Show tr N 15 i ne 0 LU 1 aulia W N of T T hand georae barr M A ac ut u t cheon BY CZ VA if cn aft 1 SYNOPSIS challis Is murderer mur derel in a road house near LV lork mrs wran dill 1 11 Is summoned from tb alt ani an lalon eclen tines line the W bo V enung woman roman who ho re ac compan leui randall grandq 1 I 1 to the inn and aub s b sequent 15 disappeared dred IF IB sur eu eclus mrs iranian II back for new isow bort ork in an auto dur durans ng a blinding snow sno storm on the a she phe meets meeta a doung woman noman in roam the ahe road 7 who pros tc bo be the woman who III lel rn rand dill ill that tho the girl had done her 1 t ser per lee in ridding I 1 er ft ff life mao man lie ho though ah she 1001 him doepp had causa cabat 1 her great sorrow amri nir tt randall a nd s 11 determines determine I 1 to tn shield her ond and tak taken oa her e r to her ow own n home mrs brandall Wr andall h cheari ara ili fihs ihs stor liters of 0 hath cas kieton tieton I 1 life except that hat portion that re ra latea to X randall this and the story of 0 the tragedy ale sl 0 the girl ever to tell she offers heter acome ahome a home friendship and security from per peril I 1 on re ac aunt of th frage trl tel 15 Vs mrs a ara a 11 bandall lant lall and bettj attend the fun ril of 0 chalek NN cranial ran all at the home of h hla s errig ara II 11 ran randall lall and hett return to new sew cilc after nn an ith rice of a boar 5 ear in europe leslie N rand III I 1 trillier rth r of challis malce makes him pelf if u ufus ful to aart arl and ecomet reaal greata in bitett aara arz sees see in 1 Ts lie ile si in pr for rev ren onge poon on the Pran rindal dalk lq and reparation for the ile sl e suffered 0 a the aas of ch rhal ills ll NA ran I 1 all lall b aj snarr marroni lnor his mur ders into tho finn I 1 esble in corn com pan with his hl friend I 1 brandon booth an fard artist t dinits sart sari it lier her countr place tsute confesses conf eisei to in sara th that it he la Is madl madin tn in loo IONO inith ith aara ara arjang arr ansei kith etli booth to paint a picture of hetty booth haq hag a haunting celing that lie he hag ha seen irette lefoie through a port folio cf f pir pictures ures ba in unknown engleh artist he ha finds one of fietti he 11 speaks to her about it item le clares areg it must ba b a ture of kett hett glnn an english q who roti resembles abl 9 her ver eo much J 7 beille lim ll becomes impatient and jealous 0 er the plot ire painting an aal I 1 do de elar elars clares s lie he Is goinz to propose to hetty it the first opportunity CHAPTER X continued he looked as though he expected nothing he could sit back and onder nonder why wh the deuce sara meant by bi be baing like this the returned at seven dinner nas unusually unusual merry merr sara appeared to haie recovered from her eltion there mas color in her cheeks and life in her smile ile he took it to be an omen of good fortune and was vas immeasurably confident the soft cool breezes of 0 the starlit night blew ble visions of impending happiness across his lively imagination fanned his im patience with alth gentle ardor filled him with suppressed sighs of contentment and made him willing to forego the delight of conquest that h he 3 in might ight live the longer in serene antic anticipation of its thrills teu ten a 0 clock came he arose and stretched himself in a sort of ecstasy life hla heart was ft as thumping loudl his senses swam INal talking king to the neran eran dah rail he be looked out across the moonlit sound bound then down at the so se acted nook over against the garden wall nail spot to be immortalized and actually shivered in ten minutes time or even en less she would be down there in hla his arms exquisite eions ile he turned to her nith an engaging smile in which she might have hao dis corned a prophecy and asked her to come with him for a stroll along the wall vall and so he cist the die cletty hett sent a swift appealing look at saras purposely averted face les lie ile observed the act but misinterpret pre t ed its meaning oh it Is quite larm he said quickly IOU ou oa t need a wrap he added and in spite of himself his voice olce i trembled of course she w wouldn t need a rap I 1 have hava a few notes to write said eald sara rising she deliberately abold ed the took look in ilett hett a eyes ees tiou IOU w will ill find me in ili the library she stood in I rile he doorway and latched at clied them descend to the terrace c r sphinx like smile on her lips hetty very tall and erect as one go ing to meet a soldiers soldier fate rhen illen sara entered the house bouse and gat eat down to wait A long time after a door closed stealthily in a distant part of the houge houe the sun parlor door she knew by direction A few minutes later an all upstairs door creal pd on its hinges some one hid bad comp come in from the mellow night md and one had been left outside many man minutes passed she sat there at tier her fathers writing tible and waited for the other to como come in at last quiet quid licay footfalls sounded on the tiled floor outside and then tame swiftly down dovin the hall toward the small remote room in which she sat slie she looted up as he be alo OLsIN s burst into the room lie he came across and stood 0 her r rm h an f expression of utter bev bewilderment 1 