Evening star., 1927-10-22
CHAPTER XXXII.
Behind the Oak Doors.

4 AZ 1 Il
| between herself and the
apartment house from
which she had escaped. Janet walked
on quickly without backward glance.
Had she looked over her shoulder she
| would have seen another taxi with the
/ same golden-haired woman inside who
had followed from the yacht club, but
it would have suggested nothing to
her.
She had decided to ride on some
street car or bus as far as 1t would
| take her, and then another and an.
| other till she came to locality where
| she could get a modest room and lose
herself in obscurity after sending out
a wireless call for her father, but for
all this she would require money. Be-
fore leaving the house she had taken
the string Of pearls with it's pendent
| watch from her neck and dropped
them into her pocket and on reaching
the avenue with the elevated road and
seeing 1t lined with small shops Of evil
IDENTIFY humble patronage she turned
into the first next the corner.
1t was a miniature drygoods store,
and the woman behind the counter
proved both sympathetic and helpful.
Yes. there were places where people
| could borrow money on a bit of jew.
elry II 1t was real; pawnshops they
| were called, and there were plenty
around there, one every few blocks.
Look for three gilded balls hanging
| over the door.
Janet thanked her and went in
search of such an establishment, find.
ing one with little difficulty. The
pawnbroker, a grizzled little man, eyed
| her with a suspicion that made her
quail when she laid the pearls before
him, but long experience had made
| him a keen Judge Of human nature
and her gentle speech as we'll as her
air Of unmistakable breeding assured
him that he was dealing with no
crook.
II would like to know how much
money you will allow me to borrow
from you, leaving these as security"
The unusual phraseology for trans
| action in his sordid shop brought a.
faint smile to his thin lips and he
picked up the string, examining the
pearls more for effect than anything
| else. for glance had shown him that
they were worth several thousand. at
least.
Well, they air. such a good grade,
and polls amt n. demand now, either. "
he temporized. II guess maybe I
could let you have 500 ON 'em, but not
a cent more"
Five hundredi Surely that was
much moro than she would require!
To his surprise Janet beamed upon
him.
"Oh, that's awfully kind of YOU,
You see, I want it for only a day or
two, just till my-my brother gets
here. Thank you ever SO muchr'
What manner"
This was a contingency she had not
anticipated, but a convent friend from
England leaped to her mind and she
replied without hesitation:
"Sibyl Crabtree."
With the ticket and roll of bills
which he handed her she hurried from
the shop and within half an hour had
metamorphosed her appearance. In a
sort, gray cape and ribbon.trimmed
hat with a veil, gloves and handbag of
the same neutral color and a simple
silk gown beneath, she rode for hours
about the city, changing from one
public conveyance to another until, al.
most dazed, she was sure she had left
the vicinity Of Park avenue miles be.
hind.
Alighting at last in an old.fashioned
quarter, evidently fast falling into
decay. Janet saw that almost every
house bore placards in the windows
announcing rooms for rent. She en-
tered the first Of these and negotiated
with the sour.faced landlady for the
third-floor ballroom for a week.
The woman accepted ten dollars and
then shifted suspiciously. Where's
your baggage?"
1--WE just a bag" Janet smiled
| upon her. you see, I only came
from the country for a few days and
I left it at the station. I'll bring it
when come back"
The room was shabby and none too
clean and Janet shuddered as she left
the mouse to seek an Office from
| whence she might send her wireless
call. She passed taxi standing Just
few doors below, a taxi that with
untiring patience had followed her
every move, but she did not glance
| at the woman inside, nor know that
1t had turned again to trail in her
wake.
The message sent, Janet's spirits
rose and she entered a modest res.
taurant for q belated and hearty
lunch, procuring some fruit and sand
wiches 80 that she would not have to
| go out again at nightfall, and with
stack of newspapers returned to her
uninviting room to while away the
time as best she could.
Could all the exciting events Of the
past week have gone unnoticed by
the press? Janet opened the news
papers, eagerly scanning them one by
one, but It seemed that although tri.
vial local accidents were reviewed
with the most minute detail. the SEN
| sational happenings which had &C.
companied her fight from Daneholm