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Show I HILLTOPS CLEAR I By EMILIE LORING OoorrUrht by The Pona Publishing Oo. WNO Servlo. They were too early for the train. In the village they Indulged lavishly in lee-crcam cones, and still the minutes lagged. "Let's drive out the pond road a little way, Jean." Prue's thoughts wandered. Why had Dave decided to stay at High Ledges? It would make It awkward for her. Of course, she would want to see Dave daily; equally, of course, distrusting Rodney Gerard as she did, she couldn't SYNOPSIS Prurience Schuyler comes to Prosperity Prosper-ity Farm to make a now life for her-lf her-lf and her brother, David, his health broken by tragedy. The second day on her farm Prue falls from the barn loft Into the arms of Rodney Gerard, rich young man, a neighbor. There Is at once a mutual attraction, but Prudence Pru-dence suspects men 'since her sister's husband ran away with her brother's wife. Len Calloway tries to buy Prue's timber, but she contracts with Rod to dispose of the trees. David comes to gang would be on its way to High Ledges, and Calloway was here ! Prudence Pru-dence lowered her lids. She felt as if her eyes were twinkling stars of triumph. "Suppose I agreed to let you cut my timber, would- you still try to stop Rodney Gerard?" Calloway, who had started on again, turned. Prudence stopped so as better to preserve the distance between them. His massive figure blocked the trail wtlPro If rt'if1nrl on1 car, aacf an a little way down stream, looked familiar. fa-miliar. She would wade to that. Zowie, the water was icy. She slipped on slimy, concealed rocks, splashed through pebbly shallows, plunged into a good pool. "I'll bet I gave the trout the thrill of their lives," she said aloud, as she pulled herself up by shrubs to the bank. A fresh blaze! She had seen Jim Armstrong slash it. She was on the home trail now ! Better rest for a moment. "Hullo oo !" The call set her nerves .vibrating. It didn't frighten her, but she didn't like it It was too near. The woods seemed to be closing in on her. She hated the feeling. She couldn't be mistaken about this trail. She was sure that she had been on it before. She must get into the open. She was freezing. She ran as swiftly as clutching bushes and treacherous tree roots permitted. per-mitted. Her cold, wet skirts lashed her knees ; her teeth chattered. How long could she keep this pace? Darn! Rodney! She had wondered If Calloway Callo-way had forged that letter about the check. After Jean's revelation about the photograph she had found in her uncle's desk, how could she doubt any more? Walter Gerard had been right, the unfinished word was love, of course. "Flitting from flower to flower"! flow-er"! Mrs. Walt had been right, too, her brother-in-law was unreliable. He was the type of man Julie had married. mar-ried. She must put the Gerards out of her mind. They were becoming an obses- ine iarm. rrue accompanies Kod anil Jean, Rod's thirteen-year-old niece, to a circus. Chicot, an old clown, Is accidentally ac-cidentally killed. Ho was the grandfather grand-father of Ml I ly Gooch, one of the circus cir-cus riders. Itod became friendly with Mllly when she lived on Prosperity i'arm. Calloway Intimidates laborers so that they cannot bo hired to cut the timber for Rodney Gerard. Mllly Gooch broke her engagement to Calloway; he belloves Rod was the cause and has lnce been his enemy. After Chicot's death Rod calls on Mllly to see If he can bo of any holp. Prue sees In a newspaper a flashlight picture of him with Mllly. Rodney goes to New York for timber cutters, taking David with him to holp select men from among west. "Do you mean that you'll chuck Rod Gerard and give me the contract to cut? Do you mean that?" His eyes burned red as he hurled the question. Perhaps it was the shadow of his theatrical hat that gave the effect. Whatever the cause, she didn't like it, Prudence told herself. She would back track as soon as she was sure the men were well away from the village. "Can't a girl change her mind?" Calloway's eyes flamed. He caught What fiend had looped that root across the trail? She picked herself up. Ooch ! What a lump ! Lucky she had