Shifting SAN DS Sara Ware BASSETT Copyright by The Penn Pub. Co. WNU Service SYNOPSIS The youthful and comely “Widder” Marcia Howe has as her guest her late husband's niece, Sylvia Hayden. A stranger, on the verge of exhaustion, finds his way to Marcia's home. Se- cretly, he asks her to hide a package containing jewelry. She does so. Elisha Winslow, town sheriff, brings news of & Jewel robbery nearby, The stranger gives his name as Stanley Heath, Syl- via discovers the jewels, and naturally belleves Heath is a robber. She real- izes that Marcia must have hidden them, and decides to say nothing. Mar- cia feels she has altogether too deep an interest in her guest, but is power- less to overcome it. Heath wires “Mrs, 8. C. Heath,” New York, saying he is safe. He also orders a man named Cur- rier to come at once. Sylvia, in her room, bedecks herself with the jewels. At Mdarcia's approach she hides them there. Heath asks Marcia to bring them to him. They are gone! He kindly makes light of the loss. Sylvia restores the jewels to their original hiding place. Elisha Winslow, visiting Marcia, discovers the gems and has no doubt they are the stolen gems, and that Heath is the thief. Leaving the jewels, he makes plans for arresting Heath. CHAPTER VII sw 3 en Dawn was breaking over Wilton when a trim motor car, bearing a New York number plate, slipped quietly into the village and drew up at the town garage. From it stepped a man, small and somewhat bent. “May I leave my ear here?” he inquired of the lad who was sweeping out the building. “Sure!” “Fill her up for me, please. And you might clean her a bit" “Been riding all night?” The stranger nodded. “l like traveling at night” he vol unteered. “Less traffic. Can you tell me where a Mr. Heath is staying? “Heath? The chap who ran agrourd on the Crocker Cove sand bar? He's over to The Widder's.” “Where's that?" “The Widder lives out yonder at the Homestead.” “How does one get there? “Wal, the only way to reach the house when the tide’s full, as ‘tis now, is to row.” “Where'll I find 8 boat? “That I couldn't say. The Widder keeps hers t'other side of the channel Mebbe, though, If you was to go down to the beach some fisherman would give you a lift across. "Most any of ‘em would admire to If you're a friend of Marcia Howe's." The stranger bowed but offered no comment. If curiosity stirred within him concerning the information the lad vouchsafed, at least he gave no sign. “Thank you,” he replied briefly. “Will this road take me to the beach?” “Straight as an arrow.” Without wasting additional words or time, the stranger nodded and started off briskly In the direction indicated. When he reached the beach he halted, scanning eagerly the silvered house be yond the channel. Discovering no one in sight, he dragged from the shore a yellow dory, clambered Into it, and catching up the oars began to row toward the dwelling silhouetted against the water and the glory of the morning sky. . » * » -. LJ » In the meantime, both Marcla and Sylvia had wakened early and were astir, The kitchen fire was already snap ping merrily In the stove, however, and the table was spread before the latter made her appearance. She came in, carrying a thick en- velope, “Why, Sylvia, how you startled me!” Marcia exclaimed. “I did not hear you come down stairs. Why are you up so early? “I'm going to town to catch the morning mall. I have to get off this letter.” “Have to?” “Yes—to Hortle. You see, if I didn't answer promptly he might think the candy had gone astray,” explained the girl, “Oh, of course, you must thank him for the candy,” Marcia agreed, “Still, is It necessary to do so In such a rush ~to walk to the village this morning 7” *1 mean to row over.” “I'm afraid you can’t, dear. I discov- ered last night the boat was gone. Eleazer Crocker must have appropri ated It when he was here yesterday. 