The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-08-14
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LANE BARRETT, daughter of CASS BARRETT, an actress. meets and falls in love with VAN hOBAkD, handsome man of the world. Cass begins Lianc not to nave anything to do with him. without explaining why. MURIEI LADD, debutantc who shares Lanes duties at the thcater box ofnce at Willow Stream, l.. l., pro- fesscs to be in love with re- porter, CHUCK DESMOND, Later ene announces her engagement to hobard and hane tries to forget him. When her mother is taken seriously III on tour, Llane rusIles 70 hcr. Cass recOvers but i'm her denrium babbles of some mystery concerning the girls birth.
 COnvalcscing at MRS CLEES. FAUCETS magnificent home where Liane has been staying, Cass cnaies at being under obligation 70 her hostess. So when CLlVE CLEESPAUGH asks Liane to marry him, q marriage in name only, the girl agrees.
 TRESSA LORD, q house guest or the Cleespaughs, Is ruuc to Liane and attempts to break off the engagement. Liane is threat ened with blackmail and goes tO SHANE McDERMID, q policeman who had once bcfricndcd her, Shane scares off the blackmaiIcrs but warns the girl she has an enemy. At ball given for tine GROWN PRINCE OF SLAVARIA, Lane disappears. She is kid. naped and taken to a lonely house on the shore. During n struggle with one of her captOrs, she falls. cutting her head. Desmond, Give and McDcrmid are all hunting for ncr. Give and police officer, McHUGH, pick up the trail of a girl In a sedan. McHugh makes the girl lead the way to a house he suspects may hold Liane.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER xXVIII
 The fat woman seated herself In the other collapsing chair. h. ane watched her fearfully. She could hear the steps of the two men moving down the hall. There was 6 rumble as the voices argu- ing and a door closed. She put her hand up to her throat. Her pearls! They were still there. Odd they hadn't been taken when she faint ed. What, then, did these men want of her? The fact that they hadn't taken the pearls seemed ominous. They were not, then, ordinary thieves.
 The string of precious beads gave her an idea.
 The house was very quiet now, The room was quiet except for the unpleasant breathing of the wo- man called Molly. Liane stared at her. noting the glitter of her porcine eyes. The girl touched the pearls again. Faintly she whispered, These are worth thounands of dollars. I'll give them to you If you'll let me go."
 The woman sat quite still as if she had not heard. Only her eyes glimmered with faint, greedy light, Then she spoke again. "Pooh.' she said. Thousands of dollars. my eye!"
 Yes. yes" Liane answered eagerly. '"They can be all yours, to soil. to do what you want with. Herel" She unclasped the fasten- ing set with sapphire. She held out the milky strand. Here" she said, fixing her eyes on the woman who sat immovable as an ugly Chinese idol.
 But the other only shook her head. 'I dassen't," she said hoarsely. She looked furtively at the door. Liane sank back weak ly. It was no use trying to tempt the woman. But there must be other ways. She looked about desperately. Two windows there were, both closed and locked. The doorway with the fat woman guarding it. There must be way!
 The girl feigned drowsiness. Slunped in her uncomfortable chair she pretended to nod. The room was warm, the air stale and heavy. The fat woman, after one or two intent glances at the re- faxed form. also closed her eyes. Still and alert as any wild animal, Liane crouched in her chair. Presently the regular hum of the woman's breathing resolved itself into snores. She was asleep!
 Liane waited q minute, two, five. Then with infinite caution, her head still throbblng, her pulse sounding noisy as an alarm clock, she began softly to creep. Four steps to the door. She had passed her captor! Her heart stood still. The woman stirred ever 50 faintly. Liane remained quiet as a statue. She waited another endless 60 seconds. Then she began again softly to crawl into the hall. A board creaked ominously under her weight. Tears of illustration rose to her burning eyes. But the fates were