struck In the middle of her forehead, not under her' eyes. .What was that? Was she just seeing see-ing things, or was It it was a log cabin ! She had been following the freshly blazed trail to her cabin Instead In-stead of one to the clearing! What difference did it make? There was a chimney. She could get warm. She stumbled toward it. Threw herself against the door. It opened ! The breaks were with her ! She plunged in. Lost her balance. Some one caught her. She stared unbelievingly. Closed her eyes. Opened them. She was sion. tier own anairs needed an ner attention. Who had stolen the jewels? The escaped convict? She did not believe be-lieve it any more than she believed that Walter Gerard was the thief. "Here comes Mr. Calloway in that snappy red car of his." Jean's excited whisper set Prue's pulses quickstepping. Calloway on his way to the village ! How soon was the train due? She pushed back her glove. Maddening. She had forgotten her wrist watch. Jim Armstrong had said: "I wish Calloway might be providentially provi-dentially called out of town an hour or so before that train arrives." Evidently Providence was busy elsewhere. else-where. Could she stop him? "Success" "Suc-cess" was in line with the pasture bars from which a path now a mere her shoulder. She shook off bis hand. "Don't!" "Sorry. I didn't mean any harm, Miss Schuyler. Say listen, I'm a just man, but I don't stop at anything, get me, anything when I've been double-crossed. double-crossed. I'll pay Rodney Gerard for Interfering in my affairs it goes back long before he thought of cutting timber tim-ber If I never do anything else in my life, but I don't want a fight with you. I'm crazy about you. Marry me, and I'll cut your logs, sell them, and turn the money over to you. You can have your own bank account." "Oh, c-can I! You don't r-really mean it? Your romantic attack of the subject thrills me." She must not chuckle like that, and she had better cut out sarcasm, she the Rescue Mission hangers-on. Rod Bonds word of his coming, with a crew of laborers. CHAPTER VIII Continued 12 "Light the lamp, Jean," said Prudence. Pru-dence. Jane Mack clutched her shoulder. "No I No I The convict might see and B-s-shoot. I know folks." "Pull yourself together. Walt till I've drawn the hangings, Jean." "Don't go near those windows, Miss Prue," "Nonsense, Mucky. All right, Jean. Light the lamp." Spooky shadows cast by the wavering waver-ing flashlight skulked into corners as a soft glow suffused the room. "That's llattor rpho Itnkt ...in j awake. Every hard-drawn breath had been wasted ; every step she had run, every fall had been futile. Calloway's Callo-way's furious, triumphant eyes blazed down at her. CHAPTER IX Sudden, uncontrollable panic shook Prudence. In the tense silence she stared up Into Calloway's inscrutable face. "Thought you'd ' double-cross me, didn't you? There are several trails to this cabin." At his harsh voice her mind and courage sprang to arms. "My cabin, isn't it? I had no idea It was so so luxurious." shadow under the snow led uphill to the southerly boundary of her property, prop-erty, The Hundreds. That gave her an idea. She would ask him to show her the trees he wanted to cut. It would be adventure with a capital A to lead him off the scent, and she loved adventure. She gripped Jean's arm. "Stop a minute! Drive the car home, K. K. Don't go to the village. At the crossroads take the turn to the right; that will bring you to the back of the red brick house." "What's the big idea?" "I'll ask Len Calloway to show me where he wants to cut. If he consents, con-sents, I will keep him away from the vw.Hw.a auo 115111. W1U StUU your bad dream hustling, Macky. Sit down and tell us what happened." Jane Mack twisted her bony hands. Jean, in her candy-striped pajamas, put her arm about Prue's waist. The woman sniffed. "You two girls think I've had a dream, don't you? Well, I haven't. I was Just getting into bed I thought I heard a door creak down here. I stole down quietly. I didn't want to scare yon. I tip-toed to this door. A man was flashing a Might over that!" She pointed a blanched finger toward the safe. "You'd left It unlocked. "I knew in a minute 