Evening star., 1941-04-29

s*------------------------
TO San Juan to be transferred on to
the Old World.
Then abruptly, as they stood high
up on battlement that guarded
the harbor, he said, What did you
want to say to me, Lyda?"
Nan Tries to Tell.
Nan bit her lip and didn't look at
him. What had she wanted to say
to him? That she was not LYDIA
Mora? She couldn't say that. She
was promise-bound, with her hope
full career at stake. What then?
She finally faced him.
David, I'm not Mark Derringer's
wife. I never was"
He said, MOP" indifferently. He
didn't care. That hurt. She said,
And I am not meeting Eric Fabier
anyWhere-ever."
Mop"
You don't believe me?"
He didn't reply to that, and Mans
heart sank with horrible lost feel
ing as he abruptly talked of other
things. She listened with half at
tention.
This fort" David was saying,
land the wall about San Juan were
not the real defenses. The crafty
conquistadors went underground.
Want to see?"
He took her to an ancient mission
in an older section of the city. There
was an overgroWn garden within
crumbling walls and they found
tunnel entrance. Slab steps led
down, and David led the way. He
had brought flashlight from the
roadster and its beam pierced the
gloom of the tunnel with a thin
white pencil. 1t was dank, and
water dropped from the thick ma
sonry ceiling. Spiders Scurried over
the stones as David swung the light
about. David gripped Mans hand,
Leading her long way through
the passage until they came to a
wine low-ceilinged room.
This was a Storeroom, David
said. 1T was looted or its stores
crumbled to dust hundreds of years
ago. Want to go farther, LYDIA?
There are military magazines and
mines some distance on"
I've seen enough" Nan Bentley
said. She shivered a little. IT'S
creepy. Let's go back up into the
SUM-"
David Warns Nan.
AS they reached the sunlight of
the mission garden Nan said.
Gould you get lost down there?"
It's possible, I suppose"
Nan shuddered. You can almost
feel the eeriness of it," she said.
1 never want to go down again.
David laughed. He took her arm
and slipped it through his own.
That's right" he said. You be-
long in the sunlight, LYDIA. Always.
Don't let any one take you in the
darkness
Nan gave him a startled look.
What do you mean by that? You
do mean something, don't you?"
He stopped and faced her, his
eyes sober. "Yes. Yes, I mean
something by that. LYDIA, don't let
Eric Fabier get you mixed up in
some dark, ugly thing"
Il don't intend to-"
He will if you trust him" He
paused, looked away from her, the
corners of his mouth turned down
in that troubled way of his. You
may love him, LYDIA, but the risk
isn't worth it."
1 told you 7 don't intend to see
Eric Fabier again." Nan said. Abb
ruptly, she was angry. Furious with
this man she loved. You're not
concerned about me. You're hoping
to frighten me into telling what
you want to know"
mo. Just at the moment I'm not
like that"
You meant to use me from the
first"
David said, "Yes," in fiat,
ashamed voice. Then: Come on,
we'll have lunch and go to the races
this afternoon. Like that?"
A Fresh Surprise.
Nan didn't answer. She would
like it, though. Shed like anything
with him-even if he kept her COM
pany merely to be present when, as
he thought, she met Eric Fabier.
1t was late afternoon when they
returned to the hotel, and in the
lobby a man rose from a chair to
approach them. He was vaguely
familiar to Nan, but it was not
until he had said, Hello, Larsen.
Hello, Miss Nora" that she remem-
bered him.
He was heavily built man, forid
of face and steely eyed. He had the
officious manner of a law officer.
He was the detective who had come
to LYDIA Mora's New York apart
ment and asked if she, Nan Bentley,
could identify q silver cigarette case
David said, "Well, Sergt. O'Brien!
How did you get out of your pre-
cinct?"
IT hoped over by Clipper plane"
the detective said. Something
turned up in the Carmody case and
the police can no longer fool
around"
He looked not at David as he
spoke but at Nan. His eyes were
chill, unfriendly. He went on, I'VE
learned that Miss Mora here was a
visitor at Richard Carmody's apart
ment about the time he was shot to
DEATH
| (Copyright, 1871, by the Chicago Daily
| News, Inc.)
| (Continued tomorrOW)