect you" 1 1 Tenderly he took the girl In his ill"3 Its no one's fault, and I'm in no danger, really, honey. You must remember re-member that. Keep repeating It to yourself. There isn't any danger. There Isn't. There can't be, because be-cause Kylie didn't do it." "It's like a terrible shadow, that is slowly coming between us," the girl whispered. "Nothing can ever come between us, dearest," murmured Kylie. "Doris probably thought that, too, Just before the wedding, and see what has happened to her." Callis shivered. "I wish we could figure out some way of running away from it all. I never want to see another detective again. Of course, that's foolish. We can't, do it, but" "We can do it I" Interrupted Rylie Mgerly. "Let's. Listen, Bill and Flo are at Martin's Cove. Why couldn't we drive up there this evening? eve-ning? If we leave here at eight, we can get there by midnight." "It isn't so easy as that, Rylie. And think of Web. I wouldn't feel right about running away with him under arrest We must stay here and see things through. Whatever he has done, has been done to help you, Rylie. I feel sure of that." The boy turned away, his eyes grown grave. "I'm not so sure," he said. "I've talked to Dad. He isn't admitting it to the police, but he Is sure It was Web who telephoned tele-phoned him about that actress. He was trying mighty hard to stop that wedding." "You think " "I don't want to think!" When he turned to face her Rylie's tortured tor-tured expression revealed his Inner agony. "Web and I have been like brothers. He loved Doris. If he killed Jim Franklin, he did no more than I might have done, had I been given the opportunity." "Oh, Rylie 1 He couldn't have done it! Not Web!" And when he made no answer, she added, "All the more reason we should stand by him, then. We can't desert him now." "It isn't deserting him," retorted the boy sharply. "Father will see to his defense. Everything that friends and money can do, will be done for him. We'll all. stand by him. But remaining here won't help him. Why, he'd be the first to advise us to go, If he knew. "It's easier than you think, honey." He glanced at his watch. "Three-forty-five. Call Flo and tell her we're coming. In the meantime I promise to lose my shadow. Once out of town, they'll never find us." Callis walked to the window and watched the loitering detective across the street Apparently the man was engrossed in the newspaper newspa-per he was reading. Rylie peered over her shoulder. The taxi waited, conveniently, half a block up the street. He had grown familiar with the man's methods. When Rylie appeared at the door, the taxicab got slowly under way, so as to be nearly abreast of the waiting wait-ing detective by the time the young man could reach his car. The detective detec-tive invariably continued his perusal peru-sal of the newspaper, apparently taking no notice of the proceedings. Once he was In his car, however, Rylie always noticed the sleuth was close at his heels. This procedure proced-ure had never varied. The young man rumpled his hair thoughtfully. "I know how to get rid of him," he began, surveying the stubby hood of the taxicab critically. criti-cally. "I could run away from that car in second, once we got out of the city. Suppose I take him out into the country and lose him. If they question me about it later, I only need to say I didn't even know I was being followed." "They might watch here and pick up your trail when you come back." "I wouldn't need to come back." Rylie's confidence was rising now. He smiled boyishly. "They aren't following you. As soon as I leave, call up Flo and tell her we're coming. com-ing. Then catch the first train for Westport. In the meantime, I'll lose the detective and meet you there at seven o'clock. Give me plenty of time, because I'll be miles from thero when I give that fellow fel-low the shake. I won't take any chances of his finding us again, after aft-er I meet you." Callis wanted to go. After the work of the past two days, the lazy peace of Martin's Cove was more than ever inviting. And If Rylie were there Rylie, without detectives detec-tives dodging his footsteps! She glanced again at the waiting sleuth across the street. What If he had overheard Rylie's bitter remarks concerning Jim Franklin a few minutes min-utes ago? Coupled with the suspicion sus-picion with which he was already regarded, that might have been enough to cause his arrest. It might be better if they did go away for a few clays. "All right," she decided at length. "I'll do it. But first I must see Mr. Cardigan. Perhaps he can help Web." "Cardigan? What are you thinking think-ing of, Callis? He's that detective fellow." "He isn't a detective, Rylie. At least, not a police detective. He's the man who writes those detective detec-tive stories. Don't you remember how full the newspapers were of his exploits last summer when he solved the murder of Llla Vale after aft-er the police had failed? If Web is innocent, he could help us by find-lug find-lug the real murderer." "Yes and If Web is guilty he'd probably help send him to the electric elec-tric chair," added Rylie grimly. "Don't go to him, Callis. I'm afraid it would only make things worse." But In the end the girl had her way. She made It a stipulation that she would visit Peter Cardigan in an effort to enlist his sympathies on their side before she would agree to drive to Martin's Cove. The only change this required in Rylie's original plan was a later meeting at Westport. It was agreed that Callis Cal-lis should meet him there at nine o'clock. Rylie lost no time in putting his part of the plan Into execution. With the detective's taxicab following, follow-ing, he headed, by the shortest route, for the country. He felt confident con-fident of success. An open road, with the accelerator pressed to the floor. The wind singing in his ears, and the taxicab dropped farther and farther behind, until It was lost from view. Then a side road, and a second one, twisting and curving until there was no possibility of finding his trail Callis had several hours until she was to meet Rylie at Westport. She telephoned Flo and packed her bag herself, striving all the while to keep her thoughts away from Rylie. She couldn't What if something some-thing went wrong? Now that he was gone the plan seemed very foolish fool-ish to her and she regretted the decision de-cision she had made. But it was too late now. Rylie was already gone. There would be no way to get in touch with him until she reached Westport. She was tempted to phone Flo again and tell her they had changed their plans. If