Show SHIFTING SANDS by sara ware bassett copyright by the penn pub co service SYNOPSIS the th future of the still youthful anil and amely marcia ilowe howe recently released by death from her ber idling selfish lib ish husband hu alband Is a conversational tit bit among housewives of tits the little hamlet of wilton eligible bachelors bachelor and widowers widower also albo are arc interested bl arcia despite her unfortunate matrimonial experience peri ence finds pleasure in her life but Is ij lonely at times and has invited her late husbands niece sylvia hayden ayden II whom she ehe has never seen scon to visit her the girl arrives and marcia takes to her at once while sylvia expecting to ee as a somewhat elderly aunt finds marela more moral like a sister A stranger on the verk verge of exhaustion finds his way to marcias Mar claa home he explains that his powerboat power boat ran aground in tile the tog fog secretly he asks aka marcia to hide a pack age aee containing jewelry she does so 0 o ells elasha winslow town sheriff brings brines news ewe 0 of a jewel robbery on a neleh neigh boring estate the stranger gives elves his same name an a stanley heath CHAPTER IV continued 5 far from demanding exola explanations nations she ehe resolved site she would give him no chance to make then them therefore when his meal was ready and every last inviting touch had been given the tray she said casually to sylvia suppose you take it up dear 1 I res why not do you mind not at all I 1 just thought perhaps rather marcia shook her head 1 I want to stir the newburg and see it catch she explained avoiding the girls eyes we are too hungry p y to risk having our dinner spilled eJ ed you might just walt wait and cut the chops chopa tor for mr heath and fix his potato find out too if there Is anything more he wants you hurry back IU III keep things hot holl the task suggested did not apparently displease sylvia here goes red Riding hood she murmured taking up the tray all Is if I 1 dont come lack back know the wolf has baa eaten me in spite of herself marcia smiled she opened the dor and stood watching while the girl ascended the stairs for or the hall ball was unit unlighted bated and the tray heavy im safe called a merry voice from the topmost stair marcia came back into the kitchen she finished preparing the lobster straightened the silver on the table and let in prince hal ten minutes passed fifteen halt half an hour went by she fidgeted and stooped to pat the tetter getter then she went to the win dow slowly tile the fog was lifting by afternoon the weather would be fine just the right sort to get the boat 0 off fr she would go up tire the beach and watch the men while they worked the house bouse was close she longed for air and the bf lilg reaches of the out of doors A jingle of glass and silver slivery 1 it was sylvia returning with the tray her eyes were shining ile he ate ale every betl she cried yon yoi should have bare seen him marcia tt would have done your heart beart good the poor lamb was almost starved he fie asked for you the first thing I 1 dont think he alt altogether ozether liked your not carrying up the tray although of kourse ourse lie was as too polite to say so you explained I 1 was busy yes but at first he be seem satisfied tied with the excuse however he soon forgot about it and became gay as a lark you hear bear us laughing tile the potato would fall off the fork im not as good gond a nurse as act you my hands so steady im going back again for his wet clothes we can dry them here by the fire cant we yes s indeed its a pity there a tailor at hand ills suit ought to be pressed 1 I can to do it marcia mania declared with eagerness im quite used to pressing mens clothe I 1 always pressed jasons this time the name dropped unnoticed from her lips ills indeed she was not conscious she had uttered it she was not thinking of jason a sylvia was glad heath wal was asleep very glad indeed she did not begrudge hint him a moment of his SI slumber un iber But Blit what a dell hatful person he was when awake I 1 ills his eyes were wonderful so daik and penetrating they bored right through h you and then he listened with such intentness watching every curve of your lips as if fearing to lose a word such attention was distinctly flattering even though your chatter was trivial lie he dignified it and transformed it into something of importance how interested for example he had been in marcia arcla ll in learning she had been married and now lived a widow in the old daniels Home homestead 1 and what a host of inquiries lie fie had made about jason the sort of man he was and how long iong ago lie he had bad died sylvia had bad not been able to answer all his questions but of course slie site hid asserted that marcia had adored tier her husband because well not so i because