Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-17
By Edgar Wallace.

returned to the living room, where Anna
was waiting They stood looking al
each other in silence.
II don't know what to think" SAID
Lila at last. 1T seems almost impos-
sible that he should be such terrible
man. / can't even feel afraid OF him
Surely he's as helpless as We are"
Anna shook her head.
mo, he isn't. All I've told you is
! true. There are SO many things I re-
member only dinly, but every word !
have heard since they took me from
that house by the river is here" She
laid her thin hand on her forehead.
"And I'm not stupid now, Lila {.
was looking at myself in the mirror
a moment ago and it made me feel sick
to see what I had become. It is as II
have been turned from girl into an
old woman All the years between los
ing and finding you are like a moment.
There's hymn with line like that
it used to be my ladys favorite--'A
thousand ages in Thy sight :! I
suppose went of my head when lost
you"
Don't talk about that, please" Lila
took Annals hand in hers and patted it.
What are we going to do, Anna?"
"You still think I'm a little mad,
| don't you, darling? You think made
up all this story about your being rich
and Lady Pattison and the fire and
everything?"
Lila shook her head.
at don't think you're mad at all, I
believe every word you say. It is diff
believe that you are speaking the truth.
The hardest thing to understand Is
about Mr.. Oaks-that he's one Of the
india rubber mem"
"He is! He isl" said the woman We
hemently. "You only think of him as
silly little fool who believes he can
sing, but I've seen big men cringe be-
fore him. That captain was so humble
in his presence that even I was
ashamed. One night heard them talk
ing about marriage, but didn't realize
that 1t was you they were discussing"
"Me2" gasped Lila.
Anna nodded emphatically.
"They never mentioned your name.
They were sitting in the cabin of the
barge and they let me out of my room
to have my food. Because they thought
I was mad they took no notice OF ME.
The captain jeered at me, but Golly
never 1eered. He was looking at me as
If he were wondering whether 1t would
be good idea to put me out Of the
way then and there"
ooh, don't-don't!" shuddered Lila.
"Anna, you make my blood run cold"
The Woman's arm went around her.
you'll think I must still be little
crazy to frighten you so, my pet. But
I'll be sensible. He told me to be! Now,
let us see If we can get the rest Of that
wallpaper off,"
eve bolted the door," said Lila. eff
he comes back we'll hear him."
It was Lila who had discovered, be-
hind strip of wallpaper, small Sec
ton of printed notice, over which the
paper had been hung. At some period
there had been pasted on the walls of
every floor of the building certain no.
tices that set forth the county council
regulations for the safeguarding of
workmen. Lila, of course, did not know
that the building had been used as a
munitions factory, but when she drew
Annals attention to the little scrap Of
printing, the old woman saw its sig
nificance.
The fear Of interruption had made
her defer the uncovering of the notice
until later in the evening, but now
they dabbed water on the wallpaper
until it was soaked and then, with the
greatest of care, they scraped 1t away
until the notice was fully revealed. Lila
read it aloud:
I'm case of fire, emergency squad will
stand by hydrantS and all other en-
ployes will pass in an orderly manner to
the lower floor. In case of fire on the
lower floor or in the basement, pull