Show Hf fr shifting S hio ati 0 n g n A marn e SANDS by sara ware BASSETT i copyright by the penn pub co f service A SYNOPSIS the youthful and RV comely marcia howe has its aa her guest her late husbands niece sylvia hayden A stranger exhausted finds his way to marclan Mar blar claa home ile he asks her to hide a package containing jewelry she does so ali ellsha tha winslow town sheriff brings news of a jewel robbery nearby th the e tranger stranger s gives his name as stanley heath sylvia silvia discovers the jewels and naturally believes heath to 1 a robber but decides to say nothing barcla feels she has too deep an interest in her guest but is 1 powerless to overcome it heath wires mrs S C heath new york saying he Is sate safe ile he also orders a man named currier to come at ones once sylvia in her room bedecks bedecki herself with the jewels at marcias Mar claa approach she hides them there heath asks mar barcla e la to bring them to timthey him they are gone bonel sylvia restores the jewels to their original hiding place ellsha winslow discovers them and has no doubt they are the stolen gei gems n a and heath Is a thief leaving the jewels he makes plans for arresting heath currier arrives marcia overhears overhear heath describe how he acquired the gems and Is forced to believe him guilty of theft currier investigates investigate the hiding place and finds the genns gems he returns to new york with them but his references to mrs heath have ceen convinced on vinced marcia her tender dream has been a foolish one ellsha elisha and eleazer come to arrest heath the jewels of course are not to bo be found to sylvia barcla ad admits its she loves heath and has faith in his innocence she tells him she believes him innocent but urges him if he Is guilty to confess he admits nothing but compels her to confess she loves him also telling her he Is giving himself up to the sheriff she insists this must be the end of their association and he thinking she will not face the disgrace reproaches and leaves her CHAPTER X continued 14 then she swayed caught at a chair and shrank into it her body shaking and her breath coming in gasping hysterical sobs the clock ticked on the surf broke la in muffled undertone the light faded the candles burned lower flickered and overflowed the old pewter candle sticks and still she sat there her tearless dilated eyes fixed straight before her 0 having no inkling of a change in the delightful relations that had tor for the past week prevailed in the homestead the atmosphere that greeted sylvia when she came down the next nest morning was a shock stanley heath stood at the telephone talking to ellsha winslow and on the porch outside were grouped his suitcase overcoat and traveling rug nig ile he was plainly ill at ease and had little except the most commonplace remarks to offer in way ot of conversation barcla had not slept as her pallor and the violet shadows beneath her eyes attested althou although h the girl did not understand she sensed marceas Mar clas need of her and rushed valiantly into the breach tilling filling every awkward pause with her customary sparkling chatter when at length the meal was cut short by the arrival of ellsha winslow all three of the group rose with unconcealed relief wal mr heath I 1 see youre ex P ecton me grinned the sheriff pointing toward the luggage beside the door 1 I am mr winslow ive got my boat are you ready to come right along quite ready heath went to sylvia and took her hand 0 thank you very much murm murmured he formally for all youve done tor me I 1 appreciate it more than I 1 can say and you too sirs howe 1 I wish you luck sir mr heath wiled called sylvia thanks and 1 I too marcia rejoined in a ulce scarcely audible to this the man offered no reply they followed him to the door it was then that barcla sprang forward and caught elyshas Ells EIls has arm am where are you him ellsha ie she ilie demanded a catch lu 1 her V voice 0 I 1 remember mr heath has bee been lil you must not risk his getting cold or buffering erIng any discomfort you need have no worries on that eore deore marcia replied the sheriff I 1 cinday noticing the distress la in her ace ill look out for him where Is he be going to my house tor for the present ell ilia iha answered ive a comfortable spare room an I 1 figger to put him in it til ill ive questioned him an verified his tor for meantime nobody in town will be lie be wiser I 1 aint even may ellen why mr heaths deaths at the house t f I 1 choose to harbor comp company ny ny business not a soul capt El eazers i on this affair an hes keepin keehln mum lien hen him an me decide weve got the ith well act not before that relieves my mind ver very much r heath Is you see he hes a friend of yours I 1 aint for that I 1 shall treat him barels i I 1 thank you ellsha thank you a