Evening star., 1927-09-28
Continued from Yesterdays Starr
CHAPTER VIII.
The Night Pilot.

HANET was trapped! Sne coulu
no longer feign delirium before
the shrewd eyes of Mrs. Cariln,
~ but extreme weakness might an
swer the same purpose. enabling
her to fence for time, and anything
would be worth while to keep the
woman from the window in the event
that the message should be repeated
Some one wants to see me-? she
repeated. "Who is it, Mrs. Carlin!
mo one you know-yet; her a,,
tones were significant. When YOU
do. you'll talk fast enough. Here I've
brought you your breakfast. what IS
1t, feel weak?"
'T don't know" Janet faltered'
shrinking away from the tray with
her hands at her head. Il Just sat UP
and everything seems to be Whirhhs
around
"Well, rest a minute. I'll feed you
if YOU like" There was sucIl uhuiS
guised kindliness in her tone that the
girl stared at her in amazement. her @
Companions words in the taxi the day
before rushed back to her MIND
give it up and quit. only wish
] could"' She asked impulsively:
'Why are you so good to me-?
''Well. l like gameness when L see
It in a girl like you Mrs. Cariln al
: mitted roughly. you've given us
lot of trouble, but l don't want to be
any harder on you than I've got TO-
I never did see this rough stun lot ,
minute, but you must come -ctean'
Now eat and I'll dress you; the man
you're going to doesn't enjoy pelng
kept waiting.
Janet obeved, but did not forget TO
pretend extreme weakness as sne ulo
so, She had a very definite idea as 10
the man awaiting her and was not sur
prised when, on tottering down TO the
sitting room little later on mrs. Gar
Inns arm. she found herself eontfon;eu
by the nasterful Individual WITH
tawny hair.
He eyed her in silence as her nurse
lowered her to a hairc1oth sofa ana
then withdrew, when he drew chalr
close.
Janet Dane" he began in his deep,
compelling tones, I'm going to ask
YOU a few questions, and If you want
to leave this house again. alive, you II
answer them. Do you hear and un-
derstand?"
"Yes." Janet had come to sudden
decision. IF you'll answer one OF
mine first, I'll tell you the whole
truth; I'm sick and tired OF all TINS
horror and / wish I'd never left the
convent"
There was the unmistakable ring
OF truth in her tones and the big man
stared at her for a moment and then
uttered one word.
Shoot
Janet gathered his meaning and de-
manded:
Are YOU the--the leader of these
people who are keeping me here"
"You'v. got me!' he replied prompt.
", nodding his great head. "We'll
keep you, too. till we find out what
we're after"
'aThen III die here of old age. for
don't know what the thing is you are
talking about nor who has ever had
it, I said I'd tell you the truth and
I don't care whether you believe me
or not! ! ran away from the convent
to come home to Daddy, even though
he didn't want me for another year,
and I haven't been able to get word
to him yet. When Mrs. Carlin tried
to question me and then that Mr.:
Marriott, on board, I was afraid Ia
been found out and would have to go
back, but then when they both got
insulting made up my mind I'd find
out what they were talking about. J
haven't found out yet, even though
Mrs. Carlin threatened to kill me! !
told her lot of fibs and-and fooled
her. and then got scared"
What about Knapp" The mans
tones were OIQitiOOSiy AOACI 1iA ccAASs
decided that the time had come TO
embroider her story trif1e.
HE knew my real name, tool
wonder everybody didn't!' she re-
marked bitterly. He'd caught some
radio message the sisters had broad
cast for me and he said he knew my
father and would take me to him, that
as soon as we landed was to go out
and wait in his big maroon car for
"a 49, oI
and / think you know what's nap
pened since. II hate all of you. but
i hate that Marriott person worse!
Her questioner clasped his powerful
knees with his hands and bent Tor
ward in suddenly increased interest.
''Why?" he asked.
Because he said something against
my people, Janet exclaimed with
t,tter truth once more. "At least, he
said the idea of my running away was
clever; that it was slick work for a
convent girl, but that the blood was
in mei II could kill him. He
couldn't ever have known my mother,
and there isn't a greater man in all
the world than Daddy"
You're right, there isn't, but there
are as great" The man passed his
hand through his sandy hair and
stared at her again. You're his
daughter, there's no doubt of It! So
knapp is friend Of his, eh? I'm be-
ginning to see, but If you're telling
the truth about breaking into the
9ame blindfoId it's the-the darnedest
thing that ever happened! I'll soon
find out and till I do here you'll stay.
You don't hate Marriott any worse
than I do, young lady, and when / get
him I'll pay him back for what he
said to you"
He chuckled and Janet gained cour.
age to ask the question that had trem.
bled on her lips from the moment she
entered the room.
'Is Mr.. Knapp-dead?"
There was a pause, and then the big
man said heavily:
Hes where he'll never come back
from to try to take you away"
They had killed him. Her fathers
friend, who had tried so bravely to
help her, waiting with his life in his
hands to take her with him when he
might easily have escaped by himself.
Everything went black before her and
she sank back upon the sofa.
When Janet came back to herself
she was lying upon her bed upstairs,
her face wet with cold water, and Mrs.
Carlin rubbing her wrists. She drew
them away, her first thought being of
the watch. II it had been removed.
1t was still secure, however, and she
murmured to the woman:
Thank you, / am better now. 1t
was silly of me-"
II warned Norman" Mrs. Car
lin bit her lip and went on hastily,
cot course, you're all right, but you've
got to rest now. III darken the win
dow
She pulled down the cheap, crack
ling green shade and left the room.
boiling II behind her, and Janet lay
quietly, her mind cropping for some
thing that still eluded her. Mr.. Afford