Evening Star Newspaper, September 7, 1926, Page 18

M ysteriOUS SWEETHEART y ELLA WISTER HAINES Which Baffles Solution CHAPTER 1. The Dream. “I must have had a dream, Caro- lita tried to persuade herself, as she withdrew behind the curtaing of her lower berth, shaking from head to foof. AWhat could have possessed her to siart up like that, in the dead of the night, and peer out into the aisle of | the Pullman car. She had never done such a thing before! “This long. lonely journey into an nnknown land, the haunting terror | of my future, the whole unsolved my: tery of my birth, follows me every- where until 1 have lost all self-con trol,” she went on arguing to herself, “and yet I could not have besn mis. taken in what 1 saw! That white, whitg hand, clutching the curtain of the 'berth epposite—the ruby &o startling In its shape and color—have T watched for it o long that it has become an ohsescion? Oh, If T but | dared ‘o lonk once more’ She made an effort to obey her im pulte, but her frightened limbs hesi- | tated 1o move. Her thoughts we: 8l8o escaping her control, for suppose | Suppnse that after ears of secluded con- vent life the time had come to learn her name and her siory. unravel the mystery which had kept her hidden in faraway Agentinal The thought of what might lie re vealed hehind the curtain opposite hecame tan mich for her. It was big gar and more compelling than fear of the strange land in which she was a lonely traveler. What harm could come of taking one little Jook. Draw ing a long breath. she stepped cau tiously into the aicle, her glance dart ing 1o the bherth on the other side She would pull open those curtains and look within: she would A moment’s uncertainty, and a hand was placed upon her shoulder, a low voice directed ‘Back into vour berth! not wander ahout middle of the night!” It was the voung American whose reservation was next to hers, and the shock of his tonch unnerved her. “Oh!" she whispered, “vou fright- Please, did yon but now strange out here. P probably had a nightmare,” his tone was still low, but more friend Girls can. Pullmans in the | 1v. “the ear is almost empty and no- | hody will he the wiser. again.’ There is somehady in Don't get up the berth | one was soft. h npposite,” she wanted to insist, “some- | body T mmnst see!” admitted of no argument rhe oheyed him Silently She must wait nntil morning—long_hours in which to lfe |80 T ewake and think and wonder all over | 49 again, pondering the never answered “why,” “when” and “where” of her Journey and its secret She lay down, resigned to her fate. 8he was thankful that no one but Mr. Reynolds had seen her in the aisle, for he would not misunderstand her action. He had heen so nice and helpful since their meeting in dinipg car of the Twentieth Century Limited. It had been fortunate that fate had placed him in this train for |man ticket!" California! Being only 18 and quite unworldlywise. Carolita never dreamed that” her wide-awake had taken pains to examina her ticket, and subsequently paid a visit to the Santa Fe Pullman window in Chicago, | *vah while we's stanin’ on de sidin® changing his berth for the one next |%8h. an' vouse ain’ come in no moh. to hers! It was enough to know that |1 Was fixin® to tell vouse. hoss he was close at hand, making her trip 80 _delightful. The thought of Paul Revnolds e eluded, for a hrief time, the memory of the events which had just trans pired. later, as she lay caimly think ing it over, she reached the conclu sfon that the whole affair had heen a dream. She had never the aisle and seen u white hand on the curains opposite. The whole thing was ridiculous —absurd. And after a time vouth and optimism gained a victory over doubt and fear, and the young traveler from South America turned over and went to sleap’ Daylight was streaming in when a man’s voice awoke Carolita from her sound night's sleep, commanding in stant attention. Pagsengers in this car will remain fn their herthe. Nn cause for alarm.” What a funny country.” Carolita thought. rising on her elhow and shaking off her drowsiness with a tnss of her black enrie, “something new to learn each day! Her mind harhored no memory of last night's events as she raised the ghade and lonked nut upon anather of thosa fealated stations of the great Southwest. the land in which she had been horn. but ta which she rame now as a stranger. Would California he as loneiv and forlorn as these set tlements she had heen ohgerving from the car window? The girl had onlv a vague idea of the new world she had | entered, for in the convent the nuns had not paid much EeoRTAphY apparently had never oceured 1o ther more than to the girl herse at she would he com hack 1o United gome dav. so suddeniv and so unex pectedly that there would he only time 10 pack fow helongings and | cateh the sieamer on which her guardian’s letier had ordered her to sl The view from her window held nothing of tnteresi, and Carol « at tention came hack to the vaices in the aisle Dey anit cvah las gen'man in de drawin night. sah! Lady and room got off early this mahn'ng. dat | at Jady who never tonk offn her gloves and acted <o ohnery ‘rayse de train am late Carolita recognized the quaint dia Ject of the negra porter. which Paul Reynolds had told her was “darky lingo."” ‘Yes. ves, 1 know all that.” the lond voice which had aroused Caro. lita eut short the darky's story “What 1 want is 1o check up on the rest of the passengers. The little Jady from South America is here in loger 2. There's a voung fellow fn 4, two Salvation Army lasses in . and the man in 1 “Dead man rolita’s dark eves npened ver: fresh voung ch &0 Yosv A mo. ment heford. fear. Her lips quivered Why, there was only one man in this car—the one who had been so kind to her, and im mediately last night and its strange HAY FEVER! uaranteed Relief in 24 [fours or your Money Refunded luminous very wide. Her A 14 Ask your druggist for genuine RAHNOUS PRESCRIPTION (pronounced ron'nus) —it’s the original capsule treatment that has saved thous sands from misery and the expense of costly vacations. Absolutely h_mnlen | —free from narcotics —gets quick end | ve control of pain and lneuln‘ d ‘‘makes life worth living. 