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Show inease and i newri I UTTnTPn xiV-Contlnued. 1 Q0.0 POfTisIt I Not nt thnt ttme, ,n ,ny judgment." I- 1 14-. 14-. thn vacucst way; Is It my :nCV l SaVoTccn hol,l prisoner; S'ani jyw.lhlB l- been mod. 5 C?- -am . one' If the u.Ml, the brains of tho J3"' i "fallow named Iloburt. i HZ yon known hlm-longl" 1 1 No .he said doubtfully, "not un. ' hl other nnmo was Jtra. There -Ml, a fellow they called Jim. He was jailor uftcr that woman locked Kelnto a room." 'Where was tnlsr FlH -Why surely you must know. In that 'Voltage where we stopped with lcr- Hiral coolldge." Ue jrew a deep breath, more thor- Ifluchly puzzled than ever. What could JmWe her purpose to mnUe so bold an l Hffort to deceive? Ills henrt sank, but mmt determined to go on, and learn how Mr i,c would carry this strange tale. tjKernaps out of the welter he could Hlscern some truth. "The fellow's name Is Jim, nil right, Him Ilohart. Tho woman passes ns his Klfe. You knew nothing of all this?" afl"Xo; I only saw the man twice; he . .Bras very rough then, and swore when 'questioned him." ' And the woman?" -She would not tnlk, either; only Hhcc she told me thnt Percivnl Coo-' pHdge had committed suicide. That -Kinde me wonder, for I believed he .Had something to do with my being Be1d there. What did he say when nHe returned to the auto without me? rEvhnt explanation did he make for my ' brance?" "Explanation I lie needed none; Hoa came out of tho cottage with rH "I? What do you mean?" !1 Hut I saw you with my own eyes, allied with you, and all three of ,us Breve back to 'Fnlrlnwn' together. My K-d, Miss Natalie, have you lost your Kind? Do you even deny dismissing Hie from your service?" She gazed at him throngh the loom, utterly unable to comprehend. "1 must have, If what you say Is roe." she admitted, "For I certainly Have no such recollection." H He stnrcd off Into the black night. His lips pressed closely together. Hould thin be false? Could she sit here calmly, In the midst of such peril ma surrounded them, and still do-Htberatcly do-Htberatcly endeavor to deceive? I "And you Knew nothing of the denth mt Percivnl Coolldge, except what was old you by that woman?'' I "She brought me n newspaper which rend; that was all I knew." I "And In thnt house on Wrny street Brhero I met you ngaln Inst night. And on tnlked with me; tried to get mo to Jiult following you. You surely haven't bMorgottcn thnt nlrendy?" She dropped her face wearily Into Bier hands, and her voice sounded list ess. 9 "I I nlmoRt believe you are the yfcrozy one. Captain West. I swear 1 Shave never knowingly met, or spoker j Ito you since we drove to thnt cnttngi I Ion Sundny. I cannot bellovo whnt yoi I "Yet It la true, every word true" Iht asserted stoutly. "Why else shoul Hi be here? You returned with us t UBTBtrlawn. nnd we chatted togethe vleainntly nit the wny. Later yo 'limned to change, nnd discharged m I rather rudely. Then Percivnl Coolldg ts killed shot down by nn nssnssli I You wero at the Inquest, and testlflei the nest day you discharged Sextoi I nnd Inter ho learned, and reported I H me, that sonic one called you on tl ) phone from Wrny street, nnd wnnt H ron to come over there nt once. I found you there, nnd this fellow II bsrt with you." Hut, Captain West, I never sn u H Tim; I never left the room In the thl B w''ere I was locked In, exec ' H then they took roe away In n n ' H thine to the yncht. "Tou dropped n note In the nll enclosed In n silver knife?" Ten, I did. Did you find It?" , "Sexton did, nnd that was wl ; bronght me hero." H "Rat " ls n'1 80 strange," she i claimed despairingly. "How could H te done nil these things, been In H thtte places, nnd yet know nothJ ibont It? Could I linvo been drug! r Influenced In some wny by th txopltr ' H " do not believe you wore elt! 'rpnottrcd or drugged, dood O- X I dld 1 not tlllnlt ot thls B0,ut ff I most have been blind ; t W H h?Dot ,oui 1 cnn rcCB'1 n nund Wt now to convince me," 1, M It you menn?" M Mother woman plnyed your pi m oman most wonderfully like 3 H the volce Tlere la no ol I ..! of t,,e Problem. And that f M r Plan of robbery to get i ,,v ' th way, nnd then havo I the fortune." I M It8!!8 f 1 llent Motionless, appat i M USr1 Bt onw to grnap nil 1 rt'n,nhl words. Then she p ff H ar 'nt0 ' ulstance. f fNttere ,s "Bht over there." mt . ? .eaEry- "Th" must bo u.Ws'ornlng." 