Show J f INN SIN S y IN HEAVEN r BY CLIVE ARDEN COPY trW Y THE CM COMPAN x N r- r w A TRANSFORMATION 4 1 1 SYNOPSIS Living ng In n ih the small English village of old old- i 1 fashioned fashioned and sedate place Bar Barbara Jarr Jar Jar- r barn bara bara Stockley ley d daughter u 1 eJ o of t a Widowed wed mother Is is soon soon to to cele- cele celebrate celebrate brate he her Ito o Hush Hugh Ro Rochdale lid le rich and Sand well wel con con- con cn- Barbara is adventurous and has planned with Ith an aunt an airplane trl trip p to Australia Major Alan Croft famous as an l aviator Is to be t the e pilot At Ather Ather t ther her first meeting with Croft Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara Is s attracted by his hie manner I and conversation different from the cut and d conventions of g her small town They set out Barbara her aunt Croft and a Word Nord In a a. few days dars comes to Darb that thet the thet plane plane is missing and acid its occupants occur pants believed lost Croft and r Barbara after the wreck of th the airplane airplane In a furious 1st storm rm t reach an apparently uninhabited Island In the Pacific ocean Theother The Theother other two iwo members member of the party had p perished rl 1 ed The two c castaways cast sf- sf sways build buli a shelter In III Crofts Croft's k absence Barbara Is attacked by bya bya a a black man evidently f a a savage Croft rescues her I PART PART TWO TWO Continued 5 5 i. i I He could see now In the stronger light that nIl all were armed with long spears two also carrying bows and arrows The third thir an old man wore round his neck a large shell clam disk emblem of the rank uk of chief chief and and through his nose-cartilages nose n a dark I stone Rings probably of tortoiseshell tortoiseshell tortoiseshell tortoise- tortoise shell hung from his ears Croft wondered If this were a n visit of ot negotiation with a view to a compact compact com com- pact pact of ot friendship with visitors to their Island He reco recognized them for members of the huge scattered family of of Melanesians or Papuans which have some undoubted conne connection with the African blacks s and are to be found Sound In numberless South Sea Sen Islands os as w well lI itS itS' in hi Melanesia proper proper Al Although Al though their dialect Is more or less less' local there Is sufficient similarity to tomae tomake tomake make ma It fairly Intelligible to any one J accustomed to the variations A few minutes and Crofts Croft's Illusion of a friendly compact was destroyed l Hostility was as evident He soon rea rea- realized that an fin attack was being organized organ organized organ organ- hed for the folIo following M night t t though fie he could not distinguish the plans lanS' lanS bel be- be l lug lup g laid Emboldened by the absence of any t t sign in of ot their enemy nemy the men remained standing for several minutes gazing gazing- down down the slope at nt the solitary nut hut wherein therein Barbara I lay y unprotected te At lust last after an Indistinct colloquy they moved mo slowly forward in Its its Its direction n. n For a moment Crofts Croft's heart se seemed ned to stop beating To expose himself unarmed would mean certain death and the consequent abandonment of the girl whose life now rested upon upon his to a n fate probably far worse Inside Inside In In- side fIde the hut but f if he could but reach rench it lay th the suitcase containing his re- re olver volver Should he risk all nU and dash from rom his hiding place or or- or orA A sigh of r relief escaped his lips when the men suddenly halted For what hat seemed an eternity he lie watched them confer together together to to- gether ethel evidently divided In opinion on 01 the wisdom of their venture When at i last they turned and made mad off oft toward the south of the Island he found his clenched hands were shak shaking shak- shak ing lag and his brow was US wet He hurried hur hur- ried down to the hut where he found a white faced girl gIr Ineffectually barricading bar bar- barricading the door with suitcases She uttered a n welcoming cry on his appearance at nt the window now How dla dia you escape Where were you ou What can cnn we do To his V O own amazement perhaps as much as ns' ns hers he laughed almost laughed almost happily They have gone n away array he replied ed We cant can't do a anything at nt prese present t. t She gazed at him In some bewilder lIder bewilderment ment went knowing nothing of the rear reaction reaction tion lion which had caused that strange light In his 1118 face and he laughe laughed d I again boyishly then leaned farther r In for fora a n closer Inspection of ot the blue blue- clad figure with Its cloud of hair You are better he asked The paleness of her cheeks changed 1 suddenly to red under his scrutiny I Im I'm Im I'm all nil right she muttered i f turning away I will go back for the water h he e remarked and his hla face disappears disappeared d from the aperture Barbaras Barbara's mind was uncomfortably y confused Safe Sate In some refuge shi she e bad had seemed to be sleeping for hours hen 1 Then she he awoke invoke s she Instinctively ly y sought for a n hand which proved pro no not t to he there Throughout the terrine terrified d moments moments that ensued va vague ue impre d Ions of ot some midnight event ent chase d elusively through her brain The y were Intensified by Croff's Crotts appear anre nr Vainly she Wed to rapture th tb the e threads reads to separate the rea real fro from fron rat th the tb of or delirium A All 11 was con cos fusion jumbled repetitions of accum horrors She caught hi first of af nt one thread then lost It and caught at another another- n ot r.