1 shall give him a good lecture when 1 see him. It Is a serious thing to be letf out here with no way of getting to land. In fact, here we are with this tremendously Important letter that must be posted Immediately—willy- nilly.” With eyes brimming with laughter, Marcia shot a mischievous glance at her companion, “But it is only the last of April, be Toved.” “Men need to know such things well in advance. They have to adjust their letter is sent the better.” “It isn't just to thank Hortle for the candy that I'm writing,” that young lady replied sedately. “You see, he asked if he might come to Wilton for his summer vacation, He has to know so he can make his plans.” “The sooner I start, the sooner I shall be back, I suppose,” Sylvia an- swered with feigned reluctance. “Men are so unreasonable. Any errands?” “Not today, thanks, Just the mall.” “I'l wait for it." The eagerness betrayed by the reply Jeli quot the slightest doubt that Sylvia would walt, and gladly, As the door closed behind her, Mar- cia smiled whimsically. She prepared Heath's breakfast tray, and was about to take it upstairs when there was a gentle knock at the kitchen door, A stranger stood upon the threshold, “Is Mr. Stanley Heath staying here?” inquired he. “Yes.” “I am Currier, me." “Of course! Come In, won't you? Mr. Heath Is expecting you. I'll tell him you are here" “You needn't do that, madam. If you will just show me where he |s—" “At the head of the stairs” “Very good. Thank you, I will go op.” Marcia soon heard the invalids volce, Imperative and eager, each sen- tence ending with an interrogation. The lapses of silence which intervened and which at first she took to be pauses, she presently decided repre- sented the Inaudible and subdued re- plies of Currier, To judge from the sounds, Heath was pouring out an avalanche of ques- tions. Once he broke Into peals of hearty laughter, followed by a par oxysm of coughing. “He has forgotten all about break- fast,” murmured Marcia, “I'll carry it up.” She mounted the stairs softly that her coming might break in as little as possible upon the conversation of her two guests, “She was alone in the library when I went In," Heath was saying, “and turned so white I feared she might falnt or scream. Luckily she did neither, * “You know what I'm after, I sald —‘the jewels, Come, hand them over.’ “At that, she began to cry. * ‘Quickly,’ 1 repeated. may come, “With that, she produced the jewel case, pouring out a torrent of ex- planations, “1 stopped no longer than I had to, I assure you. In no time I had made my getaway. Every detail of my plan would have gone smoothly but for the fog. 1 lost my bearings completely. Imagine my amazement at finding my- self here” Marcia walted to hear no more. S80 Heath really had taken the jewels from the resisting woman who owned them-——taken them against her will and made off with them! He owned it! ’ Nay, more! Far from regretting what he had done, in his tone rang a note of satisfaction in his accomplishment. She had never belleved him gulity. Not until she heard the bitter, irre vocable confession from his own lips did she waver, and even then she bat. tled against the truth, refusing to be convinced, There must be some ex- planation, she told herself, Neverthe less, the shock was overwhelming. Her head swam. Her heart beat wildly. “lI must not give way!” she reiter ated to herself. *I must put on a brave front. He must pot suspect I know.” It took a few moments for her to re gain her grip on herself, to drag back her ebbing strength. Then she knocked at the door. “Here Is your coffee, Mr. Heath" she called, “Come In, Mrs, Howe, I'm afraid we've delayed you. I had entirely for gotten about breakfast and so, I'll be bound, had Currier. You met my right. hand man down stairs, I take It" “You found the house without trouble?’ Marcia inquired, making an effort to address the newcomer in a natural, off-hand manner. “Yes, Mrs. Howe, A young man at the garage directed me.” As Marcia turned to go, her unfall- ing courtesy prompted her to say: “Mr, Currier Is welcome to stay if he wishes to, Mr. Heath. We can put him up perfectly well” “Oh, no. He Is returning directly. Nevertheless, I greatly appreciate your kindness.” * “Mrs. Heath ls anxious,” put in Cur. rier. “She begged me to come home as soon as possible that she might know how Mr, Heath was. Naturally she has been much worried.” “There, there, Currier-<that will do,” broke in Stanley Heath, fiushing. “And now, since Mrs. Howe is here and