VERNONIA EAGLE, VERNONIA, OREGON
SHIFTING SANDS
By SARA WARE BASSETT
Copyright by the Penn Pub. Co.
CHAPTER XI—Continued
—12—
“Yes. Don't look so horrified,
Hortle. I realize It seems queer,
unconventional; but you’ll under
stand better when you see Marcia.
She Is no ordinary person.”
“I shouldn't think she was."
Sylvia Ignored the comment.
“Well, anyway, the robber hid
the loot and ot course Marcia and
I did all we could to protect him.
“Then one day the Wilton sheriff
heard over the radio there had been
a jewel robbery on Long Island, and
stumbling upon the hidden gems,
arrested Mr. Heath.”
“Mr. Heath!”
“The thief, Hortle! The thief!
How can you be so stupid?"
“I get you now. You must ad
mit, though, this Is some story to
understand.”
"1 know It sounds confused, but
In reality It is perfectly simple If
you’ll just pay attention. Well,” the
girl hurried on, “I cannot stop to
explain all the twists and turns
bnt anyway, the sheriff brought
the burglar to Wilton and Marcia
Is broken hearted.”
“Broken-hearted! I should think
she'd be thankful to be rid of him.”
“But you keep forgetting she’s
In love with him.”
“Well, do you wonder I do?
What kind ot a woman is your
aunt? What sort of a gang have
you got in with anyway?”
“Hush, Hortle! You mustn't talk
like that,” Sylvia declared. “This
affair is too serious. Marcia and
the—the—she and Mr. Heath love
one another. It Is terrible, because,
you see, he has a wife."
“I should call that a stroke of
Providence, myself.”
“Horatio, I think you are being
very nasty. You are joking about
something that Is no joking mat
ter."
“I beg your pardon, dear. I wasn’t
really joking. Don't be angry. But
this yarn Is unbelievable—prepos
terous,” explained the man. taking
her hand and gently caressing It.
"Well, when Mr. Heath went
away from the homestead, he left
behind him a hundred dollars In
payment for what Marcia had done
for him. It almost killed her.”
“She—she—thought she ought to
have had more, you mean?
A
hundred dollars Is quite a sum in
these days. She would better have
grabbed It tight and been thankful.
My respect for the bandit chap Is
rising. I should call him an hon
est gentleman.”
“It is useless to talk with you,
Horatio—I can see that,” Sylvia said,
stiffening. “A delicate affair like
this is evidently beyond your com
prehension. You cannot under
stand It All you do is to make
light of every word I say.”
“I’m not making light. On the
contrary I guess I am taking the
situation far more seriously than
you are. I don't like the moral tone
ot this place at all. It looks to me
as It you had got into most un
desirable surroundings. The sooner
you are married to me. young wom
an, and out of here the better. As
for this remarkable aunt of
yours—”
“Stop, Horatio! Stop right where
you are,” bridled Sylvia. “One more
word against Marcia and back borne
you go so fast you won’t be able
to see for dust. I'm In earnest, so
watch your step."
“The woman has bewitched you,”
frowned Horatio.
“She has. She bewitches every
body. She'll bewitch you.”
“Not on your life!”
“Walt and see. Mr. Heath will
bewitch you, too."
“The—the— ?"
“Yes, the burglar, bandit, thief—
whatever you choose to call him.
You'll admit It when you meet him.
We are going there now."
“To—to—call?”
WNU Service
“To return the check 1 just told
you about. You’re the stupidest
man I was ever engaged to, Ho
ratio. Why, can’t you listen?"
“I am listening with all my ears.”
"Then the trouble is with your
Imagination,” Sylvia said in her
loftiest tone.
They walked on in silence until
presently the girl stopped before
the gate of a small, weather-beaten
cottage.
"Well, here we are at Elisha’s,”
she remarked, turning In at the
gate.
"What's he got to do with it?”
“Mercy, Hortie. You’ll wear me
to a shred. Elisha Is the sheriff.
I'm going to coax him to let me see
the prisoner.”