1,1 Mlit41w nna looked w 1 th S,"'!?- Vul1' ny light to, tiht ,,; ' Bnd ,,,e Bl( "t'ovo he WJiT UTrtsHed. No. h Wtow felt any dcsli v-opjriUt by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. spenk; they could only stare out silently si-lently across tho desolation of waters, feeling their helplessness and peril.. Her head sunk forward Into her linnds, as though she would thus shut out the whole weird picture, nid West, aroused by the slight movement, glanced quickly aside. Ills hand sought her own, where It gripped for support, nnd ci'oscd over It warmly. "It cannot be as bad pj It seems." he Insisted, trying to suy tho words cheerfully. "I know these waters, and they are never long deserted. Luck will change, surely; perhaps within the hour we shall be picked up, und can lnugh at all this experience. She lifted her head, and their eyes met frankly, "I am not afraid," she protested "Not physically, nt least. Truly I hnvc T "8ee, Thero It Llaht Ovtr There." . not felt fenr slnco you Joined me Cuptnln West," "But you nro very tired?" U "Perhaps so, yet I havo not though j. about that. There are other things you do not believe In me." h " "Why say that?" he asked In astor 8 Ishment. "Thero Is no question of th I kind between us now" h "Truly, Is there not? What was I you believed of me thnt that I wa part of this conspiracy?" (. "I do not know what I believed, I n I actually believed anything, Mis Nntnlle," he explained rather lamcl: I "I cannot tnnke the situation nlt I nether clear even to myself. Unde ? I tho circumstances, you cannot coi demn mo Justly." I "Condemn I I do not. now could I j You must have kept faith In me, neve I theless, or you would never be het n I now. That Is whnt seems marvelous t 'e I me that you actually cared enoug to believe." . I "I realize now that I have," ho sal ,1 gravely. "Through It nil I have kept to vcry mrB mcasur0 ' n'tb In you." I- "Why should that faith have su BU vlved?" die questioned persistently, i though doubt would not wholly leai 0 her mind. "Surely thero was never In I mndder story told than tho ono I to ,V I you, nnd I couldn't havo provcu i ;n; Item of It" to I "Yet It has shown Itself true," ) he Interrupted. led I "You nctually believe, then, tl I I there ls another woman a count lo-1 felt of myself?" I "It ts the only theory feasible; y aw I have convinced mo of thut Will y Ird believe what I say?" cpt "Implicitly." ma- "Perhaps It sounds llko n fairy tnl ho spoke frankly, his eyes seeking I Icy, own, nil their surroundings forgot I In the eagerness of tho moment, "hi will tell you tho exnet truth. IJof bnt this misunderstanding occurred j hud confided in me, trusted me, ex- though I wns a stranger and I d I Heved nhsolutcly in your story. I I i nil that basis to rest on. Then I got h dug 0f various odds nnd ends of evlde :ccd Whlch convinced mo thnt eometli lose Wns wrong that you were actu being conspired ngnlnst. I even gnl ther n suspicion that Percivnl Coolldge d; the actual lender of tho conspln itlon you could never have been made i that oner In thnt cottage without his i dred nivnnco ; ho must have lured you tl for thnt particular purpose, so i this other girl could take your p nrt; without danger of discovery. The yu' son for Perclval's participation Is ,tner ly a guess, but my theory Is the 1 re- low had so Juggled your fortune, you tho time for flnul accounting wa ncr I near, ho hnd to tnko n dcsp chance In order to save himself, .rent- My own tncory ts that when H .t,lc learned wlwt Pcrclval Coolldge )0,nt posed doing, his own criminal tci cles told him thnt here wns somo money. The girl was undouh 1 wholly under his control ; sorou do of the underworld probably. Slu .mod nl'dy l,ln'11, ,,er I)urt BUl" well to convince Hohart of su ' ". Why then, shouldn't he have this r thi. ' nistoiul of Percivnl? There w thine "iison except that Percivnl wuh I on to ' That wur why he wns kill 1V ,. "And," sho questioned breath, fro to "!e mnu mennt to murder mo n West answered thoughtfully. "Such nn nddltlonnl crlnio was not a part of the original plan. Once the money, and other property, were delivered to tha fake Natalie, the cashing In nnd get away would be easy; even the Identity Identi-ty of the thieves would be concealed." "Hut they did try to 1111 me." "Yes, later, by the sinking of the yncht. Probnbty I am largely responsl' ; hie for that. My appearance In Wni) street must have been quite a shock, , und when I succeeded In cscnplna ( from their trap there. Uobart verj I evidently lost his head completely The knowledge that I was free, per Imps In communication with the police I led to your night trip to the Seminole nnd the secret sinking of tho yncht. 