Show P A r WL orae 5 ERVICE 11 CHAPTER vill VIII continued the test bet trained automobile in america said bald sammy with will his customary modesty kindness KIDd Dess la Is what floes does it so sorry to be late inte said mid airs sage as oliver ceremoniously handed her out of the lie car what Is that I 1 hear oliver said the minister its as lie step stepped tied out of the car jane and sirs mrs summy had pre ceded him Is it true the detectives are here and expect to start this ridiculous search tomorrow here all right replied oliver one of them tried to sell you al a set of dickens the other day what cried june gripping oil cers arm what that man it a detective site she was wag startled j no less a person than sir mr sherlock Hawks liaw malone the renowned sleuth said bald oliver smiling the beast the beasil she cried hotly good heavens that accounts tor for the interest lie took in your lathe s d ispia rance at ai w w nite said sir mr sage coni com 1 I n did not succeed in selling u a set of dickens ji no ne ita il 4 to ro say something but dinst d a turned away find and join 1 th ill i I 1 i r women on the porch borc li A que r lint chill as of misgiving SW to over her ney hey called out sammy from down the drive where he wits was parkin tit the cir car come here a minute will vill you say lie he went on oil lowering lils ills voice as oliver came up ive just picked up something rich fellow came in day before yesterday and showed me n volume of the arabian nights absolutely unexpurgated abed 1 I know enow and you fell for it you 7 sh not so BO loud my ily wife know a thing about it cut but say who mho told you about it then oliver told hilra him sammy leaned against the mudguard and swore softly say isay I 1 nash w ish I 1 could remember what I 1 said to the guy about your father lord he be had me talking a blue streak darn my tool fool emesi eyes I 1 think id hove have sense enough to oil 01 arill go idlean and kick me ollie 11 ill lit here juat as hard as you yon like C e on Ti eyre waiting for us you lou n ant norry old boy S in and oliver entered the isit bit tine mrs sage was standing ell all it dire ua II r flip chandelier till tit nc to dumpy clumpy alia afis crimps the li 11 it fiona al ne e ti 11 upon her nuburn auburn cri n loie her shut I 1 ind i ivins i ins nd iid ill ahn n aai f red ill adiv help 1 h as s it first c co it J in iiii i f with ri i nent oil p po n alie w u is in in it id 1 I thill er than mr air gi ginnes imes I 1 I 1 ap m I 1 i i ilif ps brn bra el i rl ri tier her ii 11 I 1 I 1 saeed compi in N mth till all ill li cardil rod oil of the 4 i ola oil ate US nh a di i i ov beail tie de ea 1 I and lint A ir wr w od ps ex or on T fai I 1 ii cot coi lilt the a and flang lin s ii if vint eliut domed to itte upon tipon hs b li it n vange vl fitio I 1 ro alo ali roo rno n MITI etli lit ter ind hi minty do ou mi in in to tell me oliver that thoe bil hiers in it nd to lipin I 1 die ing ina up ul place tomorrow josephine a ed incredulously olar r 1 wIli u lidd fId 1 I think well all rather enjoy the aunt josephine he said 1 I suppose begin up the kitchen floor tomorrow or clr di biging ging in trenches in tile lie celar or tearing tip lip the flower ben she sha looked at him narrowly ill irm ily bluit what utter rot do they expect to find your father buried in the collar or under lie kitchen floor they dont expect to ind find film lalni tit at all ail reviled oliver vilta unintentional shortness lie ile glanced over ills his shoulder fit at jane their eyes met and their gaze held for botne seconds lie he detected th clouded troubled loot look in liers hers an ana fits suddenly huil denly conscious of what must hare see bennied inel to tier her a serious intensity in his on lie ile knew now that lie he vas I 1 in love that he always had been in loie late alth ith jane jan that lie always would be in love with tier her lie he com prestell his bis lips bud and ought fought against the str boge mod mad impulse to shout that IP ie was in love with tier her that site she was his all his and that no man take lake her away from him ard abd she she was thinking of thit dry liot hot light when lie ile cunie cume to see her after tearing leaving hla his father out of brehob his big covered with fresh blaco mud had been no rain for ff we its the roid were mick illicit with act and lansing too had bad noticed lont his big shoos were muddy mud idy ile he hurt bud I 1 spoken boken to lir ber about them lit he had bacil where here oliver iad bad been tol to I 1 dvir vi lito imo mud up op to his big elwe twirl and she herself had nc never ceased to wonder oliver was strangely restless during dinner and immediately after the company rose from the table at t its conclusion lie asked jane to come with him for a little stroll in the open nir air 1 I want to speak to you about something thin lie urged I Ii elter letter throw something over your shoulders the night lilt air ought you to go off and leave tile the others bolher she began a queer little catch as of alarm in her voice and sammy come along te he pleaded they wont mind I 1 must see you alone for a few minutes jane 17 1 I fiill pet get my arap n rap she said after a moments hesitation it may be chilly outside why youre shivering now janle janie te he whimpered anxiously as he be threw her wrap over tier her shoulders are ara you cold col d she did not reply ile he followed her out upon the porch and down the steps no word pas passed red beti between veen them until they bad turned tile the bend in tile the drive till and were outside the radius of light shed from the windows ne ile was the first to speak see bore jane he be blurted out im im terribly troubled and upset that was as far fair as lie got speech seemed to fall fail him size she laid tier her liand land on ills arm Is it about about the oliver she asked tremulously no he be answered almost roughly itts its about you jane youve just got t 4 he started violently the Words dying on his lips to answer anster me are you going to be married yes yea ibe said ber voice so low he could scarcely hear the hie liable they walked in silence for twenty paces or inure turning down don the path that led to