| Show EL 31 aff B r mc STORY so 60 fant larry laky cutter ya cli an id pretty retty jAcque LIAO i public steno grapher sit at uio 1110 hotel telling her she could real ciri ar by globe ax ambitions by mar r bint before their marriage marr lie they 0 0 0 to do to vince going mat at was wa 1 jacqueline asked quietly 0 knows know less than you do 0 lar her 4 ile he was goina going along valt sit for me it if I 1 show how kr r any reason he be was going to the car to town to wn and report to to li ennie I 1 be awyer wyer tl I 1 told you that naturally I 1 nt let vine vance get into a jam on account lc count any more than I 1 would irs if all right see len en you inu must s t see ea that you will to 0 o give me a free hand be a child now and let me met let louon you on way home well drift along we e can pick up a cab want to go 90 wl with th you larry 01 i elines cUnet voice was wa low but Y barent dear here you are ring ing about your dad and then ng ing to take his hl place I 1 think at lt would mean to him if I 1 ind you in any trouble think it would mean to youl your atlon tion job everything I 1 ive fallen rather low in your aaion but you cant believe me much of a bounder and I 1 go jack its ita too late now to ince even it if you were willing 11 right it t it au all right larry 0 not married to vince youre led ed to me inc ive got some ome 0 i 0 u mean ont jont know what I 1 mean ss 33 oh larry it all would been so BO much simpler it if ne e understand just a little I 1 01 you think it was easy tor for ack to know that you were clous of me and with reason in the world I 1 had to lat hat I 1 did I 1 dare con i anybody especially when id d I 1 was being trailed that t knocked me off my feet alii I 1 might have known they get wise with me cruising under my own name and orn implicated matters bless artt i course I 1 know that I 1 going to fall head over heels ve e with you when I 1 found ou were in the world and that was a chance for me well to make good on this and thing else i Is s ends the days of grace I 1 jor for jack you wont have st it m me after tonight unless ant to its make or break sned forward and turned on switch well have to bething right away i going to Fair fairlawn lawn with you f U 1 the little adventure hound t youl larry tried to laugh was a failure are you une Impre impression silon that youre go talk me out of ei it ont dont intend to try larry I 1 yant want to try to undo S ck k dear does that mean 0 care a little i im afraid I 1 do and ling with you ry y gave something that sound soun d ost lost like a groan as he started r r u win well work out some B s we go along its just at tt I 1 may fall down altogether t case 1 rather knoy than wait right little pal were on ay 17 something must be left moment I 1 CHAP CHAPTER XIII r y remained silent wrapped own thoughts as he picked a around the edge of the city line eline was waa leaning back in her of the seat scat similarly en se excitement held her making cult lt to analyze her thoughts ige mixture of fright and re held her captive fear for or remorse that she must have ged bed him he had read her jens ins rightly she did have wild id vague idea of deterring wi am his m mission by her pros pres but it was different now if re e in danger it was her right this t his side sharing that was t seemed to matter at the moshe meshe did not try to make her nit any other reason afraid t too afraid of but not tor for n the roadster finally nosed a road leading to fairlawn Fair lawn brought ought it to a sudden stand nd a prepared to get out ant nt to put the top up 11 he ex d it wont take but a min when he was in the car he explained 1 I thought it change our appearance a bit 0 understand inderst and 1 a bee been n around here once or of t late jack walked by on tr t r dark I 1 that your beamed fried fr icil would report to lef that I 1 had left town and possibly shibly ssi bly the gorilla we saw re B would have been taken off b after the excitement died installment SIXTEEN signed A contract providing that she h may continue her present mode made of 0 ily ing for six months after which the she could tear up the contract when her father vince anthony became III larry invited him into the country to live I 1 think I 1 was right I 1 scouted around pretty carefully 16 and saw no sign is of 0 him that will make it easier are you real ure sure larry positive ile he said ald it with an assum a fumed ed cheerfulness when we get there well coast by at a fair rate of speed peed ill IH be depending on your eyes it if we dont tee see anybody well do the same game on the rear road then ill park the car in an unused road I 1 know of and see ece what luck I 1 have with the fence what are you going to do with mea me worrying me tick sick be safe in the car of course you dont know how to drive 1 I have driven a few times time if show me how to start it I 1 might make out 1 I hate to take that chance I 1 suppose a hard boiled adventuress uke like you knows how to handle a gun theres one in the door pocket packet beldo ado you id be scared to death to touch it jacqueline shrank closer to him at the thought of it larry chuckled it Is a bit difficult to think of you in the role of a gun moll 11 ill be all right I 1 dont want you to worry about me it your fault that im here you know wish I 1 could feel that way well 11 see when they neared the former cutter home larry slowed his car a trifle trahe keep a sharp watch he cautioned in a low tone well have to depend on the lights wish it so dark they tey both strained their eyes but saw no sign of the former guard A survey of the rear of the grounds gave the same result A few rods beyond the boundary fence brought them to the unused road larry had spoken of ile he entered it and drove a few car lengths until the machine was screened in the brush then ex the lights the two of them found themselves straining their cars tor for any sound but deep silence prevailed all about larry tumbled fumbled at the side of the seat cushion and produced a flashlight ile he directed its beam to the floor of the car and spoke in a low voice you wont have any trouble with the starter it if you like you can keep the motor running ning and throttled down but it would be best not to the noise you know 1 I can start it and have to back out heres the reverse like this wow NOW when youre ready to start ahead low second then high dont forget the way it goes he showed her again then looked at his watch twenty minutes to three here better keep this it has an illuminated dial ill have to take the flash I 1 think better give me until four still allu be dark then try to make your way