Evening star., 1927-09-12
CHAPTER XXVII.
And Where Was Annee

TT must be borne in mind that the
happenings in the last chapters
as we followed Chris and the
II Winstons from Gatun Locks to
government headquarters at Girls
tohal took place upon the day ana
evening which saw Anne marooned
upon the old French derelict lying
upon the shores of tho old De Lesseps
Canal. place in which even the Wild
est flight of Christopher's Imagination
could not have pictured her.
She was still there at the hour when
Chris, having reported the theft oi
the glass slipper from the safe OF the
Hotel Washington by means OF ms
forged signature in the hands OF an
unknown man, left the Zone officials
and the Winstons to fathom TINS last
additional mystery. and set torth IN a
launch to the tiny hamlet of Chagres.
lust outside the boundaries or the
Canal Zone.
And she was still on the derelict
upon the following morning when
Christopher set out up the Chages
River in another canoe, intent upon
a thorough search of that river and
OF the shores and islands of Gatun
Lake, Had her trip across Gatun
Lake been made in daylight, he might
have seen her, but by the time Anne
reached the lake the following eve
ming darkness had fallen, and now
as she sped through the night in the
rickety old automobile, bound for Bal
boa, she had no idea how near she
had been to her lover that very day
by what a slender margin she had
missed him.
Anne made no attempt to restrain
her tears. Despair had taken posses
,F I,a,. Sl,o L, 10
she was going. Doubts of Straine
were paramount once more. She was
too clear-headed a girl to believe that
so many misfortunes could have been
the result of chance. Straine had
planned these accidents. She was
alone with him and at his mercy.
Where would he take her next?
And what object had he in hiding
her away in this manner? What
did it all mean? Tired as she
was, Anne could not relax, and
leaning back against the worn leather
seat she made an effort to remember
everything that had ever happened in
connection with this man. beginning
with his arrival as her fathers as
NStant. some months before.
From the day of his coming Straine
had interested Anne. In love with
Christopher as she was, sure that she
wanted him and him only, there had
been a fascination about the older
man, a glamour. a touch of romance,
utterly lacking in her practical young
American lover. Chris was the kind
Of man one loved and married, with
whom one lived happily ever after,
while Straine was the kind with whom
one indulged in an ardent Irritation.
Anne had been so sure of herself in
fate, the captain of my soul" was her
motto, as she had ridden roughshod
over every obstacle which interviewed
between herself and her cleyerlv
planned scheme of life, confidently ex.
pecting the fates to bow to her will.
Poor Anne
Without admitting to herself, Anne
had set about Furnishing Christopher
for his outburst of temper in connec-
ton with her early-dawn visit to DR.
Sands Bachelor Club. and she had
done it SO effectually that his punish
ment had come bounding back upon
her like boomerang. She had lost
Chris, and then, still too stubborn to
acknowledge her. fault, she had en-
couraged Straine's attention, even to
the point of causing him to take pas
sage on the Hope. for Anne knew that
hesha sailed on her account. No one
could blame the man for assuming
thats she cared for him and would
eventually marry him, and at last
Anne was honest enough to face the
truth. Everything that had happened
had been her fault and hers alone,
and she must face the punishment.
Still, no matter how honest you are
with yourself, it's terrible thing to
he torn from the man you really love
and whisked away into the depths of
an unknown land.
AS the drive continued Anne rallied
her courage, drying her tears and
planning for her next move After
all, it was be best to pretend to be-
lieye in Victor Straine, and she began
to talk to him once more. trying to
subdue her feelings of distrust.
Victor, won't it be just as embar
RAISING for us TO enter a hotel in Bal
boa as it would have been in Cristo-
bal?"
I've thought of that" His hand
reached out and took hers into n
tight hold. But I'm fortunate. Anne.