Evening star., 1927-10-16
Continued from Yesterdays Starr


"Anything's likely to mean trouble
that we can't see" The pessimistic re-
sponse came in young but lugubrious
tones. I'm not looking for something
to happen, but we don't want to be
surprised. If they're following our
lights, I'm going to give them some
thing to do"
BE careful of the gorge, then. when
we reach it," Mrs. Kerr cautioned, and
then sank back, evidently comprehend
ing what Three of Spades had in mind.
Janet wondered, but made no COM
ment. and for mile or more they
roared on. Then the car turned in at
4 long, low wooden house, swept around
to the rear door and halted. A light
sprang up within and footsteps sounds
ed. but before the door was opened
the chauffeur had abruptly switched
off all their lights, completed the cir
cult of the driveway, and was
on the road once more. creeping stead
lily and cautiously forward with the
engine well muffled.
The maneuver was plain then; he
had meant to give any unseen patrol
the impression that they had remained
at that desolate- looking house for the
night. but would it succeed?
Janet listened anXiously and she did
not need Mrs. kerr'S sudden pressure
on her arm to tell her of the near
approach of the mysterious machine,
for the droning stole out of the dark
ness increasing to a roar, as though it
were enraged at being balked of it's
prey. 1t was overhead now beyond
question, and three times it circled
about above before it's uproar changed
to a whining hum and gradually
ceased.
There" Mrs. Kerr exclaimed in
relief, lit was a plane. but it's gone
now
Might come back" volunteered the
gloomy parsonage at the wheel. Wed
better not take any chances by show
ing our lights"
Privately, Janet thought that their
chances of falling off the edge of the
precipitous road down into the falls
which she could hear far below them
were greater even than danger from
on high, but she Stifled her apprehen-
sion and in another hour they halted
in real earnest.
She could make out only huge bulk
looming out of the denser black of the
steep hillside. but Mrs. Kerr turned to
her reassuringly.
"Come, my dear. It's not very
cheerful place. ] am afraid, but at
least we shall be safe till morning and
a few hours will bring us to our jour-
ney's end"
Charles had jumped down to open
the dor and, as Janet stepped gin
geriy out in the wake of her COM
panion, a tiny light glimmered before
them and a door opened. revealing in
the glow the outlines of tall, stoop.
ing figure shielding a guttering cam
die, whose flame lighted up cadav
erous, hollow-eyed face.
Its Angie, Mr.. Protheroe." Mrs.
Kerr tucked her arm under that of
the girl and drew her forward.
Charles and l have brought you the
daughter of your old friend Richard
Dane"
He stepped nimbly aside.
"Come in! Come in! I'll greet you
inside! Charles. you know where to
put the car? When you're through,
the kitchen doors open." Mr.. Proth-
eroe closed the front one himself be.
hind them and held out a long, deli
cate hand that was drawn and SCARED
to Janet. "Well. little girl, we've had
for a day or two that you
might come. My friend Richards
daughter is more than welcome in
my mouse.
He spoke in an odd, high.pitched
voice and as he lighted a lamp Janet
saw that his face was even more
SCARED than his hand, and he was
denuded of eyebrows and Iashes as
well as bald, but his fine, deeply glow
ing eyes and firmly nodded lips and
Chin robbed him OF any repellent look.
With old-fashipned courtesy hefled
ner to a chair and then drew Mrs. Kerr
aside while the girl sat regarding the
room in which she found herself with
only in front, where a single window
had been cut beside the door, but
curved back in an oval semi-circle
with another door at Its deepest point
and a steep, narrow staircase showing
a tunnel-like gallery leading straight
back. 1t had evidently been burrowed
1irectly into the hillside, and Janet was
puzzling over what queer sort of char
acter this must be to live in a vault,
when O. word or two of the low
voiced conversation reached her ears.
%. Don't know where. and
we're all never before, the girl
mustn't know -. taken from him,
he SwearS can only walt"
This was all she heard, but her tired
brain was instantly on the alert.
What must she not know? It was
Mrs. Kerr who had uttered that
phrase. Could it be that she was in
reality not the friend she seemed?
The next minute she turned with a
smile nd held out her hand and Janet