Show and out geor P e ert 4 COPYRIGHT CHAPTER IX continued 9 ile he was waa not greatly alar alarmed nied by what hesni lon ion the contrary nry a smile parted his big lips alac ilce cutter cutler find and mr blake had bad halted directly benefit beneath ill ailin so near that lie could avo droli dropped ped a rebble pebble upon their heads or touched thell thein with ti long pole They were silent for a n few moments 8 but it was as the silence 0 of f an awkward page between bits of unpleasant con ver t elation as ai dick goon discovered discover oil llosa cutler finally broke it ill go back now mr air imade alle said mid theres nothing more to iw be ea mill peering feering over the ledge dick cot could id tee see tho the antin hesitate and then suddenly V extend tj a detaining hand one moment miss alice lie protested 1 I dont want tills this to bo be until final the girl shrugged her shoulders find and turned away but it la Is final mr blake she added its absurd to think ill change my mind IV why ly 1 I never dreamed that that you oud think of such al tiling it teems almost ridiculous to me dick could see th eface of the other gush flush find and darken why should it seem scein ridiculous to youl you I 1 he demanded sharply Is it becal because lse youre rich and I 1 up ile stopped and then added eagerly 1 I told you I 1 was rich or would bo be soon miss alice I 1 emphasize that enough perhaps well then if you must know tile the truth I 1 shall have enough to support you in tile the stylo style youve jouve always lived in I 1 may he be as balthy eal thy as your uncle who knows site she turned with nn an slit smile ile on tier face do you think its because of that ive refused you all she asked ile he hesitated a second and then on an abruptly yog yes i im sorry elie ehe replied shrugging her ber shoulders that your estimate lo 10 me ine Is so low no air blake if you were the richest man in tile the world the answer would be thestine the same saine I 1 do not love le you and that tells nil all tills this seemed like a blow lettween the eyes ayea tor for lie he a step and looked dazed then an ugly espres rion came into his face do you love any one else he demanded roughly alice cutler drew herself up tip and tried to freeze him blin with a stare its needless to say air blake blahe that youre 1 forgetting yourself such a question questin 11 Is tin nn insult let me pass please do bo you love that cub you smuggled aboard tile the yacht and tint turned loose on oil this island to spy on tile me lie he asked stepping in front of tier lier to block the way for a second ills his blazing eyes arid and flushed face start startled leti tier her and the answer that sprang to tier her lips died unexpressed U oh I 1 know hes here he continued sneer hig ive met him on tha island if lies hes your lover miss alice have trouble in eluding mill him are you tall talking cing about she managed to ask for the man smiled craftily with a gleam of triumph in ills his eyes very odd that you know tie be saki said finally very ln innocent arent you lou miss alias alice I 1 you sen seen him bince thalmay lie he fished your hug bag out of the river you send him dovil to the yacht with a fake package so he could get aboard and tilde hide of course not youre innocent of please stop mr blake I 1 she interrupted youre your getting quite silly it you mean that thaI thaviu im iu pretending not to know that the man who picked my bag from tile the river here on the island ill save you on further con I 1 know hes liere here I 1 saw him bint yesterday lest erday had find a talk with him but I 1 smuggle him aboard nor help hlin to get down here will that aty you iou no it wont I 1 came tile the blunt reply 1 I dont believe you I 1 thank you ou 1 was the now let tile me pass jass ive ta taken ken enough of ft your lour insults when uncles better have me discharged perhaps Ier Verli haps aps 41 laugh laughed etl in tin nn ugly way you ont have tile pleasure aless alice he e sneered ive already discharged discharge myself ill 1111 master down liero here your 1111 uncles cles dy dyung ng doctor alster says bays it its s it if he ever regains conscious ness 3 again we may have to bury him here on the island oh I 1 she shuddered ile e teemed to relent a little and leat at on more gently ce T dont t want to alarm you ali ilac but you had to iglow chow the lies es making rapidly but hes on an old wan klan and many wore years to 6 e we e oung one both of us and v paused nt eyed tier her greed ay s alave ilave ave you stopped to co consider nalder gut jit bere her wiss altre eliut blat position she murmured our Iosi position tion on tills island were nini here and may liue have to atty here for there Is tie no way to got get word nord ashore and boats appear olt off tills IsIal island ll yes ye we p allay luit have to live lioio for many inon llis before were arc token taken oil off that so BO had bad lit in one way theroa theres ity of food in the lie house tio iise and wo we enn keep tell other bollt company atly I 1 shall tie iio everything to make it pleasant for you in tile the end ion may inny learn to look al things differently mid and she had stopped art and was ga gazing zing half curiously tit at litin na its it if lit in were arc some kind of new animal slit had just discovered ilsc tile expression in tier her eyes ea irritated and then angered him it if you mean I 1 may change my mind about g you mr air blake she interrupted shaking tier her head youre dc dev elving yourself youn your kelf elf nothing can change clin that decision not even force he blurted out angrily forcel Io icel slie she repented repeated in an even tone what do you moan mean by that hint completely losing control of himself for a moment lie clutched tier hand band oil and drow drew tier her near him 1 I mean that I 1 can make you do what I 1 please licie here lie replied thrusting ills his face close to hers youre in my power miss alice theres nobody on tills thlu island you can call goto go to except your uncle tint and lies past helping anyone if 