Shifting
AN DS
Copyright by
The Penn Pub. Co.
WNU Service
ChVierenlpmmnesfyerarafiyrs
SYNOPSIS
The future of the still youthful and
comely “Widder” Marcia Howe, recently
released by death from her idling, self-
ish husband, Is a conversational tit-bit
among housewives of the little hamlet
of Wilton. Eligible bachelors and wid-
owers also are Interested. Marcia, de-
spite her unfortunate matrimonial ex-
perience, finds pleasure in her life, but
is lonely at times, and has invited her
iate husband's niece, Sylvia Hayden,
whom she has never sean, to visit her.
The girl arrives and Marcia takes to
her at once, while Sylvia, expecting to
see a somewhat elderly aunt, finds Mar-
cia more like a sister. A stranger, on
the verge of exhaustion, finds his way
to Marcia's home,
CHAPTER III-—Continued
aN,
What disaster had lald him here
helpless before them?
As If thelr questions penetrated his
consciousness, the stranger slowly
opened his eyes.
“Sorry to come here like this” he
murmured. “The fog was so thick, 1
lost my bearings and my power-boat
ran aground. I've been trylng hours
to get her off. She's hard and fast on
your sand-bar.,”
He struggled to rise and Marcia,
kneeling beside him, helped him into
an upright position where le sat, lean-
ing against her shoulder.
“I seem to have brought In about
half the sea with me,” he apologized,
looking about In vague, half-dazed
fashion,
“No matter. We're used to salt
water here,” she answered. “How do
you feel? You're not hurt?”
“Only a little. Nothing much. I've
done something queer to my wrist, |
was trying to push the boat off, and
something suddenly gave way."
Turning his head aside, he bit his
lp as If in pain.
“We'll telephone Doctor Stetson.
Meanwhile, you mustn't remain In
these wet clothes. There is no surer
way of catching cold. Do you think
you could get upstairs if Sylvia and
I gulded you?”
“lI guess so—If It isn’t far. I'm ab-
surdly dizzy. I don't know why. |
suppose, though, I must shed these
wet togs.”
“You certainly must. Come, Sylvia,
lend a hand! We'll help him up”
“Oh, I'm not in such a bad way as
all that, I can get up alone,” he pro-
tested. "Only please wait just another
minute, The whole place has suddenly
begun to pitch again like a ship In
midocean. Perhaps I may be faint
I haven't eaten anything for a day or
two.”
“Why didn't you tell me? The soup,
quick, Sylvia. I only wish I had some
brandy. Well, at least this is hot, and
will warm you up. I'll feed you.
Hand me the cup and speon, Sylvia”
“But 1 feel like a baby,” fretted the
stranger,
“No matter, We must get some-
thing hot inside you right away. Don't
fuss about how it's done,” sald the
practical-minded Marcia. “There! You
look better already! Later you shall
have a real, honest-to-goodness meal
Run and call Doctor Stetson, Sylvia,
and open the bed In the room opposite
mine. You might light the heater
there, too.”
As the girl sped away, Marcia turned
toward her visitor.
“Suppose we try to make the rock-
ing chair now. Shall we? But what
worries me Is your wet clothing. I'm
afrald you'll take your death of cold
I can do that. And I belleve I could
you out of your watersoaked
sweater If I were to cut the sleeve,
May I try? We needn't mind wreck-
ing it, for I have another I can give
you.”
The man did not answer,
Instead, he sat tense and unsmiling,
his penetrating brown eyes fixed on
Marcia's face. Apparently the scru-
tiny crystalized in him some swift
resolution, for after letting his glance
travel about the room to convince him-
self that no one was within hearing,
he leaned forward:
“There is something else I'd rather
you did for me first,” he whispered,
dropping his voice until it became ai
most inaudible. *I've a package here
f wish you'd take charge of. It's in.
side my shirt. But for this infernal
wrist, I could reach it"
“Pll get it.”
“I'd rather you didn’t talk about it.”
continued he, hurriedly. “Just put It
in a safe place. Will you, please?”
“Certainly.”
Puzzled, but unquestioning, Marcia
thrust her hand beneath his sodden
clothing and drew forth a small, fiat
hold it a second until I pry the brick
up. There we are! Now give It to
me.”
She reached hurriedly for the pack-
age, but as thelr hands met, the molst,
clinging handkerchief became entan-
gled in their fingers and slipping from
its coverings a leather Jjewel-case
dropped to the floor,
Out of It rolled a flashing necklace
and a confusion of smaller gems,
Marcia stified an involuntary cry.
Nevertheless, she neither looked up
nor delayed.
