Show IN HEAVES HEAVEN FOUR Continued PART FOUR 17 17 IV To o Barbara that evening seemed ve ver ending her false position into into- able ble She craved yet dreaded the theA A orrow when she could talk with ugh gh Once by themselves the gues buzzed over their coffee cups the latest local scandal rs a 8 Rochdale proceeded with a n garI gar gar- l thus lous us account of a housemaid treas- treas I Ire re possessing all the virtues In hose room four empty whisky bottles d been found during her absence on I As she had been a n frequenter f temperance meetings and had taken i ie pledge this was In Itself a terrible I IIi t. t Ii even though she had never been cn drunk Whether to allow her to wi-n wi or to write an and denounce her exercised her mistress mistress' l to the exclusion of sleep fter fter much discussion It was decided t the vicar The girl shrank Into her chair sick t heart old talks with Alan In her dad What key she wondered did hese hese people use In to substitution for forti ti h true one given to the world and andst 1St st again Charity long longmi tr mi nd Is ts kind the they read glibly or He HeIl Il lint ha Is without sin amon among you ou let him fist the first stone What did half halt he righteous souls Judging everybody a their own smug conception of Chris Chris- anity know of temptation sin the 1 leaning of ot the word love with all Its I ta told sub-keys sub consideration un- un i s sympathy My y dear broke in old Mr Roch- Roch ales ale's voice as he seated himself beide beIde bed be- be Ide d her ber we must bring back the tho tho uses oses oses Into Inlo your our cheeks I He took her herand herand herd and d and patted It You mustn't rood over o the past It was a terrible terrible But Its It's all over owe ow v. Forget FOlget It Barbara like a bad badr r ream m. m and cheer up again The he words were to the girl like Uke lades of steel thrust Into sore bleedS bleed- bleed S wounds Over O Forget I Ih Ie h Hey hy e y seemed to reverberate In her herIl Il dad d and her very soul turned sick mi ad t faint as gripping the arms of her herh h hair lr she heard her mothers mother's voice olce Her er time will soon be full again her wedding with all ail her old titles Then hen Hugh came up and chatted In InIs' InIs Inis is is- s' s usual cheery way and somebody l ed and sang But Dut all nil the them theme theme m me me e those two words beat bent upon her herr r rain in God was It true Was this et et t once more to capture her Was ihs ds nightmare to become the reality cid the splendid real real nil all the very esrice es- es nce rice of life to life to fade into the dream I eS The The l e morning was cold and bright I fter tier a pretense at breakfast she put z her cont coat lIu Hugh h not being expected lore lunch and her mother not yet own own A A. craving cra for freedom from stone tills alls ans for vigorous action had seized er r The cold air stinging her face ae le i wind buffeting her skirts dulled i the agony within The tt ce In the sunshine here hered ml lI d there sprigs of ling still showed urple amid the russet of dead heather nd bracken upon the common the sandy paths were crisp with tot lOSt Vt At the corner where the lane Joined he fie main road she paused Here she ind nd that other had first met With pain memories of those far- far ff tY first encounters seethed Into her nind She saw again the mock half ug g smile upon his lips remembered ils L 11 te teasing words and her own annoyance annoy- annoy ince ance Ilce after speaking of her hearts heart's de- de Ire Le e. e She understood as she turned ned hurriedly awa away how from the first t those keen eyes had read Into her icart rt penetrating to what she w was s but vaguely guey conscious of herself her ller cr hearts heart's desire Ah how changed t ll was as now how now how changed since trending treading last laH these familiar li leathery feathery paths a n lifetime seemed to toh h e e elapsed She looked back with ender Binder upon the Inexperienced girl gin Il ly yearning vervain after an Intangible c Cornet beyond the dolly dally hori horI- r. r zon on n. n Presently she turned her steps to the house e where so 60 many happy hours had Imd been spent The garden looked l ti now no the tennis court court frost frost- Bound and dr dreary nry But Dut the housekeeper housekeeper house house- I keeper welcomed her warmly and the ther r tew school teachers Installed there for Christmas holidays s 's looked at her bet with Unconcealed curiosity She hurried away way iway up to Mrs Fields Field's little den Its r ivner er being one of those whose arOIS ar- ar OIS ever er had hod the he charm of the room mont had a cheerful fire nd d was fragrant with hothouse flow flow- rs ro 3 As Barbara Darbara looked round at the aft rr walls and deep-blue deep velvet et cur- cur gns the soft chairs choirs built for comfort ind nd d shelves stacked with books other f memories of ot con confidential chats and 6 ozy zy teas caused her again to realize h he ie golf gait yawning between herself herselt and ond hp he girl of ot long ago She turned to the h hook book ok shelves then railed restlessly back buck to the fire L Ml I at nt once she caught with a n little cry rr ry at nt the back of ot a chair as her lanc fell tell upon the writing table For the eyes ces she loved and