Show S AL A 1 F f G SA 4 7 aest ia Sar ra aWare r bussett CISS CZ 14 9 MC 16 SYNOPSIS the youthful and comely marcia howe has her late husbands husband 8 niece sylvia hayden living with her A stranger exhausted finds his way to marcias Mar clas home his powerboat ran aground in the fog OK secretly he asks barcla to hide a package containing jewelry she does doca so 80 there cornea comes news of a jewel robbery nearby the stranger gives his Is name as stanley heath sylvia discovers the jewels and la is sure heath la Is it a robber marcia feels eel that the she has too deep deel an interest in her guest but Is ie powerless to overcome it IL heath wires MI mrs rs S C heath new york saying he Is safe he ha also wires a man named currier to come at once sylvia in her room bedecks bedecki herself with the jewels jewe Is at marcias Mar clas approach she hides bides them there heath asks marcia to bring them to him they are gone ellsha winslow the sheriff by accident finds the jewels and has no doubt they are the stolen gems and heath Is a thief saying nothing to mar cla ia but replacing the jewels he makes plans with eleazer crocker for arresting arrest lne heath currier arrives marcia overhears heath tell how lie he 9 pot at the gems and Is forced to believe him lm guilty currier with marcia investigates the hiding place see and finds the kerns gems he returns to new york with thern them his references to mrs rs heath c convince ori vince marcia that her tender dream has bee been a foolish one and ele eleazer azer come to arrest heath CHAPTER vill VIII continued 9 1 I know eleazer I 1 know El elialia islia stammered it may debbe seem queer to you I 1 just got round to the business in hand all im comin to I 1 it t in time ive made a start starl I 1 was wag just leadin up to it in a sorter tactful way there aint no do vay of bein tactful when youre ar arrest ln folks youve youe got the thing to do an you have to go straight to it arresting folks marcia repeated looking from one man to the otter other yes since elsh Is so spineless at his job I 1 mays well tell you what we come for pretty kind of a sheriff he Is you better look out eleazer crocker how you insult an officer of the law ellsha bawled angrily say a word more an ill hall you into court it if you dont land me there fa stern you do heath I 1 shant worry jeered Ul leazer gleazer eazer heath mr air heath marcia barcla repeated yes we come over here this mornin to place mr stanley heath under arrest eliazer lil fazer announced of what are you accusing mr heath marcia demanded of the long island robbery I 1 eleazer answered you mean to say you think him a thief we know hes one leastways clisbia lills lia does 1 I yes im to lable sure I 1 have evidence alisha replied at least I 1 figgur I 1 have shucks lash I 1 eleazer cried wheres where your backbone you figger you have I 1 dont you know it 10 aint you belfeld the loot with your own eyes elisha nodded then why on earth dont you stand up in your boots an say so sol the door opened and sylvia entered then stopped arrested on the threshold by the sound of angry voices il marcia arcla with whitened lips but with face grave and deter determined remained with her back to the stair way door her eyes never leaving ellsha Win winslows slows there was something in her face sylvia had never seen there a light of battle n A fierceness as of a mother fighting for tier her child a puzzling quality to which no name could be given suddenly as the girl studied her recognition of this new character estic dished flashed li shed upon tier her understanding it was hiis loiel loel anger perhaps terror had forced marczii alarcia into betraying a secret no n other potter could have dragged g from tier her what proof have you marcia demanded ellsby shifted from one toot foot to the other ive seen the jewels tie he whis ahls here in this room under that brich ive seen ern with linger finger pointing dramatically towa toward rd the hearth elisha alisha strode forward now conever no never ever sprang before him standing twixt him and his poul goal what a ridiculous story mr Winslo Wn enslow slow wl slip she cried what a fantastic yarn do you imagine for one moment nerl could be anything hidden under those brials and und mill I 1 not know kno it lf why one or the flip other of us ua lins has been in ihla roon every since mr alealia arrived when could he be get the chance to hide bide anything there la is nothing here mr winslow truly there Is nothing I 1 swear it nevertheless let him film look sylvia let thorn them both look please please marcia ir IP sylvia wits was upon her knees now on the hearth and the men hesitating in 9 to remove her by force balled baited aw kw ardly marcia regarded her first with startled incredulity then with coldness so sylvia loved neath heath tool she was fighting for him fighting ln ith all her feeble strength A pang wrenched the older wom ans heart what if heath had played a double game came made love to sylvia RS as he had made love to tier her if so it if the roan man were a mountebank the sooner they both found it out the sooner the world knew it the better if on the other hand he was innocent he should have his chance get up sylvia she said the sheriff must search ile he must do his duty we have no right to prevent it her face was