'twas the escaped es-caped prisoner I'd been expecting. I one iorcea ner eyes to move slowly, as if appraisingly from the antlers over the fireplace to the water bucket on the bench by the door, on to the wood pile near the hearth with an ax leaning again it. That ax she . looked away quickly. Calloway must not suspect that it had seemed like meeting an unexpected friend. "Rather nice. I came here the other day with Jim Armstrong, but we didn't come In." village until the new gang is at High Ledges. "Good afternoon, Mr. Calloway." Prudence acknowledged the sweep of the dark-eyed man's ten-gallon hat with gay friendliness. "This is a clear case of thought transference. I suppose sup-pose seeing that path to The Hundreds Hun-dreds brought you to my mind. I hate quarreling with my neighbors, it's so so tenement-housey. Can't we arbitrate? arbi-trate? Perhaps when you have time you'll tramp over the land with me Prudence Darted Along the Trail Which Turned Sharply East. Kucaa x KLirgieu. tie pulled Ms hat lower over his eyes. Pointed his light straight at my face, so I couldn't see anything. "'Got you covered. Make a s-s-sotind, woman, an' I'll s-s-shoot!" he hissed." Prudence's eyes widened with Incredulity. In-credulity. Could this vibrant, dramatic woman be the taciturn, dour spinster who cooked and scrubbed for her every day? Jane Mack swallowed hard. "All I could think of was the money you had tied up in those jewels, Miss Prue, an' what 'twould mean If you lost them. What was this old body of mine good for, anyway? So I yelled." "I'll say you yelled. Then what did the man do?" Jean demanded. "Did he shoot?" "If he did, I didn't know it." "Perhaps he sneaked in to look around because he was born here or his father died here; we haven't had one of those old-timers drop in on us for a week." Jane Mack sniffed. "Better look and IP M. lU fcl t 1 She was talking against time. Surely Sure-ly Jean must have reached the red brick house by this time. Must have told someone where she was. "Better sit down," Calloway suggested sug-gested with sickening suavity. He pushed forward a wooden chair. '"Thank you. I prefer to stand here." Prudence caught hold of the great shelf of rock, which served as a mantel, with a grip which turned and show me what to cut but I'm detaining you. Drive on, Jean." "Just a minute !" Calloway's near-set near-set eyes were triumphant. "What's the matter with now, Miss Schuyler? My business at the village can wait. What say if we take that tramp now? This snow won't amount to much." Prudence smiled the most radiant smile in her not limited repertoire. "I'm all for it, if you are, Mr. Calloway. Callo-way. I'm the original 'Do-it-now' girl." She looked intently at Jean. "Wait here, won't you, K. K. I " "Don't have the kid wait. I'll take warned herself. How long since the whistle had blown? She hated the eyes looking down at her. - He was coming nearer. Perhaps he was a little mad. Violent-tempered people sometimes ended . that way. Should she make a break into the woods. Of course, Calloway would follow, and somehow she would elude him. She couldn't get lost. "Well?" "Really, Mr. Len you've surprised me so that I'm all jittery." Her laugh made no dent In his glowering glow-ering regard. "I'm not in the habit of snapping up an offer of a heart and hand. You must allow me time to think." She pushed back the sleeve of her cardigan. cardi-gan. "My word ! Have I dropped my wrist watch? I must go back. David gave it to me and I wouldn't lose it for all the timber in the world. Please help me hunt for it." Her suggestion roused opposition, as she had honed it wnnlrl her nails white. "Suit yourself. When you beat it, I figured that any path you'd take would lead here. I took a short cut and started the fire. There were red coals; someone's been using the place. Sorry I can't provide a lamp. It's getting get-ting dark outside." If Prudence had distrusted the man back on the trail, she hated him now, hated his mocking smile to which the flickering light gave a Satanic twist. She took a step forward. "Then we had better start home at once. I'm wet and c-cold." In one move be was between her and the door. TO BE CONTINUED. you