had lost t net Met et her own with the old straight penning pen pen- Crating ning look She ran run forward t I dad d I picked ed up the photograph He UP r pro rt the Oie uniform of ot an air force officer and ind blA bin fare face was ns set In to the lines of ot logged ed stubbornness when unpleasant was afoot which she knew v pell ell The vivid likeness was bittersweet Itter et II A a n d d-d d d nuisance get nuisance get It done r BJ could hear t the e thought she fiend nd behind the the- lips tips The Then I I u J she gazed gure u l upon noon the th t familiar III fe fc I lb 1 By CLIVE ARDEN Copyright by Th The Bobbs Merrill Co tures all the past rose up and enveloped enveloped en en- her tho the comfortable English room faded Once more in a far-away far hut she prepared strange food for her mate ever er and anon running running run run- ning to look for his return seeing little black lack figures at play on the sand And presently he be came striding down the sunny slope fresh from a dip In Inthe inthe n the river laden with fruit his dear eyes searching for her She hurried to meet him taking some of ot othis his burden Again she felt the warm wann touch of his lips heard the laughter aughter In his voice as he be made some tensing easing remark The ringing of a bell belt brought her sharply back to reality the sudden cruel contrast cutting her like a whip With a low moan she sank upon a couch throwing herself face downward downward down down- ward among the cushions her lips pressed to the unresponsive portrait portrait Despair again clutched her in Its remorseless remorseless re re- re claws She lay Inert In n her blind tearless abandonment oblivious to all things The Tho opening door and quick footsteps footsteps footsteps foot foot- steps crossing the room did not disturb disturb disturb dis dis- her At the touch of an arm about her shoulders she started violently vio- vio and raised a drawn face Hugh stood beside her consternation in his hise e eyes es Bab Dab he exclaimed shocked by ly her expression My dearest what what eerIs er e ever everis evers Is s the matter She sat slowly upright the portrait portraits s still clasped with both onus arms regarding him ilm dumbly I managed to get away way this morn morn- Martha ing-Martha ng Martha said you ou were here here here- he stammered Wh What t Is It Bab Dab I I-I I I thou thought bought ht something was wrong wrong- It occurred to her that an anybody body less tess stupidly dense and unimaginative would have ha guessed the truth long ago Then swiftly chasing the thought came the knowledge ledge e that it was his genuine simple trust In h her r and all allI I l l ll s l WI IA 1 r Then Hugh Came Op Up and Chatted his ils fellow creatures which blinded him Suspicion was as foreign to his honest nature as subtle changes were beyond his ken She recognized with a warm rush of ot s sympathy that her affection for this old companion remained unchanged unchanged un un- un- un chan changed ed she alone was to blame for mistaking It for anything more with the Inevitable suffering she was about to cause She stretched out her hand and he took It In both of his Hughie Hughle Everything Is Is wrong I I Tell TeU me all nU about It ft it he be urged sittIng sitting sitting sit sit- ting beside her We can an probably put things right between us She shook her head with a catch of ot other her breath then drew her hand gently free a again oln I Im Ive Im Ive I've got to hurt you You horribly I Oh I my dear I cant can't bear doing It Rising Impulsively ely she walked to the window and back her face working with emotion Cant you gueSs you guess Hugh Cant Can't you realize that that that-that- that everything Is different now she cried looking straight Into his bis bewildered face Apprehension was spreading over O his features His brown eyes eyes with their dawning sense of trouble resembled that of a faithful dog not understanding understand ing the lie meaning of ot some unexpected chastisement The girl could not bear to see it She looked Involuntarily In down at what was still clasped to her breast His glance lance followed hers and the apprehension deepened Guess what he muttered that Bab Dab A photograph She nodded He suddenly stepped toward her Whose What What I I oh lord Tell me straight 1 J JIt It was the cry of one upon the borderland borderland bor bor- derland of ot tragic discovery ery Feeling like an time old-time executioner who let tb the ax DX fall full upon the quivering neck of his victim ending the hopes and affections ions of ot a lifetime she silently handed him the photograph and ug again turned to the window Looking with unseeing eyes at the frosty landscape her thoughts reverted rc to a curiously similar scene In the past wherein the situation was reversed Hughs Hugh's portrait had bad played Its part partin In InI that little drama Alan she ehe remembered remembered had t lith characteristic f fl vex te- l mence torn It tt Into shreds e e e then claimed her for tor his own by the only bonds which constitute real reat possession possessIon possession pos pos- session of a woman There may be other lawful ties honorably recognized and adhered to but whether near In physical presence or sundered by 0 countless miles mUes of sea and land even eyen by death lentil Itself only the