Show 0 0 by EMILIE LORING 0 arlee SYNOPSIS THE STORY 0 80 O PAR janice treat runs aws ay iy Y rom wedding ned paxton rich but a gay ay blade unbeknown to bruce bruc harcourt a amaly family friend the she becomes become secretary 0 of an alaska camp of which he I 1 in chief engineer hale atio ot of the man whom he sue succeeded li Is also alio attracted to him n bruce ruce at t hrit first wants wanti to send lend janice back on a trip to the city she encounters enco unten paxton anil and tells him she li in married to ilar court the latter bears bean it and insists insist on a wedding that th t day at the camp to which they rea return u rn by evening the samp sisters listen aided aide d by tubby grant hat har courts court assistant arranged a wedding party now continue with the tory story CHAPTER X harcourt picked up the belt and holster which he had dropped to the desk when he came in the shoulder holster which held its twin was empty pascal no answer to his call the boy was doubtless helping the samp girls gills in their preparations plump miss mary in a dove gray taffeta its balloon sleeves proclaiming it of the vintage of 94 its rose point bertha suggesting a grandmother of parts greeted him as he entered the samp living room well bowl well bowl now janice is dressing mr bruce mary and I 1 begged her to wear one of her lovely evening dresses for our party she let us choose it from a trunk in the storehouse she patted his sleeve dont you look nice that goes for you too miss mary you almost knocked my eyes out with your pretty dress he bent his head and kissed her rosy wrinkled cheek thank you for arranging jans room when did you hear bear the news youre the most heart warming person mr bruce I 1 feel as though id been sitting in the sun after ive been with you she smiled through tears dabbed at her eyes mr tubby radioed the news before he left the city such a surprise janice was lovelier even than he had thought her her pale blue gown silvery as the edges of a cloud suggested a fairy loom slippers which matched her gown had bows of sparkling stones which were repeated in the clasp of a bag of antique brocade she laid a mandarin coat heavily embroidered with mauve and purple iris carefully over the back of a chair he picked up the mandarin coat taking this yes ill use it as a wrap it gorgeous I 1 found it in my room here tubby must have bought it for a wedding present when he went back to the city he knew that I 1 was mad about it I 1 suspect that it was frightfully expensive it is taking goods under false pretenses for me to accept it I 1 ought to gi give ve it back but I 1 love it can he af ford to buy a thing like this probably not every day but weddings do not occur every day at headquarters why hurt the donor by returning his gift lets go 11 an orchestra consisting of fiddle flute and saxophone agonized into the wedding march from lohengrin as they appeared in the doorway of the waffle shop janice laughed and parried questions played her part brilliantly no one could suspect biorn her manner that she was not the most gorgeously happy bride in the world harcourt told himself with a tinge of bitterness her radiance vanished like sun sunshine cliine blotted by a cloud as millicent hale approached dear mrs harcourt how sweet of you to provide an occasion for civilized clothes I 1 am consumed with curiosity to know how you accomplished complis hed it ive heard bruce declare repeatedly that never while he was in alaska would he marry what brand of coercion did you use the malice of the attack rendered harcourt speechless was the little woman whom he had considered pathetically helpless like that was janice as amazed as he he glanced at her in concern she was looking straight into the eyes watching her with catlike cat like intentness it was a method quite my own mrs hale you possibly use it harcourt came out of his trance of sur surprise prise laid his hand on her bare arm she shook it off turned to extend her hand to chester challenged gaily why the gloomy brow Che cheerio erial 1 this is a party not a memorial service before he could answer tubby grant seized him want you jimmy going to stage an old timer the samp girls are stepping out in a quadrille salute partners Partner sl miss martha spread her plum color taffeta skirts with work worn hands and curtsied to the floor recovered ma made ie a deep obeisance in response to a shouted salute corners her beautiful dignity set the keynote nate tor for the dance the others kept watchful eyes on the sisters who sailed through the figures with the grace of an angular and a chubby swan change partners Partner sl millicent hale was first to give out she turned to bruce 1 11 I danced so much nor so hard since the wi winter ter I 1 came out t do take me home bruce jimmy has disappeared joe will be furious if 3 stay longer j I 1 m you cant lose what aou never had millicent for the fraction of a second harcourt hesitated why pick on him better to humor her she might make a scene anything was credible after her hateful attack on janice of course I 1 need an escort this short distance bruce but I 1 had to consult you about jimmy jimmy I 1 the matter with jimmy what I 1 want to know today when I 1 entered our cabin he was threatening joe with a pistol an empty shoulder holster hanging against a log wall flashed on the screen of harcourte Har courts mind and was gone As I 1 entered said millicent jimmy was saying send for her again and ill shoot you youve messed up my sisters life enough get me 1 I believe it was joe huddled in his chair livid afraid joe As I 1 looked at him I 1 thought what a poor fool I 1 had been all these years not to stand up to him not to threaten him he is a bully and a coward bruce and ive never before found it out if you have lost your fear of him it is a lot gained millicent for whom did joe send do you know no unless unless jimmy found out about fatima joe has made a fool of her with flattery nothing worse im sure but she follows him about like a dog ill speak to jimmy ile he will have to turn over his gun to me if that is the use he is making of it talk with