1I , hnd gone too far by then to hcsltat at another murder." "I I think I understand now," shi 5 ndmltted, "how all this occurred; bu why why were you so persistent' There there must have been n rcasot more Impelling than a vugue suspl clon?" "Thero was the most compelllni Impulse In tho world." "You menu fnlth tn mo?" "Kven more than thnt ; lovo for you Natalie, I love you, have loved you nl tho time, without fully realizing ex actly what It meant. Thero hnve bee: times when I hnve doubted you, whe I could not wholly escnpe the vldenc that you were also concerned tcrsot ally In this fraud. I hnvo endenvore to withdraw from the case, to forge and blot everything from memory. Bt something stronger than will preven cd; 1 could not desert you; could m believe you were wilfully wrong. Yo understand what I menn." "Yes," the words barely roachln him. "It was the other girl; she 111 dermlncd your fnlth." "That Is the truth; yet how coul It be, do you suppose? My vcry lo should have enabled me to detect tl difference." She touched his nrm with her han and under the slight pressure 1 ' looked aside nt her. i "You know now," she said eoftl "nnd I know. All this ls pnst a I gone between us. We are hero aloi the sport of the waves, and I have e, reason to bo other than frank. 1 I lleve In you, Matthew West; in yo j honesty and manhood. You say 7 ht I love me?" s; "With nil my henrt and soul; Fcems to mo now I have nlwnys lov in-1 you you enmo to me, the lady of 1 ho dreams." Her eyes were wet with unsl " tenrs, yet she smiled back Into 08 fnce, her voice trembling ns eho 1 swered : ,f "And I," she said slowly, "have 1 :8f no thought but of you slnco our mo y Ing In the garden together. How f" nwny that seems," "You menn you lovo me?" n "Yes ; I love you ; there Is no wi . I stronger, but I would spenk It ls tl 7 not enough ?" f Ho held her In his arms, In splto !? the trembling raft, tossed by tho aw of the sea, r.nd crushed her ngal him In the nrdent strain of pnssl A An Instant sho held her head bn I n her eyes gazing straight Into his; th , with sigh of content, yielded, and tl ur lips met, and clung. ns CHAPTER XV ive I r.jl I Escape From tho Raft a'n T,1 ",ft drifted aimlessly on, I wnves lapping Its sides, nnd tossln h nbout ns though In wanton piny. ' girl lay quiet, her face upturned, conscious now of her dread surroi lings; nnd the mnn swayed nhove ltcr hlB head bent upon his brenst, I sleeping the sleep of sheer exhnust yoa I It wns the startled cry of Nat you I that roused West, and brought drooping head upright. She wns sit ,. up nnd pointing excitedly behind ! ,' "Oh, see there I Look where I i '' -Isn't thnt hind?" mt I The rnft rocked ns he mvung fore body hastily nbout, nnd gazed lute ..ou In the direction Indicated. He nil al- ''Is eyes, scarcely able to credit )C! sight, half believing It a mirage, had the view remained unninnged ; It hold land, n bit of tho west shore, n enco promontory running out Into the bins townrd which the rnft, Impcllet ually some hidden current, was stei lined drifting. His nrm clasped the gl was sudden ecstusy. racy. "Yes, It's lund, thnnk Ood I" hi prls- clnlmed thoughtfully. "Wo aro : con- lug nshore, Nntnlle saved In spl there ourselves. Why, we could not that been so far out In the Inke, nfte place I ought to have thought of tho rcn- fore; thoso villains would never s on- deserted the yncht In mld-lnko, e fel- taken to the boat. They must , and known they could make slmro en as so 1 "You don't suppose they landed lerate I do you?" I "Not vcry likely; even If the lobart they nro not here now. Not 0 j pro- them has n thought but thnt we Midon- down In the Seminole. Now 1 d ensy pull oft their graft, nnd pull It btedly They are not loitering around onlzen Nntnlle, waiting for ghosts to ni 10 had they are back In town hours ug flcntly "Hut whnt cnn we do?" uccoss. "Get ashore first, uf course, ui h mon- over the quickest way lo red ivusno the city. I llpire v,e have a h In the vnntuge. Wo know their real led " now, und tl.