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Show . A TELEGRAM$ERrAL -1 BEAUTIFUL BARBARIAN I Bv R. H. DAVIS stiff wind. Through her bedroom window, Maris surveyed the sky with anxious eyes. This day of all days I she wanted perfect weather. If the wind increased, she realised gloomily, there would be no dance for her. Toward noon the wind abated somewhat and she heard the chug-chug chug-chug of a motorboat approaching the island. She flew to the veranda and saw, with a sinking heart, that it was Jud. Gloomy Eyes The rattan chair creaked under his weight Hs surveyed the rough wster with gloomy eyes. "I had a party to take fishing this morning,'' he grumbled. The fishing fish-ing will be bad for a week now, after this wind." 'Too bad, Jud," shs commiserated, thinking of something else. His dark eyes went to her face fleetingly, then he was looking st ths windtossed wster again. He scowled. "Peter Van Vorn Is ths feller I wss supposed to take out this morning." morn-ing." Another swift glancs told him that ths nams meant nothing to Maria "He's got a swell lookln' daughter, girl named Isabella She and Barry Sutton are engaged." Her syss whipped around to meet his then. Barry had said that he was to meet an dd friend and his speech hsd been halting, embarrassed. embar-rassed. Jud was looking at the sound again. "8he's been In Miami for a few daya Just got back yesterday afternoon. after-noon. Guess they'll be married pretty pret-ty soon." Maris was puxtled by her emotions. emo-tions. Ths thought of marrying Barry herself and shs bad thought of It had stirred her not at all. But shs was stirred to anger and CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Maris was sober at luncheon. Rather to her surprise, Barry had refused her Invitation to stay for the meal. "An old friend of mother's and sh mine is coming here this afternoon," he had said. His halting, embarrassed speech had given sex to the visitor, whom he hsd failed to name. Maris wondered won-dered about her. Was she some one with whom Barry had been Infatuated In the past? Shs heard the sound of a plAie overhead, and futile questions fled from her mind. Before she realised real-ised that she had moved, shs was standing on the veranda, staring skyward. Her heart was in her throat as the plane dived and then a deeply puizled frown creased her brow, as shs watched the plane settle to the water far across the sound. Tod Lowry was visiting Paradise beach. Why? All during that hot afternoon, the question was large in her mind. "And the band played, "Who'd a-Thought It?" Thus Joe Bailey, lifeguard at Paradise beach, greeted bis very good friend. Tod Lowry. of Miami and points south. Joe extended a huge bronzed hand, scowlng ferociously. fero-ciously. Tod was serious suddenly. "Do you know a fellow by the name of Sutton Barry Sutton?" and when Joe nodded, "What sort of a fellow is he?" "Pretty nice guy." Jo said. "He don't suffer from anything that a little hard work wouldn't cure." Tod scowled. "A pretty nice guy, eh?" "Yeah," said Joe. Tod growled, "I'm sure sorry to hear that Joe." Joe's face expressed his bewilderment bewilder-ment He regarded his friend closely. "Haven't I ssen your plans landing land-ing at Eden's Island a couple of times lately?" It seemed to him that Tod's face was a bit redder than usual, and growing redder. He grinned. "So-o-o!" Joe whispered. Tod looked at him sheepishly, frowning. "So whst?" SweU Kid Joe patted his shoulder sympathetically. sympa-thetically. "You ain't got a chance, feller. She's gone Park avenue on her old friends." He scowled suddenly. sud-denly. "And it's a damn shame. She's a swell kid." Tod's eyes met his suddenly. "Is she does she care about that Sutton Sut-ton fellow?" "Naw!" Joe growled. "She's just blinded by a dream shs has of getting get-ting swsy from this coast" He saw the glow in Tod's eyes and spoke further. "Course I ain't an expert in affairs of the heart but I was watching her and Mr. Sutton, and I don't believe she cares two pins for him. She's just dazzled. Told me she wss going to a dance here at the hotel tomorrow night" Tod was looking across the sound, where a faint line marked Eden's island. He turned suddenly. I "Thanks, Joe!" he said gruffly. And he wss striding across the ; beach toward the dock. She had bought it expecting never to have a chance to wear It With certain small changes, it could be converted Into evening wear. Her father came into the kitchen while she was pressing the dress. He stood for a moment watching the operation, frowning slightly. "So you've decided to try your wings, eh?" he said. Shs