Evening star., 1927-11-07
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Starr

With a wave of his hand he chucccd
off down the road and Afford turned
TO the aviatOrS, while Janet curled
herself up as we'll as she able in the
ear. 'Fhe medicine which the amhu-
lance surgeon had given her WAS
taking effect at last. numbins her fac
'l!ties in spite OF the increased throb.
binS of hcr broken arm and the dart
ing pains across her forehead, and
presently she dOzed off
When she awakened the first faint
strcaks Of dawn were in the east, but
in the semi-cloom she saw two flGurpS
on the front seat of the car with their
heads close together and cautiously
pushed down from about hcr ears the
blanket with which Afford had COW
cred her in order the better to lstch.
Breath. vestry feet dead city
eye -" II was Durants voice
and he was reading aloud the lrSt
words of the cipher MESSAGE She nlu
stolen from Philip Marriott lie mad
succeeded, then. in his mission. QUO
they discover the key to the code?
Janet held her breath. but he went
on: mo wonder she couldn't read it,
It's clear case of word substitution.
and without the duplicate list we IL
never he able to make it out. If Mat
riott doesn't carry it about with hlm.
it must he among his papers at IN"
house there. and I'll have TO RISK
another trip
Not until tonight. any way" Afford
Interrupted but it's morning already
| wonder where that imp Nat Is
One of the flyers told me something
interesting. They all look on Nat as
a queer bird here. but they don sus-
10
urally. This chap said that when the
nhone call came for Nat Tuesday
morning at dawn he was wild with
excitement and they saw him load
revolver and stick it into his hip pock-
ct. but most of them go armed on
long flights, ] believe, and he shipped
all The oil and gas he could carry.
What do YOU make of it,
'srhat he's gone off on some notion
Of his own; none Of our crowd sent tor
him." Durant paused, and TO her re-
lief Janet heard the rustic of the
naper as he folded the cipher. Then /
he added: You don't think he could /!
possibly have heard anything?
There isn't chance. We feared /
il. YOU know. but not the worst, and /
now it looks hopeless
They were talking about her father. |
she knew. In spite OF their attempts
TO reassure her. they were themselves
convinced that Normans boast had
been no idle one.
There he is" One of the aviators !
ran toward him. pointing upward and
to the south. There's Mats plane |
now
Forgetting that she was supposed
to be still asleep, Janet sat up eagerly
and stared into the slowly tightening
dot that seemed to hang motionleSS.
"Oh, you're awake. Miss Dane"
Durant had turned at her movement. |
This chap says Nat is coming"
Il heard him." Janet replied |
''When did you return? Did you man.
age TO get in the house,"
Yes. 1t was as neat burglars |
job as professional could have done, |
IL do say it, He grinned and held |
out the packet to her. Think I'd like |
to keep this second paper for little |
il you'll trust me with il. Afford and |
! want 10 see if we can decipher it. |
"Of course, hut please he very care |
full OF it .Ianet's heart sank. but |
she was forced to reply with sem
hlance of cordiality. 'Of course, it |
may he nothing of Importance. but / |
don't want to lose it,
The specll in the sky was growing |
larger now and its motion was per- |
ceptible as il dipped and rose. but /
came ever nearer. Could it really be |
Nat? She didn't know why his COM |
ing should arouse such anticipation in |
her mind: he might not be able to tell |
her anything more than Afford or |
Durant about whom her father would |
have trusted. but she hoped for more
from his unguarded speech than from
the studied reserve which these two,
good friends as they were, appeared
to have adopted toward her.
The sun peercd over the edge of the
world Just as the circling object in the
air resolved itself into a thing of wide
spread wings and touched one of the
planes with a glistening ray and Janet
caught her breath. A group of other
flyers had gathered TO watch the de-
scent and Afford returned to her.
It's Nat. beyond a doubt. Durant
bring him over here at once and keep
those fellows away. We want to hear
what he's got 10 say for himself"
The pane came on rapidly now and
the roaring of its engine grew deafen-
ing. Then it was suddenly shut off
and lightly the machine gIided to the
ground, taxing toward them. Janet
saw the hunched figure leap like
gnome from the carriage, his dark
face shining as he removed the he'll
imet and Durant approached. Nat ges.
3ticulated wildly as he talked. and all
at once his excitement appeared to
communicate itself to Durant, for the
Halter pointed toward the car and
3--.----