Show tt i i 1 e I s 1 j jI I I x A a n n vw A JOS Josf PH pf f M CORD w w U ce C J 1 I second dm th In command c Blake gar counter m the Hotel Holers ng e lobby lobb was waB ar are le of a guest who whong ng the e prof the large windows window s of near on onman one e man lounged with his arms 5 the ely Iy back into of the a chair street where gazing where ram rain march marc ed un une of f driving Is 15 0 pipe An e Ica leaden d en s sky ky damped clamped bet veen een his teeth teethe e c had approved of th strang s trang Strang first time Ume he be chanced to pass ad d It must have been nearly k ago She liked his broad broaders broaders ers the restless eyes C ces es under sha bro vs the lean face led sed by long out of doors expo H Hs ifs s lower loner jaw law was heavy ap a ous Sus An a attractive care careW pagnac p es est marked his general appear t was evidenced b the un tin thatch of crisp dark hair andi ande and e c nut m su t of rough gray tweeds there was an air of strength In Inc ine e c man s Ie le surely movements a e an Impression sion that he m with willi disconcerting s v it If ibe be irge iri e Blake dec ded pleasantly promptly that there was some g about hun him And let it at go att at t ot of quite for she had taken oc cc octo to lo gl de over to the desk and ande e a i pr vate vale invest gat on the theLme theLine tree she saw th s guest asking his key and letters II b Edd e a dart dad ng Virg eri e eed ed cd vely a at t the room k on duty Who s the party lust Just took b h s key sixty one Saw Saws s forefinger traveled do down don n the cal card file near h s elbow name is Cutter L Cutter L from H-from H from eat cal asks allks H at 01 at all Is he the days day spar s par II 11 Bye Edd es es e eiss iss s Blake s crimson 1 ps curved sm sin Ie le of ot ant on today toda D she the observed 1461 turn wea rom from the ra n streaked v w endow stroll d towards the ci Smoking eking tobacco he suggested lily bly rest ng h s arms on the dis j case There was as a Ie le surely ty Iy m ID h s vo va ce cc too Very near drawl drs That at brand please Mr J Cut L Cant la nt ficker fl 11 of amusement ed n the dark e 03 ey es at the sales lIPan Aran s s use of tl-e tl name He pOint with the stem of h s p pe be be buyer I to open thel thea the a He crowded tobacco l into to h sk s se k bowl v w th ced care IDS rDo you lou oU th its it s ever gong go ng to top toP pram p ram ng Virg e a ventured au know th s sort of ot day fairly rs ei me the l 3 J tiers Her vOIce played a confident al a note She Shea aged ayed ti nearer m in a graceful pose Ioe oe r I It make you ou au feel teel that way I It its s mot not conducive to sled med enthus The Theis Ids a t ere arc accented by swift SWIt puffs nodded in the d rest reet on of a aall aill all aall g gins ass enclosed office not farrat far tar rat 1 1 should go over and an are oy a b t k t She doesn tm tm t m l any tny too bus n the tone of ol his vo ce cc sed oed V rg re e a to look in the same td ii She attempted a mysle as smile as she asked the tied quest on Are you a sail No Da why Cutter d d not hIs s head as he asked aten it at rui en you won wont t get very far her her farher 1 was as only think of ot letterst ng letters t I she take d on on- on ont re t She sh s a wiz Sweet kid hut but funny I was just lust trying e you a t that Virgiee p s all Virgie Vargie e e the fife me on a trifle un She fi- fi fie was dumb to pull one e But it was too late no v new flew fr tr Md end was plainly inter l to m afra aira d I don t get got it he ad lid tak ng h hs s p ppe pe from his You re a long ways from tromM ea a er cr here e i should I dash over tell M her the fleet s in u on oat t be he I Ike ke that I mean she shel st it l never g yes ves a customer a b fie be e ae- ae Iou ou au kno knot kno As long as they to 10 the r home v work olk k she Y 01 lets 1 Ibok ih lh Ib ok l they re g V rag ng her a big If II they drop a st know what hat hat I mean Shea She s that m mm I ter cont cost to stare at the Co thet t g apher mw as f t it were the first he had chanced Danced to observe her herttIe little i Ic more than ders dera her head and a were v s ble through 0 11 the thc PaneL DaneL di The glow elow from desk esk I rom a shad nad limp Imp mp P shone v warmly on hert her anion on brown brawn t ha r a sw rl 11 ng bob bobU U ii bmg bowed waves that covered the lOwed r r head Apparently she e read ne rag pretty retty ha r Cutter observed ed re Only vei tl d the stem item of his b taller He m Cht have hae been speak ell thoughts aloud rl y e a agreed wIth Idly et el m She s an 1 cute eute little somebody That s e why It