is in our secret, I may as well tell you that part of the mission on which you came cannot be accomplished. You cannot take the gems back with you to New York. A calamity has be fallen them.” “A calamity, sir?” “Mrs. Howe helped me conceal the Mr. Heath sent for madam. ‘Someone where they were hidden and allow me to investigate?” “Certainly. I'll take you downstalrs | now, while we have the opportunity. When do you start back?” “That is for Mr, Heath to decide.” “Right off. As soon as you can get under way,” Stanley Heath sald de- elslvely., “Go down now with Mrs, Howe, since she Is so gracious, and have your breakfast. Kxamine, too, the place where we concealed the Jewel case. You may discover a clew she has missed.” Preceding Currier into the kitchen, Marcia went straight to the hearth and | | 3 ’ Eo, 7 Marcia Could Not Believe Her Eyes. pointed to the brick at her feet, “It was here we put the jewel case™ she sald. “I think, with your permission, I will take up the brick,” the little man at her elbow quietly announced. “Certainly,” acquiesced Marcia. Taking out his knife, Currier knelt and soon had the brick out of Its hole, Beneath It lay the jewel case wrapped us before In Stanley Heaths monogrammed handkerchief. Marcia could not believe her eyes. “But—but-—it wasn't there when } looked, I could swear It wasn't” “Who could have taken it out? And if some one did why return anything 80 valuable?" Currier inquired. “1 don't know. 1 do not understand it at all” the woman replied. “There is something uncanny about the whole affair.” “Well, at any rate, the gems are here now,” sald Currier In a matter of-fact tone. “Mr. Heath will be much relieved. Shall I go up and" “Tl go,” Marcia cried. *It won" take me a minute. I'll be right back.* “As you prefer, madam." Off flew Marcia. Her haste, the radiance of her face must have suggested to the stranger s thought that had not occurred to him before, for after she had gone, he stood immovable In the middle of the floor looking after her, Then a slow, shadowy smile passed across his features, “Soho!” he muttered, “Soho!” He was still absorbed in reverh when Marcia, breathless and flushed rejoined him. “I ean think of nothing but the Jewels and thelr recovery. I am se happy 1 had completely forgotten yom breakfast. You might run up to ses Mr. Heath while I am getting Hf ready.” “I will do that. I shall be leaving at once and he may have final orders for me, or perhaps a letter for Mrs Heath.” “Mrs. Heath!” Marcia repeated, as B the name suddenly brought before her consciousness something hitherts forgotten. “Yes, yes! Of course.” Then turning her head aside, she inquired with studied carelessness: “How long, | wonder, does Mr Heath plan to remain in Wilton? 1} think that as soon as he is able t2 make the journey he would better go home, This climate ls—is—damp and he will, perhaps, pick up faster away from the sea. If you have any influ. ence with him, won't you please ad vise It? The man's small, gray eyes nar rowed, “I have no Influence with Mr. Heath replied he, “Mrs. Heath has, however, Shall I tell her?” ; “I wish you - - ” would.” - » LJ »> * An hour later My Unknown Lady weighed anchor and disappeared out to sea, carrying with her Currier and the jewels. i Marcia watched until the last snowy | ripple foaming In her wake had di% | appeared, then she sank into a chair | and brushed her hand across her “And that's the end of that foolish: ness I” she muttered. “The end I* (TO BE CONTINUED) Rodents and Civilization Small wild animals have found elvil ization a distinct advantage, says Path. finder Magazine. In primitive regions g Two Dollars Up to a Small Fortune, LADIES AT THE RACE TRACK By FRANK CONDON OI a long, long time, ye forbidden to do almost thing in this precions eon of ours, the spirit of ref was in the saddle, the bluenoses were wheel and life ith at the was pretty views, steering gray for Now ey wonle w eo] eryihing and the released and famished citizens hav and you cun do as you ph are ane ing fun! They are indeed. Take horse racing. Not scowled at and looked upon pretty gen. You were wagers the long ago, horse racing was erally as a cardinal forbidden make