him bruce poor boy he has never forgotten his experiences overseas you will have more influence than anyone else she laid her hand on his arm we all dump our worries on your shoulders dont we I 1 shant dare do it now that you are married I 1 feel as though I 1 had lost you under pretense of producing his cigarette I 1 ease case harcourt stepped back you cant lose what you never had millicent goodnight good night he heard her little gasp as he turned on his heel As he entered the waffle shop miss martha and miss mary crimson faced from the exertions of the dance with mammoth white aprons over their creaking taffetas taff were serving the ice cream which grant ha had a brought hundreds of miles in a plane As he approached janice he heard jimmy chester say harshly hell never send for you again had joe hale sent for J janice anice the suspicion tightened harcourte Har courts lips the girl looked up at him there was a hint of resentment in her voice oh you have come back jimmy and I 1 had decided that you like the party we jimmy it was evident that she had seen him go go out with millicent ile he answered 5 erad evenly im crazy about the party did you think I 1 would leave before I 1 hd had danced with my bride the musicians hc ians have finished their gorge and are tuning up by the way chester be ready with a track laying gang to go up the inlet at reveille you have all the specifications i short notice but you ca can n make it want to push the work while this weather holds ile he held out his hand my aly dance mrs harcourt he was vas conic conscious ious of jimm jimmy y chesters pale fi frowning owning regard as they moved away in rhythmic step to the music left the room janice looked up sorry I 1 was catty bruce ile he held her the fraction of a degree closer were you catty millicent was raw to you jan but dont lay it up against her this last year has set her nerves on edge 1 I wonder if a year here will do that to io mine you wont have a chance to find out wont I 1 IT perhaps you will like I 1 having abing me here so much beg me to stay his arm tightened dance wen well together dont we there was a hint of strain in in her laugh the fighting line again tubby wants me here it if you dont yes we are good we might make a dancing team if engineering fails a thou thought sorry but it is ia tune time the festivities broke up all of us must be sons of toil again tomorrow we being the guests ot of honor should make a move that correct I 1 suspect tubby op of a theatrical climax we will dance round to the door vanish and escape As they stole surreptitiously from the waffle shop the heavens still held a trace of the glory of the sunset above the broken crater spread a coppery glow janice drew a long uneven breath it is more gorgeous than I 1 had imagined As they turned toward the H house she said lightly ever since I 1 arrived as jimmy delevan I 1 have been consumed by curiosity to to see the inside of your cabin ile he answered by throwing open the door As they crossed the threshold a shower of confetti pelted belted them it powdered their hair lay like colored snow on their shoulders one adventurous particle clung to danices Ja nicea nices eyelashes she laughed unsteadily as she brushed it away the trail of the resourceful mr grant doubtless he expected you to carry your bride over the threshold as big strong men do in the movies and points south harcourt laid his hands lightly on her shoulders we will postpone that ceremony take olt off your wrap the room is hot pasca keeps these fires roaring she slipped oil off the heavily embroidered broidered broi dered cl mandarin coat ile he laid it on the couch crossed to the fireplace and lighted a cigarette arm on the mantel he watched her eyes travel from the indian blankets on the log walls to the russian samovar saw them glow with admiration as they rested on the chinese pewter tea service linger on the rich pelts on the floor they met his like it love it how did these rare things get into this wilderness small trading vessels stop for any one of a dozen reasons the captain or mate usually has something choice he will dispose of for a consideration im mad about that chinese pewter well have tea every afternoon everything I 1 have is yours jan the huskiness of his voice voice sent the color to her face that do ile he opened a door snapped on a light said grandiloquently quent ly behold the kitche kitchenette 1 S she he stepped to the threshold pale green and a graland white linoleum on the floor my word but you are modern nl 1 I told you that I 1 lost my head 0 ver over the H house after we had finished the chimneys they just naturally required bedrooms to utilize their other sides irles bedrooms required baths a house this size needed a kitchen I 1 have never regretted st it planning and ordering kept archie harper busy and happy he worked up to almost the last moment of his life and now I 1 have it for you he nodded toward a lighted room your things are in there if yta you u are not too tired I 1 should like to talk a while jan except for the fact that my feet are shredded to ribbons that a dance it was a riot not 1 I am not in the least tired I 1 will change my slippers and come back ill get your sandals ile he pulled the fan back chair a bit nearer the tire sit here As she hesitated he added please lie he dropped to one knee jn in front of her stick out your foot lie he gently removed the high heeled blue slipper with its sparkling bow put on the sandal that better she nodded the other ile he held the slender foot in his hand after it was shod jan you understand dont you who the dickens is pounding like that Is tubby trying to be fun ny nya someone is beating with both fists gol quick I 1 i harcourt pulled open the door millicent hale stumbled into the room Brit brucel cel her ter terrified rifled eyes widened as janice took a step toward her she shut them sobbed with arms lung she braced herself against the log wall brilliant Brilli ants swinging from her ears on her green frock quivered with light she shuddered gasped for control harcourt caught her shoulder TO DE BE CONTINUED |