Show A Q shil SANDS by sara ware BASSETT ti copyright by I 1 the penn pub co service ice Q SYNOPSIS il e future of the still youthful fill and d lly barcla howe re recently ise sea by death from her idling hus 4 Is a tit bit among eulves 0 the little ha hamlet m let of 0 on eligible bach bachelors lom and aldow I 1 iso so are interested marcia arcla sl Is lonely has hag invited her late husbands 1 I sylvia hayden born bhe ha had ki r can seen to visit tier her A stranger the he verge of exhaustion finds his to marceas Mar Blar clas home secretly etly ho he p barcla mar la to tilde hide a paci package cage contain beweley jewelry ew elry she does docs so elisha ahsha wins town sheriff brings brines news of a I 1 robbery nearby the stranger str anser j ll 11 his name as stanley heath sylby aby chance discovers the jewels naturally belie believes heath Is a rob she realizes that marcta must have hava tn them and decides to say noth putting the gems back in their IG lie place CHAPTER V continued 6 ince nce came bounding into the house some distant pilgrimage of IN his f almost knocking her down donn in his mess for breakfast e glanced far up the shore and serenely rocking with the tide unknown lady she whispered the name she was clous of hot blood rushing to her ks w ridiculous 1 stanley heath was ly ily a stranger of a night dig he was ln ing to her elrin ell indeed deed was it too that lie he was L I 1 firing ang her ber hours bours ot of sleeplessness ador cardor of her faith in him had to agree agree cooled true she still maln main ed cd her belief in his innocence I 1 ithac that belief she now dow realized was r a blind unfounded intuition both circumstances and sober second failed to back it up the mans to be gone his complete tee ice with regard to the jewels at al agh perfectly justifiable did not agthen it arcla arcia conceded he had every right cep ills his affairs to himself had he led to confide ills his secret to her ber would have held up her hand to him was the fact that through the hours of the night while she sat its is elbow truing to make the distorts borts torts he suffered more bearable talked of almost everything else tile the thing uppermost in both their js Is that was what hurt she did want to know she wanted to be ted led to help to feel his depend o upon tier her instead he be held her fros ains length e spoke alth ith appreciation of the f r who had dragged his boat off the I 1 bar abbe appearing iring to consider them kind as undoubtedly I 1 were still they had not begun some ome into the close contact with fill ithac she had arcla arcia caught herself up with a cd d turn here she was being womanish now how detestable why lid ild stanley ileath heath pour out his soul ier ler she had never dever laid eyes on unell yesterday in a day or two rould be gone never again to come aher her life she was glad clad of it it better so its ils decision reached she drew in wn chin lifted tier her head a wee bit slid and in to get the breakfast ten ren doctor stetsons arrival and 1 g subsequent verdict erd let that the patient bronchitis and would take his tire life Is ghanas hands should lie leave his bed d ded d her only scant satisfaction she was to keep stanley heath r her root roof after all but against faw will it was not a very flattering alpon alon le ie sent sylvia sylria up u P with fill ill his coffee and began tier her usual round lorning r ding duties to a then just as they were finished ithe the clock was striking eleven he ie d e went up cheerful hut but with her 1 11 still held high and paused on ibre threshold anding an cing at her lie he sullied smiled foil look like a bird about to take it t wont you sit down ie went nearer nevertheless she lot I 1 tale take tile the chair he indicated t see ee you are busy lie he said 1 I ht perhaps your housework houses house vork arh might one ione by tills this time and you might A a moment to spare well I 1 aint tnt interrupt forgive me for tag ing Ib t avent a thing in the world to burst out food then you yoi I 1 can stay a little p e he coaxed now answer this aaion atlon truthfully please you lie heard ard A J doctor stetson said about my aiming dang to new york today I 1 dont tt to bedig be pl head headed and take a risk alls IS that Is neither fair others nor to inai alf still it Is pr tant that I 1 go arid I 1 am anxious what at Is your advice t think you tire lire too ill 1 e frown of annoyance his I 1 ea youre right yet for 1 oll all 1 1 I 1 aril am disappointed I 1 cant ver vcr b ito to go e it Is necessary arl cant anything be done from here queried slie she such as letters telegrams whatever you I 1 wish I 1 can telephone rione or telegraph anywhere or I 1 can