man to whom a womans woman's heart belongs holds her In true possession possession- None Non other can turn the key which unlocks the real fountains foun tonn- fountains of her soul Hugh did not not tear the card cardboard hoard to fragments After Arter a n few moments' moments pregnant silence he laid It upon a table and followed the girl to the win win- dow His Ills face was pale and his voice toneless You mean Bab that that that-If I I 1 I can never marry you He caught at a chair but said noth noth- ing I care I care for tor you as you as much as ever she went on hurriedly seeing the the look on his face But It But It was never love tove I 1 have learned that Hugh I 1 know now now now- You mean If mean he asked again huskily as her voice faltered Croft 1 She nodded The color ebbed still stillmore stillmore more from his cheeks and he lie laid a hand hund on her arm But my nut my poor Bab I he Is dead Is-dead- dead Oil Olt I know I know She clasped her hands In anguish But you But you shall hear all aU the truth Hugh Hugh It It Is your due He I He-I-he I he was my husband Hugh started violently and dropped his hand She stood motionless before him For several long moments the ticking of ot a little clock dock and the crackling crackling crac crac- kling of the fire firc were the only audible sounds In his slow fashion the man was tr trying gropingly lr to adjust facts But But he began at last I dont don't understand 1 You were only together a n few weeks before the wreck Where did you you get get married married V Why y didn't somebody write I dont don't understand he repeated be bewildered I thought you disliked him She looked silently Into his agitated face It was evident that the truth was still far from his grasp Hughie Hughle she said very quietly It was Impossible to write We were not married during the trip trip not not until we had been on the Island for over fOl over a year He gazed at her speechless his bewilderment bewilderment bewilderment be be- wilderment gradually changing to dismay dismay dismay dis dis- may and dawning horror On the Island For a year he echoed But how But how on earth could you get married to Suddenly the blood rushed to his temples and the horror grew and deepened He caught her arm gripping It fiercely You You my God Godl l I Barbara you dont don't mean menn that you you you-you ou you ou of all people people people-an and Croft Croft Croft- Abruptly he swung her arm free his face blazing as she had never seen It The swine I the the the-the the rotten swine he choked at a n loss for words I trusted him He gave me his word word word- And Am he kept It she site cried quickly He faced her something nearer to n a sneer neer than thun she had ever seen curling his natured good-natured lips In what way By betra betraying the greatest trust o one e emon man mon can put In another By dragging ytm down down- down down- Be cone quiet Hugh The rhe anger In fn her voice olce silenced him He turned away dazed Sinking upon the couch he lie covered his face with hl his hands I The girl was trembling with Ind Indig indig- g nation Her back to the room she struggled with the hot anger seething within until her womans woman's understanding understand understand- ing won the victory Then she turned round It It was my doing she said Your Your doing doing He sprang to his feet and walked about agitatedly What d' d ou mean You were not the sort of girl to encourage encourage- For lor Gods God's sake explain everything 1 I lie Ue kept his word to you she repeated re re- re- re pealed lie saved sa m my life Ufe at the risk of his Ids own In every possible way he looked after my safety and comfort nobody could have ha done more Although Although Although Al Al- though he cared all cared all the time I 1 never even guessed it Lie he lie he thought I belonged I-belonged to you She paused shadIng shadIng shading shad- shad Ing her e eyes es Then Then Months went by and no rescue came Then Then I I oh Hughie I couldn't help It It-I It I ed realized realized-I- I loved him and and and- and ho knew knew It It too We meant to wait walt wait and tell you But Dut months passed a again aln and the and the position became Impossible You cant can't understand understand under under- stand here But Hut there we had hacI to face trice quite facts facts quite differently from ordinary standpoint to standpoints to make our our own laws lie He left the decision to me o. o At last lat after months n again of struggle gle and uncertainty and uncertainty I became convinced that it would be right to make ml our own marriage e. e too too too- She Site touched her nn linger er This ibis was the only ly ring he had I J Her lIer words went Into s1 silence nce A t faint relief relict look of ot horror In Hughs Hugh's face tace To an essentially living Glenn British sportsman the Idea of wantonness wantonness- between the girl Irl he helo lo loved lod d and und the man man he had halt tru trusted was unbearable That hasty basty Judgment was contradicted by her words He could ond not as she surmised clearly comprehend compre ompre bend hend the m magnitude of ot the forces TO he contended with upon the Island any Jiny more than a n man learning s strokes strokE's In still water rim nu realize the difficulties to he be encountered b by the tIle same |