Part 21 (1/2)
The young girl stood in the doorway--he had heard and no her She caht she looked like a shadow He drew in his breath
”Miss--” he began, then stopped
Her gaze rested on hiuishable on the other side of the salon
”What does it h but he saw her slender form sway
Who was he? About to explain in a rush of words, Mr Heatherbloom hesitated To her he had been, of course, but a conspirator of the Russian woman in the affair Miss Van Rolsen had deemed him culpable; the detective had been sure of it Would Miss Dalrymple think more leniently of him than mere unprejudiced people, those who knew less of hih somewhat inexplicably complicated in recent occurrences, was _per se_ a pri circu She divined now from his blackened features what his position on the yacht must be He was only a poor stoker, but--
”You are a brave fellow,” cried Betty Dalryet it You interfered--I remember--”
”A brave fellow!” It ell he had not betrayed hinant mockery lent pain to the thrill of her words
”You rushed in, struck hiain for some time!” burst from Mr Heatherbloom His tones were i those last moments on the deck--when he had been unable to restrain hile hot-blooded iard hiht surprise ”Where is he? What has become of him?”
”He is safe--”
”You mean you conquered him, beat him--you?” Her voice thrilled
”You bet I did,” said Mr Heatherbloom with the least evidence of incoherency Her words had been verbal cha--” He stopped Perhaps he realized that his explanation was beginning to seereat evidence of personal satisfaction if not boastfulness ”You see I had a gun,” he irl, co nearer, ”I don't understand”
He started to ot him safe, where he can't lanced over his shoulder; but he did not tell her where he ”had hi back to the nearest A, i back? Impossible!” Wonder, incredulity were in her voice
”It's true as shooting, Bet--”
She was too bewildered to notice that slight slip of the tongue ”It's a fact, ruffly
”But how?” Her tones betrayed reticence in crediting the ure must have prevailed over the prince or the latter would not have so mysteriously disappeared ”How did it happen?”
”Well, you see I just happened around”
”You, a stoker?”
Stokers, he was reminded by her tone, did not usually ”happen around” on decks of palatial private yachts He ht he saay; he could let her know part of the truth ”The fact is, I was looking for this boat at the last port she stopped at I had cause to think you would be on her Couldn't stop the yacht fro to sea, for reasons too numerous to mention, so I just slipped out and cauise? Then you are a detective?”
”I think I may truthfully say I am, but in a sort of private capacity
When a really important case occurs, it interests me Now this was an important case, and--and it interested , her eyes were so insistent Betty Dalry eyes ”Because, you see, your--your aunt was so anxious--and”--with a flash of inspiration--”the reas a big one”
”The reward? Of course” Her voice died away ”You hoped to get it That is the reason--”
He let his silence answer in the affirnized him--yet In the recess behind the draperies the chair in which his excellency was bound, creaked Was he struggling to release himself? Mr Heatherblooirl turned her head