1 d e n t in ills his bips there was a ghastly on oil his big lips D n it all sara he said bald shrilly she elie she turned me down dolin ile he seemed incapable of olon blon she was nag unmoved her eyes ees nar rowed but that way ulis the only sign of emotion I 1 I 1 cant can t believe he began oh ob hats the tha use blie c w won on I 1 t lie awe 0 me gid cad I 1 I 1 M tl LM bling like a leaf where s watson have hae him get me something to drink never mind get it from tho the ald bililc board I 1 m I 1 in d d Y lie he dropped heavily into I 1 i chair itt t tb the pud end of the table and looked at her with glazed eyes ees As she tack back at him she had the curious feel ing that lip hp had shrunk perceptibly that lili his clothes hung rather limply in n him ills his face seemed to have lost lit ill of its smart sm metr there was 1 loos 1008 llesi about the mouth and chin abat had never been there before the sane sauci arrogant mustache eloped de 1 I fancy 3 ou must ha have a gone about it very badly she said eald pursing purging her lips badly bad 9 ho he gasped why why good heavens sara I 1 actually actu all plead ed with her he went on quite pathetically thet leally all but got down on in knees to her D n me if I 1 can understand myself in self doing it either I 1 auit hive haie lost my in head begged like a loi lovesick esick schoolboy I 1 and she kept on ray sailing ing no no nol and I 1 like a bIl blithering ats aba kept on telling her I 1 couldn coulden t it live a w without her thit that I 1 id d make her happy happ that she t know whit she bhe was vias and but good lord she bhe kept on saying saving no nothing but no do do sou ou think she meant to say sa no noa could it have been hysteria hv she said bald it so often over and over again that it might hive have been hysteria bv I 1 never neier thought of that I 1 no leslie it in ban t hysteria 3 ou may mas be sure euro of that she said bald do de libera literately tely she meant lt it old lei fel low ion he sagged deeper in the chair I 1 I 1 can it get it through my head he be muttered As I 1 said eald before vou on did it badly she said you took too much tor for granted lent isn t that true god knows I 1 expect her to refuse me he ha exclaimed glaring at hor bar would I 1 hav hai a been such a fool as to ask aek her it I 1 thought there was the remotest chance of being the very thought of the word caused it to stick in his throat ho he swallowed Ned hard you really love her she demand ed love loie her there wae waa a sob in his voice I 1 adore her sara I 1 can cant t ili live a w without her and the N worst of it is I 1 love her now nom more than I 1 did before oh its it s appalling it its 6 horrible I 1 what am I 1 to do sara NA hat am I 1 to do be a man tor for a little while th ats all she said choll don t joke joka with w ith me he groaned go to bed and w when hen you sou see tier her in the morning tell her that you ou un der stand thank her tor for what she has done tor for you ou be chank her hera he almost shouted yes for desire destroying ing all that Is do de testable in you ou leslie bour our belt con celt sour our arrogance our false no tiong lions concerning yourself in a word our egotism he blinked incredulously D do 0 you ou know what u hat I 1 boure on re saying he gasped she w went out on as if she ehe hadn haan t heard him age assure ure her that sho she Is to feel n no 0 compunction for what she has done that ou are content to be her loyal devoted friend to the end of your day dab s but hang it sara I 1 loi love a her I 1 dont don t let her suspect that you ou are humiliated on the contrary ar give her to understand that ou are cleansed and glorified what utter tommi walt wait believe me it is your only cliance chance you w will III have haie to learn some time that aou ou cant ride roughshod among angels think it over old tel fel lov ion you havo had a good lesson profit front by it you mean I 1 in to sit dow down n and twirl mv thumbs and let some 0 ther other chap snap her up under my very nose well I 1 guess not tle I 1 LL Z I 1 k damn it all saral sara she she turned me dowal N not a t it ou oil tako take it manfully she may ma discover a nc in terest in ou dont don t breathe i ord of love loe to tier her go on us it if nothing had happened dont don t foret that I 1 told ou lit in the beginning not to take no for an answer anser ile he drooped once more biting his lip I 1 don t seo see how hoa I 1 cm can L lr tell mother tint that she ehe refused NN by n tell tier her slip inquired rising ills his brightened ny jove I 1 shan ban t ho he exclaimed I 1 am going up to the poor child now I 1 she went on I 1 darn dare say eay you ou have her almost to death naturally she Is in areat distress I 1 shall uy to convince her that her decision does not alter her position in this house I 1 depend on ou on to do your part leslie make blake it easy for or her to stay orl on with me he mellowed to th the everge verge of tears I 1 can t keep on oil coming out here after this us as iva I 1 va been doing sara sam don t be silly I 1 ot of course you con can this ii will III blow over blow over overa ho he almost gasped I 1 mean the first effects try being a martir for a while leslie it isn t abad a bid plan I 1 can assure you sou it may ma interest ou to know thit that