Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-05-28

She had stopped, and was gazing
half curiously at him, as If he were
some kind of new animal she had just
discovered. The expression in her
eyes irrtated and then angered him.
eff you mean may change my mind
! about marrying you, Mr. Blake, she
interrupted, shaking her head, you're
deceiving yourself. Nothing can
change that decision"
"Not even force?" he blurted out
, angrily.
"Force!" she repeated in an even
tone "What do you mean by that?"
! Completely losing control of himself
for a moment he clutched her hand
and drew her near him. 81 mean that
| can make you do what | please
here" he replied, thrusting his face
! close to hers. you're in my power,
Miss Alice. There's nobody on this
island you can go to except your uncle,
and he's past helping anyone. If
say the word, l can make you my wife
whether you will or not. l can
ooh, you reptile!" came explosivery
from the lips of Alice Cutler. accom-
4 panied by an exhibition Of physical
force that Blake was entirely unpre-
! pared for. She wrenched her hand
! from his grasp, and throwing all her
strength into the effort she sent him
! reeing backward against the wall of
| rocks.
Before he could recover his balance,
| she was running in the opposite direc
! ton, tripping as lightly over the beach
! as a child, and with nearly as much
/ speed as a man. Blake essayed to fol
low, but her long lead in the race to
the house discouraged him, and he
stopped midway to vent his wrath in
! muttered threats.
Dick had once thought of interfer
/ ing but when the girl defed the man.
! and threw him backward, he felt like
applauding. Don't believe she needs
me yet" he grinned. "PsychologicaIly
that would have been the wrong mo
ment to butt in. Women don't like to
! be helped in such affairs until there's
real danger. But"-musing seriously
''Pm afraid it's coming when she'll
need all the help she can get"
Blake's revelations concerning af
fairs up at the house had disturbed
him. If Steve Cutler was unconscious
slowly dying without chance of regain
! ing his senses, what cOmpanionship
had the girl? There was Marie, her
maid, but Dick knew she was in love
with Blake, and more or less involved
in the plot. There was Doctor Alster
But what sort of man was he?
SO far Dick hadn't met the family
physician, and there seemed to be a
ray of hope in the thought Hlat AlSter
would prove friend and help to Miss
Cutler. "Pll have to get in communi-
cation with him." he muttered, 'and
! establish some sort of entente cordiale.
Between us we might put Blake and
McGee to rOut."
With this idea in mind, he waited
until Blake left the beach, and then
slipped down the rocks to the level be-
low. Following a wide circuit That led
20 the rear OF the cliff, he worked his
way gradually up to the house, using
every caution to conceal himself be
hind trees and shrubs. His theory was
that Blake would be in the front, and
by approaching from the rear he could
slip into the kitchen unobserved.
MCGEE, he reasoned, would still be at
the cave on guard duty.
He was successful in his ruse, reach
ing the rear Of the big house without
attracting attention. He tried the back
door, and finding it unlocked opened 1t
and slipped inside. The kitchen was
large, pretentiOus affair, suitable as a
workshop for large army of servants.
1t was completely deserted now, Civ
ing it forlorn, unpleasant appearance.
All the latest appurtenances for cook
ing and serving dinners and banquets
were present, but without cooks or
walters they seemed hollow mOckery.
what is a home without a cook"
Dick murmured in passing.
He entered the buffers pantry ad
and nearly ran plump into pair of
hour and dOugh-cOvered arms. Alice
Cutler, under the stress of necessity,
was making tentative experiments In
cookery, with her sleeves rolled up to
her elbows, showing a pair Of plump
arms, and a fancy boudoir cap cover
ing her head. An ample apron pro-
tected her dress. Her cheeks were
flushed to a rich carmine with small
patches Of -four and dough distributed
here and there in irregular patterns
She glanced up with startled eyes,
and then, as calmly as If meeting an
old friend. she said swell! What is
1t you want now?"
''To see you, first" he said, "and
second, to see Doctor Alster"
What do you want to see Doctor
Alster for?" she queried.
'To find out what sort af a man he
is-to see If he's for you or against
you"