They walked up the narrow clam
shell path, bordered by iris and
thrifty perennials.
As they did so, the sound of a
radio drifted through the open win
dow.
Sylvia peeped In.
Elisha, too Intent on the music
to hear her step, was sitting before
the loud speaker, smoking.
“I’ve come to see Mr. Heath," she
shouted above the wails ot a croon
Ing orchestra.
“I ain't sure as I'd orter let you
see him,” hesitated Elisha.
“I'll take the responsibility.”
“Say, who you got with you!"
called the sheriff.
"lie’s nobody—just my fiance.”
“Your what?”
“The man I am going to marry.”
"You don’t tell me I So you’re
gettin’ married, are you? Good
lookin' feller! I heard at the post
office you had some chap in the
oilin'. But to let him see Mr. Heath
—I dunno as 'twould be Just—”
"Where I go Horatio goes,” Syl
via retorted.
Elisha weakened.
“Wai, In that case—” he began.
She waited to hear no more.
"Come on, Hortie,” she called.
Leaving Elisha absorbed in a
saxophone solo, the two rounded
the corner of the cottage and found
themselves in the presence of Stan
ley Heath.
thrashed. Hortle and I both think
so—don't we, Hortie?"
Horatio Junior turned crimson.
"Oh, I say, Sylvia, go easy!" he
protested. "Don't drag me Into this.
I don’t know one darn thing about it.
Suppose I Just step inside and listen
to the news flashes while you and
Mr. Heath transact your business.
It will be less awkward all round.
If you want me you can speak."
Nodding courteously In Heath's
direction, Horatio Junior disap
peared.
“Your Mr. Fuller Is a man of nice
feeling,” Stanley Heath declared
looking after him. “I congratulate
you."
“Thank you.”
"Everything Is settled then?”
She nodded.
"I hope you will be very happy."
She did not reply at once. When
she did, It was to say with a humil
ity new and appealing:
"I shall be. I never appreciated
Hortle until now. I was too silly,
vain—feather-headed. I have real
ized it since knowing Marcia.”
"We all want to be different after
we have seen Marcia,” Stanley
Heath said gently.
The girl searched his face.
"I cannot understand you, Mr.
Heath,” she said. “What has Mar
cia done that you should have left
her as you did! Hasn't she be
lieved in you through thick and
thin? Stood up for you against
everybody—going it blind at that!
Few women would have had such
faith In a stranger.”
“I realize that. You do not need
to tell me,” he answered. “It Is
precisely because she has gone so
far I believed her capable of going
farther yet—the whole way.”
“Well, hasn’t she?”
He shook his head.
"No. She has fallen short—dis
appointed me cruelly. When It
came to the final test, her affection
collapsed. Oh, she has been won
derful,” he added quickly. "Do not
think I fall to appreciate that. She
has far out-distanced every worn-
CHAPTER XII
MOYLVIA!” he exclaimed, spring-
vJ ing up and advancing toward
her with outstretched hand. "Sylvia !
What a brick you are to come!”
Angry as she was, when face to
face with him she could not resist
the contagion of his smile.
“I'm glad to see you so well." she
said. "This is Mr. Horatio Fuller of
Alton City.”
Horatio looked Heath up and
down and then stepped forward and
gripped his hand with unmistakable
cordiality.
"Mighty glad to know you, sir,”
was his greeting. "You seem to
have got yourself into a jam. If
there is anything I can do—any
way I can be ot service—”
“Horatio, you forget we are not
here to make a social call,” inter
rupted Sylvia, who had by this time
regained her routed chilliness and
indignation. "On the contrary, Mr.
Heath, we have come on a very
painful errand. We are returning
this check to you."
She extended it toward him, gin
gerly holding its corner In the tips
of her fingers as if it were too foul
a thing to touch. "It was outrageous
of you, insulting, to leave a thing
of this sort for Marcia—to attempt
to pay In cash—kindness such as
hers.”
“I’m sorry," Heath stammered.
"Sorry I You couldn’t have been
very sorry, or you would have
sensed such an act would hurt her
terribly.”
