The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-06-06

u neat pdCkdBS WIdPRSO IA WAASc
paper and tied round with green
cord. The library next, to return
the Angela Thirkell book, wild
Strawberries" What a delight
full book 1t had beenl So light
and gay and easy, and with the
love affair resolving itself so
simply into happiness. II only
life were a little more like that!
She sighed, turning to go. Two
rather bulky men, In stiff city
clothes, stood aside to let her
pass. They were frankly strangers
in Innicock where you knew every
one, from the man who swept
the streets and rejoiced in the
simple name OF christmas" to
the boys who sold the daily paper.
Katharine was aware Of them
now only as figures blocking her
path. But as one of them spoke
of the boy behind the soda coun-
ter, a name broke into her con-
seriousness. Michael's name.
Drawn by curiosity she
could not explain or deny, Kathar-
inc loitered at the weighing
machine. apparently intent only on
the black numerals which slid into
sight as she stepped upon 1t and
dropped a penny into the slot. But
her eyes sought out the face of the
elder man, a smooth shaver, rud-
dy face under the stiff straw hat.
'Feller who calls himself Mi
chael Heatheroe," drawled this in
dividual. where's the postoff1ce.
buddy? Maybe we can get the
information there" The soda
boy was shaking his head in the
negative. No, he hadn't heard of
Michael Heatheroe
Katharine, biting her lips, shift
ing her package from one hand
to another, was conscious Of a
queer lightness in her head. The
gray-haired man showed his de-
tective's badge out of sight again.
Detectives-after Michael!
She was never certain after
ward how she got there-she did
not remember pushing open the
swinging door and emerging from
the GOODNESS of the drug stores
interior to the oven that was the
pavement. But she was in her
car, her foot on the starter, be-
fore the -jawed man, the
younger of the pair, came out into
the street, staring up and down
and finally occurring to his COM
panion toward the poctoffice half
a block away.
Then she was in traffic, her
small brown shoe pressing down
hard, hard on the accellerator.
Out the River Road, library and
English novel and rolls for lunch-
con completely forgotten. Ber-
tine had said, rather ENORMOUSLY,
to hurry back. But Katharine
could not bother about Berthe
now. If you had a friend and
he was in trouble you did some
thing about it, didn't you?
She did not argue 1t out; she
was not aware of any problem
needing to be decided. 1t was
as simple as this. If Michael
were in danger, and she knew OF
it, why then she must warn him.
She had always known, in the
back of her brain, that there was
some mystery about Michael. But
whatever he had been or done, he
wasn't to be caught like rat in
a trap. Those hard-faced men
with the badges should have no
thing to do with him.
house without turning her head.
There were two white flashes on
the lawn that she assumed to be
Sybil and Diana, but Katharine
dared not take her eyes Off the
road even to wave. Any moment
the men would be turning out of
Innicock's main street to find the
winding roads that ran back of
the hills to the riding school. Any
A low-slung. black car passed
like a streak and for a moment
Katharine's heart plunged again in
fear. But the driver was only slip
of girl in checked red Bingham,
with her wild curls flying in the
breeze.
Katharine turned into the lane;
there were already one or two
cars parked there. Tips came out
of the stable, with a look of sur
prise for her.
"Mr. Heatheroe about?"
II think SO. II you'll wait just
O minute, miss :"
Her relief was SO great that her
knees began to tremble. II he
had been out on the bride path
however would she have got the
news to him?
Tips disappeared. Katharine
got out of the car, her ears strain
ing nervously for the sound of a
following motor on the lane. The
postoffice might be busy-oh, dear
God, make the clerks very busy
Hello, there"
His gay voice, his easy voice
And the well remembered laugh
ter lines about his eyes.
michael, can we talk some
place? Away from here. mean
Quickly"
"The house?" His cool eyes
would have abashed her II she had
not been so terribly intent.
mo. not the house." she al
most shrieked. ''Clear away
Look. it's frightfully important
You're in danger"
"I?\ What's wrong?" He did
not have the air of guilty man
but then you never could tell.
"Get into my car" She threw
hurried look over her shoulder.
"I can tell you there. They'll be
coming any minute"
He opened the door for her. and
she flung herself in. She had the
engine running. triumphantly.
"Come along" she cried. "Hur-
ry."
He was in the seat beside her.
She was out of the lane and away.
winding up the road away from
the town.
Ito Be Continued)