its s a pity she s an o 0 ol I can sort of ot Don t you iou OU mean bookworm I ye ve not ced that thit she s quite a reader Tint That s a part of ot it Virg c e was into a more tarn lam 1 ar role now It Its s 1 Ike ke I u was as tell ng you Mr Cutter I m not knocking herShe her herShe herShe She s too s vest I mean it It s lust Just tl U at she never has much to say sayto sayto to anybody no line Ime you know But let somebody start giving her herthe herthe the low down on Europe or And w U ll she come tol to Perfect yen for geography places Sort of ot a Burton Holmes com compIe pIe plea I INo No I don t think she goes for detectIves in m a big way She s al always nays got her nose in an adventure magazines mostly It If a sheik was to ankle in here on a horse rIght now Jack would cl cJ mb r l up be behind behind hind him ham and go places Jack The v word ord betrayed fresh Interest Her name s Jacqueline We call caU her Jack That s a shy why hy I made that crack about sailors But I can t fig figure figure rue ure gett ng rag all aU hot and bothered over overa overa a tune tame table unless you got a t Take me roe now Not infrequently a customer would find sudden rasp rat on m a half fin fm shed suggest on like that But Butth th lh s man with the pipe seemed not notto notto notto to have heard What s her last name he de demanded demanded demanded Miss Anthony Virg c e became suddenly formal Thanks You said M ss The on came back oter o 0 er one of the broad shoulders as Cutter f fI I 1 l II rII r What s her last name he demanded moved away without so much as a glance at the pout ng rag red mouth he left behind him H s steps slowed as he neared the open door of the apher s office and glanced doubtfully at its lis occupant But M ss as Anthony d d not look up from her read ng TI Tie e a would be customer shook his head w th a helpless gesture gesture gesture ture He t onIt onIt on onIt It was far from be ng the first t me that Larrimore H Cutter had stud cd ed Jacquel ne Anthony His m in interest interest terest m in her had been roused acci accidentally accidentally dentally but strongly v vh uh h Ie Ic idl adl ng with pipe and newspaper mare maret in a re ret ret t red corner of the lobby a vantage point that gave him ham an unimpeded VIew through the stenographer s door which chanced to be open After that Larrimore Cutter gray grav gravitated gravitated stated mst net vely to that same cor corner corner corner ner chair during the many hours he found it st conven ent to sit in m the lob lobby lobby lobby by feeling dist netly annoyed if any anyone anyone anyone one else appropriated h s private ob on post After several sea ses sessions of th s furtive atch ng rag he d s ered CO ered that h hs s fans fane ful lul res re re cries eries over th s shin ng rag ha red g rIle rl ri left h m shed He was filed with a growing des re to make her acqua He wanted to st s t in ID inthe inthe the cha r l of d on He wanted to hear her vo ce cc And to mal mat e sure about the color o of U tl ose ey That bothered h m most of all He w v vas as qu ck to not ce cc that she never encouraged die 01 With callers tt hen she was not oth othel el w se engaged she read ObvIOus Obviously the on to it at all allas was as to walk into that 1 I place office and ask the g rl 11 to take a letter Cutter sm led grimly to himself at atthe atthe atthe the not on He lie never had d stated letters under similar circumstances would flounder and make a complete ass of himself most 1 kely So matters stood when he made that lucky purchase at the cIgar counter The next morning h s paper read he nerved himself to the grea great t ad adventure adventure adventure venture It still rained With h gh resolve Mr Cutter strolled resolute resolutely resolutely ly into the stenographer s i cub cle Good morning he be said gruffly M ss so Anthony looked up with a start A quick gesture and the of offending fending spectacles were removed She laid them bes de the I cr or on top of ol the magazine she had been read ng rag Cutter was rewarded w th a fr endly smile Of 01 all th rags in an the world Those eyes eye were blue So deep a blue they were almost black Larrimore H Cutter halted In m h s tracks stood staring Is there ng I cnn cin do for yOU No the dictator blurted Why yes Of course I had a letter letter let ter r if 11 you re no busy tumble white fingers already v were ere inserting piper paper in m the machine Please sit do Will on ear car carbon earbon carbon bon be sufI cent ent the 1 tUe the rap rapi er red briskly Plenty Too much Just a personal letter Cutter slumped gratefully into the chair at the end of