Show phout 9 SANDS b y sara ware BASSETT copyright by the penn pub co service w SYNOPSIS the youthful and comely marcia howo howe has as her guest her late husbands niece sylvia hayden A stranger tt ranger on tho the verge verga ot of exham exhaustion aon finds his hi way to marceas Mar clas home secretly he asks her to hide a package Z containing jewelry she does so ellsha E I 1 isha winslow town sheriff brings brines news of a jewel robbery nearby the stranger given hla his name as stanley heath sylvia discovers the jewels and naturally believes heath Is a robber she realizes that marcia must have h hidden them and decides to say nothing noth lne martla feels she has ha altogether too deep an interest in her guest but Is po powerless er to overcome it heath wires aw mrs B S C heath new york saying he Is safe bate ite ile also orders a man named currier to come at once sylvia in her room bedecks bedecki herself with the jewels at marcias Mar clas approach she hides them there heath asks marcia to bring brine them to him they are gone ile he kindly makes light of 0 the loss sylvia restores the jewels to their original hiding place ellsha winslow visiting marcia discovers the gems and has no doubt they are the stolen gems and that heath Is the thief leaving the jewels he be makes plans tor for arresting heath CHAPTER VII 10 dawn was breaking over wilton when a trim motor car hearing bearing a new york tork number plate slipped quietly into the village and drew up at atthe the town garage from it stepped a man small and somewhat bent may I 1 leave my car here he inquired of the lad who was sweeping out the building sure fill her up for me please pleam and you von might clean her a bit deen been riding all night the stranger nodded 1 I like traveling at night be volunteered late ered less traffic can you tell me where a sir mr heath Is staying heath the chap who ran aground on the crocker cove sand bar hes over to the widders wheres that the lives out yonder at the homestead om estead how does one get there wal the only way to reach the house when the udes tides full as its now Is to row cherell Wh erell I 1 find end a boat that I 1 say the keeps hers bers vother side of the channel debbe though if you was to go down to the bead some fisherman would give you a lift across most any of em would admire to it if youre a friend of marcia howes the stranger bowed but offered no comment if curiosity stirred within him concerning the information the lad vouchsafed at least lie he gave no sign thank you he replied briefly will this road take me to the beach straight as an arrow without wasting additional words or time the stranger nodded and started off briskly in the direction indicate when he be reached the beach he halted scanning sea fining eagerly the silvered housel house beyond the channel discovering no one in sight he be dragged from the shore a yellow dory clambered into it ant an I 1 catching up the oars cars began to row toward the dwelling silhouetted against the water and the glory of the morning 4 sky in the meantime both marcia ind and sylvia had wakened early and w were ere astir the kitchen fire was already snapping merrily in the stove however and the table was spread before the latter made her appearance she came in carrying a thick envelope why sylvia how bow you startled m mel e marcia exclaimed 1 I did not hear you come down stairs why are you up so early im going to town to catch the mo morning aning mall I 1 have to get ott off this if ifa 1 letter J have to yes to II ortle you see it if I 1 ailua ianswer answer promptly he be might think i 1 i candy had gone astray explained the girl aoh oh of course you must thank him for the candy marcia agreed still is 1 it necessary to do so in such a rush to walk to the village this morning 1 I mean to row over im afraid you cant dear I 1 discovered er ed last night the boat was gone eleazer crocker must have appropriated it when he was wag here yesterday I 1 shall give him a good lecture when I 1 see him it Is 13 a serious thing to be leaf out here with no way of getting to land in facts fact here we are with this tremendously important letter that must be posted immediately willy 11 with eyes brimming with laughter il acla arcla ahot a mischievous glance at her companion but it la Is only the last of april be lived jived ilesi need to know well jn advance nd vance they have to their iuliu is A 1 afu i under er sucu ducts conditions I 1 suppose the sooner the letter Is sent the better it just to thank florale for the candy that im writing that young lady ady belied Ve lIed sedately you see he asked it if he might come to wilton for ills his summer slimmer vacation ile he has to know so 0 lie he can make his plans the sooner I 1 start the sooner I 1 shall be back I 1 suppose sylvia answered with feigned reluctance nie men are so unreasonable any errands not today thanks just the mall ril ill wait for IV it the eagerness betrayed by the reply loft left not the slightest doubt that sylvia would wait and gladly As the door closed behind her mar cla smiled whimsically she prepared heaths deaths breakfast tray and was about to take it upstairs when there was a gentle knock at the kitchen door A stranger stood upon the threshold Is mr stanley heath staying here inquired he yes j 1 I am currier mr heath sent for me of coursel course 1 come in wont you mr air heath Is expecting you ill tell him you are here you do that madam if you n just show me where lie he is at the file head bead of the stairs very good thank you madam awill I 1 will go 90 up marcia soon heard the invalids voice imperative and eager each sentence ending with an interrogation the lapses of silence which intervened and which at first she took to be ba pauses she presently decided represented the inaudible and subdued replies of currier to judge from the sounds heath was pouring out an avalanche of questions once he broke into peals peala at 31 hearty laughter followed by a paroxysm of cou coughing dirig ile he has forgotten all about breakfast murmured marcia ill carry it up she mounted the stairs softly that her coming might break in as little q is possible upon the conversation of her two guests she was alone in the library when I 1 went in heath was saying aril and