they returned home this evening perhaps per-haps nothing would be thought of the Incident She was still undecided when she reached Cardigan's apartment If he would only help, surely there was some way to prove Web's innocence. in-nocence. Web couldn't be a murderer mur-derer It was unthinkable ! She clung to that thought throughout her brief Interview with the novelist novel-ist It steeled her to meet the evident evi-dent suspicion with which he greeted greet-ed her visit. There was a time when she thought he believed her, when she was tempted to hope that he might offer his help. But the moment mo-ment vanished-, and when she left, it was with the hopeless conviction that she could do nothing more. Peter Pe-ter Cardigan was definitely on the other side. It seemed to her that It took a great deal longer than the scheduled hour for the train to reach Westport. Time dragged interminably. in-terminably. Yet it was only a quarter quar-ter of nine when she arrived. She had half hoped that Rylie would be there ahead of her, waiting, but he wasn't. But It wouldn't be long. He was always very punctual. She waited on the platform, her restless eyes seeking out the lights of each passing motor car, as she heard its approach. The minutes ticked slowly past, and still he did not come. Nine-fifteen nine-thirty the hands of her watch seemed almost to have stopped, and still Rylie was missing. In her anxiety, she conjured con-jured up fearful pictures of what might have happened to him. A wreck ! Rylie, lying under a twisted mass of metal, his white face drawn with pain. Or arrested? Facing the grilling examination of Sergeant Kilday. Perhaps they had discovered discov-ered he was trying to run away. Bade and forth, she trudged tha platform. It seemed that her step wore as slow as the drugging tlnm. Where was Rylie? What had happened hap-pened to him? Why didn't ha conic? CHAPTER X A Fresh Trail. ""pIIE memory of Callis Shlplej's agonized expression when he refused re-fused his assistance tortured Peter after she had departed. Perhaps If she had made that appeal to him at first, before he had detected her in two efforts to deceive him, he might have enlisted In her cause. Not now. The very admiration which had almost betrayed him into a blind belief In her had also made him wary. He felt that possibly she was acting a role; that this might, In some manner, fit Into the chain of her other deceptions In a subtly calculated effort to make him serve her own Interests, whatever they might be. Grudgingly, he admitted ad-mitted to' himself that his Instinct had been to offer her his assistance. He almost wished he had called her back and made such a promise. Her argument as to Rylie's luuocence had appealed to his sense of reason. Her defense of Spears had coincided. coin-cided. In a measure, with his doubt that the latter could have grasped the knife that ended Franklin's life from Its position high on the wall of the rector's study. His reverie was Interrupted by the sharp jangle of the telephone. It was Sergeant Kilday calling. "Grab a taxi and come on over here," he urged. "I'm at Franklin's apartment" "Has anything happened?" "Some one has broken Into the apartment. But come on over, I tell you. You can see for yourself." It was as Kilday had said. During Dur-ing the late afternoon, Fletcher had been absent on some errands. He had been gone about two hours. When he returned, he had found the apartment topsyturvy, the rugs thrown back, the drawers pulled out, the closets ransacked. He had, of course, Immediately notified the police. "Have you discovered what Is missing?" Kilday was asking when Peter arrived. "Everything Is so torn up, I don't know," the servant replied dubiously. du-biously. "I can't think what the burglars were after. There was no I money In the house. What little ' jewelry Mr. Franklin had, shirt studs, a watch and one ring, was i not taken. There was no silver of any consequence. Mr. Franklin seldom sel-dom took his meals here." A cursory examination could reveal re-veal nothing missing. It was apparent ap-parent that the burglar, whoever It may have been, had searched every corner of the apartment thoroughly. thorough-ly. Whatever he had sought had been well concealed, If it were here at all. This was evidenced by the confusion evident in every room. "Now what," asked Kilday, "was he after? It wasn't money. If It had been an ordinary prowler he would have taken that jewelry. There Isn't much of it, but it's of considerable value. And if It wasn't money, what was it and how does that fit in with the murder?" "One thing is certain," declared Peter. "It couldn't have been Webster Web-ster Spears. He was already under arrest." "It wasn't Rylie Carmody either," the detective added dubiously. "If he had tried anything like this, we'd have had a report from the man 'who's shadowing him. That leaves the Shipley girl. If this had any connection with the murder, it was she who searched this apartment. But why? What was she after?" Peter turned to the servant with quickened Interest. "What time was it when you left the apartment, Fletcher?" "I can't tell you exactly, sir. Probably Prob-ably about four-thirty." "And when did you return?" "It was a quarter to seven. I had dinner while I was out. There was nothing In the house." Could It have been Callis Shipley, Peter wondered? Certainly it had been fully five-thirty when she left his apartment, probably later. Ha tried in vain to think of some circumstance cir-cumstance which would help him estimate the hour of her visit. Aside from the fact that he remembered turning on the reading lamp when she arrived, there was no way he could accurately check the time. For Kilday's benefit he related the circumstances cir-cumstances of that visit. "I don't think It could have been the girl," he concluded. "This search took time. She was with me at least part of the time Fletcher was away." The detective chewed reflectively upon his frayed cigar. "Perhaps this didn't have anything to do with the murder, after all," he veutured at length. "We know It couldn't have been either Spears or young Carmody. Who else, besides this girl, Is trying to help the criminal?" "It wasn't an ordinary robbery," Peter Insisted. "The place has been ransacked too thoroughly for that. It's bound to have some connection connec-tion with the crime, In my opinion. It's up to us to find that connection. "Suppose we are on the wrong track, after all? We must be, If the only persons who will fit Into our present theory are accounted for at the time this place was searched." (TO BE CONTINUED. |