pale her lips tightly set the brick was lifted out A smothered cry escaped sylvia and was echoed why land alive theres noth in herel gasped the sheriff 1 I lot told you there was not nothing hingl sylvia taunted beginning to laugh hysterically wal elsh all I 1 can say Is you must either a been wool ga catherln gather therin ln or dreaming dreim amin ln when you conceived this yarn eleazer jeered 1 I hissed flisha elialia El islia stung to the quick 1 I dream dreamon ln them jearls was there I 1 saw eta eia with my own eyes I 1 swear to heaven I 1 did he confronted sylvia ia they was there young lady they you know they was vas why you was so for we me to took look youve seen em cm deny it it if you dare of course I 1 deny it humph I 1 but marcia wont you sou can lie ile if you want to save the skin of that good for critter upstairs though what purpose Is served by your doln it I 1 cant see but marcia wont if she says them jewels here ill believe it come now M barcla arcia was there eer diamonds an things under this brick or there yes you saw em As it if the admission was dragged from her agarcia alarcia formed but did not utter the word yes there I 1 then I 1 aint gone daffy I 1 vital I 1 said was true elisha acclaimed rising in triumph and snapping his finger at eleazer leazer li the jewels sere ere sir fleat heatha heaths hs lie he hid them for safe keeping A likely story ile he stole em what he did aid prove iroe it challenged marcia SI arcla with sudden spirit a spurt of crimson burning on either cheek check prove it elialia was taken aback wal I 1 cant at the moment do that I 1 cant prove it but even if I 1 cant I 1 can make out a good enough case against him to arrest him oo on suspicion what I 1 mean to do what I 1 come tor for an what ill do fore I 1 leave leae this house bouse mr heath Is sick 1 I guess he aint so sick but what I 1 can go up an cross examine him 1 I ask you not to go I 1 forbid it drop this matter for a day or two ellsha ahsha mr heath shall not leave the house I 1 promise you that leave him here in peace until he Is ell again when he Is able to to go with iou I 1 will telephone you cau can trust me when have I 1 ever bern been false falge to my word 1 I 1 dont see why tile the mi mischief youre so crazy to stand anixt tills this heath chap fin an justice barcla Mar cla the rel fellers lers a scoundrel what he Is an out sin an out scoundrel not only Is he fie a thief but lies ikes a married fie man chos clottin plott pl ottin ln behind your back to betray you boastin openly in telegrams he Is what do you mean 1 I like to tell you in fact I 1 atwould be repe repeating atin what hat was told me in confidence hedged r lisha frightened by the expression on the womans comans face 11 1 time hae a right to know about the telegrams you mention will you tell me or shall I 1 cill call up the saw yer falls ope operator oh rui lot heavens sake dont tio 10 lo that I klystia pleaded artie arlle aku erbon bould be ra in mad did lie fie lind find out I 1 told you if iou ou emiitt kaw amt chit the nies bage aas us I 1 cin can repent repeat it near amli nm li I 1 reckon it ran like tills this safe on cape with my jady shall return with tier her later inter and that was all inquired inquire marcia calmly all I 1 aint that eri enough ough ell S hit demanded As she vouchsafed no reply tie he presently continued 1 I ilont dont want you should think I 1 told you title this marcia with any unfriendly motive its only that those of 0 us seen you marry one worthless villain dont want you should marry another you know that wells L I 1 the woman raised her b hand and to check him i im aware taint pleasant to hear me say so out loud but its gods truth marcia I 1 sylvia burst out barcla I 1 hush dear well talk of this later elisha I 1 think I 1 must ask you and eleazer to go now you aint coln to tell me where the jewels are 1 I dont know where they are nor bout bout the tele gram nothing except to thank you for your kind Intent intentions loDs and say you quoted it correctly I 1 sent it for mr heath beath myself mi self my lady as yon ton have apparently forgotten Is the name of mr heaths deaths boat boal my landt land I 1 so itis faltered ell sha ini im almighty sorry marcia I 1 ask your pardon its all right just leave us ug now please the door banged behind the dis comfit ed officials CHAPTER IX 1 THE alis torrent of words sylvia had I 1 until now held in check broke from her was it true marcia what they said about uncle jason I 1 mean was it true im afraid so dear put cut you never told me and you never told mother elther elt lier or course I 1 see why you want her to know because it would have broken her heart I 1 hate him I 1 hate him for making you unhappy and spoiling your life was jason as bad as they said barcla ah you dont have to anser there Is no need for you to try to reconcile your desire to spare me spare him bim with the truth lie ile was as bad probably much worse dear dear marcia impulsively silvia bent her lips to the hands so eo tightly clasped in hers 1 I cannot imagine she rushed on why when one of my family has made you so wretched as he did you should have wanted an other in the house had I 1 suffered so I 1 should never have wished to lay eyes on any more howes as long as I 1 lived 1 I have tri tried ednot not only to