“Sorry to be so clumsy,” she mut.
tered, as she swiftly scooped up the
Jewels.
It was well she had made haste, for
no sooner was the clasp om the box
snapped and the treasure concealed be-
neath the floor than Sylvia returned,
and a moment later came both Doctor
Jared Stetson and Elisha Winslow.
“Mornin’, Marcia,” nodded the doe
tor. *“'Lish happened to be In the
office when your niece called up, an’
hearin’ you had a man patient, he
thought mebbe he might be of use.
What ‘pears to be the trouble, sir?”
“I've done something to my right
wrist,”
*H—m-m!" With skilled hand, he
pushed back the dripping sleeve.
“You're a mite water-logged, I no-
tice,” observed he. “Been overboard?”
“Something of the sort,” returned
the man, with the flicker of a smile,
“Mr.--" for the fraction of a sec-
ond, Marcia hesitated; the: continued
in an even tone, “—Mr. Carlton
grounded his boat and had to swim
ashore,”
“You don't say! Well, I ain't sur
prised. “Tain't no day to be afloat,
You couldn't cut this fog with a carv-
in-knife, How come you to take your
boat out In such weather?” the doctor
demanded.
“l was—was cruising.”
“Oh, an’ the fog shut down on yon.
I see. Fog has a trick of doin’ that,
unless one keeps an eye for fog symp
toms. Now, what I'd recommend for
you first of all, Mr, Carlton, is a warm
bed. You look clean beat out. Better
let 'Lish an’ me help you upstairs, an
out of your wet things, ‘cause with a
wrist such as yours, 1 figger you won":
be very handy at buttons. Not that
‘Iish is a professional lady's maid
That ain't exactly his callin’. Still, in
spite of bein’ town sheriff, he can turn
his hand to other things. It's lucky
he can, too, for he don't get much
gsheriffin’' down this way. Wilton
doesn’t go in for crime. In fact, we
was laughin’ "bout that very thing this
noon at the post office. "Pears there's
been a robbery at one of the Long
Island estates. Quantities of jewelry
taken, an' no trace of the thief. The
alarm was sent out over the radio
early yesterday an’ listenin’ In ‘Lish,
here, got quite het up an’ not a little
envious, He sald he "most wished the
burglary had took place in our town,
excitement bein’ at a pretty low ebb
pow.”
Marcia, standing by the stove, spun
about,
“Now, Elisha, don't you run down
Wilton. Why, I have twenty-five dol
lars In my purse this minute,” she as-
gerted, taking a worn pocket-book from
her dress and slapping It with chal
lenging candor down upon the table
“I keep It in that china box above the
stove.”
“That might serve as a starter,” re
marked the stranger, regarding ber
quizzieally.
She faced him, chin drawn in, and
head high and defiant.
“Besides that, In my top burean
drawer is a string of gold beads that
belonged to my great-grandmother™
she continued, daring laughter curling
her lips. “They are very old and are
really quite valuable.”
“We'll make a note of those, toe,”
nodded the man, his eyes on hers,
“I'm afraid that's all 1 ean offer in
the way of burglary inducements.”
“That bein’ the case, s'pose you an’
me start gettin’ the patient upstairs,
'Lish,” broke in Doctor Stetson. “If
we don't, next we know he'll be havin’
pneumonia as well as a bad wrist™
The stranger's admiring glance fixed
itself on Marcia's
“What Is my next
quired.
“l told you before—you must take
off your wet things and rest,” she re
peated,
“You still prescribe that treatment?”
*1 still prescribe it."
“In spite of the—the symptoms?”
“Why not? was her quick answer,
“Very well. [1 am ready, gentle
men” Erect, even with a hint of de
flance In his mocking smile, the man
rose to his full height. “Before we go,
however, 1 must correct a slight error.
You misunderstood my name. It is
not Carlton. It Is Heath—Stanley
Heath.”
move?" he In
CHAPTER IV
“And yet you told me, Marcia, this
was a quiet, adventureless place!
burst out Sylvia, the instant the door
had closed.
“It doesn't seem so to me. When
shipwrecked mariners fall into your
arms entirely without warning, I eall
it thrilling. Who do you suppose
It's quite a romantic name, too. But
1 didn’t mean that, I mean where did
he come from and why? Didn't he tell
you?”
“Not a word.”
Obviously the girl was disappointed.
“I thought perhaps he might ha
while I was upstairs. I was
enough for him to pour out
entire history. At least It.
to me. I ransacked every
drawer !n sight trying to
thing for bim to put on.
until I struck that old sea-chest
i
i
to
=2§
TH
5
§
derwear,
taking them.”