hundred umes times there was nothing more to be said heath bowed once again and the two men walked down to the float where they clambered with the luggage into Ells lias dory and put out into the channel sylvia loitered to wave her hand band and watch them row away but marcta marcia as if unable to bear the sight fight waited for no further farewell but by noon coon she was to outward appearances pe arances entirely herself she had not been able to be sure to banish her pallor or the traces of sleeplessness but she had her emotions sufficiently under control to talk pleasantly it if not gaily that day and the next nest passed in much the same strained fashion it was not until the third morning that the barriers between the two collapsed barcla had gone into the living room to write a letter she sat down before the desk and started to take up her pen when sylvia heard her utter a cry the matter dear call called ed the file girl hurrying into the other room As sylvia came nearer marcia bowed her head upon the desk and began to sob as if her heart would break oh now could hel moaned the woman how could h he e be so cruell cruel 1 0 what has happened marcia Mar cla stanley lie has left a check money thrown it in my face I 1 and I 1 did it so gladly because I 1 loved him ile he knew that yet he could leave this pay me as if I 1 were a common servant I 1 had find rather he struck me a hundred times rather the girl took the check it was filled out in stanley heaths deaths clear strong hand and was for the sum of a hundred dollars ilow how detestable of halml she exclaimed tell me barcla what happened between you and sir heath you quarreled of course I 1 know that but why why I 1 have not wanted to ask but now ill tell you everything sylvia id rather you knew I 1 thought at first I 1 could keep it to myself but I 1 cannot I 1 need you to help me dear marcia unfolded the story of her blind faith in stanley heath h her er love for him a love she could neither resist nor control a love she had known from the first to be hopeless she confessed how she had bad struggled to conceal her feelings how he himself had resisted a similar attraction in her how at last he had discovered her secret and forced her to betray it of course I 1 realized we could not dot go on she explained bravely that we loved one another was calamity enough all that remained was for him to go away and forget me return to his wife his home and his former life soon if he honestly tries this infatuation will pass and everything will be as before men forget more easily than women absence too will help and you marcia barcla Mar cla 1 I cannot give up my love it Is all I 1 have now oh I 1 do not mean to mourn over it pity myself make life unhappy instead I 1 shall be glad thankful you will see this experience will make every day of living richer you need have no fears f earn for me sylvia 0 you warned me you know concluded she with a pathetic little smile 1 I was a brute I 1 I 1 ought to have shielded you more the girl cried 1 I could have had I 1 realized well I 1 can yet do something thank heaven give me that check what do you mean to do return it 14 of course return it before stanley heath leaves town ill take it over to ellsha Win winslows slows now this minute 1 I wonder yes probably that will be best you wont I 1 suppose be allowed to see stanley speculated she timidly it if you should well dont say anything harsh sylvia please do not blame him or ill crine his neck wis was the emphatic retort oh please please dear for my sakel sake I 1 cant let you go if you go in that spirit pleaded marcia in alarm alarin there there you need not worry for fear I 1 shall maltreat your romeo richly as he deserves lt it was the response 1 I could kill him but I 1 wont because of you nevertheless I 1 warn you that if I 1 get the chance I 1 shall tell him what I 1 think of him lie he Is terribly to blame and ought to realize it no married man has any business playing round with another woman 1 I am halt half afraid to let you go sylvia you dout dont trust me dont you believe I 1 love you 1 I am afraid you love me too much d dear r 1 I do love you marcia I 1 never dr dreamed e amed I 1 could tare are so intensely for anyone I 1 have hae known tor for so short a time what you did for or my mother alone would make mahe me love yog yoc but aside from gratitude there are other reasons I 1 love you for your own splendid self dear please do not fear to trust roe me I 1 promise you I 1 will neither be unjust nor bitter take the check then and go I 1 wish I 1 were to see him well youre not I 1 lt let him do the explaining and apologizing let him grovel at your fee what he ought to do dol I 1 you wont tell him that 1 I dont know what I 1 shall tell him please sylvia you promised remember dont ret fret some of the enad will be tj