back to town and get in touch with vince heu hell Lar larryl ryll jacqueline Jacquel lne chii whispered iperen nervously well 1 I I 1 cant stay here alone I 1 the words ended in something perilously me like a sob but have to now dear theres no danger ill not be long buck up it that I 1 I 1 love you larryl larry I 1 larrys hand came out and caught his cifes in a rough grip do you mean that jack do you really love me or Is it no larry I 1 dol I 1 guess I 1 know it until now I 1 cant let jot you go without me how car caa I 1 im not afraid with you 1 I dream of it it if I 1 thought there was any physical danger I 1 dont believe there Is but the other do you realize what that might mean im still not afraid I 1 must go 90 with you all right dont make any more noise than you can help they left the roadster gained the road and started back toward fair lawn keeping in the shad shadows when they reached the wire fence larry laid a hand on elines arm this will do he whispered ive got a pair of lever cutters here that take care of the wire keep your eyes and ears open while I 1 try them lie he moved nearer the fence and felt over the heavy mesh there came a rasping click elnel he whispered ill run a cut up alongside this post and roll the wire back jacqueline Jacquel lne listened nervously to the steady plop of severed wires to her overwrought nerves they sounded like so many pistol shots there we are larry reported in a few moments hear anything no th then en in with you give me your hand I 1 know every inch of this ground id rather not use a light take it easy her cold fingers clutching larrys larry s jacqueline Jacquel lne stumbled along obedient obeale nt ly after him their progress was slow owing to the brush and weeds at the edge of the clearing her paused to reconnoiter the guide souse darker blot than house loomed up a alter after a months month absence ambience abi ence vince returned to the city tor for ft a rendezvous with larry jacqueline went la in her fathers father P place lace larry told her ho he WAS vai planning to break into his bli old home that highl now continue with ur the tory story TO if the rest of the surrounding shadows no sound broke the intense stillness a quiet so deep that the girl heard her own blood humming in her ears larry leaned down and placed hla him lips to the nearest one listen were going to try the outside cellar door its in the shadow and will take us where we went want to go nerves au all right she nodded unable to speak larrys lips touched her hair in ft a swift light kiss the girl garl move fast now and easy A moment later they paused at the top of a short flight of stone steps which larry assisted his companion to descend lie ile felt over the surface of the heavy door that barred their progress then snapped on the light long enough to reveal the fastening he sought A heavy padlock securing a short length of chain all rusted from disuse lucky its still on the outside larry ahls whispered ered ive got something that will take care of that walt wait there was a grating noise jacqueline Jacquel lne tolt felt larrys arm heave then the sound of something giving way door hinges protesting after a rest of years A musty mus tyodor odor emanating from the black void the intruders stood motionless listening larry led idd jacqueline Jacquel lne within placed her with her back to the wall close to the door and signified with a pressure of her hand that she was to remain there he moved a few steps away then sent the beam of his flashlight on a scurrying trip shut it off then whispered close to her ear coast seems clear no signs of anybody having been here give me your hand lie he led her across the room this is the workshop my dad had jacqueline Jacquel lne heard whispered close in her ear 1 I told you about it just in front of you Is an old fireplace he had a little melting furnace set met in it for his experiments were we re standing on the old brick hearth lie he had a fl fireproof reproof box under it what ive got to look for get down on your knees it if you dont mind and hold the light for me if you hear a noise shut it off and make for the door larry did you bring that gun no I 1 he chuckled silently dare risk the temptation might mean an extra ten years yearn in the hoosegow boose gow hold the light like that larry was on his knees close beside jacqueline Jacquel lne he had a short steel bar in his hand one end fashioned into a point with it he was exploring the joints between the dusty bricks looking for loose ones his confederate conjectured funny she heard him mutter his hand come came out and shifted the direction of the light beam its been years since I 1 saw dad work this stunt he whispered it seemed hours to the girl while tho the search went on her legs camped her hand band shook so eo that it was difficult to keep that little circle of friendly light on the spot where larrys bar war probing presently jacqueline Jacquel lne heard the sharp intake of his breath one of the bricks moved A grating prying noise and it was lifted from its place ive got with rapt attention jacqueline Jacquel lne watched another brick come coma out another until six alx were r removed the resulting rectangle showed a layer of smooth yellow sand then larrys two hands scooping furiously as he dug down in a moment he had revealed an iron ring and was tugging at it IL jacqueline Jacquel lne almost fell into the hole from sheer excitement gone now was any thought of danger it was so like the stories of burled buried treasure she had bad read that she would not have been in the least surprised to see a glittering hoard board of pieces of eight winking up u p at her instead the lifted cover revealed a second container sand was drifting down into it partially covering a small wrapped package larry caught it up and thrust it at ai jack you take etl he directed sharply hang on to it it goes to my lawyer to rannie nannie larry was intensely excited but jacqueline Jacquel lne could not help but admire the precision with which he was thinking things out ile he was depending upon herl id better try to fix dx this back in shape were his next words it may give us moro time were all right now it was jacqueline Jacquel lne who heard it first a slight scraping noise before she could touch larry a harsh voice came rt put of the blackness stick lem cm up you two jacqueline eline was too nearly paralyzed with fear to remember about turning off the light she remained motionless clutching the parcel tightly to her breast the voice spoke again get on your feet and keep that light pointed down I 1 got you covered TO BE CONTINUED I 1 1 i i A |
