Show ft r ar 1 i 0 shifting fing S by U M sara ware 3 BASSETT copyright by JA the penn pub co service afar sa SYNOPSIS 3 the youthful and comely widd Wl diler arcla howe has as aa her guest her ante te husbands niece sylila hayden A granger tanger exhausted finds his way to lo archias nr ar clas cias nome home he asks tier her to hide a a contadini con containing taini jewelry she does na ellsha winslow town sheriff brings aws ws of a jewel robbery nearby tile the granger gives his ill a tiame name as sidnley Sta tiley sylvia d discovers I 1 s covers the je jewels els and aurally tu rally belien believes e fleach Is a robber it 11 decides to say nothing marcia els she lifts has too deep an interest in ar r guest but Is leis riess to c overs er me it heath wires mrs S C ileath heath aw sw york saying ho he Is safe ile he also aders dera a man named currier to come 7 once anc sylv sylvia a in h her e r room bedecks bedecki aselt with the jewels at Alar clas Op roach she hides them there ileath heath k ks barcla to bring them to him they ae e gone sylvia restores the jewels to fear original hiding place r bisho t anslow discovers them and has no abt they are the stolen gems and flath dath Is a thief leaving tile the jewels f makes plans tor for arresting heathi frler arrives marcia overhears ier flath aab describe how lie he acquired the TOS antl and Is forced to believe him 4 lity allty of theft currier investigates the ning jl g place and finds the gems ho to to new york with them but i references t to 0 mrs heath have evinced giarola her tender dream has en a foolish one ellsha and eleazer aleaze r sakne m 1 doare to arrest heath the jewels of 0 arse u r se are not to be found to sylvia admits she loves heath an and d ils Js falth faith in his innocence she tells tell tn an she believes him innocent but bes him it if he Is guilty to confess jo y admits nothing but compels her to yulless on fess she loves him also telling her A ri Is giving himself up to the sheriff I 1 hr je e insists this must be the end of sir association and he thinking she all 11 not face the disgrace reproaches d u leaves her t i CHAPTER X continued 14 ithen then she caught at a tair air and shrank into it her body and her breath eath coming in gasp Vs hysterical r sobs hafl cai hiie he clod tick ed on the he surf broke M 1 muffled undertone the billit faded it i candles burned lower flickered and r ri flowed the old pewter candle aks anil and still she sat there her tear ija ijjas i 8 dila teil ees fled fixed fl ed straight beher ich t e avins n no anklin inklin In inkling klin of n change in delightful reli timis that had for past itcek eek fire prevailed in the home ad tile the atmosphere that greeted 4 clyla via then site she canic came down the neil lexi aning was a shock heath stood at the telephone ins ang to ellaba winslow and on the eh ch outside nere grouped ills his he overcoat over cont and rug ru ile Js ts plainly ill at ease and had little dept the most commonplace remarks coffer in way of conversation il arcla had no not t slept as her pallor il the lolet shadows beneath tier her s attested although the girl did not understand sensed marcias ilar clas need of tier her and fahed 1 1 ah e valiantly into the breach I 1 jug every awkward alik ward pause with her Af j ternary spaulding chatter lien at length the meal ineal was cut tt rt by the at of 0 ellsha elisha wins all ehtee of the group rose with concealed once aled relief wal mr heath I 1 see youre ex me grinned the sheriff point deiy toward the luggage beside the gr p ana am sir winslow ive I 1 ve got rny my boat are you ready ame right along W quite rea ready dy 1 1 eath nent to sylvia and tool took her W d thank ou on very much murmured ed formally for all youve done for cor 1 I 1 appice late it more thin than I 1 can and you too sirs mrs ilowe I 1 ii wish you luck sir mr heath called vla via ft banks hanks juliand JliA nd 1 I too barcla rejoined in ID a je le scarcely audible wo 0 this tile the man offered no reply ahey atey 1 followed him to the door was then that barcla sprang for ayd and caught elyshas Ells has arm where where are you taking him lill sha demanded a catch in tier voice pember Ti ember mr heath has been ill must not risk big getting cold or ring any discomfort you ou need haie hae no worries on that e marcia replied the sherler ly noticing the distress in her ill look out for him there Is he coln soang ajro 1 0 o my house for tile the present ell answered ive a comfortable e room an I 1 figger to put pot him in it 11 ve questioned him an verified his hi F nobody in ID town will be b wiser I 1 int aint even tellen blay ma 1 why mr heatha heaths at the house choose to harbor company comp ny that business Us Iness not ant a soul capt El eazers 1 this affair lit an lies heekin mum n him an me decide weve got tin tile 1 we ll II bet act not before pint bat rellies rel lees my mind very touch much heath eath Is you hee bee lie he es ea a friend of 0 yours I 1 aln ain 1 tm rut n that I 1 shall treat him co cordioli cordin li thank you