turned so white I 1 feared she might faint or scream luckily she did neither you know what im after I 1 said the jewels come hand them over at that she beg begin began in to cri cry quickly I 1 repeated So simeona Some meonA onn may come with that she produced the jewel case pouring out a torrent of explanations pla nations 1 I stopped no longer than I 1 had to I 1 assure you in no time I 1 had made my getaway every detail of my plau would have gone smoothly but tor for the fog I 1 lost my bearings completely imagine my amazement at finding myself here marcia waited to hear no more so heath really had taken the jewels from the resisting woman who owned them taken then them against her will and made oft off with them I 1 he owned itt nay more I 1 far from regretting what he had done in his tone rang a note ot of satisfaction in his accomplishment she had never believed him guilty not until she heard the bitter irrevocable confession from his own lips did she waver and even then she battled against the truth refusing to be convinced there must be some explanation she told liei herself self nevertheless the shock was overwhelming her head swam her heart beat wildly 1 I must not give she reiter abed to herself 1 I must put on a brave front ile he must not suspect I 1 know it took a few moments for her to regain her grip on herself to drag back lier her ebbing strength then she knocked at the door here Is your coffee mr heath she called come in mrs howe im afraid weve delayed you I 1 had hadl entirely forgotten about breakfast and so ill be bound had currier you met my man down stairs I 1 take it you found the house without trouble I 1 marcia inquired making an effort to address the newcomer in a n natural offhand off hand manner yes mrs howe A young man at the garage directed me As marcia turned to go her inz inc courtesy prompted her to say mr currier Is welcome to stay if he wishes to mr heath we can put him up perfectly well oh no ile he Is returning directly nevertheless I 1 greatly appreciate your kindness mrs ileath heath Is anxious put in currier she begged me to come home as soon as possible that she might know how mr air heath was naturally she has baell much worried there there currier that will do broke in stanley heath flushing and now since mrs howe Is here and Is in our secrete secret I 1 may as well tell you that part of the mission on which you came cannot be accomplished you cannot take the gems back with yon yoi to new york A calamity has befallen them A calamity sir mrs airs howe helped me conceal the jewels downstairs in a hiding under the kitchen floor continued stanley heath when she went to get them they were gone it Is all very mysterious louV broke in marcia taking up the tale 1 I cannot in any way account tor for their disappearance pe arance and am much distressed have you any theory as ag to who could have taken them thein inquired currier absolutely nune none I 1 cannot even sun see how flow anybody had the chance to take them no one knew they were there would you be willing to show me ma where they were hidden and allow W nr to investigate certainly ril ill take you downstairs down stair now while we have the opportunity when do you ou start back that Is for mr ir heath to decide right olt off As soon as you can get under way stanley ileath heath said bald decisively ci cl go down now with mm mr howe since she Is so gracious and have your breakfast examine too the place where we concealed the jewel case you may discover a clew she has missed preceding currier into the kitchen marcia went straight to the hearth and marcia could not believe her eyes pa pointed anted to the brick at her feet feel aft it was here we put the jewel case s she he said 1 I think with your permission I 1 win will take up the brick the little mark man at her elbow quietly announced certainly acquiesced marcia taking out his knife currier knelt and soon had the brick out of its hole beneath it lay the jewel case wrapped as before in stanley heaths deaths monogrammed handkerchief marcia could not believe her eyes but but it there when I 1 looked I 1 could swear it who could have taken it out I 1 and it if some one did why return anything so valuable currier inquired 1 I dont know I 1 do not understand it at all the woman replied there Is something uncanny about the whole affair well at any rate the gems are here now said currier in a matter of fact tone mr heath will be much relieved shall I 1 go up and ill go marcia cried it wont take me a minute ill be right bade back As you prefer madam oft off flew fiew marcia her haste the radiance of her face must have suggested to the stranger ft a thought that had not occurred to him before for after she had gone he S tood stood immovable in the middle of the floor looking after her then a slow shadowy smile passed across his bis features so hol hoi he muttered so ho hoi ile he was still absorbed in reverie when w hen marcia breathless and flushed rejoined him 1 I can think of nothing but the jewels and their recovery I 1 am so go happy I 1 had completely forgotten your break breakfast fasL you might run up to seq mr heath while I 1 am getting it ready 1 I will do that I 1 shall be leaving at once and he may have final orders for me or perhaps a letter tor for mrs mr heath mrs airs heath marcia repeated as ff the name suddenly brought before her consciousness something hitherto forgotten yes besl of course then curnin turning her head bead aside she inquired with studied carelessness how long I 1 wonder does mr heath plan to remain in wilton I 1 think that as soon as he Is able to make the journey he be would better go home this climate Is la Is d damp amp and he will perhaps pick up faster away from the sea it if you have any influence with him wont you please advise it the mans small gray eyes narrowed 1 I have no influence with mr heath replied he be mrs heath has however shall I 1 tell her 1 I wish you would an hour later my unknown lady weighed anchor and disappeared out to sea carrying with her currier and the jewels marcia watched until the last snowy ripple foaming in her wake had bad disappeared then she sank into a chair and brushed her hand band across her eyes and the end of that foolish besal she muttered the endl TO BE CONTINUED |