Show lat T I t I MAIDEN I- I Cf t FORT t AUTHOR OF By SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS IT T HAPPENED ONE NIGHT O 0 SAMUEL HOPKINS HOPINS ADAMS mm SERVICE I CHAPTER XI XI Ili Continued 1 19 19 And Miss Mlis Van Straiten naturally denies everything To you ou Interrupted interrupted interrupted Inter- Inter Mr Well no Not exactly denies it It But- But Mr Sayles I 1 am really surprised sur sur- surprised at you broke In the other severely Your gullibility is aston aiton- Obviously you have let your our sell self be taken in I 1 know little tittle of ot women but I 1 am Informed upon adequate authority that the least trustworthy of the sex is the straw straw- blonde type The what Ashen or straw blonde as I believe believe believe be be- lieve it is called Miss Van Straiten Is 11 not cot a blonde Nonsense I Definitely a blonde with Persian-cat Persian eyes yellowish and exhibiting what might be termed disconcerting gleams The description was too pat to be misinterpreted Wait Walt a minute be besought ought the breathless Kelsey r. r Youve got the wrong girL eirl By no means She at once identified iden idea tided herself as as- as Listen to me Did she ahe say Sweet crackers' crackers Didn't she Didn't she Speak up man Why now that you mention It it I 1 believe she did What Whal U H anything does it il mean Mr will never know His Ilis Interrogator Jammed up the receiver er leapt out into the storm and turning the first corner banged into Mss Gloria Glamour He clutched her in no gentle grip Heyl protested the girt beauty Unhand me villain Lay off oa will willI I you Tempy You hurt hurL What did you do it for Do what Hi Hil I Martyl Marty Rescue Our star boarders boarder's gone batty baity Martin Holmes came up on on the run He put his arm around the girl and drew her into a sheltering doorway Kelsey with his hold un us- I relaxed following Break suggested MartinI Martin I want to know why she's shel been playing hell heU with Marne Mame Martin gave the girl a look I told you this was going to turnaround turn turnaround turnaround around and bite bile you Well I 1 expect expect expect ex ex- ex- ex hes he's got a right to an answer answer Gloria gaped Where do you get get your Information Tempy And where do you get in on it il anyway anyway any any- way Never mind where I 1 got gol It 11 The point is Ive I've just accused Marne Mame I of having an affair with and now I find find find- Oh sweet crackers gasped Gloria You would do something something some some- thing like that Where does that leave me It ought to leave you in Jail for forthe forthe forthe the rest of your life What did you do it for Fifteen thousand dollar doUar dollar And I dont don't even get that thai Easy there Kelse Interposed Martin as his friend began shaking the unfortunate culprit again She didn't mean any harm It'll all aU be squared soon Only we haven't told Marne Mame yet yeL Theres There's the car Hop Hopin in and Gloria will explain All AU three got in and the girl beauty spoke her piece I figured on making making mak mak- ing a nice little up clean for all of ofus ofus us us said she sorrowfully But Bui Martin Martin Mar Mar- tin put the bosh kl-bosh on it iL Well Ill I'll be what be-what what are we goIng goIng go- go going Ing to do with her Kelsey appealed appealed ap pealed to his friend Personally Im I'm going to marry her answered Martin Before she can pull any more fast ones ones And Im I'm going to be a good little gal forever after Be a sport sport she che adjured Kelsey and square it for me with Marne Mame wont won't you Ive got myself to square with Marne Mame first Suppose you two get out of this car Im I'm in a hurry And dont don't break your valuable necks gelting get gel ting Lag back to Headquarters any sooner than you need to A fountain of mud and water was seen by several astonished observers observe ers proceeding down the Lake Road In the manner and with the speed of ofa a waterspout At the brook the driver made a wild swerve and pulled up Just in time The bridge had gone out CHAPTER XII Darkness early earll descending added add ed to the depression of Miss Marion Norman Van spirits She was experiencing a loneliness unprecedented unprecedented un In her hitherto well well- companioned life Even Glunk Clunk had abandoned her No response was forthcoming to her repeated repealed and Ind emphatic bell bell She found herself wishing ardently for the return return re re- turn of Gloria and Martin less ardently ardently ar are ar- ar dently for that of Kelsey Hue hare Mi oil me rne was thoroughly angry and gusted with Kelsey That he had bad technically insulted her with his Suspicions of her laxity did not count for or so much She was not Victorian- Victorian minded and was fair enough to adit admit ad- ad mil it that appearances were to some extent against her though what he had meant by his nonsense about direct evidence she