Evening star., 1923-06-24

But, sweetheart" urged Gordon
Lockwood. "if we elope no one need
know your real name except the min
lister and WITNESSES
And you?" said Miss Mystery.
"Yes-and l.
"Oh. 7 can't marry you, anyway, |
can't marry anybody. l cant tell who
/ am: Oh, let them take me away.
and let them arrest me, and i hope
they'll convict me-and-"
Hush. my precious girl, hush. y
Lockwood took her in his arms and
let her stife her sobs on his breast
He was bewildered. What was the
truth about this strange child? For
in her abandonment of grief Anita
seemed a very child, tortured, ire
sponsible soul. whose only haven was
In the arms now around her.
You will go with me. anyway,
Anita" he said with an air of au-
thority. Il must take care of you.
We will go. as l planned. The min
lister 1 told you of is a great and good
man: he will advise you--
"Oh, no; | don't want to talk to a
Minister
Yes. you do. And his wife is a
dear. good woman. They will take
then we can all decide what to do.
At any rate. you must get away from
here. Come. now, pack your bag
and would you mind Anita. if ask
YOU not to take the-the money and
the ruby pin
you, Gordon John waring gave me
those of his own free will
Because of his affection for you?"
Yes; for no. other reason. l will
keep the pin, anyway Will.
Anita, have you any idea how you
puzzle me, how you torture me ?
Well, take what you like. Will you
get ready now? And will let you
know as soon as ! can how and
when we can start"
A loud rap was followed by an i'm
mediate opening of the door and Mrs.
Adams came into the room.
She stared at Lockwood, but made
no comment on his presence there.
Miss Austin she began. Il do
not wish you to stay in my house any
longer. l have kept you until now
because my husband was so sorry for
YOU and refused to turn you out.
you would leave us alone, Mr.. Lock-
wood"
Gordon started to speak, but Anita
interrupted him.
Go. please" She said quietly, and
Lockwood obeyed.
Il cannot blame you. Mrs. Adams" "
Miss Mystery said. Il dare say you
have to consider your other boarders,
and l thank you for your kindness
and forbearance you have shown me
so far"
The tears were in the big dark
eyes, and even as they moved Mrs.
Adams to sympathy she also Won
dered IL they were real. "A girl who
would redden her lips would be capa-
BILE of any deceit and duplicity,
Esther Adams reasoned
But she went on calmly.
II come now. Miss Austin. to tell
= i %,;~ a
wants to see you. He wants you to
20 to his house to stay. The Peytons
are there. of course, and he offers you
the shelter of his roof and protection
until this dreadful matter is settled
up
Mr. Trask." Anita looked her
Yes: now don't be silly You very
well know he is mad about you, and
he hopes to get you freed and then
"oh. he does" 1t was the old.
scornful Miss Mystery who spoke.
Well. will you please tell him from
Now. don't you be to ohoitytoity.
miss, You're mighty lucky TO have
a home offered YOU W., n
Adams, will you go down, then, ana
say Til be down in moment or two
Give me time to freshen my appear
"Yes. with paints and powders and
cosmetics," Esther Adams grumbled
to herself as she went down the
stairs.
As a matter of fact she quite mis-
iudeed the girl. Very rarely did
Anita resort to artificial aid of that
sort but when she so desired she
used it as she would any other per-
Sona1 adornment.
announced. as she returned to Trask,
and thew waited.
But when the minutes grew to a
quarter of an hour, anG then nearly
to a half, Mrs. Adams again climbed
the stairs to hasten proceedings.
This time she found the room
empty.
The absence too, of brushes and
combs. the disappearance of a small
suitcase, and the fact that her hat
mistakably to the assumption that
the girl had fed.
Well" Mrs. Adams reported, shes
lit out. bag and baggage"
Gone" exclaimed Trask in dis
We'll, she isn't in her room. Her
trunk is locked and strapped and her
suitcase is missing. Her hat and
coats gone. too. so YOU can make
your own guess.
But Maurice Trask didn't stay
there to make his guess.
He went back home as fast as he
could and told Fleming Stone the
news.
Run away. has she?" said Stone.
II rather look ed for that"
You did, And took no steps to
prevent it, You're nice detective.
you are. Well. if you're so smart,
where'd she go"?"
where's LOCKWOOD" was Stones
laconic response.
LOCKWOOD" exclaimed Trask.
wherever he is, he hasn't run off
with Anita Austin. If he has-by
Jove. I'll break every bone in his
body"
You'll have to catch him first
smiled the detective.
it. And. looky here, il she's gone off
with that man. you can go ahead and
catch her, catch them both. and then
go ahead and prove her guilty"
rs she?'
rs she? You bet she is. And l
know it,"
How do you know
I'll tell you. [ know her eye
browsn
$50 do I know her eyebrows But
they don't tell me she's a murderer"
We'll, they tell me that! It's this
way. Her eyebrows are not only
heavy and dark, but they almost meet
over the bridge of her nose"
Darling nose" put in Fibsy, who
was interested in Anita, but not in
Trask's deductions.
Does your knowledge of physiog-
nomy tell you that those meeting eye
asked Stone.
Nothing of that sort. But they
the the Truesdell brows."
"The Truesdell browse" Stone rails