she actually knew it as because widows always did certainly barcla had bad declared she loved the homestead so go deeply she never intended to leave it and was not that practically the same thing as saying she bhe loved jason too anyway the thing that really mattered was waa mr air heaths deaths interest in her sylvia to in her trip east and tier her de sc of alton city the little mid western town which was tier her home how he had laughed at her rebellion at being a school teacher and how insidiously he had hinted she might not always be onel one I 1 oil oh he knew what to say knew much better than billie spa sparks the soda fountain fount aln clerk or even horatio fuller the acknowledged be bohnii in of the town in fact lie he made both of them seem quite commonplace even bortle fancy iti it I 1 probably that was because lie he had traveled apparently ile be had been almost everywhere except to alton city odd he should never have been there when hs he had visited just about every other corner both of america and europe not that he had deliberately said so tie lie was far too modest for t hat it was while trying to find out where his home was that she had st upon the information and come to think of it she did not know now where lie he lived she suddenly remembered she actually did nor no know whether whet lier lie he had a father or a n mother a brother or a sister so occupied was she with her thoughts she had not thought once of prince hal in fact she that he had gone up tip the beach with will marcia now she suddenly became aware that be stood sniffing about tile the hearth scratching at its surface as if he scented something beneath he fie must not do that thal and she told him so in no uncertain terms nevertheless th eless in spite of tile the rebuke lie he continued to poke away at the spot whining faintly until ills his persistence aroused her curiosity and she went to see what disturbed him what Is it prince the matter whispered she delighted to have gained her attention the dog barked oh you bark darling site she cautioned muzzling his fits nose with her V here goes red Riding hood 11 hand wake mr heath tell tel I 1 missy what the trouble Is do you yon smell a under there for answer the me dog wagged his tall 1 I dont believe it sylvia demurred youre only bluffing well to convince you ill take up the brick retching fetching from the pantry a steel fork she inserted the prongs in the crack and pried the offending brick out of its lt hole instantly the dog snatched from the space beneath a handkerchief containing a small hard object sylvia chased after him bring it here hal a gool good do dog bring it to missy nil by the setter came fawning to tier her side and unwillingly dropped tits bis prize at tier her feet feel I 1 As it fell to the ground out rolled rolled such a glory of jewels the girl could scarcely believe her eyes there was a string of diamonds dazzling as giant dewdrops a pearl and sapphire pendant seer several 11 beautiful rings and an oval brooch its it s emerald center surrounded by tier after tier of brilliantz brilliants brilli brIll ants lants sylvia panted breathless she had neer seen such gems much less field them in her hands how she ion longed ed to slip the rings upon her lingers and try the effect of the diamonds diamond 8 a bout about her slender throat prudence however overmastered over mastered the impulse marcia might return and sur prise her at any moment inn ment before that the treasure must be returned to the place from which it had been taken gathering the rainbow heap together she reluctantly thrust it into its blue leather case caie snapped the catch and placed it once more under the brick then with relief she stood up and wiped the perspiration from her forehead it was not until she was again azain in her chair book in hand and struggling t i quiet tier her quick breathing that she d dis S covered slip she still held field in tier her hand tin tile handkerchief that had been wrapped about the jewel case it was it a mans handkerchief of ainest linen and one corner bore the em broidered broi brol dered initials S C H she had known it all the aimel there was no need to be told the jewels were his what her was when lie he had found time to lible them he fie had not bo far as slip she knew been leri left alone a moment and yet here was tits his liway safe beneath tile the floor slie she rated it as bouty nedeau w r there could ile be no doubt lie he hail it ho had bad stolen it from that long islam lalami estate escaped in his speed boat rind here he wils was here under this very roof hooft I 1 robber that was what he wast A robber a hati nanulet alt such ns as one saw in the movies I 1 that explained why he was so well dressed so handsome had such fascinating cina ting manners lie was a gentleman burglar all up to date