- r. But iver v ver at nt one point herche her ehe che checks ks burn burned d. d Ho How v much was true Surely not not not- The more mor she thought t tb the he an did Q of Its Incredible c reality l How w could she face face rc he-rc companion mp nl n He tIe alone could place the life ther r u unraveled r I f threads ds In In her oher hands D But t how to tomake make him d 00 lo so o How How How- r So engro engrossed sed were her thoughts thoughts' that she started started sarte violently at the sound of t. t his voles voice again at the window Your Yom nerves are aiea weak he remark remarked The They are are not i I I she she snapped napped Indig Was she always t to fe feel 1 fool fool Ish sh and db e e enU all ull nU 1 Appear r rs so s so with Ith this man Opening th the door she took took- In on one one of ot the basins without looking up A scented steaming bath could not not have been been more welcome than that lit lit- tlc tic basin of c cold id water wafer The TIl freshness l Invigorated t ed d Tier her reviving a n girlish In Interest terest in n appearances es Unpacking I a tin tiny traveling mirror she proceeded to todo todo todo do up her hair hall dressing in one of ot the cool washing frocks Intended for Aus Aus- Croft was thumping on the HIe hut demanding de de- demanding manding breakfast before the completion comple comple- t tion ion of this toilet His quick glance took In her dainty and very ery civilized appearance down do to the gray suede shoes but he made no comment Again the contents cont of the old tin box roved proved Invaluable with the addition of or bananas ananas and coconut They spread theIr heir store upon the ground outside e inthe in IIi the lie early morning sunshine Conversation languished Croft seemed abstracted deep In thought Her ler riddle of the night lay Iny un- un solved soled After several furtive e glances at his face ace she made a plunge I want t to know know- know know- Yes Tes What Quickly his eyes searched her own own causing ausing her to lower lower lowr low- low er r them confusedly I cant can't remember what happened happened- Im I'm m afraid I did I-did did I 1 behave rather stupidly last night 7 lie stretched out his hand for a n banana banana banana ba ba- ba- ba nana peeling It with Irritating deliberation atton before replying ln You were naturally slightly unhinged un un- hinged after all aU your experiences This gun guarded ded reply was tory ory She felt exasperated Looking across at nt him she fancied the suspicion ofa of ofa a smile hoY hovered around his lips You You realize of course that anything anythIng any- any thIng I 1 did did or or said was said was because I I I mean It It wn was not nor state 1 Oh I 1 quite realize that t His Ills tone caused her to look up quickly again Why are you OU laughing she asked un uneasily Why are you so afraid he re- re Nonplused she took refuge In a n dignified silence Finishing her breakfast breakfast breakfast break break- fast she looked round the bay bay nt at the rugged hill beside them the palms and dense lense forest trees In the background the coral shingle and white sand stretching down to the magnificent blue of ot the lagoon In the distance the reef and vast stretch of ot limitless sea the Intensely vivid colors and contrast shone In the sunlight with extraordinary extraordinary r I nary brilliance Its all very ery beautiful she said at nt last conYer conversationally It Is 1 he agreed warmly rising to his feet Bringing his mug mu-g filled with water he sat down close beside her Now ow please mend m my head Barbara was concerned over his pallor pal lor lot and the lines surrounding his e eyes es You look worn out she exclaimed I Involuntarily you sleep well last night Not a n wink He JIe gla glanced ced quickly up at her Whereupon her unraveled c confusion returned fourfold and she finished her job her job joh In silence Im going up the hill to the wire wireless less ss he 4 1 I then You need not fiat fear tear the natives They wont won't return return re re- re- re turn until they have mustered their numbers At h her r look of ot alarm he continued hurriedly Ive got a It scheme for scaring them off oft altogether I 1 shant shan't be long away If you OU shout I shall hen hear r There was no suggestion of ot her com corn company pony pany being required She watched him disappear with a sickening sense of ot the oppressive loneliness that she dreaded but pride forbade her utterIng utter utter- Ing lag a word to detain him Then with unconscious Imitation of ot Croft sh she e threw her head hend n a little back hack clenched her h. h hands and und entered the hu hut 1 While the natives hurried to th the e tenth south to prepare for battle the ma man mansat n en flat sat on the ground beside the transmitter transmit transmit- ter staring ou to sea his brain working workIng work work- Ing on the scheme to which he ha had d Just alluded his mind torn