write surprise stole oer ills his face then deepened to admiration you would do that for malid me blindfolded boded why not I 1 simply want to help I 1 always like to help when I 1 can even when you do not understand st and piercingly ills his eyes rested on her face 1 I 1 I do not need to understand was tier her proud retort for the fraction of ii a second their glances met when lie ie spoke his voice was low imperative marcia come here she went ent she knew not why give me nour conr hand again half trembling half reluctant she obeyed ile he took it in his and bending kissed hissed it 1 I III stay and you shall telegraph was all lie he said she sprang to fetch paper a and it penell pencil as it if Nel welcoming coming this break in the tension im afraid I 1 cannot write plainly enough with mill my left ind lind l lie he said will aou ou take down dovin the message mess age certainly mrs R S C aleath 11 tier her pencil so birin irm only an instant li before qui inhered ered ilao you that yes the nillmore new york city yes everything safe with me do not worry marooned on cape cod with cold Not liin serious home soon love stanley got that yes had something so methin gone gane out of her voice the monosyllable was flat colorless ileath looked at her even her expression was different or did he merely imagine it perhaps I 1 would better just glance over the message before you send it simply to make sure its right let me copy it first she objected copy it nonsense what for Nob odys going to see it lie he reached for the paper still she withheld it the trouble 11 it written well uell enough I 1 id d rather copy it why its wobbly 1 I 1 I perhaps my hands were cold youre not chilly no oh ob no if the room is cool you stay here it pro fm not cold at a all ill will you let me take the telegram she placed it in his hand it Is shaky however of no consequence since you are to ph one western union now if you truly are not cold id like to dictate a second wire all right tills this one Is for currier he said mr james currier the giltmore Eilt more new york city safe on cape with my lady shall return with her later motor here at once bringing whatever I 1 need tor for indefinite stay stanley C reath heath got that 0 K X nodded marcia this time without hesitation she pas passed led him the paper this I 1 see Is your norr normal nal handwriting he commented comm entea as he placed the messages side by side taking up the sheets he studied them with interest llad nt I 1 better go and get oft off th the e messages suggested maricia marcia rising nervously the station might be closed of en it Is at noontime it matter it if they dont go until afternoon but there might be some slip ile he glanced at her with his keen eyes the matter matter yes with you all of a sudden youve turned easterly i have hare I 1 lightly she laughed 1 I probably ha haie e caught the habit from the sea environment does doe character cli psychologists say nevertheless you tire are not fickle NOW how do you know you yon know an ania amazing zing amount about me seems to tile me conk considering dering the length ot of our ac ca lau she observed with a tantalizing tal izing smile ido I do vas nas the grim retort 1 I know more than you think more perhaps than ou know yourself shall I 1 hold the betra betraying yin mirror up before you the mirror of truth god cod forbid who of us would dare face it she still smiling but with genuine alarm now do let me run along und lind send oft off the messages I 1 must not dot loiter here talking you are forgetting that youre ill the next nest you know your temperature will go up lip and doctor stetson will blame me my temperature has gone up growled stanley ileath heath turning his back on her and burying his face in the pillow with the touchiness of a small hoy boy sj irla avla meanwhile had heard stanley ileath heath cbill marcia and ha ailed li tier aunts departure front from the kitchen ais as the opportunity for which she had bai so anxiously been walting waiting no sooner was the elder woman upstairs all and out of earshot than she tit tiptoed from her yoom room the monogrammed handkerchief in he her r pocket she had pried out the brick and hai bad the jewel ease case in tier land hand wrapped andje an dready ady for its return when convert conver sallon overhead suddenly ceased and she heard marcia mania pass through the hall anti abart tart q gasped there was no chance tu to put tile hie package back and replace the brick which fitted filled so tightly that its adjustment was a process requiring pat patience lence care and time flustered frightened she jammel jammed the jewel case into her dress and frantically restoring the brick to the yawning hole in