home, Miss Schuyler." "That would help. Drive very carefully, care-fully, Jean, and straight home, remember. remem-ber. Tell Miss Mack that Mr. Calloway Callo-way is personally conducting me over The Hundreds. Go out to the barn and tell Mr. Si. He and I were planning plan-ning to set an incubator this afternoon, after-noon, but that can wait." Having posted which two sentinels on the ramparts of protection, she stepped over the bars that Calloway lowered. Why didn't the man speak? He was occ 11 luc uiu-uiucr got any or your Jewels." "Never mind the jewels, Macky.' I deserve to lose them for forgetting to close the safe. Sure you are not hurt?" "Sure, Miss Prue." Jean was on her knees before the safe frantically examining the white packets when Prudence reached it. She looked up with frightened eyes. "Gone!" she whispered. "What's gone?" "The emerald and diamonds!" "You ought to set the sheriff after that convict," Jane Mack Insisted for the third time the next afternoon. At the kitchen table Prudence was snipping the stems of the roses before placing them in vases of fresh water. Impulsively she put an arm about Jean's shoulder and hugged her as the child drew a long, hard breath. She knew what she was thinking, knew that she was remembering the look in her father's eyes as he had asked if the jewels were kept In the house. Of course, Walter Gerard h.-iri "We're going on. Looking the layout lay-out over was your idea. Don't be a quitter. I've got you here ; you'll stay. I'll go back for the watch. I can And it quicker alone. Wait here." Taking compliance for granted, he stalked back. As he disappeared around a bend, Prudence darted along the trail which turned sharply east. She went on cautiously looking for the blaze on trees. No sign of human occupation. She stopped to listen. Was Calloway following? Did he think her a quitter? She wasn't. She was, to use a favorite legal term of nnvlriv' leading the way along the snowy path. Woods stretcjied endlessly ahead, dense, dark, dismal. She didn't for an instant doubt Calloway's respectability, but she had a shivery sense of repressed re-pressed fury smoldering under his urbanity. "Here we are!" Calloway stopped to brush the snow from the top of a granite boulder. "See that B cut in the stone? It marks the southeastern corner cor-ner of the tract your uncle purchased from my father. Here's a trail. We'll go in a little way so that you can see the quality of the timber." t A II .... the gems, he wouldn't fall so low as that, but "I'll wait until Mr. David comes, Mncky. He will be here so soon that we had better consult him before we enter complaint." "Well, of course, if you can afford to lose that emerald and the diamonds. dia-monds. Miss Prue, it's up to you. If you'd seen .what I saw In my teacup this morning" With a sniff Jane Mak disappeared into the pantry . j Snug In fur coats, red beret and j green beret making brilliant spots of color in the gray day, Prudence, with Jean, backed the cart out of the shed. am sweetness ana light again, aren t you?" Prudence mentally addressed his straight back as she followed him. He paused and turned. 'Sorry to have made trouble for you about your timber, Miss Schuyler, but when I say 1 11 put a thing through, I do It, no matter what the consequences may be to anyone else." Prudence looked up at him. Wist-fulness Wist-fulness was entirely out of her line, but she did her best with voice and eyes. "Suppose suppose is it too late to change my mind and let you" The shrill whistle of a locomotive shattered the silence. The train had arrived! In a moment or two the merely "in the exercise of due care." while she diverted his attention from the village. The trees thinned. What was that sound? A brook! She couldn't be far from home if it was the stream which crossed her lower meadow. She climbed a high bank, drew a long, ragged breath of relief. No danger of being lost now. She bad her bearings. bear-ings. "Holloa! Hullo o !" Calloway shouting. A thin gray fog of doubt dimmed her satisfaction in the success of her role of Providence. Perhaps her idea hadn't been such a knockout after all. She had better get home. The trail on the other side, |
