| Show abr U 61 0 0 cr IL I 1 SANDS by sara ward BASSETT copyright by the penn pub co I 1 service j ab fm Wt lQ SYNOPSIS the future of the still youthful and e comely marcia howe recently r released by death from her idling self gelf lh ish husband hut band in I 1 a conversational conversation at tit bit among housewives of the little hamlet of wilton eligible bachelors bach clora and widowers ald also are interested marcia despite her unfortunate matrimonial experience per peri lence ence linds pleasure in her life but Is lonely at times thries and has invited her late husbands niece sylvia hayden ayden II whom hom she has never seen to visit her the girl arrives and marcia takes to her at once while sylvia expecting to a see a a somewhat elderly aunt finds mar c cla Is more like a sister A stranger on the verge of exhaustion finds his way to marcias Mar clae home CHAPTER ill III continued what disaster find laid him lien here helpless before them As if their questions penetrated his the stranger scowl slowly V opened ills his eyes sorry to come here like this ha murmured the fog was so thick I 1 lost my hearings bearings and my powerboat power boat tan ran aground ive been trying hours to get her off ashes liard hard and fast on your sand bar ne struggled to rise and marcia kneeling beside him helped him into an upright position where he be sat leaning against her shoulder 1 I seen seem to have brought in about half the sea with me he apologized looking about in vague half dozed dazed fashion no matter were used to salt W water ater here she answered now how do you feel fealt youre not hurt only a little nothing much ive done dome something queer to my wrist I 1 was trying to push the boat oft off and something suddenly gave way turning his head aside he bit his up lip as if in pain well telephone doctor stetson meanwhile you remain in these wet clothes clot lies there Is no surer way of catching cold do you think you could get upstairs if sylv sylvia ill aej nj I 1 guided you 1 I 1 guess so it if it far im absurdly dizzy I 1 dont know why I 1 suppose though I 1 must shed these wet togs you certainly must come sylvia lend a handl hand I 1 well help him up oh im not in such a bad way as all that I 1 can get up alone he protested only please wait just another minute the whole place has suddenly begun to pitch again like a ship in mid ocean perhaps I 1 may be fain I 1 eaten anything for a day or two why you tell me the soup quick sylvia I 1 only wish I 1 had som brandy well at least this Is hot and will warm you up ill feed you hand me the cup and spoon sylvia but I 1 feel like a baby fretted the stranger no matter we must get somi thing hot inside you right away dont fuss about how its done said the th practical minded marcia IT there berel 1 you look better already later you shall have a real reali honest bonest to goodness meal run and call doctor stetson sylvia and open the bed in the room opposite mine you might light thi heater there too As the girl sped away marcia turned toward her visitor suppose we try to make the rocking chair now shall we but what worries me Is your wet clothing im afraid take your death of cold let me peel off your shoes and socks 1 I can do that and I 1 believe I 1 coul cougil I get you out of your water soaked sweater it I 1 were to cut the sleeve may I 1 try we mind wrecking it tor for I 1 have another I 1 can give you the man did not answer instead he be sat tense and ui unsmiling ns miling his penetrating brown eyes fixed on marcias Mar claa face apparently the scrutiny crystallized crystall zed in him some swift resolution tor for after letting hla his glance travel about the room to convince himself that no one was within hearing he be leaned forward there Is something else id rather iou you did tor for me first he whispered dropping his voice until it became at ai most inaudible ive a package here I 1 wish take charge of aits its in side my shirt but for this infernal wrist I 1 could reach IV it ill get IV it id rather you talk about it 13 continued he hurriedly just put it in a safe place will you please certainly puzzled but unquestioning maralia thrust her hand beneath his sodden clothing and drew forth a small flat box wrapped rapped in a bedraggled band handkerchief ker it if look out for it ill be tremendously obliged or of course I 1 will smiled marcia alook here Is my pet hiding place pince aliis brick in the hearth Is loose anti and mider it is ia plenty of space for this his iia abia ill luel it t in there just hold it a second until I 1 pry the brick lit up there we arel aref now give it to me slie she reached hurriedly for the package but as their hands met the moist ell clinging ngIng handkerchief became entangled in their lingers fingers and slipping from its 19 coverings a leather jewel case dropped to the floor out of it rolled a