between betwee n conflicting decisions In this predicament predicament ment meat at the mercy of a tribe of ot hostile hOB has Ute tile savages there were but two for tor- lorn horn hopes bopes of ot defense One lay In the little weapon down In the hut with Its Us limited supply of ammunition the other other oth oth- er In the Inherent superstition of ot the Islanders It If once the latter could be roused If his ruse for all ali Its wIldness succeeded their lives might yet be safe On the other oilier hand wireless messages messages messages mes mes- mesi sages might reach a ship In time There was not enough electrical energy energy energy en en- ergy for both purposes Which should It be My God Godl I he muttered to himself Was evera ever a n man In such a d t- t ti-ti ti d 1 position position position po po- IV 1 No better tonic tonic could have been glen given gl en to Crofts Croft's mind than thun this iris necessity for Immediate action Until he had made his decision decIsion and and the fhe details were ere m matured he forbore to alarm Barbara with the prospect before b fore them For about two hours he was absent Then lien a Ii spiral of Or gray smoke e ascended i from the hilltop p j and Ind nd he appeared with Jils his ar arias arms ls full fun Of of bf wire nire I have l left fC i s beacon b b miming burning IncaSe inase to In in- in caSe c case ase a i passing vessel Abruptly he the ceased standing still his hla eyes upon the figure em emerging from the the hut A tr transformation tIon n I he exclaimed and t there re was a strange n new w tone inis In lit his h is voice The he da dainty shoes and stockings stockings had been r discarded d th tl the e c hairpins thrown awn away With a n long thick plait swinging swing ing ing- down her back sleeves rolled up I bare fiare feet teet sinking In the sand she flashed him a n shy look of ot inquiry It seems more n nl le nn natural here here l-here heie she s said aid Thus did Barbara take fake the first step from out the net of of lifelong conventions conven conven- t ion and tr tr tread ad the free sp spaciousness c ss be beyO j rd You fit In so well as well as If It It I Is your na natural sphere 1 I she added He Be smiled half to himself patted the spare seat sent beside him Rather wonderingly ly she approached looking he thought with compunction on extremely extremely extremely ex ex- young and amI delicately made To Inform a sensitive girl of the tine forthcoming forth forth- c coming attack attach of possible cannibals was to Croft ten ten- times more formidable sole able ble blethen then meeting them single hand ed erl He was as not versed in the handling handling han han- of these Ulese situations Taking her hand he drew her down close beside him then In a few curt sentences he told her The fingers he held closed convulsively convulsively upon his own her free hand 4 akk 1 I 4 i 1 They Wouldn't Kill KIM You He said Do You Understand clenched Itself upon her knee the faint color drained away leaving lea her ber face quite white Cant we go hide go-hide hide somewhere somewhere-on on the re reef f she urged turning dark dark- t yes eyes es of fear upon him He shook his head Very thoughtfully thoughtfully thought thought- fully funy from every point of ot view hn had he considered the position Should Sho they by hiding elude the natives tonight to to- night It would be but n a respite The same danger them ev ev every velY v- v elY cry moment they spent here they could n never ner er know peace or safety For some reason these natives were hostile hostile hostile hos hos- tile something must be done to overcome overcome overcome over over- come their hostility Until and unless a friendly compact could be made they must be to forced reed to leave lea the two white people alone through fear All this he lie explained to the girl who recognized rec- rec the wisdom of it It as fiS well weIl ns os wh what t she deemed the Impossibility Two 1 Against possibly hundreds How can cnn we make them fear us she asked hopelessly Through their superstition he replied replied replied re re- plied promptly Once make malte them be believe be be- believe lieve we deal with the supernatural o or possess n magical powers and they will make us tabu The dread of ot death or disease d disease from violating a u tabu will cause them to shun us like lepers Burb Barbara rn Inexperienced In natives' natives ways was only half convinced She listened Incredulously to the scheme he propounded propound her knowledge of ot electricity electricity elec elec- being limited I will get some sticks he concluder er r rising and place everything In readiness then I 1 shall turn In for tor a bit This afternoon well we'll strengthen the walls of the hut and Ill I'll put up u partition Then we shall shaIl each have haven havea n a room until we cnn can build another hut Plenty of work before us If rescue doesn't come soon men Silently she helped to collect sticks an nn extraordinary numbness pervading her mind Crofts Croft's spirits rose Ho He had faced and eluded death lenth too ton often orten to f fear ar It t. t His Ills confidence In this simpie simple sim sim- pIe rasp puzzled her I Collecting the tho rubber shuck absorb absorb- er belonging to the wireless outfit he bt broke the sticks Into short stakes staked showing sh |