ellsha thank you a hundred umes times there was nothing more to be said ileath bowed once again and the two men walked down to the float where they clambered with the luggage into Ells lias dory and put out into the channel sylvia loitered to wave her hand band and watch them row away but slat siar cla as if unable to bear the sight waited for DO further farewell but by noon she was to outward appearances appearance pe arances arance entirely herself site she had not been able to be sure to banish tier her pallor or the traces of sleeplessness but she had her emotions sufficiently u under n der control contro I 1 to I 1 talk ill pleas pleasantly antly if not gaily that day and the nest passed in much the same strained fas fashion bion it was not until the th third rd borni morning col that tile barriers harriers harri ers between tile the two collapsed barcla had bad gone into the living room to write a letter she sat down before the desk aud and started to take up tier lier pen when salvia heard her utter a cry 1 I bat the matter dear called the girl hurrying hur into tile the other room As sa silvia ivia ca caino tile nearer marcia bowed tier her held heid upon the desk and begin bea a 0 to SOL sob as if tier her heart would break oli oh now could liel he moaned the ovia n how could lie he be so cruell cruel 1 what has Al Mai ilicia cla stanley lie has left a chek check money vy thrown it in my face and I 1 lid did it so gladly Iea because tise I 1 loved him ile he knew that ali it yet lie could leae this ahls ply pay toe me as if I 1 were vere a common benant senant ant I 1 had rather lie truck me a hundred times rather the girl took look tile lie chek check it was filled out ant in stanley heaths deaths clear strong hand and was for the sum of a hundred dollars dolli ira how flow detestable of himl him site she exclaimed tell me tie clarda what happened between you and mr heath you quarreled of course I 1 know that but bill eliy awby I 1 have not wanted to ask but now ill tell iou on everything sylvia ill id rather you knew I 1 thought at first I 1 could keep it to myself but I 1 cannot I 1 need you to help me dear marcea unfolded the story ot of her blind falth faith in stanley heath her love for him a love she could neither resist nor control a love she had known from the first to be hopeless lio she confessed how she had struggled to conceal her feelings how he be himself had resl resisted sted a similar attraction in tier her how at last lie he had bad discovered her secret and forced tier her to betray it of course I 1 realized we could not go on she e bravely tint that vie loved one another was calamity enough all that remained was for him film to go away and forget me return to his wife its his home ionic and his former life soon it if ile he honestly tries tills this infatuation nill pass and everything will be as before lien for forget foret et more easily than women absence too will help and you il Sl arcla arcia 1 I cannot gle ghe up tip my jove it ft is all I 1 have now oh I 1 do not mean to mourn over it pity myself make life unhappy instead I 1 shall be glad thankful you will nill see this experience will make every day of living richer you need haxe no fears for rue sylvia you warned we me you know concluded she with a pathetic little smile 1 I was a brute I 1 ought to have shiel shielded led you more the girl cried 1 I could have had I 1 realized well I 1 cannet canyet can yet to do something thank heaven give me that check chieck what do you mean to dot dol return it of 0 course return it before stanley heath leaves domn ill take it over to elisha windows now this minute 1 I wonder yes probably that will be best you wont I 1 suppose be allowed to see stanley speculated she timidly it if you should ave well I 1 dont say anything harsh sylvia please ilease do not blame him or ill wring his nock 1 was the emphatic retort oh please please dear for my sake 1 I cant let you go 90 if you go 0 O in ill that spirit pleaded marcia in alarm there iou ou need not worry for fear I 1 shall maltreat your romeo richly as lie he deserves it was the response 1 I could kill ill him to but I 1 wont because of you nevertheless C I 1 es s I 1 warn you that if I 1 get the chance I 1 shall tell him what I 1 think of him ile he is terribly to blame and ought to realize it no married man has any business placing round with another woman 1 I am half bair afraid to let you go sylvia you dont trust met me dont you bellee II e I 1 love you 1 I am afraid you love me too much dear 1 I do love you barcla I 1 never dreamed I 1 could tarl arc so intensely for anyone I 1 ha e known for so short a time lime what you did for my mother alone would make me love you but aside from gratitude there are other reasons I 1 love you for your own splendid self dear please do not tear to trust ne me I 1 proui promise lse you I 1 will neither be unjust nor bitter take the check then and go I 1 wish I 1 were tu to see sec him well ivell youre not let him do the explaining and apologizing let him gruel groll at dour feet