could not guess What hat annoyed her most was his almost most hysterical stupidity It did occur to lo her that the conduct of Jf e ng men in love was likely to be slightly abnormal she had observed that phenomenon non with dispassionate Interest before Her lIer interest this time Ume was far from dispassionate It Was definitely de personal and wrath wrath- ful If It he was wal in love with her why who couldn't he have said so soT Mr Kelsey Hare was definitely on her mind where he had no business business busi ness to be and end she resented it To TI evict him from that position she decided to go out and look for forthe forthe forthe the lights of the hoped for car in which Gloria and Ind her companion had left that morning Proceeding with caution she made her way to th the edge edee of ot the brawling flood which only a few days daYI before had bad been beena a peaceable and well-behaved well brook As she ahe stood peering out Into th the night a flicker of lightning displayed dis dia played to her incredulous eyes the car stationary on the opposite shore It seemed to be empty She shouted but the wind snatched the voice from her mouth and overbore it with its own more strident camor clam cam or At least the car would be bo a means of ot getting gelling to town Gingg Gingerly she sought for the bridge It did I 0 Easy there bere interposed Martin not seem to be where she expected to find it Another flash illumined the scene It revealed the daunting daunting daunt daunt- ing fact that thai the bridge was was not only absent from its proper place but that it was nowhere else to be seen Marne went back to the house and sat down to think It il over The situation was plain enough She was completely cut off from the world Islanded Marooned A prisoner of the waters condemned to an indefinite indefinite nite stretch So that was that thaL Meantime beIng being being be be- ing a practical young person she saw no reason for going hungry In Clunks Chinks absence she collected what she could find of his utensils encouraged encouraged en the fire found some tea bread and eggs and accomplished a respectable supper It was while cleaning up that she heard above the raving night something that sounded like a human call Clunk Glunk she cried A weight fell heavily against the side door A voice not nol Glunk's Clunks announced announced an an- thickly Im here Arming hers herself lf with the poker she ran to the spot As she threw the door open a creature unbelievably unbelievably ably disheveled muddied and battered battered bat bat- lurched in and leaned against the wall Give me a drink Kelsey she said not quite What there is left left he con con- firmed She darted to the kitchen came back with a glass of ot Scotch The derelict cleared a way to Its mouth and swallowed it That's better Thanks How lIow did you ever get gel here lie He lifted his arm and made a wild smear of his face I dont don't Just exactly exactly exactly ex ex- know I 1 washed up somewhere somewhere somewhere some some- where I believe Somewhere Where Along the shore of the lake Flotsam Flotsam Flot- Flot sam and jetsam Well you'd better belter wash up again she advised struggling against an Impulse of hysterical laughter Youre an awful spec spectacle The mirth in her eyes a altered al to doubt What happened I saw your car I suppose you fell fellin in in looking for the bridge No I didn't fall In Her eyes were wide now You didn't Jump in did you It didn't look so bad said he apologetically Whatever ver induced you to run such a mad risk she demanded You were over here Id have been all right Maybe I shouldn't I 1 had to get back to you to to-to to lo do some grov grove eling cling She laughed a 8 little wildly I should say you'd been doing some Mime Marne Ive I've been the double double- damnedest fool that ever lived to believe that rot about you What do you want me to say lay Nothing As hopeless as that than he asked I 1 mean No That Isn't what mean Indeed all the righteous indignation lion tion had bad ebbed out of her ber at first understanding of why he had come Dont you think theres there's been too much said already Probably He closed his eyes and wavered a little Youre hurt burU she cried sharply No I dont don't think so Ive I've taken rather a beating Youve got gol to get your clothes clothe off oft said she ahe practically There may be something broken Call Gunk Clunk Hell He'll help me Glunk Clunk isn't lInt here Ill I'll do It it my self Without fuss or ado she undressed him brought towels and hot water and removed such of the silt lilt and mud as had not been ground Into his bis skin akin He seemed hardly more than half conscious She brought him another another another an an- other drink and ordered him to go 10 goto goto to sleep At this he roused himself I 45 u ur r r r rr rr r r x kLeS t g Not Nol yet yel he begged Ive got you on my mind You can keep me there until you wake up