Evening star., 1923-06-18

You, too. Miss Mystery?" and
Trask gave her a wide smile.
NO; I'm going to the post Office"
"Ah. I see. Then. on your way,
Miss Austin
There was no good way out of this
arrangement. SO it obtained. and
Trask fell into step with the girl. as
Lockwood turned off toward the War
ing house.
Now. my dear young lady" Trask
began, unheeding her look of aver
sion. you may as well understand
me first as last. I've got the whip
hand-or, a s that isn't a very grace
trumps. l know all about you, you
see. | know why you went to the
doctors library that night, and
know what happened there"
You don't" said Anita coolly.
You're bluffing. and know it"
NO. I'm not blufing-not entirely.
anyway. True, there are some things
! don't Know yet. but soon will
Don't think you can keep anything
from me. I'm going to take a week
for for inyestigation; DSsna: Also aa to give you
fully expect to find out. 7 shall make
it all public. How will you like
that?"
a great fear showed in Anita's eyes.
and she mu1mured hrokenly: ~
"Hah' Scared, are you? I thought
you'd be. Now, you know my price.
You marry me-promise TO marry me-
that is-and III get you through this
thing with bells on. No shadow Of
suspicion shall remain attached to
you or TO any one you care for"
'I heard you were not going to rest
until YOU learned who killed DIR. War
ing" Anita temporized.
Yes. yes; but that was before
I or
have killed half the people in Corinth
Il want you all the same. You've
bewitched me. You. silly little slip
of girl. with no particular claim
eyes and your peach of mouth. I'll
bring the smiles to that sad little
face. Oh, Anita. I'm not a brute. and
/ do love you so. Give up your fool
ish fancy for Lockwood. for 1t is only
a passing attraction. And he hasn't
any money and he's deeply in debt
and. oh. I'm a thousand times a bet
ter catch!"
eff you knew how you damaged
your cause by talking like that" the
Then I won't talk like that" Trask
said humbly. only take me, Anita.
and you can make me over to suit
yourself. I'll do whatever you say.
I'll read the books you want me to.
that"
Anita almost laughed. You are
so funny" she said.
But this was a little too much for
Trasks self-love.
Funny, am T." he stormed.
Funny. You'll see how funny / am
when 1 tell the police why you killed
that man! You'll see If I'm funny
when 1 refuse the evidence that might
help you out. When I keep still in
stead of speakin' out in meetin'! You
look here. Anita Austin. l hold you
in the hollow of my hand, and don't
you forget ii. You've got a deep.
dark secret. and though I don't know
quite all of 1t I'll know II soon. What
NJ. Trask sets out to find out. he
finds out, see? Now. do you want to
tell me who you are or not? Want to
tell me who your father was? Your
mother was a Truesdell-Tll bet on
that"
Miss Mysterys face fell Abject
despair was written on every line Of
1T. She glanced at Trask and his
own determined expression showed
her that she could hope for nothing
from him save on his own terms.
And those terms were too hard for
her. Just aware of loving Lockwood.
just learning to know what love
meant and how sweet 1t could be. just
realizing, too, the awfulness Of her
own position, the dire necessity for
secrecy, the terrible result of Trask's
revelations. should they be made. al.
together Miss Mystery faced a dam
gerous crisis.
CONTINUED tomorrow)