what he ought to dot do you wont tell him that 1 I dont I 1 now what I 1 shall tell him I lense SIN you promised re in ember la dont t fret some borne of the ld vill tie lie t taken ln out of in diw before I 1 sir sep sir mr heath kiss nie mr and wili nir nie luck ink barcla you do believe I 1 will liy ily li bf be ilsc dont yon es dear yes richt you really on esta trust mat me you know im not 0 so o bad as I 1 sound gound tucking the check into the wee pocket of tier her sweater sylvia caught up her pert beret and perched it upon her curls so long site she called looking back over her shoulder as she opened the door so long Illar marchat clat ill be back as soon as ever I 1 can the haste with which she disappeared suddenly precipitated her into the arms of a young man who stood upon the steps preparing to knock chortle fuller cried sylvia breathlessly le asly Hort let where on earth did you come from her arms closed about his neck and he hail had kissed her twice before sho swiftly withdrew rearranging her curl and saying coldly 1 I cannot imagine what brought you here horatio CHAPTER XI 1 I cant imagine repeated sylvia still very rosy and flustered but with tier her most magnificent air what whai brought you to wilton I 1 really cannot nots bots cant you grinned horatio cheerfully no I 1 cannot from its his superior height of six feet two lie looked down at her meager five feet amusement twinkling in his eyes however was too intent on patting tier her curls into place to heed beed his glance you N wrote rote me to come you 71 he presently inquired 1 I wrote you to come cornel ill well at least you led me to suppose like it if I 1 were here persisted horatio toward the bottom of page two you said 1 I am positively homesick and in the middle of of the back of page three you wrote it seems years since ive seen you what if I 1 did answered the girl with a disdainful shrug nevertheless the dimples showed in tier her cheeks and that nil all horatio went on at the end of page five you wrote would that you wire were berell sylvia hit bit her tip lip that was only a figure of speech what Is called poetic license then you mean it when you sald said you wished visited I 1 was here horatio was obviously disappointed ted why or of course I 1 am pleased to see you horatio it Is very nice of you to tn come to the cape to meet my aunt and darn your aunt 1 he scowled 11 1 I conte come to see tier her I 1 ani am not interested in aunts take care I 1 I 1 happen to be very keen on this aunt of mine it she like you you might get sent home ant be horrid bortle II ortle I 1 truly am glad youve come you must make allowance for my being surprised I 1 lia haedt ent got over it yet how in the world did you contrive to get away at this season and what sort of a trip did you have swell I 1 stopped overnight in new york at the gardners gardeners Gard ners mother wanted me to deliver a birthday cake to estelle who you may remember Is the ni maters aters goddaughter god daughter ashes a pippin too I 1 seen tier her since she graduated from vassar sylvia listened she did not need to be told about the gardners gardeners Gard ners they had visited horafios Ho ratios family more than once and rumor had it the elders elders of both families would be delighted were the young people to make a match 1 n of it im surprised you did not stay longer in new york sylvia observed gazing reflectively lit at her shoe new yolk my objective I 1 came on business you see dad gave roe me two months oft off so I 1 could ret get married sylvia jumped 1 I was not aware you were engaged murmured she in a formal faraway far ear away tone im not came frankly from horatio junior but im going to be in fact I 1 chanco chalice to have haie the ring with me ine this minute want to see it 1 I always enjoy looking at jewels was vas tier lier cautious retort horatio felt of his pockets where on earth did I 1 put that thing ho he muttered hope I 1 daveli lost it oh ob here it Is lie he took out st tiny velvet case and sprang the catch oh If ortle it beautiful full 1 sylvia cried it fairly takes away my breath try it on she shook tier her head it fit niu me my illy hands are too small its a small ring here put it on he urged holding it toward her well I 1 suppose I 1 might try it to please yoa put but I 1 know it will be too large site she slipped it on her finger why it does lit fit how odd I 1 very odd indeed he answered as she reached her hand out ou into the sun and turned the diamonds so that they caught the light looks rather well on it was ills his comment it Is a beautiful ring horatio standing behind her twice extended his arms as if to gather her into them and twice withdrew them deciding the action to be premature at length with a det determined squar ing of its his shoulders he locked his hi hands behind him and stood looking on while she file continued to twist flip th ring ang this way and that ivell banned lie he after au later inter val kiil 1 I 1 suppose I 1 may m ay iy as well put it ald 1 i 1 it in tho the hox box TO KF BE CONTINUED |