Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-01-12
CHAPTER XVIII

keep away from that grill" Mr..
Lanning shouted.
Pierre sucked in his breath
through swollen wet lips and backed
away from her.
Zorie's hatred had, in a curious
way, renewed her strength. Her
brain was clear again. She heard
the soft patter of rain on the roof
and the silver wires again dangled
from the caves.
Then Mr.. Stromberg walked into
the room. He said vigorously, "What
goes on here? Where is Steve Dun
CAM"
He saw Zorie. He said harshly:
"What is this girl doing here?"
Pierre started to talk, but Mr..
Stromberg cut him short. "Hend-
ley" he said, "what is the meaning
of this?"
Zorie looked about for another
man, but Mr.. Lanning answered. II
will try to EXPLAIN" he said.
AS he explained, Mr.. Stromberg
grew more and more grim.
If she could only hold Stromberg
here If she could somehow
hold them all here! Long before
this, her disappearance from Ulu-
wehi must have attracted attention.
If the admiral had recalled how
insistent Steve had been on having
Basil Stromberg at the dinner par
ty, then he would have the key to
the mystery. The admiral would first
look for Mr.. Stromberg at his planta-
ton house. Not finding him there,
he would logically look for him here.
And if his reasoning brought him
here, it was safe to assume that he
would bring help.
Mr.. Lanning was still lucidly ex-
planning.
Why" Mr.. Stromberg broke in,
Ibid you leave that car in front of
this house?"
''I'll move it," Mr.. Lanning said
hastily.
Il attended to it. You have been
very careless. Hendley. Savoyard,
why weren't you on watch? An army
could have marched in here! You
two have placed me in an extremely
embarrassing position. You will
have to get off this island at once.
l will give you the address of a
Japanese agent in Waimea. He will
attend to everything"
Come along, PIERRE" Mr.. Lam
ming said.
"Wait moment" said Mr..
Stromberg. "We have something to
settle. Hendley, go out there and
watch at that window" He turned
back to Zorie. He shook his head
slowly. why" he asked her, "does
an innocent little thing like you have
to get mixed up in an unholy mess
like this?"
She shrugged. "Why not say the
fortunes of warp" she answered.
That's what l usually say when l
get into these tight corners"
Mr.. Stromberg was staring at her.
What do you mean?"
"You might ask Pierre"
"Pierre?" He whirled around.
''She is Ah-nah Poland!"
That's ridiculous!" MIR. Strom-
berg said. Its - he stopped.
He turned back to Zorie.
She tilted her head a little. She
was trying to handle the situation as
lightly and as boldly as she believed
Anna Boland would have handled it.
"You can't possibly be Anna b.
land" Basil Stromberg declared.
Anna Boland was shot by firing
squad in Berlin six months ago!"
Maybe" Pierre said. "And four
nights ago, threw her off the 'Sa-
moa,' into the propellers and
drowned her!"
but l was not shot in Berlin.
And if you will look closely, Mr..
Stromberg," Zorie said demurely,
"you will see that you have bagged
rather a rare specimen"
This girl is lying" Mr.. Lanning
broke in. "Her resemblance to Anna
Boland is what precipitated all this
trouble. It's nothing but an amaz-
ing coincidence. Until the past fort
night, she spent her whole life in
the little Middle Western college
town of Elleryton-"
"That is really SO amusing" Zor-
lie said, with soft, little laugh.
"They radioed Berlin, Mr.. Strom-
berg. What did Berlin say, Mr..
Lanning? Perhaps it was Anna b.
lands double that we shot They
radioed Elleryton, where I've been
more or less hiding since l got out
of Germany, and Elleryton reported
that l am too smart and a very
suspicious character"
Mr.. Stromberg's steel-blue eyes
were now very narrow and alert.
"This is most interesting" he said.
$50 you really are Anna Boland."
"Yes," said Zorie. 81 really am
Anna Boland."
He pulled a chair toward her and
sat down, facing her.
II must confess I have always
been very curious about you, Miss
Boland. am really shocked"
"And l." Zorie answered, as II