horses as they loped around the track but recently the over, State after state legalized hoss-racing, and what is more impor tant, the galloping zarks. Instantly new the long starved Americanos, who love tn gamble, the ns the British, the French and Dutch, apd the opening tracks brought forth a brand new class, an unsuspected group of specuintors, that you the quiet women folk, or the ladies whe nsed stay at home, It turns they are hearty gamblers and nobody knew It Now, then, In those days before hoss racing exme hack so joyously, the or dinary housewife didn’t much betting, for her to big cities had their racing ladies and feminine gamblers, to he sure, hut they belonged to a different social layer and the homestaying women used to read of them in amazement. So far ns they were concerned themselves, they didn't even know they, too, were gamblers at heart. They thought they mothers or housewives, or what sin, to an Inw-givers switched has be wagering on vistas opened up to game the might eall fo American fat there gamble respectably were ever It sald In the city directory. With the spreading advent of hoss racing, these same women are cheer fully taking father’s meney ont to the local track and trustfully trying to run two dollars up to a8 small fortune. And it may be a good thing that so many new tracks are flourishing in 80 many states, for the Jaded hopsewives have way of spending the afternoon. If ex amined, It will he seen that there Is no sense whatever In the methods or systems by which these inexperienced dames het on the horses They are not the hard-faced veterans of the track. They are not the emo tionless Pittshurgh Phils of the het ting ring. They know nothing at sil shout records or Information sheets but are rapidly learning. Up to now, they are a pop-eyed crowd of guileless ard enthusiastic imbeciles, betting gmull sums on the running horses, and astonishing as It may seem, they oft. en win, to thelr own delight and the boredom of others In the family, who now mrst listen to the tales of tri umph and disaster, In the old days. It was father find hiz golf. He came home evenings from the golf course, and even the cook enuld tell how he had fared in his joustings with the boys by merely looking at him It was a bit tiresome to mamma and having either made or lost £8 at the track that afternoon, while father was winning the dally bread at his office. syes how she had $2 on the nose, the nose belonging to Flying Fishenke, who alloped in second by a whisker, and if he had only galioped In first, mother would have enriched the family by 22 It now (nkes the old lady about 10 minutes to describe properly the thrilling fiscal items of the afternoon, ind every one seems interested, ex- wept father. If those states that have not as yet yopulation of our sainted land Is al nost certain to step right Into the ame. We have always depended up m the sterling character of m-folk, but I appears that he pot Is gambling, and ike, for example, the church-monse home keeper out here in Los Angeles, who has recently small ponies wagers ben making sums of at the ng her with money betting on the Anita track, only on rainy new Ranta ey ¥8, or ¢t the this da the track heavy I have m adly, so | Before he hled at am not making Of s8-rocing, she had never gam. at Caliente, except for a rare fling the roulette wheel at Aguas two years # horse race Anita dawned upon a de and mavhe onee every she had until Santa Hghted never seen populace, in a nothing then she began operations small, modest Way, asking no information, saving 10 anyone, odds, seeking no special working She out her own fortn won, fist RUS, to keep her excited, fieR ton inrge but suflicient New England Is historieally supposed to be the stern and rock bound part of the tizht as the Scotch, Independent, wary nation, with all the sturdy virtues, about money matters, steady going and thrifty, strong for savings banks and the quiet Ife. Well, they opened up 8 new track near fast and the hard. headed Puritans almost trampled each other to death, The first wns the residents going in Boston summer, trying to get in sttendance looked like the army. The dally take something prepostersus