Imperial Valley press., 1922-06-23
Continued from Our Last Issue)
Chapter TX
THE DIRECTION FINDER

IIIhTAt IO4N DEh
"Curtis-you were up to something
devilish-I knew it!' repeated Varo
as he faced Jack over the table at the
Binnacle. ''When you saw me drive
up here you suddenly changed your
| tune. You ran to cOver-tO cover
yourselfi -
The waiter, Herman, sniveled. His
| face was livid. He bowed and almost
J fauned on Vario took hold of him, for
all the world like a drowning man
catching at straw.
" Furthermore, believe you slipped
that vial in this man s pocket-per-
| haps you palmed it--did a little seight
of hand. You inhuman cad! | could
cane you'll
Ruth was speechless. She leaned
over the table, half standing, an al
Turing little figure in blue. Her ex
citement had sent blaze of color to
her cheeks. Her golden hair framed
her face in a mass of gold that shed
a brightness over her whole counten-
ance. Ruth was very desirable little
| girl and her chief charm was that she
did not seem to be thinking of it all the
| time.
| Jack had been working himself into
an almost apoplectic rage as Vario
hurled the accusation at him. He took
step forward in furious defense, then
| shot out his forefinger pointing at the
| teacup that had been before him.
"Would I-poison = myself!'' he
| menaced
Gwen settle that,' came back
Vario sharply. 81 II undertake to label
this all and seal it-in the presence of
you as witness. Then | II send it to
some reputable chemical laboratory for
analysis. l could do it myself-but-
well, in other words, we II impound
this evidence until someone else de
termines what it is
The waiter scurried about getting
flasks. Vario turned to Ruth with
excessive courtesy. miss Walden-I
must insist-for your own safetv-I II
drive you back to the Club I'll tele-
phone and postpone the appointment +;
had at the Seaville Station. No
1t can easily go over till tomorrow.
Your mother cannot stand much more.
She needs you +. Ruth She has
been through so much anguish in the
last two days.
Ruth looked from Vario at Jack, still
sputtering impOtently Was it true
The quickest way to get out of danger
is often the most obvious. "Thank |
you, Professor. IT, very kind of you
to take such an interest,"
They left Curtis standing, still boil |
ing with rage, beside hi smotor. As
into his own and shot down the South |
cross island highway.
Nita Walden s surprise was great
when she saw Vario with Ruth. |
Where s Jack Curtis:' she exclaim-
ed
The moment of silence that followed
was eloquent. ''Oh, Ruth, dear, any
more trouble?'
Ruth was out of the car, eager to
give her mother more confidence. "No, |
Mummsy, nothing much Jack
was little off in his head but
Professor Vario came along and
Mrs. Walden beamed her apprecia-
tion of Vario s help. Vario exchanged
a keen glance with Ruth and under
stood that she chose to wait until there
were more facts before she made all
open accusation. He nodded and ac-
quiesced.
"You II let me know the-ths re-
sult?' Ruth asked.
Vario promised and with forced
light-hearted remark Ruth turned and
ran up the stairs to her room to dress
for dinner
Meanwhile, on the opposite porch
of tba (lnh vrb,.b
serted, Vira, only few moments be-
fore, had tucked her arm nervously un-
der Garricks' and drawn him into the
privacy of the glassed in, winter solar
ium.
"You may come, too, Dick" she
nodded back to him. "'There-please
shut the door, She glanced at Gar
rick, half confidently, half fearful of
him. "I've been so afraid-ever since
L found out how the walls might have
ears!
Dick closed it and Garrick placed a
| chair for Vira who sank into it rigid.
ly, turning and looking up at his face
| as he stood with his hands still on the
| back of the chair.
| There was something seething in her
mind and Garrick was just about to
make some reassuring remark that
would relieve the tension and open the
flOodgates of her heart. Vira, all an
imation, now that she had taken this
; step, did not wait to give him a chance.
"lt s about Glenn she cried
tensely, bringing her two hands to-
gether. You know all about the In
ner Circle and Georges. Well,
Glenn was our treasurer when we first
started--is yet, in way, | suppose.
Oh, it may have been all right when
we started. 1t was fun and all that.
1t was unique. 1t was smart. But