Evening star., 1927-12-08

Locke caught her as she fell. gath
cred her in his arms and carried hel
to a couch. She had tainted. AS he
looked hurriedly around fer some
means of reviving her, Capt. Francis
Newcombe spoke at his elbow.
Permit me-" said Capt. Francis
Newcombe. He was proffering the
water in a flower vase from which
he had thrown out the flowers.
Mechanically, Locke took it and be-
gan to sprinkle the girls face.
TOO badv' said Capt Francis
Newcombe pleasantly. "Er-hardly
necessary, I fancy, for me to explain
my sudden departure for England
to her-what? I'll say au revoir
1ocke-merely au revoir. We may
meet again. Who knows-ln another
four years! And I'll leave you to
make my adieus to Miss Marlin"
Locke made no reply.
The door closed. Capt. Francis
Newcombe was gone.
Pollv stirred now on the couch. Her
eyes opened, rested for an instant on
Locke's, then circled the room in
strange, quick, fascinated way, as
though fearful of what she might
see. vet still impelled to look.
"He-he's gomez" she whispered.
eyes" Locke answered softly.
Don't try to talk, Polly"
She shook her head. A smile came,
bravely forced.
tt saw him from downstairs-on
the lawn coming toward the house,
she said. after a little while when
he did not come in l went down to
find him. I did not see him any
where and-and / walked along the
veranda and / heard your voices in
here-heard something you were
saying. II was close to the door
then-and-somehow II couldn't
move-and-I wanted to cry out
and I couldn't. And--and l heard
--all. And then I felt myself sway
ikg against the window. and some
how 1t gave way and-and"
She turned her face away and
buried 1t in her hands.
Something subconscious in Locke's
mind seemed to be at work: He was
staring at the French window. 1t
had given way. 1t hadn't any socket
for the bolt at top or bottom. Strange
it should have been that window! He
brushed his hand across his eyes.
Polly" he said tenderly, and,
kneeling, drew her to him until her
head lay upon his shoulder.
And then her tears came.
And neither spoke.
But her hand had crept into his
and held 1t tightly, like that of a
tired and weary child who had lost
it's way-and found it again.
Newcombe, in the stern of a small
motor boat, drew his flashlight from
his pocket and consulted his watch.
Five minutes aftery2. He nodded his
head in satisfaction. Just right!
And the night was just rlght-1ust
cloudy enough to make the moon
light an ally rather than a foe. 1t
disclosed the island there looming
up ahead now perhaps a mile away;
it would not disclose so diminutlve a
thing as this little motor boat out
here on the water creeping In toward
the shore.
The boat was barely large enough
to accommodate the baggage, plied
forward. and still leave room for
Runnells and himself. Also the boat
leaked abominably; also the engine
not only decrepit, but in bad repair
was troublesome and spiteful. Capt
Francis Newcombe shrugged his
shoulders. The engine was Runnells
lookout; that was why, as matter
Of fact, Runnells was here at all
AS for the rest, what did it matter
The boat had been bought for the
mainland, and it was good enough
to serve its present purpose.
Again he changed his position, but
his eyes narrowed now as they fixed
on Runnells' back. Runnells sat
amidships where he could both nurse
the engine and manipulate the little
steering wheel at his side. Runnells
was a necessary evil He, New
combe, did not know how to run the
TTSH- L L. l. III
to bring Rannells along, and there
fore Runnells would participate after
all in the old FOOLS half million
temporarily. Afterward-well. there
were so many things that might hap
nen when Runnells had lost his
present usefulness!
Runnells spoke up abruptly.
Its pretty hard to make out any
thing ashore" he said; "but if we've
hit it right we ought to be just about
heading for little above the boat
house. Can you pick up anything? p
Nothing but the outline of the is
land against the sky" Capt. Francis
Newcombe answered. Were too ia,
OFT yet"
Runnells' sequence Of thought was
obviously irrelevant and disconnected
1.-The blinking swine." he mutteret
savagely. stripped to the pelt anG
searched, I was-and you, too. And
kicked ashore like a dog. Gawd, its
too bad they amt going to know
they'll have had the trick turned OF
'em after all! I'd give good bit o.
my share to see Locke's face if HI
knew. He wouldn't think himsel
such a willy bird, maybe!"
you're a bit Of fool, Runnells,
xaid Capt. Francis Newcombe shortly
His train of thought had been in.
terrupted. Runnells had suggested
snother-Locke. Capt. Francis New
conbe's hands clenched suddenly
fiercely in the darkness. Locke! Som,
day, somewhere-butn not now; not un
tilSAN@ cA-ss~ and months, yes. eve,
wears, IL necessary, were past an'
rome, and Locke had forgotten Capt
Francis Newcombe, and Scotlan,
Yard had forgotten--he would NEE
Locke again.
And when that time came Their
would be no ammunition wasted a
there had been in that damned thicke
that night Locke The fool doubles
thought that he had been completed.
master of the situation and of Capt
francis Newcombe-even to the eS
tent of obliterating Capt. Franci
Newcombe. Well, perhaps he had!
was quite true that the clubs of Lor
don, and, yes, Tor instance, the charm
ing old Earl of Cloverly, would knoy
capt. Francis Newcombe no more
hut Shadow Varne still lived, an
shadow Varne with half million do
Iars. even in new environment
v,berever it might be, did not presen
en- drear and uninviting a prospec
ia ha. Locke! Locke could wait
+bat was a pleasure the future hel
An store. What counted now, the onl
thing that counted, was getting tn
money actually into his possession
that. and the assurance that the ira
was smothered and lost behind hin
We'll. the former was only a matter o
saw. an hour or so at the most nov
and the latter left nothing to be d.
sired, did it?
11I xr,ffh 10 Al