1 I say eay the word I 1 can make you my wife whether you will or not I 1 can oil you reptile 1 came ay iy front from the lips of alice cutler accompanied by tin an exhibition of physical force that blake was entirely unpin pared for she wreathed tier her hand from his grasp and throwing till all tier her strength into tile the effort she sent him reeling backward against the wall of rocks before he could recover his balance slie site was running in the opposite direction it tripping as lightly over the beach as a child and with nearly as much 0 N nu it ft wont jbf came the blunt reply 01 0 1 I 1 dont 13 believe elleve youl speed as a man make blake essayed to follow but her long lead in the race to the house discouraged him and lie he stopped midway to vent ills wrath in muttered iod threats dick had once thought of interfering but when tile the girl defied the man and threw llin him backward lie felt like applauding dont bellevo believe she needs me yet he grinned psychologically that would have been tile the wrong moment to butt in women dont like to be helped in such affairs until theres real danger buti but musing inuring seriously it im it afraid its ita coining when ben shell need lill all the help she can ret get blakes revelations concerning affairs up at the house had disturbed hin him it if steve cutler was unconscious slowly dying without chance I 1 of rega regaining lit big senses what companionship hod had the girl there was adarle lier her maid a but dick hanew she was in love with blakia and more or less involved in the clot there was doctor alstor alister but aliat sort of man was lie so far dick dich met me the family physic ifil and there seemed to be a ray q of hope in the thought that alster would prove prore a friend and help to A alss cutler til have to set et in communication him he muttered and establish nome Is sort ort of entente cordiale cord lale Ile between tween U ua 3 we might put blake and mcgee to rout with this idea in mind lie he waited until blake left the beach and then slipped down the rocks to the level helow below following follow in a wide circuit that led to the rear r the cliff he worked his way gradually up to tile the hou ii ln every caution to conceal bp b hind trees find ilia was that blake would be ill hi ti 01 1 mr rii orid A by approaching from the rear he could igia lp into the kitchen adecee he reasoned would MU aith be at the cave on guard duty lie ile was successful in hla his busm ru reach itic the rear of the big house without attracting attention lie ile tried the back door and undine finding it unlocked opened it and slipped inside the kitchen was mas a large pretentious affair suitable as n a workshop for a large army of servants it was completely deserted ROW now clr ing it a forlorn unpleasant appearance all the latest appurtenances for cooking and serving sen ing and banquets were cre present but without cooks or waiters they seemed a hollow mockery what Is a home without it a cook cooka dick murmured in pa altig ile ho entered the butlers pantry adjoining the 11 big commodious kitchen find n nearly arly ra ann plump into it a pair of flour and dough covered arms arins allee alice cutler under the stress of necessity was wag tentative experiments lit in cookery with tier her sleeves rolled up to tier her elbows showing show ins a pair of plump chimil arnis fill a fancy boudoir cap covering tier lier liend an ample apron apt on protected tier her dress ilor her checks wore tj flushed ed to a n rich carrillio carnill io with ft ath small patches of hour flour find floud elj distributed tier liere find there in irregular pat patterns she glanced up tit nith startled eyed eap find tawn as calmly it is if meeting tin an old friend she said well I 1 what Is it you yon want now to soe you first lie he said fold and second to see doctor alster what do you want iv ant to see doctor alster for site queried to find out what sort eort of a man lie ho li Is to see if lies hes for you or against you on slie she was quiet for a long tinie time watching and appraising him finally she nodded tier her head ill take yon yoa to jitni she said bald quietly youre right we ought to know whether ties lies for us or against us ua I 1 lia my doubts sometimes 1 CHAPTER X dick thrilled a little when she used the word us he had distinctly used the singular pronoun and it was her own choice of lie ho plural ile he reasoned that consciously or unconsciously the word implied a trust in him that he had not dared to believe before up ile watched her ter graceful movements us as she cleaned and washed tier her hands and arms dried them on a roller towel removed tile tho apron touched her hall w with till deft hands and then after readjusting her boudoir cap nodded to him follow me rii take taka you to him doctor alster was a short thickset thick set roan man of forty with black halt and beard and dark shifty eyes ees dicks first impression was not very favorable when ho he stepped forward to meet him the eyes under the shaggy brows widened in surprise and then narrowed swiftly to small pin points im glad to meet you doctor dick said advancing with extended hand the other grunted and stared back suspiciously who are you air ho demanded truculently A friend of 0 miss butlers cutlers Cut lera lers you heard her any that but your name for the pr prent erint names are immaterial ter ai im g catty concerned about mr cutlers butlers Cut lers health ilow how Is her he bad sir very tad bad was the reply accompanied by a shake of the head can I 1 see mr cutter cutler dick asked see him I 1 repeated alster in surprise surse se then frowning and shaking g Ms his head lie he added no sir I 1 grant that request le it might provo prove dangerous to him in ills his weakened condition if hes unconscious what harm could come of it you cant surprise or shock tin an unconscious patient ile he might regain his senses for a moment and the sight of a stranger a friend well even a friend he expect to see sec here might give him a shock that flint would kill him TO DE CONTINUED |