Evening star., 1941-05-05

out, an hysterical cry that was al
most scream.
A voice came across the water.
Man! Nan, is that you?" David's
voice And she answered, David
=. David!"
After that it was but a minutes
wait until the two boats bumped
sides. There was a little scuffle on
deck, loud arguing voices, then the
cabin door was unlocked, thrown
wide and David stepped over the
threshold.
Are you all right, Nan?"
Nan went to him, felt his arm
slip about her. She said, Yes, all
right, David" And laughed broken
ly. Historically. Yes, she was quite
all right when David's arm was
about her. :.
The brilliant tropic sun above San
Juan dissolved the city's touch OF
lingering mystery and brought back
exotic charm. The harbor was crys-
tai blue, the boats upon it serene
at anchor, and the mountains be-
yond were beautiful. 1t was peace
full, and seemed to say that terror
had been an illusory thing. Merely
a nightmare, an ugly dream.
Nan turned from the balcony
windows as Davids knock sounded.
She crossed her sitting room and
opened the door. He said. Hello,
Man." in a restrained way, and that
restraint made Mans wildly beating
heart sink.
He looked at her closely, anxious
ly, then went to the sofa and made
a slow thing of lighting cigarette.
Like man with burdened thoughts.
Nan took a chair facing him, sat
looking at him. She knew despair;
it was a panic such as she had once
known as a child on becoming lost
from her mother in a crowd. That
was how it felt to love, hopelessly.
David Is Remote.
David had been solicitous last
night, in a big-brother fashion.
Rushing her ashore. to the hotel,
thinking she suffered shock. Now
he was remote, beyond reach. He
had come merely to explain.
1T was Mark Derringer," he said.
"He was behind the whole mad
affair. No, not the whole of it .
for LYDIA Mora did plan to marry
Eric Fabier secretly while you i'm
personated her. But she feared, not
some suitor in Europe as she told
you, but Derringer, who had threat
ened her.
THE day she was to work out
her plans a letter came from Der
ringer. It said that Richard Car
mody had used his influence, on
Derringer's behest. to void the di-
vorce. LYDIA made an appointment
with Carmody to learn if that were
true"
David paused, puffed at his Gig
arctic. He seemed nerve-taut.
What them" Nan prompted,
"Carmody told LYDIA that Derrin-
ger lied. She returned home. went
ahead with her plans. But Fabier
discovered that they were being fol-
lowed. He was scared He had the
| stolen plans on him. He knew what
1t would mean to be arrested as a
spy. He gave the plans to LYDIA.
arranged to meet her the next day
after he shook off the detective.
But LYDIA, in a hotel, read of Car
mody's murder in the newspapers.
Knowing Fabier was involved in es-
pionage, she thought him the mur-
derer. She decided to break with
Fabier, follow you to Puerto Rico,
but in the Clipper plane she saw the
man who had been watching Fabier.
David Explains Further.
"She was scared She knew the
papers Fabier had given her. were
dangerous. Reaching San Juan she
went to Claremont. registering un-
der your name. But the man was
not g. detective, but an associate OF
Derrirgers. Derringer in the mean
time had learned he was following
an impersonator. He radioed this
man to try to find LYDIA or Fabier.
The man found LYDIA, followed her
to Sar Juan. It was he who kept
you aboard thai boat for Der
ringer"
But the gun in my trunk, David?"
Nan said.
"Derringer planted it there"
David explained. He wanted to
make trouble for LYDIA, whom he
hated for spurning him, and to con-
fuse the police. Hildreth found the
gun somehow, and took 1t to pro-
tect LYDIA. Hildreth. by the way.
loves LYDIA like daughter :.
The other night, Derringer
thought Hildreth and you knew he
was the murderer He meant to
seize you both, mold you aboard a
chartered boat until he could find
Fabier and get the plans. He saw
Hildreth leave the hotel, after she