Evening star., 1927-11-06
CHAPTER .XLVIII.
The Ace Brings News.

81 actually here?" Janet fall
D Yes. or rather. he was
this evening, earlier. That
explains how the Carlin woman picked
up your trail tonight" Durant de-
clared suddenly. "They must have
discovered before that Marriott used
that house as his headquarters and
when you escaped with the English
maid from the island Norman con.
cluded that she would take you there
and issued orders to have it watched.
What did you tell her for, Alford?"
He had turned to the other man. in
dicating Janet, and Afford shook his
head,
There has been too much secrecy
toward Miss Dane in this affair about
matters that are beside the main
point; that's what has made her act
on her own initiative more than once.
rather than trust u.s." he said. She's
got remarkably cool, level head on
her young shoulders and she has
earned the right to know what posi-.
BILE complications may arise yet before
u.s."
Janet was glad that the dash lamp
did not illuminate her face, for she
could feel it burn. If he knew that
she was keeping silent now on a mat
te. that was Of vital moment to him
and all the rest! To cover her con-
fusion she remarked hastily:
II do want to know! Please tell me
about Norman"
There isn't much to tell" Durant
was still reluctant. HE drove through
the village alone in a great dusty
touring car just at twilight and took
the road out to the lane. A little later
plane sWooped down somewhere
near that cottage of his and rose
again, but several were out from the
big general flying field here till after
dark, SO we can't be sure it wasn't
one Of them forced to iand for a min.
ute or two. Sawyer reported an hour
ago that the cottage was dark and ap-
peared to be as deserted as when
you went there last night"
OF course, Sawyer had told them.
Why hadn't she thought of that?
Miss Dane" Alfred asked over his
shoulder. why did you go there?"
Janet was in quandary. Durant
had spoken of the finding of Bill's
body as though he hadn't known she
discovered it; did both he and Afford
suspect the truth, the real object
of her nocturnal visit?
DCCduSt, lIOII
said on the island, I thought a mes.
sage had come here for him that we
ought to see before he did, she re.
piled, remembering the excuse she had
given Sawyer on the previous eve-
ming, and then improvised desperate.
ly: 1T was something about IA new
headquarters for your faction, and
May Carlin had put the message up.
stairs in what he called the usual
place for him to find when he came.
l thought he meant in that disused
room, for I'd heard some one moving
about in there while / was shut up in
the house, but as ! passed the open
door Of the room where Bill was ly-
ing / saw his body and then May
Carlin came--but you know all that
from Mr.. Sawyer, don't you?"
1t sounded rather lame, she knew,
and she waited anxiously for reply
Durant was silent again and Afford
spoke in reserved tone.
Yes. He told us all that you had
told him."
The implication was unmistakabie
and Janet turned to the man at her
side.
You know about my father, then;
that he--he has been murdered?"
NoriidH SdIu ~ TO you, MISS Dane,
but we have no proof of 1t and we
have not for a moment given up hope
that he'll reappear. Durant answered
promptly now. NAT hasn't returned
to the hangar yet, or hadn't an hour
or so ago, and none Of the crowd
seems to know whose orders he was
acting under when he took the plane
up at dawn yesterday. so he may bring
news YotI must discount ayarvtbipC
that's been told you by both Norman
and Marriott. remembering their mo.
tive"
II know that" Janet retorted bit.
terly, remembering how completely
she had believed in Marriott. 81 can't
help feeling that Norman told the
truth. though, about my father. :
shall never see him again.
Miss Dane, If you didn't find that
message in the cottage last night it is
too late, now that Norman has re-.
turned, but you should have told Saw.
yer everything, SO that one of us
might have gone after it in time.