the lie swamp rond road 1 I I 1 was afraid so sl lie ered aben fiercely Cpr rier cely who are ou going to marry site she sighed d 1 IT I am going to marry the first man who nho asks tre ire slie site replied lind and having cast the hie die haq wa instantly mi mistress of herself erseK li you any objections she risked asked almost mockingly if lie he heard beard the question ile he paid tit no beed to it slie site felt tile the muscle of his stroll forearm grow taut rind and slie ow heard the he quick intake of his breath breach she sidled she began beggin to hurn liliu a vagrant little air it seemed an ail ape age to to tier her before lie spoke jane he buld gently and steadily if you were a man m in und in my place I 1 meun cretin in my aill y you tin no go to fo fur its as to ask tile the girl you love better than anything in all tile the world to marry on there be any harm in asking tier her slie she could refuse you you linow know theres the prophecy lie he murmured thickly it it way may chini true jane lit it it cannot come true slie she salt sald it cannot oliver it Is something to ta be consid ered ereal lie said heavily slid and his hand closed over hors unit anil i I 1 it t tightly if nu wore wire la in n i i you 11 helt atilt herto her to tal to 1 omen mp a 01 ol i in aoi voice sounds amann i if it hold bad a lameti in 1 it the whispered in 8 month I 1 win will tw h thirty h went on hla his heart as light ns nit air 1 might ask her to give roe me a thirty city adny option or something like that 1 I you goose lie ile pressed her arm to hl his tide side and was gerlous when lie spoke again afler a moments pause 1 chave I have never asked a girl to marry nit me jane never in a nil my iny life do you know why she burled buried her face ills his shoulder A vast overwhelming thrill thrift anc raced 1 l through him ills his arms amis went about her and drew diew tier her close 1 11 I never realized it janei jane tane I 1 never even thought of it till just a little while rigo ago but now I 1 know that I 1 have always loved you her arm stole up tip about his neck she raised tier her chin 1 I began calling myself your wife oliver when ilien I 1 was a very little girl when e first began playing house together and you were my husband and the dolls were our children lie he kissed tier lier rapturously oil oh my godl god he be burst out never know how miserable I 1 have been the chete lait few weeks how horribly jeavons ive been she stroked its his cheek possessively 1 I been very happy myself site she sighed 1 I 1 I quite sure yo would ever ever ask me die to be your wife v ife that reminds me he cried boyishly will you marry me silsa 9 sage of course courie I 1 will I 1 say I 1 would marry the first what wits that As she uttered he exclamation under tier her breath she drew away from him quickly looking over her shoulder at the thick shadowy underbrush that hint lined the road below them 1 I hear bear anything said bald he turning with tier her it must have it 11 ve been my iny heart trying to burst out of it sli sit listen there Is someone over there IT the brush bruh D n ills sneaking eyes even ill 1 11 I 1 dont 1 dont go down there she cried clutching pla P la a arm am m you must not leave me nione alone im im afraid ollie I 1 am always afraid when I 1 am near that awful swamp lets walk kirn dawn the road a little way troy jane said ie stubbornly dont be afraid ill sack close beside you you wont to town down into the swamp she criel arii anxiously no just albig the road they ran dowl the little embankment into the read after fifteen or twenty paces 01 ver pressed tier her arm warningly find and stopped to listen ahead of them some distance away they heard beard footfalls foot fells the slow regular trend tread of a man m walking in the road they stood stilt stil listening suddenly the footfalls ceased ile he knows we have stopped slopped said oliver lies iles listening to sea if we vie are following she was silent for a moment moniC Bt you re remember member what I 1 said about bean being spied upon oliver I 1 feel it I 1 feel it all about roe me you are being watched all the time oliver oh how bow hateful how un unfair fairl 1 see here jane ive been thinking its wrong for me to ask you to marry me till all this mess la is over Rs ita wrong for me to even ask you to consider yourself engaged to me nobody believes that you had anything to do with my dear girl nobody knows vi what hat to believe said he seriously Tl inta the worst of it my father is gone I 1 was so EO far as anyone knows tile the last to see him As you say no one way belleve that I 1 had anything to do with it hut but where Is lie A queer thing has bas just happened you yon know peter elines that queer old bird who has always lived in the cabin at the lower end of the swamp ile he has skipped out hoarded up the door and windows and ile he started violently the words flying on oil ills his lips off to the lie south belond the almost impenetrable wall of night Klei glea meil nied far off lights in the wall of peter ieter nines shack ue ile must hae ba e return returned od he bald in nn an odd oleo those lights let us go in dear she pleaded 1 I 1 I hear Bomel elbing liing movies among the weeds weed down domn there its grisly oliver creepy oliver yielded to ber entreaties ond and they made their iv nay ay hack back to the house mrs sage was vas holding forth in tier lier hobt effective english ilien ahen tile lie no entered the sitting room she rally liae bane eced them nur roly for a second or to lio but that wag all Sail sammy liny pair however lio wever aho vho to lind had heen been observing oliver tI ier ier ery closely got but up lip froin ills chair and marched arched in across the cite room ills hand ez extended Conf ecung frat ra t illa il lations tiong old dmn dinall he joyously and little old mrs griot grimes es from tier lier place on the life sota sofa reinor remarked ked its aa site she leaned back with oa a sigh of conterio cont erit well goodness good nesi knows its abo about ut ilme Irol ng since the entrance u of the rhe lovers the grent great josephine lind had I 1 balled to hold tier her nuil lence spellbound TO BE BB CONTINUED |