Evening star., 1941-07-19

woman. He could take woman. or
leave her. So ne told himself. But
up forward Stephanie began to sing,
sing very softly, and though the
lyrics were French, Phil knew it was
a love song. Stephanie was calling
him liar.
Back ashore. he declined Mai.
Brennan's invitation to come to the
house with them, He went to the
officers Club. and the Old Man was
there with Capt. McRugh. Phil went
to a card table and started game
of solitaire, but he couldn't keep
his mind on it. He kept thinking
of Stephanie. His mind was full of
her.
A Mysterious Situation.
Mai. Hammond left about 10
o'clock, saying good night to Nc
Rugh, ignoring Phil A moment later
the screen door of the next house
the house the c. o. had opened for
his daughter-slammed. Hammond S
gruff voice rumbled indistinctly as
he talked to Joan. The girl couldn't
be heard
McRugh said, What do you think
of the Van Arden-Veyetti affair.""
And Phil replied, Its beyond me.
What do you think?"
It's screwy. Why should Stacey
Van Arden go to bat for a man who
tried to kill him? Or was Veretti
merely giving him a scarce"
Il saw it, McRugh. Another sec
ond and Van Arden would have
been a goner. There wasn't any hate
in Veretti, though Did you ever see
a man kill moccasin out in the
glades?"
I've killed snakes myself" said
McRugh.
We'll, that's how -blooded
Veretti was"
Funny comparison, Phil. Id say
Van Arden is heel. but why man
should 60 at him as though he were
snake I don't know"
Phil said, What do you know
about Stacey Van Arden?"
And McRugh said, Not much.
met him first in Honolulu, six
months ago. I was at Schoffield
then, and he was there on his honey
moon. His bride was a pretty little
thing, in the movies. She recently
got a divorce. He seemed all right
in a minus sort of fashion"
He likes the ladies, eh?"
The pretty ones, yes"
He didn't appear to go for Steph-
anie this evening"
Call for the Guard.
McRugh had dark face and his
expression suddenly grimaced.
Didn't hep" he said. He had a
little chat with her after you went
off with Joan Hammond. After the
Brennans started for the beach.
Phils lifted cigarette stopped
short an inch from his lips. A nerve
twitched at the corner of his mouth.
He did, eh? He talked alone
with Stephanie? Maybe I'm blind,
but I thought he went for Joan
Hammond. His eyes had that look
when she was about"
Il noticed that" said McRugh.
"And he did tel me to be sure to
bring Joan to his yacht party to-
morrow night. I took it that he had
ideas about her. But"
His voice broke. Out across the
grounds a soldiers whistle was
shrieking. Then a voice yelled:
Call out the guard! Call out the
guard!" Other voices sounded The
night sprang alive with excited
sound.
Phil came to his feet. He leapt
for the door, dashed out, and Nc
Rugh followed him. There was a
moon, but it was now blacked out
by clouds. Darkness lay over Fort
Marfield. 1t. Hughes came from
headquarters, drawing his service
automatic from its holster as he
headed for the guardhouse. The
uproar came from there, so Phil
and McRugh cut across Parade to-
ward the building.
The guardhouse was one of the
old stone buildings; thick-walled,
one -storied, f1at-roofed. 1t had one
door, and it was iron. The guard
stood in the open doorway, talking.
1t. Hughes, Sergt. Burke and two
other guards were there.
A Farewell Note.
"I went in to take a look at the
prisoner" the soldier said. But he
wasn't there. So help me, the cell
door was locked with him gone!"
That couldn't be-" 1t. Hughes
aid