Evening star., 1927-10-23
BY ISABEL OSTRANDER.

| to understand why you wanted 90
badly to have me come here tonight. :"
| Eyes" he nodded slowly. Perhaps
| we had better come to the point.
Miss Dane. you know from your new
| friends what faction / represent in
| this affair and the resources back of
them. I am not speaking Of money.
| for I'm not insulting you by suggest
| ing that you sell out your friends, but
allude to influence, power. You are
now in our hands, as you say, yet we
are willing to bargain with you. We
| offer you immunity for your father
and all his friends and absolute forget.
| fulness of past transactions if you
| will turn over to us that which you
or a confederate of yours brought to
America"
Janet could scarcely believe her
ears. They hadn't got it, after all!
That messenger had brought false
news. some one had made a desperate
blunder! But had they? What if dur
ing the period when Philip Marriott
lay unconscious some other Of his
allies had succeeded, but had been
able to inform him? They would. OF
course, take the first opportunity to
do so and if she were here?
"Mr. Marriott, I can swear to you
that it is not in my immediate posses.
sion, but what if / were to tell you
that / knew where it was? /, alone?
And what if were to tell you in the
same breath that nothing on earth
will ever persuade me to tell you or
any of your friends where 1t is put
away"
He drank some of the water she had
poured for him and she noticed with
Il l.; <.&%I 0k 1,xD
the glass down.
You realize, Miss Dane, that you
will never see your father or any OF
your friends again until you do tell
me?"
Mo- Janet laughed as she replied.
I'm not so sure of that, Mr. Marriott!
If we hadn't been taught at the con-
vent that betting was wicked I'd be
willing to wager a box of candy
against a pair of gloves, like the girl
from Denver on the ship used to
gamble on the days run, do you re.
member"
Upon my soulr' he calculated.
what are you. child, or imp or con-
summate actress? Gloves! Candy!
And a thing of such magnitude at
stake! Please try to understand this:
Give us the information we require
and when we have proved that it is
authentic you will be permitted to go.
Withhold it and you remain here, or
go where we decide to take you. Is
that quite clear?"
Perfectly. Remember, please, that
have not admitted I possessed such
information; said 'if!' You may have
much power and influence behind you,
but we're not afraid Of it. neither my
father nor his friends nor /! You
named as one of your propositions the
fact that the past transactions would
be forgotten: If I hadn't known it
had been other affairs like this in
which you hadn't altogether tri-
umphed, Mr.. Marriott! You won't sue
ceed this time, for my friends make
up in numbers and brains what they
may lack in other ways and they will
come for men
There was a confident taunting note
in her voice that seemed to sting the
man before her.
"Yet you ran from one Of them to-
day." he retorted. "You pawned a
string Of pearls and then hid your.
self away"
did I?' Janet fioundered desper.
ately for q moment and then an idea
came. "You forget that there has
been a third faction active in this
affair. If you have interfered with
one Of our plans 1t was very minor
one."
80 they're using your Marriott ex.
claimed. Using you to bait a trap
when you have already been in the
power of those wretchesv'
mo, Mr.. Marriott; am using my
own SELF" Janet spoke in perfect
truth. "You must do with me what.
ever you please, of course. but warn
you that I shall nver give you the
information you want. shall never
open my lipsr"