A shiver passed over Marcia. |
“No, They were Jason's. I ought te |
have told you they were there, I kept |
them because I thought they might |
sometime be useful” |
“Well, they certainly are,” replied |
Sylvia, “They will exactly fit Mr. |
Heath. Where do you suppose he |
came from? And how long has he |
been knocking about in that boat, I |
wonder.” |
“How do I know, dear?" Mardis |
sighed, as If determined to control her |
patience. “You know as much about |
him as I do. I mean” she corrected, |
honesty forcing her to amend the as- |
sertion, “almost as much. I did, to he
sure, talk with him a little while wait- |
ing for the doctor, but he did not tell |
me gnything about himself”
The moving of chairs overhead and
the sound of feet creaking down the
stairway heralded the return of Jared
Stetson and Elisha,
Marcia went 10 meet them. i
“'"Tain't a broken wrist, Marcia”
was the doctor's greeting on entering
the kitchen, “Leastways, I don't think |
it Is. I've bandaged It an’ Lish an’ me
have your friend snug an' warm in
bed. Tomorrow I'll look in again. For
tonight, the bandage will do. A hot
water hottie mightn't be amiss. © Nor a |
square meal, neither, Beyond them
two things, there ain't much you can
do at present, but let him sleep. Seems
a nice sort of felier, Known him
long ® -
“Not so very long"
“Why, Marcla—" broke in Sylvia.
“One sometimes comes to know a per
son rather well, though, even In a
short time,” went on the older woman,
ignoring the Interruption.
“S'pose ‘twas a-comin’ to see you
that brought him down this way,” Eli
sha volunteered. “Somehow I don't re
call meetin’ him before”
“He hasn't been here before,” was
the measured response.
“Oh, so he's new to Wilton waters,
eh? That prob'ly accounts for his
runnin’ aground. Fine lookin' chap.
Has quite an alr to him. Nothin’
cheap ‘bout his clothes neither. They
was Al quality clear through to his
skin. Slik, with monograms on ‘em.
Must be a man of means”
Silence greeted the observation.
“Likely he is—havin' a power-boat
an’ leisure to crulse round in her,” per
sisted the undaunted Elisha.
“I really couldn't say.”
“Well, apparently he ain't one that
boasts of his possessions, an' that's to
his credit,” interposed Jared Stetson
good-kumoredly,
Elisha's interest In the stranger was
not, however, to be so easily diverted.
“Seen the boat?" he inquired.
*No."
“Oh, youn ain't! 1 forgot to ask
Heath the name of her. I'm sort of a
crank on the names of boats. It alk
ways riles me to have a foolish name
given a boat. No matter how small
she is, her plankin’ is all that divides
her owner from fathoms of water, an’
in view of the fact he'd oughter regard
her soberly an’ give her a decent
name."
“Well, IT hope the name of Me
Heath's boat will meet with your ap-
proval” ventured Sylvia archly.
“I hope ‘twill,” was the glum re-
tort, as the sheriff followed Doctor
Stetson through the doorway.
The moment the door banged bebind |
them, Sylvia turned toward Marcia.
“Forgive my butting in, dear.” apolo-
gized she. “But 1 was so surprised
You did say you didn't know Mr.
Heath, didn't you?”
“Yea”
“But-—but—"
“Sometimes it's Just as well not to
tell all you know--especially in a place
like this” was the evasive response.
Was the reply a rebuke or merely a
caution?
Bylvia did not know. J
And what was the meaning of the
rose color that flooded the elder wom-
an's cheek?
Had Marcia really meant to give the
Impression that she knew Stanley
Heath? And If so, why?
Sylvia wracked her braln
swers to these questions,
She would have been interested in
deed had she known that while she
wrestied with the enigma, Marcia, to
all appearances busy preparing the
tray for the Invalid upstairs, was
searching her heart for answers to
the same questions,
Why had she sought to shield thik
stranger?
The man was nothing to her. Of his
past she had not the slightest knowl |
edge, Indeed he might be the greatest
villain In the world. In fact, circum
stances proclaimed him a thief, Never
theless, she did not, could not, believe
it. There was something too fine In
his face; his eyes, i
True, he had made no attempt either
to defend himself or to explain away
the suspicions he must have known |
would arise in her mind, On the con |
trary, with a devil-may-care au.
dacity that fascinated her, be actually |
appeared to have tried to deepen In
her mind the impression of his guilt. |
Still she refused to believe. Even |
in the face of overwhelming evidence
fhe Sung Jar yaressowsg SEH A |
for ane
rocketing to
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THE HOUSEWIFE
® Public Ledger, Ine WNU Serviea
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A little mallor 12 shown In white
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