Evening star., 1927-09-25

/
as a nice little girl should, you'll be
quite comfortable, but If you strug'
| gle-try 1t and seer'
The young man called "Bill'' had
| dexterously twisted about her wrists
soft, silky thong which bound them
crossed one over the other, and only
when, instinctively. she strained to
force them apart did the band stretch
and cut into her soft flesh. When the
sharp pain made her relax, the band
widened and became soft once more,
but Janet loathed its smooth touch.
The handkerchief was whipped from
her mouth and at the same instant
broad white ribbon was passed be.
| tween her parted lips and tied
securely behind her head, and Mrs.
Carlin produced a thick, dark blue
veil and pinned it over her hat as
Bill took his place at the wheel once
more.
Janet found herself as securely
gagged and bound as though tied with
ropes, and short of flinging her body
against the door with a force that
would break 1t from its hinges and
hurl her headlong into the roadway,
there was to be no escape for her.
Tears Of rage and modification filled
her eyes, but she winked them back
furiously. These despicable people
should never have the satisfaction of
making her weep, no matter what
tortures and indignities they inflicted
upon her!
Then fresh thought came and in
spite of the pain she moved her right
hand until her fingers could touch the
wrist of her left. Thank heaven the
watch was safe and unharmed! It's
gray ribbon was at least an inch
above the thong that bound her and
1t had either escaped the notice of her
captors or they did not dream its
significance.
They had passed out Of the park
and through many crowded streets to
great bridge where their pace had
slackened to a mere crawl. Janet.
through the thick meshes of her veil,
could descry the waving black plumes
of a heaHse and the long line of
coaches which followed II. then a row
of trucks headed with produce and
interspersed with pleasure cars. some
Of the latter heaped with Spring
blossoms, and from far below them
came the shrill whistling blasts of
river craft, but her long exile had
left her no memories other than the
shadowed ones Of Daneholm and she
could no longer think clearly
No food had passed her lips since
early breakfast on board the Sudanic
and she had scarcely touched it then,
so great had been her anxiety, but
now she felt a growing faintness
creeping over her and her will to
combat it seemed gone.
Only one idea rema ined clear in
her clouding brain; that little wrist
watch with its hands pointing to Z
had brought aid to her on the high
seas and from the least anticipated
quarter. 1t had not failed her. even
though her adversaries had been too
strong. and it would not fail her now:
she had only to be patient, and wait!
Nothing else would matter. she
might suffer. but in the end help
would come! The woman beside her,
the man who was driving them far
into the unknown, faded alike into
insignificance; she must only remem.
Der the words: "It was always ~
They had crossed the bridge now
and passed from asphalt to- cobble- |
stones. from stones to the soft earth |
of q country road, but Janet had sunk |
deeper into iethargy. She felt no
pain nor hunger now. only a curious
droning noise hummed against her
deadened ears from above and she
fancied she heard vast huttering, as
of the wings Of some gigantic bird.
Then 1t passed and she drifted into
unconsciousness.
When once more she came to her
self it was slowly, with a soft refresh.
ing breeze blowing full upon her face,
and through the opened window
everything seemed shrouded in a
misty dusk through which, at far dis.
tant intervals, faint lights cleaned.
Her lips seemed wet and all at once
she realized that the sitting gag was
gone.
You're all right now?" Mrs. Car.
Inns voice sounded rather anxious be-
side her. Scream your head of IL
you want to! That's why the veil and
ribbon are gone-there's no one to
hear you for miles,
II shall not-scream," Janet re.
piled family. 'Have-have you any
water?"
Better than thatr' Relief made
her speak almost cordially. 1.-THE car
was all stocked, but we couldn't stop
Bill. we're going to eat!'
She added the last through the
speaking tube, then opened a lunch.
box at her feet. Janet suddenly re-
her own small walrus bag,
which she had clung to in her hasty
exit from the maroon car and which
had still been beside her when Mrs.
Carlin precipitated herself into the
taxi, and glancing down she saw that
it was on the floor before the door.
Had 1t been ransacked during her
unconsciousness? 1t contained moth.
Ing OF value to any one else, nothing
but momentos Of her brief trips with
the sisters and of convent days-and
her fathers letters!
The thought of them chilled her
blood, for although they were merely
expressions of paternal affection,
couched in the terms Of a man unused
to such q mode Of revealing his feel
ings, they were sacred to her. They
must not fall into the hands Of his
enemies, IL these were the enemies
Mr.. Afford had started to declare
them at the moment when the car
swervAd.
There was no opportunity to deter
mine their safety now, however, and
in spite Of her renewed perturbation
Janet ate ravenously Of the sand.
wiches which Mrs. Carlin fed to her,
and eagerly drank the hot coffee from
the vacuum jug held to her lips.
Her hands were still bound and
quite numb now from the enforced
rigidity of their position, but the food
had revived her and as dusk deepened
to darkness. her companions glanced
quickly at a crossroads as they few
by at increased speed and announced
in tone Of undisguised relief:
Almost there! We won't even
have to light upr'
Janet closed her eyes to mere Sits
and leaned back as though fatigue
were overcoming her, but in reality
she was scanning the landscape in
the gloom, seeking objects TO guide
hAr ShOI1ld NraU Of aacara offar.