Cli challas allis pro posed to me three times before I 1 accepted him and yet I 1 I 1 loved him from tho the beginning by n jovet jove ho he exclaimed coming to his feet with a new light in lit his eyes ees the hollows in his cheeks seemed to fill out perceptibly perceptible good night I 1 say aa sara dear I 1 ou 11 3 ou 11 help me a bit w won on t tou I 1 ou I 1 mean you 11 talk it over with nith her and M ai empathy Bm pathy Is ie entirely with bliss castleton she said from tho the doore dohrwa a his jaw dropped he was still ruminating over the tha callousness of 0 the world in respect to lovers when she mounted the stairs and tapped firmly on hett a door hetty cletty castleton was waa standing in the middle of her room when sara entered from her position it was waa evident that she had stopped short in her nervous excited pacing of the floor she was very pale but there was a dogged set expression about her mouth come in dear she said in a manner that showed she had been expecting the visit have you seen hima sara closed the door and then stood with her back against it regarding her agitated friend with berlo serious us earn corn passionate eyes ees les ies he Is terribly terr ibl upset it as a blow to him hetty 1 I am sorry for him sara he was as so dreadfully in earnest but think than 1 god it Is conerl she threw back her head and breathed deeply that horrible horrible nightmare la Is endra I 1 suppose it had to be but the mock ery cry of it think of it sara the damnable mockery of fit it poor lesliel sighed the other poor old leslie hetty Ilet tyl e eyes tilled filled with tears oh I 1 iam am sorry tor for him lie he dian didn t deserve it god in heaven it if he really knew everything I it if he knew why I 1 could no not t listen to him why wb I 1 almost screamed when he held my hands in his and begged actually begged me to oh it was ghastly gh astl sara she covered her face with her hands and swaged anaed as it if about to tall fall sara c came ame quickly to her side put ting au an arm about the quivering shoulders she led the girl to the broad window seat beat and threw open the blinds dout don t speak of it dearest dont think of that sit here quietly in the air and pull our together let me talk to ou on let me tell aou ou how bow deeply distressed I 1 am not only on our account but his the were silent for a long time the girl lying still and almost breath less against the others shoulders she was as still wearing nearing the delicate blue dinner gown but in her fingers i as the exquisite pearl necklace sara had given give her tor for christmas she had taken it off and had forgotten to drop it in her jewel box 1 I 1 suppose he will w ill go up to the city earl she said monotonously leslie is ia a better loser than you fou think my dear said sara looking out over the tops ot of the cedars he will ivill not run away aay hetty looked up in alarm you mean he will persist in in his atten eions she cried 0 oh h no I 1 don t bellen believe a 3 ou will find him to be the bugbear ou imag lne file lie ho can call take defeat like a mn mail ile he is devoted to you ou he be Is devoted to me your decision no doubt wrecks his fondest hopes in life but it doesn doean t make a weakling ot of him 1 I don t quite understand ile ho la iti by the belief that he has paid IOU ou the highest honor a man can pay pai to a v oman there Is no reason why he should turn his hick back on you lou ia as a sulev ho be to do no my dear I 1 think you lou may mi count on him us as our best most loyal loal friend from this night on he his has just said to LO me lao that his hie greatest pain lies in the tear ar that you ou may not be willing to accept ept him tie ne a simple honest un pre presuming curning friend since oh sara it if lie he will only bo be that and nothing mole moie child the girl won doriua dori derin ug gly sara smiled confidently I 1 fancy I 1 ou han haen en t much to tear fear in that dirac tion my m dear it isn t la in leslie wran dalls dall s makeup to court ft a second re pulse he Is 19 all pride the aloin it suffered buffered tonight can cant t be repeated at least not bj the eime person I 1 am so sorry it had to be leslie murmured hetty be nice to him hetta hett lie he des deserves cries that much of 0 aou ou to say sa the least I 1 should miss him it he found it imps sible bible to come hero here on account of 1 I would rit havo have that happen for tho the world cried the girl in distress ho Is your deamont friend send me away awai sara it if ou on must don t let anything stand in the way of your lour friendship tor for leslie you depend on him tor for so much dear I 1 cant bear the thought of hush hueh deare dear estl etl you are first lit in my mr love better for or me to lose all the others and still hivo hano vou 11 the girl looked at her in wonder tor for a long time oh I 1 know you mean it sara but but how can it be true 7 put yourself our in my ms place was w as all that hat sara said in reply and her earn corn penton had no means 0 of translating the sentence sen she could only remain mute and wondering her eyes eves fixed on that other mystery the cameo face ace in the moon that hung high above the som her bar forest orcut poor leslie murmured sira sara a long time aft emard ard a dreamy note in tier her voice notes I 1 I can |