-y we ko sure we nr ,-essly. dead, they'll op-mte In the , ilso?" wulk right Into a trap. Hy thl viue ns 10 ine wnerenuoutA or itonnn. With him under nrrcst, nnd our story told, some of these fellows will con fess, and It will all be over with. "It Is twilight already the sun hns gone down behind tho bluff, but It will " require nn hour yet for, this rnft tf 1 drift Into shallow water. You swim b you told mo?" "Yes, very well Indeed." a "Shall we risk It then together? I t ts not far to the end of the point yon der." " She looked where he pointed ant Riulleii, glancing back Into his question e Ing eyes. I- "Why, thnt Involves no danger at nil y I will do unythlng to get off this rnft' :, The two slipped silently over th g edge of the dipping raft, and stnicl y out for the nearest point of land. Th t. dlstnnoo was greater than It hit p- seemed, the twilight deceiving thel s, eyes, while their clothing hnd a tei j, dency to retard progress, Weakcnc e by lack of food, and buffeted by cro! e currents, both wero decidedly cxlintiR ed by tho tlmo their lowering feet fli ie ally touched bottom, it "Oh." Natalie exclaimed brcnthles; :? ly, "That was glorious, but I lmrdl n had enough strength left to make I I- Why, It Is almost dork already. I cai not see the old raft at all. I I wit ig It would como ashore; It gnve you I me, Matt" "And yon are not eorry, even noi a, snfo hero on shore?" ill "Sorry 1 Why 1 nm tho hnpplest gl r- hi all the world this minute. I n n here with you, and you love me wh ;n more can I nsk? Is thnt silly, dear co He laughed, and kissed her, nelth n- giving a thought to their dripping gf d mcnts, or n regret for the hardsht st, they had passed through, ut "Yes, I love you, Natntle, dear," I it- answered. "So It Is not silly nt a ot Hut we must seek shelter nnd fo( ou Are you strong enough now to clli the bluffr ng She nodded her readiness to try, t in- happy for weds, and hand In ha they tolled their way upward throu iV1 the gloom. he, CHAPTER XVI id, The Houte In the DIufTa. he The cleft In the bluff was both n row nnd steep, tut It gave them p ly, sage. At tho upper end Natalie's mfl serve strength suddenly deserted h nC( nnd she Bank down on the grass, lal no 'nC ror breath, feeling unable to be- vnnce a step farther. Tho days c ur nights of excitement, coupled with h rou of food nnd sleep, hnd left her ph; cally weakened; now suddenly, v lt her will nnd courage hoth gave waj red "No' lt ,H Mt,,lnK" 8,,c P'nlnei! n whisper. "I nm Just -completely tl out, I guess. You go on, Matt " , p , find some place -of shelter. I'll Just . . where I nm now until you como hue ! n only only don't go very far nway." Sho held out her hand, and endi . . ored to smile. "Desert mo I Of coureo yoa aro i dear. I nm bidding you go. I s not mind being left hero alone, I bo tired." West felt the lmportnncc of galr , a view Inlnnd before tho dosing d( of night obscured everything, thereforo reluctantly left her nl ' of thero while ho made his wny to the ve" of tho ridge. It was a wild, bra ln8t country revealed to his gaze, a lam lon ridges nnd ravines, rugged nnd pic ,ck esque, but exhibiting o evldcnc ,en' roads, or Inhabitants. Then his tl0'r cnught n thin spiral of smoke rl I from out a nnrrow valley almost tho r1 ) 4 iwm w.m ' ( L W 1 Bhort A $ W I hike V ' ?5 " adlly Irl In - 0 ex- j - lm;H "That Was Glorious." .t all. it be-1 rcctly benenth where ho stood hnve depths of which were totally , nnd ccucd from hlght. As be stnr have this, uncertnln of Its reality, a Hlly.' fipnr 0f light winked out nt 1 here, through tho darkness. Thero wa tnlnly n habitation of some klm y did ,jCn nwny down there. If ho cnul ine of 1 1 ivc Nntnlle there In safe han wont tho security of a home, however they'll bio, food would give him streni quick. pUli on ntone. West turned an live, teliod buck through tho woods, ipeur; hierlng down the ttlopc of the rl !)." darkness to tho Hpot whero h left the B'rl. For t.i aiouu nd dls- (.,,,,1,1 not distinguish bur preti1 11:11 t the gloom, nnd, finrlng he mlgh iln ml-1 f. ninij, cnllod her .nnmo giww -In- answered. "I nm re both t0 jour rtjj'it. 1 nm sttnidlng up "l"'n- ym dttM ini-riHt anything?" IS UlUU 1 (TO liU COiiTINUJtaj |