Horatio Fuller fumbled nervous
ly with his tie.
“You deserve,” swept on young
Sylvia with rising spirit, “to be
"It Was Outrageous of You, Insult
ing, to Leave a Thing of This Sort
for Marcia."
an I ever have known. I simply ex
pected too much of her, doubtless
the impossible. Human nature is
frail—a woman's heart the frailest
thing of all. 1 have always said
so.”
"You wrong Marcia," cried Sylvia
hotly. “Her heart Is not frail.
Neither is she the weak sort of per
son you have picture». In all the
world you could not match her loy
alty or the depth of her affection.
If after the experience we three
have lived through together you
have not discovered what she Is. it
Is futile for me to attempt to show
you.
"You came into our lives like a
meteor — entirely detached from
everything. We knew nothing about
you and in the face of damaging
evidence you offered “neither Marcia
nor me one word of explanation.
“When you were taken ill, we
both nursed you—I willingly, she
devotedly. Here lay another differ
ence had you been able to detect it.
What happened as a result of this
enforced intimacy? You know—
know far better than I."
“I fell In love with Marcia,” re
plied the man without an Instant's
hesitation.
“You fell In love!" Sylvia repeat
ed, her lip curling. “You call It love
—the poor thing you offered her I
Why, Marcia would have gone to
the world's end with you, Stanley
Heath, had she the right. She
would have faced any humiliation
for your sake. If prison doors
closed upon you, she would have
remained faithful until they swung
open and afterward followed you to
any corner of the earth in which
you chose to begin a new life."
“That's where you're wrong, Syl
via,” contradicted Heath. “Marcia
was not ready to do that. I tried
her out and she refused. When I
told her I should return to her, and
asked her In so many words wheth
er she was willing to face shame
and public scorn for my sake she
turned her back on me. She could
not go to that length.”
"Are you sure she understood?"
asked Sylvia, stepping nearer and
looking fearlessly into his eyes.
“There Is a shame Marcia never in
this world w’ould face for any man.
“It Is the shame ot wronging an
other woman; destroying a home.
In the villages where we have been
brought up. we believe In marriage
as a sacred, enduring sacrament—
not a bond to be lightly broken.
When you offered Marcia less than
that—”
"I never offered Marcia any such
shameful position, Sylvia," cried
Stanley Heath. "1 would not so far
Insult her.”
"But you are married.”
“That Is a lie. Who told you so?”
“The—the telephone message. I
heard you call her Joan."
“But, Sylvia, Mrs. Stanley Heath
Is not my wife. She Is my young
step-mother, my father's widow. I
always have called her Joan."
“Oh! 1 beg your pardon.”
"1 see it all now,” the man ex
plained. "You have entirely mis
understood the situation. I'm a
Junior. Since my father's death,
however, people have got out of the
way of using the term. Sometimes
I myself am careless about It. So
Marcia thought—”
“Of course she did. We both did.
How were we to know?" Sylvia de
manded.
“How, Indeed? If an Innocent
citizen cannot visit a town without
being arrested as a criminal within
a week of his arrival, why shouldn’t
he be married without his knowl
edge? Circumstantial evidence can.
apparently, work wonders."
Then suddenly be threw back his
head and laughed.
“Bless you, little Sylvia—bless
you for setting me right. I told you
you were a brick and you've proved
it. Thanks to you, everything Is
now straightened out. Here, give
me your hand. How am 1 to thank
you for what you have done? «1
only hope that young Horatio Fuller
of yours realizes what a treasure
be is getting.”
"He does. Mr. Heath—he does.'
observed that gentleman, strolling
at the same Instant through the
door and encircling his tiny bride
to-be with his arm. "Haven't I trav
eled half way across this big conn
try of ours to marry her?”
“Oh, we’re not going to be niar
rled yet, Hortle,” demurred the girl
trying to wrench herself free ot tin
big fellow’s hold.
"Certainly we are. my dear.
Didn't 1 tell you this morning 1
came to get married? 1 was per
fectly serious. Dad gave me two
months' vacation with that under
standing. I must either produce a
wife when I get home or lose my
job.”