and founded The dally France daily dumb het. Owes the owners. like what pay Well, lonked and won't Answer? the people of New on anything but erack-spitting for the te the surface, causing the money to flow like Even grandmother, whose wag a box of candy on the Confederate Army. Is remove. ing currency from the kitchen far and host footing out to the water ix! het bhangtnils, There is an ancient race track wav. ing. but the housewives of today never heard of it—""a horse player siwavs dies broke™ That is as sound and trie a statement as the other wise erack shout death and taxes, but it gives no panse In these light-hearted times for here youn have a generation that was almost verboten clear off the merry-go-round and can now do any- thing it pleases, up to standing on the head Look at Indizsna. There Is 8 shes tacle—gond, old, Indiana state, where Booth Tarkington and George Ade used to live In an elder day. Just a short time hack, Indiana had all the hine-nose laws and you wonld scarcely dare ki=s your wife without a license from the governor. During prohibl. tion, If the sheriff caught you with a black bottle, he hanged you and sent your family té Riberia. Liquor all over the place, race tracks, dog tracks, deer tracks. bear tracks and | believe they issue yon # ®ix months’ license to shoot persons you don’t approve of. | confidently ex. pect that in the near future, Indiana will be going in brazenly for eock- gamhbado, kantikoy, greasy pole, kiss snin-enap-snorem, tounding effect upon our home-loving womenfolk, the ladies have always chucka-luck, all games wherein the enstomer hag no more chance than but. ter in the oven. MEANING OF KIDNAPING | Kidnaping has a broad meaning in | eriminal law and many who have | committed this crime unknowingly | have been sent to prison. In most | states “Intent” 1s not necessary and, | secondly, the offense includes “keep | Ing or detaining” anyone against his ! will. One odd case on record is that | of a man who was convicted of kid- naping his wife because he forced | her to accompany him on a Journey, | =Colller's Weekly, ian Read the Grape Nuts ad in another column of this paper and learn how to join the Dizzy Dean Winners and win- valuable free prizes —Ady, Might Is Right Often the man with the might is also in the right. Don’t think the arrogant are always In the wrong, mo—y EATS OATMEAL TO HELP KEEP FIT © It may be one of Nature's lowest cost foods, but lucky is the boy or gid who gets it for breakfast every morning, Many are nervous, poor in appetite, system out of order, because their daily diets lack enough of the precious Vita. min B for keeping fir® Few things keep them back likes lack of this protective food element. So give everyone Quukies Oats every morning. Because in addition to its gen- erous supply of Vitamin B for keepin fi,* it furnishes food-energy, muscle ed i ingredients. For about }4¢ per Start serving it tomorrow for a 2-weeks Jot. usker Outs has a wholesome, nut. e, luscaous appeal to the 2 ite. Flavory, surpassiogly good. All Ds supply it, ® Where poor condition i due tv lack of Visemis B : IN VITAMIN B FOR KEEPING FIT... : 1c worth of Quaker Oats 3 cakes of Fresh Yeast Sze Quaker and Mother’ s Osts are the same Popular Singing Singing that puts the baby to sleep 8 the most popular kind. Use only one level teaspoonful to a cup of flour for most recipes. KG [BAKING POWDER Same price today as 45 years ago 25 ounces for 250 Manufactured by Baking nothing but Baking Powder, GUNDS HAVE GOVIERNMEN WNU-—4 a Old Age | In age one prefers no events to ex- | iting ones. PL with their inhibitions, submerged de tires, frozen appetites and such, until horse-racing loomed, and suddenly be came as respectable and widespread as infinenza., Thus it Is that father cannot get hold of the morning paper any more, as mother is engrossed In today's en. 4750" Fons Shoe eis Bow you may | rn set an tting ” Setoeh na? SEARS, ROEBUCK and CO. Pallas Mansne mail tage nd te wisn oT Mame. EASES RRR EE Pontoon... .ouneansasiisses SUN, ooumes Reval Route. ....ouuivse Box Nou oisssmmes * Breet Adremm. «0 ovennasnensnnaniiins 's
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