nodded, smiling, "Yes. I'd rather crash than not to try my wings at aU." "Shall I go to ths dancs with you?" Her face, upturned to his, was startled. This touched her heart, knowing as she did how much he would hats It! Shs shook hsr head. Well Chaperoned "Mr. Sutton Is coming after me and" ehe grinned "I will be well chaperoned when I get to the hotel." I He said, "You've changed lately, Maria It's something besides the business of growing up. You'vs become be-come " He frowned, seeking the right word, or, perhaps, knowing and not liking it "Hard?" Her voice vibrated. "I didn't mean that" he protested. pro-tested. Her eyes touched his thin, puzzled face fleetingly, then she wss looking look-ing through the window, "I want to be hard," shs said In a low voles. "Hard enough, anyway, to know what I want and to get It" Sh heard his footsteps crossing ths room going down ths hallway heard his bedroom door open and close, softly. Her eyes misted, for shs knew that shs had hurt him. Barry was being determinedly cheerful and evasive. "This place hasn't been the same without you, Isabels," he declared, smiling. "A subtle remark." Isabelle laughed, but her eyes were reflective. reflec-tive. "It might mean any one of a number of things some of them not too complimentary." Mind and Tonga "I mean well," Barry complained. com-plained. "My mind and my tongue don't get along well together, that's all." Her eyes were careful. "Has anything any-thing startling happened during my absence, Barry?" It seemed to hsr that his momentary mo-mentary silence was significant "At Paradise beach!" His smile denied the possibility. "Startling things bavs happened in quieter places," Isabella said, "if one msy believe one's novels." Barry's start was almost convincing. convinc-ing. "By the way, something did happen. Edith and I met some old friends of ours, or rather of my father's" His eyes met and left hers quickly and a tiny puzzled frown formed between her brows. "Male or female?" Her voice wss gibing. "Both. Philip Eden and daughter, daugh-ter, Maris. They are ths sols owners of the garden of Eden yonder!" His finger directed her gsz to where a small island was a smudge on the horizon. Saturday morning and the trees were bending westward under a gradually descending, not diving abruptly as before. It wss hsaded toward Eden's island. "I am going to the dancs tonight with Mr. Sutton, Jud," she said huskily. "I expect to have a good time." Jud's voles was angrily pleading. "Don't be a fool. Marls!" And then his syes followed hers, wstching ths seaplane skim low over the Royal Palms, seeing the white ball flung from ths pilot's window, catching a fleeting glimpse of white face and red hair. Then the white ball had expanded into a tiny parachute and was settling set-tling toward the earth. (Continued Wednesday) (Copyright, 1037, for The Telegram) resentment at bearing that be was engaged, was going to marry another an-other girl Her voice was husky but controlled: T don't believe that Mr. Sutton is engsgsd, but If he is, it's his own affair." "Thess ' Ysnkees ars all like that," Jud rumbled. "They can't be satisfied with one women." Maris was on her feet "I don't csrs to discuss Ysnkes morals with you, Jud. Ths Buttons are dd friends of Philip's; they are new friends of mins. I like them!" She heard the drone of a plane, saw, in the sky to the northwsrd, ths flash of scsrlet and silver. Jud's voice caught her back to earth. "I hear Barry Sutton is taking you to the dance tonight Maria Is it true?" Maris saw that ths plane was Joe Bailey turned away, looking exceedingly thoughtful, and began again to patrol the beach. He saw that it was deserted except for one couple, sitting under beach umbrella. um-brella. Squinting slightly against the strong glare of the sun, he recognised them finally Barry Sutton Sut-ton and Isabelle Van Vorn. "Didn't know she was back," Joe mused. "Wonder what will happen now?" Marls wss still on the veranda, standing quietly, staring across the sound, when Tod's plans left Paradise Para-dise beach and headed northward, flying low. Dont Understand T will make him understand, today,". to-day,". she thought, and then another 'thought echoed that "How can I make him understand when I don't understand?" Her eyes remained fixed on those silver wings until the sky had swallowed them. She shut her eyes then and listened to the waning drone. She went Inside presently. She was thinking again of ths dance tomorrow night She hsd a dress she thought was good enough for the occasion, She hsd seen it in Dobell's window during the fell, snd J bad fallen in love with it at sight |