flashing necklace and a confusion of smaller eonis gems marcia stilled stifled an involuntary cry nevertheless she neither nelt lier looked up nor delayed sorry to be so clumsy she bile muttered us its sin she swiftly scooped up the jewels it was well she had made haste for no sooner was the clasp on the box snapped and the treasure concealed bt be beath the file floor than sylvia returned and a moment later came both doctor jared stetson and ellsha winslow mornin marela arcla Sl nodded the doctor tor lash happened to be in the when your niece called up are an li earin enrin you had a man patient he thought debbe lie might be of use what pears to be the trouble sir ive done something to my right wrist 11 II m m I 1 I 1 with skilled hand he pushed lack back the dripping sleeve youre a mite waterlogged water logged I 1 notice observed lip he been overboard something of the sort returned the man with the flicker dicker of a smile sir air for the fraction of a second marcia hesitated continued in an even tone sir mr carlton grounded his boat and had to swim ashore you dont bayl well I 1 aint surprised ITal taint nt no do day to be afloat I 1 ou cut this fog with a carvin knife how come you to take your boat out in such weather the doctor deman demanded d e d 1 I was was cruising rl oh an the fog shut shu t down on you yon I 1 see fog has a trick of doln doin that unless one keeps an eye for to fog symptoms now what id recommend tor for you first of all sir mr carlton Is a warm bed you look clean beat out better let ilish an me help you upstairs an out of your wet things cause with a wrist such as yours I 1 figger you wont be very handy at buttons not that elsh Is a profess professional lonal ladys maid that aint exactly his callin still in spite of abeln town sheriff he can turn ills his hand band to other things its lucky lie can too for be dont get much she rIffin down this way wilton go in for crime in fact we was laugh laughin ln bout that very thin thing this noon at the post office pears ares theres been a robbery at one of the long island estates quantities of jewelry taken an no trace of the thief the alarm was sent out over the radio early yesterday an Ils in ilish elsh here got quite bet up an not dot a little envious ile he said he most wished the burglary had bad took place in our town excitement abeln at a pretty low ebb now I 1 marcia arcla Sl standing by the stove store spun about I 1 IN now ow ellsha dont you run down wilt wilton on why I 1 have twenty five dollars in my purse this minute she asserted taking a worn pocketbook pocket book from her dress and slapping it with challenging candor down upon the table 1 I keep it in that china box above the stove that might serve as a star starter t er 1 remarked the stranger regarding her quizzically she faced him chin drawn in and bead hl high h and def defiant lant besides that in my top bureau drawer Is a string of gold heads that belonged to my great gran grandmother d mother V she continued daring laughter curling her lips they are very old and are really quite valuable I 1 well make a note of those too t nodded the man his eyes on liers hers im afraid all I 1 can offer in he be way of burglary inducements that abeln the case spose you an me st start art gettin the patient upstairs elsh broke in doctor stetson if we dont next we know hell be havin pneumonia as well as a bad wrist the strangers admiring glance fixed lisell on what Is my next move he inquired 1 I told you before you vou must tako off your wet things and rest she repeated you still prescribe that treatment 1 I still prescribe IV it in spite of the the symptoms why not was her quick answer very well I 1 am ready gentlemen erect even with a hint of defiance in his mocking smile the man rose to his full height before we go e however I 1 must correct a slight error you misunderstood my name it Is not carlton it Is ileath heath stanley beath CHAPTER IV and yet you told me marcia Sl arcla this S was a quiet adventure less place burst out sylvia the instant the door had bad closed it seem so BO to me when shipwrecked marinero mariners ma fall into your arms entirely without warning I 1 call it thrilling who do you suppose he Is lie ile told us his name of course ileath heath stanley beath its quite a romantic name too but I 1 mean that I 1 mean where did he come from and why he tell P you not a word obviously the girl was disappointed 1 I thought perhaps he mt might lit have while I 1 was I 1 was gone long enough for him to pour out to you his bis entire history at least it seemed so to me I 1 ransacked every closet and drawer in sight trying to find something for him to put on it until I 1 struck that old sea chest la in the tha hall ball that I 1 discovered pajamas and aw i hope you dont 12 mind ind my mf taking tham A shiver passed over mareall no they were jasons