ol the desk How However However However ever he did retain ent pres presence presence presence ence of ol mind to lay his fold folded cd news newspaper newspaper newspaper paper In hs h s lap One of its column heads was mal masked ked heavily with n a pencIl As in to afterthought he turn furn bled some letters from an inner mner pocket then managed a lious glance at his paper This is to Royal Ro al Allan AlJan I ll lJ have to check on the address later Just say Dear Roy Hoy A pause It certainly was good of you to take the time lIme to write so soon after you got bock ick I understand that you turned up a b g find out there m in Cutter glanced at Miss Anthony to see if 11 she were ere watch ng h b m She was d rag ng interest I never can think third of the name of I that place he muttered lamely Near Afghanistan I th The Valley his stenographer stenographer stenographer ed Of course d of me to for forget forget torget get How did you kno v that I have been following Mr Allan s work in the papers He uncovered an old city there They th nit it be belongs belongs belongs longs to a lost race Here was a different Jacquel ne Anthony She leaned forward the rays from the lamp tall fall ng on her eager little face The blue eyes were ere w de Shining Shilling with excited m in interest interest terest Like a child sAnd s sAnd And you know Royal Allan the st She said it almost reverently Oh rather Old schoolmates Cutter watched the light play on the waves of that cinnamon bro hair It must be ng rag to vis t tsuch tsuch tsuch such places Jacquel ne s two hands were folded over the type typewriter typewriter typewriter writer The letter was forgotten A wistfulness m in her vo ce cc matched that of her eyes Then you ve ye never been abroad came the crafty suggest on onNo onNo onNo No Have you Occasionally I was fourteen the first tune time My dad was go ng rag over on bus ness and took me We crossed on the old City of ot New York YorkI I remember we h t a storm that scared me out of a week s gro I r would v have ba ve loved that tha t storm stormI I lye ve ne er seen a b bg g sh p Jac Jacqueline Jacqueline adm tied regretfully I 1 Im m surprised you haten ha t t tr red ed edthe edthe the big pond if you re so keen on sh ps The cinnamon head shook a qu ck den al That takes money Its owner countered 1 I do my travel ng rag in books It doesn t take very much these days Cutter insisted 1 lou Iou ou really should do at it He spoke with great earnestness I d love to More than m in the world For the once Jacqueline Anthony seemed to forget that she was con convers convers convers vers ng rag w th a stranger Here was wasa wasa wasa a man who had been places In sp to te teof toof teof of h s careless way of talking she knew that the t l orld s out of the way places held a lure for b h m The two of them belonged to the same restless ty Before she qUite real zed it she was tell ng h b m ng rag of her 0 own n desires It s some sort of obsess on was washer washer washer her on A faraway look had crept into the blue eyes I ye ve always been that way I do read ng rag I can find about travel strange lands I even keep an anI anold anold anold I old atlas h away here and lookup look lookup lookup up all the places I understand that Do you Everybody around here I teases me She smiled I don t wonder I guess I m funny Jacqueline Jacquel ne unconsciously had adopted Virgie Bake B ake s verd ct It s not funny at all Cutter ob objected objected jetted stoutly It s it s tragic What do you mean Just that The tragedy of youth Not bel bet ev ng rag most dreams are pos poss poss s bIt b 1 11 t es until it at s too late oftentimes It s nice of you to put it that way I m not so young Rot Look here M hI ss Anthon Anthony In h s s zeal Cutter spoke that name without nolic ng rag the sud sudden sudden sudden den surprise m in the blue eyes catch catching watching atch atchI I mg ing h m If It only you would say to yourself over and over and over I m go ng rag to the Barman Val Valley Valley Valley ley He sm am led a little at his choice If It you d Ju lust jut t do that you d begin to believe it at And f you be beI I 1 eved eyed it it at would come true It would ha have ve to Some day you d find yourself there Don t you see If only I could The words came across the desk with a little y h But you cant cani Cutter jerked h upright He bent forward tint 1 I his face was full fullin m in the l I There was a deter determined determined mined gl nt m in his dark eyes Why do you say that was the girl s startled reply How could I S n pie enough You can marry me By the way My name s Larry Cutter TO BF CONTINUED |