forgive but to forget I 1 have babe closed the door on the past and begun a new life and now dow into it has come this stanley heath the girl said for the traction fraction of a second mareta did not reply then almost inaudibly she murmured yes sylvia slipped one of her strong strona young arms about the bowed shoulders it just seems as if I 1 could not bear it she burst out passionately sylvia look at me tell me the truth do you too love stanley stanle Y heath was that the rea reason on you fought against elishes Elis Ells hns hals finding the jewels tell me I 1 must know no she answered without ties hesitation la I 1 i 0 n at first he did fascinate me I 1 changed my mind though later on not because on acquaint ance he became less charming it that if anything he became more so I 1 just changed my mind As for the jewels I 1 could not bear to let that little runt of a sheriff win out you see I 1 thought the gems were there under the brick and that when you urged him to search aou QU did not know it 1 I had known all ail along they were in the house bouse for I 1 stumbled upon them by accident one day when I 1 was here alone but I 1 had no idea you had I 1 truly believed mr heath had hidden them beneath the he hearth heart heartland hand and I 1 was determined ellsha should not find them you think sir mr heath took the jewels asked marcia slowly certainly I 1 do dont you no I 1 do not believe it was the stubborn protest 1 I realize dear it Is hard for you to own on it soothed sylvia we hate to admit lt the faults all of those we we care for still nothing is to be gain gained by remaining blind to them perhaps Irr haps mr heath was horribly tempted to commit this sin we do not know we are not his judges the thing for us to do Is to help hell him out of the mess be Is in aid him to escape you mean you would help him to evade the law the punishment such wrongdoing merits yes to give lidin him a sporting eb chance ance the start of those who givlio tire lire after him you love stanley heath dont you want to ro see him go free not if lie ile Is guilty well nobody Is going to round up tip mr heath ir if I 1 can prevent it sylvia throwing buck back tier head it if you wont help bell him hill get away I 1 will ile he must go in the boat now today the boat hs has gone sir mr currier arrived veil tills morning mornin after you had gone and took the boat back with b him I 1 m ann the lie jewels ys y s tile the jewels loo humph so gjere they art yes pretty cute crate of him bin to make mabe so BO neat a getaway get away t whitt what imort of man was he be A gentleman like sir heath the older woman colored col oreil wall no at least he hc he 01 he was polite and had bad a nice manner a quiet voice rut cut he fie was different irom from mr ileath heath an Infer inferior lor one who took orders interrupted silvia in other words lie Is the hands and mr ileith the brains of the team how can you silvia De because cause I 1 must barcla because we must both look this affair in the fam face confess the circumstances cum stances are suspicious they seem to be she owned W with tit reluctance have you considered them sylvia inquired marcia drew her hand across her forehead 1 I 1 I yes I 1 have thought them over I 1 dont understand them at all nevertheless I 1 do not believe stanley heath Is guilty was the proud retort you are making a great mistake it you will pardon me die for saying so sylvia responded gently you are deliberately closing your eyes and mind to facts that later are hound bound to cause you bitter unhappiness happl ness let iet alone the mans guilt ile he has a wife you seem to for forget foret et that As elisha winslow remarked remarked you have already been miserable once why be so a second time help stanley heath to get out of wilton and forget him 1 I cannot do either of those things in the first place I 1 have given tay my word to hand mr heath over to the authorities As for forgetting I 1 him why ask the impossible sylvias patience gave way go your own way then she snapped go your own way and if by and by you regret it as you surely will do not blame blaine me dont blame me either if I 1 do not agree g with will you stanley heath shall never remain here and be betrayed to the law stick to your grim old puritanism if you must ill help him get away she started toward the stairway silvia come back herel here I 1 mar cla cried 1 I shall not come back marcia rushed after her but it was too late sylvia was gone stanley heath beath was lying with expectant face turned toward the door when sylvia entered the rumpus he demanded 1 I guess you know there Is no use mincing matters or beating beaten about the bush the jewels have gone and you must go too the man looked dumfounded dum founded dont misunderstand me please sylvia rushed on im not his blaming in j you nor judging you I 1 dont know why by you took them you may have been tempted beyond your IV I 1 I 1 I 1 4 1 1 11 i ki the jewels are arc gone end and you must go too strength that Is none of my bust busl ness you believe I 1 stole them certainly I 1 do suppose I 1 1 I 1 expected say that was the ci calm retort tart let it go that way say it if you prefer I 1 dont mind what I 1 want ant to do Is to he help I 1 1 iou to get away iven it if I 1 am guilty juil fy yei I 1 just cant bear to have |