taken iken out of me before I 1 see mr heath me find and wish me luck barcla you do believe I 1 will viii try to be wise dont tiiu A vvs 1 7 4 s dear er yes i right you ton really can ean trust me you know im not to 0 o bad u I 1 sound tucking the check into the w wee e e pocket of OF her sweater sylvia caught up her pert beret and perched it upon her curls curia so she called looking back over liar her shoulder as she opened the tha door so long 1 ill be b back as soon as ever I 1 can the haste with which she disappeared suddenly precipitated her into the arms of a young man who stood upon the steps preparing to knock bortle fuller cried sylvia breathlessly where on eurth earth did you come from her arms closed about his seek and he had kissed her twice before she and swiftly withdrew rearranging her curls curl and saying coldly 1 I cannot imagine what brought you yon here horatio CHAPTER XI 1 I cant ima imagine ine repeated sylvia still very rosy and flustered but with her most magnificent air what brought you to wilton I 1 really cannot cant your you grinned horatio cheerfully yo I 1 cannot from his superior height of six feet two he looked down at her meager five feet amusement twinkling to in hla his eyes sylvia however was too intent on patting her curls into place to heed his glance you wrote me to come you lie he presently inquired 1 I wrote you to cornel come I 1 well at least you led me to suppose like it if I 1 were here persisted horatho Hor atlo toward the bottom of page two you said 1 I am positively homesick and in the middle of the back of page three you wrote it seems years since ive seen you ou what if I 1 did answered the girl with a disdainful shrug nevertheless the dimples showed in her cheeks and that all horatio went on at the end of page DT five you wrote would that you were herel sylvia bit her lip that was only a figure of speech what Is called poetic license then you mean it cheit YOU yon said you wished I 1 was here horatio was obviously disappointed why of course I 1 am pleased to see you horatio it Is very nice of you to come to the cape to meet my aunt and darn your aunte he scowled scow lea lev 1 I come to see her I 1 am not inter ested in aunts take care carel I 1 I 1 happen to be very ery keen been on this aunt of mine mice it she like you you yon night might get sent ent home dont be horrid chortle I 1 truly am glad lad youve come you roust must make allowance tor for my being surprised I 1 got over it yet how in the world did you contrive to get away at this season and what sort of a trip did you have swell I 1 I 1 stopped overnight la in new york at the gardners gardeners Gard ners mother wanted me to deliver a birthday cake to estelle who you may remember la Is the maters goddaughter god daughter ashes a pippin too I 1 seen her since she graduated from vassar sylvia listened she did riot not need to be told about the gardners gardeners Gard ners they had visited horafios Ho ratios family more than once and rumor bad it the elders of both families would be delighted were the young people to make a match of it it im surprised you did not way aitay longer in new york sylvia observed gazing reflectively at her white shoe new york my objective I 1 came on business you see dad ga gave ve me two months oft off so I 1 could get married sylvia sylila jumped 1 I was not aware you were on in murmured she in a formal faraway far away tone tin im note not came frankly from horatio junior but bat im going g to be in tact fact I 1 chance to have the ring with me this minute want waft to see jt it 1 I always enjoy looking at jewels was her cautious retort horatio felt of his bis pockets where on earth did I 1 put that tha t thing he muttered hope I 1 t lost it oh here it Is ile he took out a tiny velvet case and nd sprang the catch oh hortien it beautiful 1 sylvia cried it fairly takes away my breath try it w she her heal it boulan t nt me my hands are too small its a aug afus here put it on he urgel urged holding k t toward her well I 1 suppose I 1 might bright try it tu to please you yoa but I 1 know it will be too large arge she slipped it on iier der linger anger why it does fit how odal very odd indeed he be answered as she reached her hand on cut into the sun sum and turned the diamonds so that they caught the light looks rather well on it was his comment it Is a beautiful ring horatio standing behind her twice extended his arms as it if to gather her into them and twice withdrew then deciding the action to b be premature at length with a determined squar lug ing of h his ls shoulders he locked his hands behind him and stood looting looking on while she continued to twist the ring this way and that will vell 11 yawned dawned he arter after an interval 1 I suppose I 1 may as well put it liivi lo fit the box TO L SE IE V CONTINUED 1 |