I 1 ought to have bare told you they were there I 1 kept them because I 1 thought they might sometime be useful well they certainly are re replied plied sylvia they will exactly fit mr heath beath where do you suppose he came from and how long lone has he been knocking about in that boat I 1 wonder how do I 1 know dearci dear ware marall 11 sighed as it if determined to control her patience you know as much about him as I 1 do I 1 mean she corrected honesty forcing her to amend the ar assertion ser tion almost as much I 1 did to IM be sure talk with him a little while waiting for the doctor but he did not tell me anything about himself hm self the moving of chairs overhead and the sound of feet creaking down the stairway heralded the rett return rn of J jared a red stetson and helsha marcia went to 10 meet them taint Tal nt a broken wrist marcia was the doctors greeting on ent entering erinc the kitchen leastways I 1 dont think it Is ive bandaged it an lash an me have your friend snug still an warm in bed tomorrow ill look in again for tonight the bandage will do A hot water bottle be amiss nor a square meal neither beyond them two thino things there aint much you can do at present but let him sleep seems a nice sort of felica known him long log not so very long why marcia broke in sylvia one sometimes comes to know a person rather well though even in a short time went on the older woman ignoring the interruption spose a comin to see you that brought him bin down this way 00 elt ell sha volunteered somehow I 1 dont recall him before ile he been here before was the measured response oh ob so hes new to wilton waters eh that grobly accounts for his aground fine lookin chap has quite an air to him bothin Not liln cheap bout his clothes neither they was al quality clear through to his skin silk with monograms mono grams on em must be a man of means silence greeted the observation likely he Is havin a powerboat power boat an leisure to cruise round in her persisted the undaunted Ell ellsha shit 1 I really say well apparently he aint one that thai boasts of his possessions an to his credit interposed jared stetson good elyshas Ells has bas interest in the stranger was not however to be so easily diverted seen the boat ho he inquired no oh you yon aint I 1 I 1 forgot to ask ileath heath the name of her im sort of a crank on the names of boats it al fay riles me to jo have a foolish name gibej a boat I 1 no matter giitter how bow small she Is her plank ln Is all that divides her owner from fathoms of water waier an in view of the fact hed oughter aughter regard her soberly an give her a decent name well I 1 hope the name of mr heaths deaths boat will meet with your approval ventured sylvia archly 1 I hope twill was the glum retort as the sheriff followed doctor stetson through the doorway the moment the door banged behind them sylvia turned toward marcia forgive my butting in dear apologized she but I 1 was so surprised you did say you know mr heath you yes but but I 1 sometimes its just as well not to tell all you know especially in a place like this was the evasive response was the reply a rebuke or merely a caution sylvia did not know and what was the meaning of the rose color that flooded the elder wom ans cheek had marcia really meant to give tie impression that she knew stanley heath and if so why sylvia wracked cracked her brain for an to these questions she would have been interested indeed n had she known that while she bile wrestled with the enigma marcia to all appearances busy preparing the tray for the invalid upstairs was waa searching her heart for answers to the sum same questions why had bad she sought to shield this stranger the man was nothing to her of his bis past she had not the slightest knowledge indeed he be might be the greatest villain in the world in fact circumstances proclaimed him a thief nevertheless th eless she did not could not bellee it there was something too fine in his face his eyes true he be bad made no attempt either to defend himself or to explain away the suspicions he must have known would arise in her mind on the contrary with a devil may care audacity that fascinated her he actually appeared to have tried to deepen to in her mind the impression of his bis guilt still she refused to believe even in the face of overwhelming evidence she clung to her unreasoning falth faith in ill him in suppose he had bad stolen the gems and fled with them from long island suppose he be had lost his bis hearings bearings in the fog tossed aimlessly on the sea tor for a day and a night and then run aground tt at her doorstep it was possible quite possible even probable yet was it not tor for a man like stanley heath marela stubbornly insisted so deep was the conviction she shrank lest he be should feel called upon to justify or defend himself TO BE CONTINUED |
