Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-07
LADY SLIPPER
BY Ella WiSter HaineS
Author of ~MYTERIOUS SWEETHEART"
CoDvrIRht IU-" Iho"DSOn Fta'uFs SeFVcs INC


cried. reckoning to him languidiy.
I'm SO glad you've come. / was just
waiting here for you and dear little
Anne. I'm lost without her. l counted
on meeting her here. My poor Aubrey
has wandered off somewhere. he had
two of the most awful looking native
tanners in here with him for dinner.
it positively made me i'll. and II ne
could Just see Anne he'd forget about
them again I know. Do you think you
could find him? Would you mind look
ing around?" and she paused for
breath.
are II sure : lie isn't here"
christopher ignored the rest OF her
rigamarole, his hopes sinking once
more.
Didn't you come in on the tug
with herr" Mrs. Winston asked. Il
thought you were together.
II lost her this morning" Chris re.
piled briefly. but I'm going to find
her again before ] close my eyes this
night. As for your precious son. he II
be along directly" and without wait
ing for further protests he hurried
over to the desk. questioning the
clerks again, hoping against hope
that Anne might after all have slip
ped in unnoticed by Mrs. Winston.
But Anne had not arrived, and
forced to admit defeat. Chris was
about to &c to headquarters for help
when Winston appeared, alone, and
after a word with his mother APP
preached Christopher.
"Now then" he said. his business
like maner again to the fore, I'm
through with that monkey business, l
took those women down there to lead
off the Russian. never dreaming you'd
have lost the trail. There is not a
second to lose, Dahlgren, l haven't
time now to explain. but I'm hunt
ing the Russian outfit as eagerly as
you are hunting Anne, and We'll
search for the two together. Get over
to headquarters and wait for me;
don't keep anything back from the
officer in charge. This Is q serious
government affair and We'll go to the
bottom of it,"
'All right, but you understand that
all the de Veres in creation are moth
ing to me! They can go to Guinea,
I'm after my girl and I'm going TO
find her before the sun rises or blow
up this whole Zone higher than Gil
roy's kite,' And Christopher was out
of the lobby, into another cab and
rushing to headquarters, in search of
How could he set about a search at
this hour of the night, he asked him.
self? He was convinced that Anne
had never reached either CriStobal or
the Gatun Locks. 1t was possible
that she had been obliged to take
shelter in that tiny hamlet of Cha
gres, but far more likely that they had
attempted to reach the Locks by
canoe up the river, in the same man.
ner as Christopher and the Winstons
had travelled, falling through some
unknown reason, either accidental or
premeditated, to reach her destina-
ton.
He communicated these fears to
three officials and the first officer of
the S. S. Hope. also the man called
Helmer who awaited him at head
quarters. and had just finishing advis.
ing Prof. Morris of Anne's disappear
ance. by cable, when Winston and his
mother arrived.
please introduce us TO Dahlgren.
Winston said to- the government Off
GERS, he doesn't know whether we're
| crooks or escaped inmates of lunatic
asylum
Mr.. Dahlgren." said the official
with whom Chris had conferred
earlier in the day, MIR. and Mrs
Winston are attached to our Secret
Service. They have brought us word
of the happenings upon the ship S. S.
Hope, among whose passengers they
mingled in an official capacity and un-
der disguise. We did not inform the
officers of the Hope OF their presence.
although Winston took The captain
into his confidence before going
ashore. Their business is important,
but the disappearance of Miss Morris
is something which must give prec-
'edence to everything else. for we cam
not allow a young girl to be lost at
night upon the Zone without making
every effort to locate her. We'd like
to have you tell us what you know
about this man Straine who attempted
to bring the girl into Gatum Locks
ahead of the rest of the party. Have
you any reason to think he was try
ing to get her away from the others?
What could have been the object of
his taking such a risk?"
He's in love with her." said Chris
bluntly, land / am his rival. That's
reason enough for his taking her
away from me. 1 guess. He's been
trying to do that all along"
II see. He was known to you be-
fore sailing on the Hope?"
''Oh yes, he's been working for Miss
Morris father, the electrical wizard
you know"
He is an Englishman?"
Il believe so. Don't know him
we'll"
THE officer of the Hope" he In.
clined his head toward the man,
tells me that he was anxious to
marry Miss Morris on shipboard
1t is possible that he has persuaded
her to marry him here on shore, and
we are having thorough search
made, both in Cristobal and Colon,
and have telephoned to Balboa, Gatun
and Panama City. They must have
gone to one of these places, and no;
by boat, for every passenger taken
between Canal points today has been
accounted for"
Chris WINGED at the mans sugges-
ton that Anne might have gone off
to marry his rival, but his reply was
calm enough.
I've been wondering If they might
for any reason, have stayed over at
Chagres?"
Hardly, for there would be no
reason for keeping a girl in such an
uncomfortable place when civiliza-
ton is so near. Chagres is not in the
Canal Zone, nobody would want to
stop there"
Perhaps not, but if she is not
found here within an hour and no
news Is received from the other end
of the Zone I'm going to hire a
launch and go around to Chagres!
Then If l don't find her there I'll wait
till daylight and go up the river again.
searching the shores of Gatun Lake.
I'll ask you TO keep in touch with
Prof. Morris and Mr.. Kean of my
paper" he wrote the address as he
spoke. I've notified them of Anne's
and if I know anything
about them they'll sail on the next
ship. If you get word they're sailing
will you use the wireless freely, adj