villains in these days were gentlemen not that she bile lind ever encountered a villain in the fleshy flesh still she had read romances about them rind and was there not one in every moving picture ure they were not cult to recognize it was exhilarating wonderful wonder full A thief in the room overhead 1 thlick th ank of it the very thief for whom nil tho the pollee police in the countryside were searching ile helas wag no small cheap typo type ol of criminal lie did things on a big acae so big that radio announcements had been broadcast about him and no doubt at this instant detectives and crime inspectors were chasing up and down tile bl highways eways dashing through cities and keeping telephone wires lot hot lr la wild search for the gentleman asleep upstairs I 1 4 I 1 why th that at very morning had not ellsha AVIn slow tile the wilton sheriff who had frankly admitted lie he yearned for excitement helped undress the wretch and put him comfortably to bed tit the t humor of the situation almost overcame her it seemed as it if slie she must have someone to share the jolce joke rut but no one should sli not nobody should be tin IN wiser because of tier her the poor hunt ed fellow should have tits his chance it was a little venturesome and risky she admitted to obstruct justice jubilee and should she he found out slip she would without doubt be clapped into jail all still she rf solved to take a chance after all who could prove she iii had known stanley heath to be what he was nobody site she would not even let him suspect it IL the important thing was to awalt await an opportunity and soon before he wits was able to he be about return the handkerchief she held in her hand to its place beneath the brick then all would be well ell tills this should not be difficult it would be quite easy to get marcia to take up mr heaths deaths supper in the meantime the situation was intensely amusing its danger appealed to her she had always enjoyed hairbreadth hair breadth escapades anything but dullness that had been the trouble with alton city it had been dull deadly dull but wilton was not dull in spite of the fact that only tilts this morning ellsha winslow had complained the town was in need of a stirring up it seethed with electricity if site she chose she could hurl a bombshell bomb shell into its midst this very minute but she did not choose instead she intended to play her own quiet game and keep what she knew to herself she wondered why P perhaps er she was falling in love with this adventures yes that artist be it IL she was in love lore with him in love with a bandit I 1 sylvias imagination had traveled so sIft swiftly ly and so far that it came to earth with a crash when marcia opened the door it was not alone the buffeting of the salt breeze nor the exhilaration of walking against it that had trans formed her into something radiantly lovely from within glowed a strange fire that made her another creature altogether why why barcla III 1 breathed syl via bewildered ive had such a glorious walk dearl cried barcla the fog has ha lifted and the sky Is a sheet of amethyst and gold did the men get the boat off yes she Is floating tranquilly as a love dove what Is her name my unknown lady mercy on us that ought to satisfy even flishie Flis hil it did said marcia CHAPTER V sylvias plans so well laid and ap parent patently ly so BO easy of execution did not to her chagrin clit isrin work out for instead of awit awaking hing and demanding supper stanley ileath slept without a break until morning sun was tinting the lavender sands to rose and gliding gilding the witter water with its first flecks of gold when she saw mar cla stand standing ln at the foot of tier her bed mr heath has a high fever and can scarcely speak aloud explained slip she im afraid he Is quite ill I 1 wish call up doctor stetson mercy on oil us the girl drowsy a and nd heavy eyed sprang out of bed 1 ill 1111 1 he down in just a minute she exclaimed how do you happen to be up so early ive been up off and on all night answered marcia mr heath anns ns restless and thirsty about midnight I 1 heard him tossing about and thinking lie he might be hungry I 1 heated some broth and took it to him film ile he declares lie Is going back to new aorl today but he cant lie he Is determined to ile he says lie he has boi very important to attend t nd to of course I 1 have no authority over him but perhaps doctor stetson can exert some that Is why I 1 am anxious to lo reich reach him before he gors goes out explained marcia moving board tile door 1 I will call him right away ill go g down and start brei breakfast vast tile n mr ait etli Is dozing lonill lo zill it ho lim li not ot to 10 get up fur for at le ill an hour wr wi innel line bale lilt docto liere in p ill ivil inn hin tie in hurry rv ll 11 hlll 1111 rui rif |