“Looks to me as if you had Mr
Fuller's future prosperity in your
hands, Sylvia," Heath gaid.
“I'm rot doing any worrying,’
smiled Horatio. "I—”
The sentence was cut short by
the radio’! loudspeaker*
“The much sought 1-c.n* Island
gem thief was captured this morn
ing at his lodgings In Jersey City.
Harris Chalmers, alias Jimmie
O'Hara, a paroled prisoner, was
taken by the police at his room on
K— street. A quantity of loot, to
gether with firearms and the miss
ing jewels were found concealed In
the apartment. The man readily ad
mitted the theft. He has a long
prison record.”
For a second nobody spoke.
Then as If prompted by common
Impulse, the three on the piazza
rushed Indoors.
Elisha was sitting limply before
the radio.
“Ain't it the heateree?" exploded
the astonished sheriff. “That sends
the whole case up In the air. All
that's needed now to make me out
the darndest fool on God's earth Is
for Eleazer's young nephew-lawyer
In New York, who's checking up
Heath's story, to wire everything
there Is O. K. If he does, I’ll go
bury my head. There goes the tele
phone. That's him!'That's Eleazer
—I’ll bet a hat
“Hello—Yes, 1 heard it.—You
ain’t surprised? Wai, I am. I'm
took off my feet.—Oh, your nepbew
wired, did he, an’ everything's
O. K.? That bein’ the case. I reckon
there's no more to be said. I feel
like a shrimp. How do you feel?—’’
Elisha hung up the receiver.
“Wai, Mr.'Heath, the story yon
told Eleazer an’ me is straight as
a string in every particular,” he an
nounced. “You're free! There ain't
nothin’ I can say. To tell you I'm
sorry ain’t In no way adequate.
You'll Just have to set me down as
one of them puddin’ headed Idiots
that was over-ambitious to do his
duty.”
"1 shall not let It go at that, Mr.
Winslow," Stanley Heath acclaimed,
stepping to the old man's side ami
seizlqg Ids palm in a strong grip.
“We all make errors. Forget It.
I’m going to. Besides, you have
treated me like a prince since I've
been your guest.”
“What 1 can’t understand, Mr.
Winslow, Is why you didn't recog
nize he was a thoroughbred from
the beginning." Horatio Fuller re
marked.
“You’ve a right to berate me.
young man—a perfect rigid. I ain't
goin’ to put up no defense. 'Twas
the circumstances that blinded me.
Besides. I had only a single glimpse
of Mr. Heath. liemember that.
After he was took sick 1 never saw
him again. Had we got acquainted,
as we have now. everything would
’a’ been different Findin* them
Jewels—”
“Great hat, man! i had a dla
mond ring In my pocket when I
came to Wilton, but that didu t
prove I’d stolen It."
"I know I 1 know'” acquiesce i
the sheriff. "Eleazer an me lost
our benrin's entirely. We got com
pletely turned around."
"A thief with a i’lil Beta Kappa
key!" Jeered Horatio. “Godfrey!"
Then turning to Sylvia, be added in
an undertone: "Well, so far as 1
can see the only person who has
kept her head through tills afi'ap
Is our Aunt Marcia."
Elisha overheard the final clause.
“That's right!" he agreed with
cordiality. “The Wldder's bead
piece can always be relied upon to
stay steady."
"Whose head piece?" Inquired
Stanley Heath, puzzled by the
term.
“Marcia’s. Here In town we call
her The Widder."
"Well, you'll not have the op
portunity to call her that much
longer,” Heath laughed.
“You don't tell me!’’ Elisha re
garded him. open-mouthed. "Humph !
So that’s how the wind blows, Is
It? Wai, I can see this tnlx-np
would 'a ended my chances any
way. Marela'd never have me after
tills. Disappointed as I am, though,
there'* a s ght of comfort In know-
In' site won't have Eleazer neither.
He don't come out of the r'tlndy
n whit better'n me That's some
thin'. In fact It's a heap!"
(TO BE CONTINUED!