1 and $2.50. Sold by Druggists everywhare, attention 1o | States | sehen passengahs in’ de | But his manner | ™' (he | téntion fixed upon the porter. acquaintance | Midin’ in the chaih evah. ‘Md looked into | Why did you find him in lower 1 l T (Copyright. 1926.) T That white, white hand clutching the curtain of the berth opposite. events came hurtling back into her |wired to lock all cars while we waited mind! for the Fastbound express. Been a Mr. Reynolds couldn't be dead! He |lot of hold-ups lately, we are not tak- must be in the next herth-—she thrust |ing chances. It happens to have been her head out from between the cur- | fortunate, for no one either entersd tains and encountered the burly form | or left thiz car last night except the of the conductor, and simultaneously [two drawing room passengers. Just the young man In lower 4 stuck |how thix man came to his death T out his head, hiz gray eyes meeting | don't know, but it will be easier to her black ones in a cautioning look. | determine than if a lot of people had “Oh!" Carolita drew a deep hreath |been coming and going.” of relief, “you ave not dead!” Her _“Came to his death™ said Paul accent foreign, her | Reynolds, stepping frem his berth ords chosen carefully, as one who into ths aisle. “Dn vou mean that he 1 | has heen murdered?” mentally translates hefore speaking. « Carolita, who was an interested “Very decidedly not!" the Ameri sponded. and then to the con. | listener, gave a gasp of dismay. Gtor: “What'e ithe anistter?" | “Murdered?” she repeated vaguely, “Passenger found dead In lower ‘murdered 1" the Pullman conductor answered| “I'd like to have you look for your- briefly. “Stay where you are.” | self,”” said the conductor to Paul Reyv- Tn lower 17 There was no pas.|nolds, “but don't touch the body. The senger In there! Those people got dead man is of middle age well At — —. Our car was almost | dressed, a wallet full of money, but empty last night!” | o, card of |d‘:mlflrnl|on1:|"' o . S GRiRoS < at.| “What makes vou think he was The conductor ignored him, his Al urdered”” Carolita heard Paul ques- tioning, as he stood between her and the tragedy across the aisle. ‘‘There is not any sign of violence—no blood. He appears to have died in his sleep. His eves are closed.” “When did this passenger come in here?” he persisted. “He has no Pull- “Ye, sah, dat's right, sah: he come in during the evenin'. say he been | He saye he gwine pay you. sah, soon's vouse come. Den, firs’ ting you locked de quick, made “Had the other passengers gone to | “Yessah, all but de voung lady and | gen'man, dey was a-playing ecards | with dem drawing room folks. 1 put Als new passenger in lowah free, dat's how 1 come to fin’ him dead so early." You put him in lower 37 Then | “Pon’t know, hoss! [ was fixin® to make up lowah 1, supposin’ all de time he was sleepin’ in de next berf, | and T opens up de cuhtains big an’| sees him a layin’ dere plum dead, sah, ! wearing his clo's jus’ lak he done come into the cvah, sah! I ain't had suchen a scare in all mah life!” “And after he got into this car it lay for several hours upon the siding tightly locked-— ' ~ M v locked?" younz Reynolds | cut_in. ! “That freight wreck last evening | put ue off achedule and headquarters - IR A t First Publication of. a Modern Mystery Sfory Asparagus Salad is a Milani’s French lingering savor makes simple diets delicious. “Do you observe that slender gold chain, which has been taken from in- side his collar and broken off by force? The clasp of the chain is at the back of his neck. caught in his eollar button. There has been some- thing on the end of that chain, some. thing that somebody has wanted.” Paul Reynolds examined the chain with increasing interest. “‘Romething that somebody has wanted,” he repeated. ‘A locket?¥ “I don’t know. but I have before | me the disagreeable duty of question- ing every one in this car. Your names are on your tickets. 1I:shall make my inspection ar brief and. considerate as | possible. _ Are you Miss Carolita { Menende: he asked. turning to the | | young South American.” | “Yes,” Carolita’s lips trembled, her | heart beating rapidly. “Tell me very briefly where you came from, where you are going.” “I came from the Argentine.’ “You have a Spanish name, vet you speak excellent English.” “We spoke French and English in the convent and I have heen told jthat T was born in the United States. A short time ago my guardian com- manded that I take a cartain steamer to New York, aleo a train for Chicago where 1 should change for Los Angeles.” “You made the journey alone?’ “Alone.” “On what steamer?” “The Orizabka.” “Who helped you to find your train In New York?" “To the dock there ecame a lady, just as my guardian informed. She put me on the train for Chicago. and thére a lady cared for me. Both of these ladies were what you call ‘Travelers' Ald." " “l see. Have you friends in Lot Angeles?" 4 “I have no friends that I know. My guardian's lstter informed that at the depot I should be met by my.own people.” “What le your guardian's name?” “Frank Shapiro.” “An American?” “T do not know, sir. I have never seen him.” “You have never seen your guard- ian? What kind of a tale are you telling me, voung lady? This it bus. | iness, not Arablan Nights? Come now. g “Look here, conductor,” young Rey- | nolds broke in, “why are you wor ing this girl? Don't you see that she 1s nervous and upset? WHat possible connection ean she have with this unfortunate accident?"’ “Only that the dead man happens to have made the journey on the same steamer with her from South Amer. fea. 1 found a claim check in his pockethook marked ‘S. 8. Onizaba.' " ' _(Conyright._1928.) (Continued Tomorrow.) Pastor 47 Years Resigns. Special Diepatch to The Star, | MARTINSBURG. W. Va.. Septem- ber 7.—The Rev. F. M. Woods, D.D., dean of ministers in this section, Sun- day formally offered his resignation Mo the congregation of the Presby- terian Church here after 47 vears of service with the church. delicious supper dish, newly appetizing by ressing. 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