No Id I'd never be able to get to sleep Very well said she quietly Lets Let have it il over as soon as possible pos pas sible You thought I was A. A Leons Leon's mistress Yes Im I'm sorry lorry to say that I did I Good God Godl Dont Don't I 1 know it now That's why I 1 had to get back here To tell you what a rat Id I'd been Well youre you're here Its It's settled No she forbade fort peremptorily as al he would have gone on I dont don't want to hear any more now We arent aren't so 50 far from square I thought you were a cotter and found you weren't Would you go to sleep prettily now if I 1 sat here and held your hand handT He turned her fingers in his lethis set let his lips to the curve of her palm and fell feU into the profound sleep of one who has been brutally mauled It seemed hardly a minute later when he awoke struggling No nol not he heard himself protesting Marne Mame was trying to disengage her hand Its ns all right she said soothingly Ill be right back What Is it ft During the two hours hour of his nap the wind had dropped and the rain was a soft murmur Dont you he hear r something asked Marne Only the flood Someone calling she insisted lie He sat up Every muscle in his hi body was sore lore from the pummeling of the tha waters but he be felt refreshed alert and strong again You can hear all aU sorts of voices In n running water Im almost certain There certain There It Is U ala again in She ran from the room and opened a window Hustling Into a robe and Ind grabbing for his shoes shoel be he followed To their straining ears earl came a faint and desolate wall wail Gall Gal Gall Gall GaU Its lies lie In trouble Gal Gall And again Gall GaU Gal Gall GaU Weary forlorn piteous it might have come from anywhere In the sodden lodden closed In universe about them Im going to lo look for him Where He lie laid a hand on her ber arm She shook it off I dont don't know But Im I'm going Gall Gals Gal GaU The despairing iteration iter iter- sounded fainter now Memory flashed a message int Into Maine's Maines brain Hes in the well Fallen in How flow could he heT Hes got his money there He e emust must have gone after it and some om things thing's happened I Kelsey found a t torch Arm in arm they plunged Int Into the swirl which plucked and wrenched at their footing like a malevolent thing The voice sounded its plea again Gall Gal G all G Gal aU Coming shouted Marne Mama They fought their way to a scene of ruin Undermined by the gnawing pressure the arbor above the well had bad collapsed choking the four foot aperture of the stout masonry protecting pro pro- the mouth Fortunately the water was wal still a foot short of the top They found refuge in the lee of the stonework Marne thrust her ber head bead into the tangle of timber Glunk Clunk she called Gal Gat he answered with an accent accent ac ac- ac cent of relief and trust so 10 profound that it shook her heart beart Are you all aU right Head hurt hurL Hang lIang on Well We'll get you After one swift inspection Kelsey had gone to the house for ax and rope Directing the light downward Mama Marne saw the gnomes gnome's powerful frame wedged between the stone atone stonewalls stonewalls walls his hla feet settled into a cranny There was a gash across his head bead Can you hold on Gunk Clunk Im I'm going going go go- going ing to stay right here Tired said Clunk Glunk feebly No no she cried in terror You mustn't be tired Youre You're not tired It'll be only a minute now Keep your grip Hang on She poured out a stream of encouragement encouragement encourage encourage- ment and admonition as 81 if it by the sheer potency of words she could maintain him At long last Kelsey Kesey came back While Marne directed the electric beam the rope-end rope was lowered and Glunk Instructed to put the noose beneath his hil arm armpits Now if U his bis strength gave out he would at least be safe against falling to the bot hot tom A turn of the rope around a nearby tree finished that part of the preliminaries The rest was less lesl simple You stand by by Kelsey bade the girl while I clear dear this stuff away Hyou If U you see any part of it slipping toward toward to to- toward ward the opening try to divert it lL Clunks Chinks been hit by one piece Another An other might finish him Standing almost knee-deep knee now he be attacked the ruin First on this side and then on that he be loosened the supports The structure leaned and wa wa- vered Look out warned the axman axman ax ax- man stepping aside There was a crash Most of the wreckage fell into the current and was snatched away One short and Ind heavy scantling detached itself from the mass Mame Marne snatched at It It but missed It shot down into Int the block opening A cry split spilt the darkness The two seized on the rope and with frantic pulls pull brought up a limp form Marne Mame flashed the light into the face and turned it away again TO BE lIE CONTINUED |