the hearth as best she could she ned fled up tile the back stairs at the same moment barcla descended the front ones once in her room she closed and locked the door and sank panting into a chair to recover her breath well at least she had not been caught and in the meantime the jewels were quite sate safe she took tile the case stealthily from her pocket now that the gems were in her possession it certainly could do no harm for her to look at them oven even try them on as she had been tempted to do when she first discovered them probably never again in all tier her life would she hold in her hand so much wealth and beauty accordingly she unwound tho the handkerchief arid and opened the box there lay the glistening heap heal of treasure resplendent in the sunshine a far more gorgeous spectacle than she had realized realised reali sed going to the bureau sylvia took out tile the jewels one by one she clasped the diamonds about her neck fastened the emerald brooch in place put on the sapphire pendant then added the rings and looked at herself in the tha gold framed mirror what she saw reflected dazzled her who would have believed jewels could make such a difference in ones appearance pe arance they set olt off her blond beauty so that she was suddenly transformed into a princess slowly and with conscious cons clous coquetry like a preening bird she turned her head this way and that delighting in the creaminess of the neck the gemi encircled and in the fairness of her golden curls she really ought to have jewels she was born for them and could carry them off there were myriad women in the world on whom such adornment would be wasted good and worthy women too then a voice interrupted her reverie it was stanley heath calling she heard marcia reply and come coma hurrying upstairs guiltily sylvia took oil off her spark sparkling ling regalia tumbled it unceremoniously into its case and slipped it into the drawer underneath a pile of night dresses then she softly unlocked the tha door and sauntered out it was none too soon for marcia was speaking to her sylvia yes ilow how would you feel about going over to the village for the mall mail and to do oo 00 some errands the tide la Is out and you could walk alk prince needs a run id love to go line fine here Is a list of things we need at the store youre sure yoa dont mind going no indeed I 1 shall enjoy being out then suddenly sylvia had an inspiration which she instantly acted upon why dont you go she inquired you sleep much last night and a walk might do you good oh I 1 objected marcta marcia with haste ive a hundred and one things to do thanks just the same well you know your own business best Is tills the list yes there are quite a few items but they wont be heavy nere here Is the basket prince will carry it that Is his job and very proud he Is of doln doing it goodby good by dear ashes dreadfully anxious to get uzi us out of the way she Pr prince Itice commented young sylvia as she and the setter started out over the sand N mow 1 what do you suppose she has on her mind ashes up to something marcia a bit of an actress ashes too genuine marcia standing at the window watching the girl would have been astonished toni tonis shed lied enough had slie she heard this astute observation she did want sylvia out of the way the girl had read her correctly she must telephone the messages to the station stationmaster waster at S sawyer awyer falls the adjoining town where the railroad ended and the nearest telegraph station was slie she got the line and had no sooner dictated the telegrams than she heard Ile deaths heaths atlis voice during the interval that had elapsed since she had left him both of them had experienced a reaction nod and each vias eager to make amends marcia regretted tier her flippancy it had bad been childish of her to give way to pique and punish heath simply because it was proved lie he had a wife why should he not be married no doubt the absent mrs stanley heath was a dashing sophisticated beauty too who bied in luxury at the great city hotel to which the first wire had been sent ileath heath had been quite frank about the message and its destination on thinking 1 matters over it occurred to marcia I 1 he might have considered this the tha easiest way to inform her of things he found it embarrassing to put into words and she instead of appreciating his honesty chivalry gentlemanly conduct as she should have done and receiving it graciously cious clou sly ly sui prise had betrayed her into displaying resentment she was heartily ashamed of herself no matter how much it humbled tier her pride she must put things right fortunately tuna tely it was mas not too late to do so TO BE CONTINUED |