Show I n 1 11 l n 1 I Sinners o in rn s si Heaven I i CLIVE ARDEN Is I s I Copyright by b. The Bobbs Bobba Co c nn Il 1111 BE RE MERCIFUL SYNOPSIS Lining In fn the small English village e o of oJ old- old fashioned and sedate place Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara Stockley daughter of a widowed mother other Is seen to celebrate celebrate celebrate cele cele- brate her marriage to to Hugh Rochdale rich and well connected con con- Barbara Is to adventurous and has planned with an aunt an airplane trip trip to Australia Major Alan Croft famous as an aviator Is to be the pilot At AtI Ather At I her first meeting meeting- with Croft Barbars Barbara Bar Bar- bara bars Is Ie attracted by his manner and conversation different from the cut and conventions of her small town Th They y set act out Barbara her aunt Croft and a Word Vord In a few I days das comes to that the tho plane Is missing and Its occum occupants m p pants believed lost Croft and Barbara after atter the wreck of the airplane In a a. furious storm reach an apparently uninhabited 1 Island lan In the Pacific ocean The Theother Theother Theother other two members of the j had p perished The The two castaways castaways cast cast- sways build a shelter In In-Croft's In Crofts Croft's absence Barbara Is attacked by bya a cannibal Croft Crot rescues her Croft Crot discovers r a party of blacks apparently reconnoitering Croft fixes Up an electrical guard which h scares off ort an attacking party Secure from Immediate danger Croft and Barbara settle down downto to make the best of things T Croft Cron who has traveled mu much q among savages savage's savages makes makes' makes friends with the blacks Croft Crot and and Barbars Barbar Bar Barbara Bar Bar- bars bar fall falI In rove love The mari man b be beTrays be trays his his- passion passion- but bus restrains It The girl desperately tries to remain loyal to Hugh Hugh g x PART TWO TWO Continued 9 9 IX Near the blazing fire stood Croft His hands hun hung loosely at his sides his gaze was fixed upon the distant heaving water At the sound sound of the girls girl's h hurrying rr Dg steps he turned quickly A ship lie announced briefly Is Ia It coming j jNo No Silently they y looked at each other the man Inscrutable as ever the girl clasping and unclasping her hands her lips a little tremulous In the turmoil r of her emotions she sank upon the ground at last and ond burled her head In h her r hands Croft looked at her his own feelings feelings' In much the same chaotic state The hope of once again playing the part among his fellowmen fellowmen dear dear to a man manof man of action action of of achieving ochle the ambitions ruthlessly o destroyed at the very mo mo- moment moment moment ment of attainment had been berm raised and dashed almost almost- simultaneously But In that same moment he faced the full fuu knowledge of what all this EdEn EUen like existence meant to him the him the Jm- Jm Im Immensity of hIs Ills Increasing hopes bittersweet bitter- bitter sweet In their uncertainty And as the flames ascended he faced abruptly time the pro probable able termination of Jt all 1 lIe He controlled but not without dIm dIm- mity the emotions rioting within his heart when those tense few minutes fraught with BO so much such meaning meaning g such crucial pages In the tile Book of Fate Fate re re- re I l X d n the the- off far spiral I df- df t L-t smoke Emoke faded Into the clouds as the diss dis s J tant tant vessel essel vanished he leaped upon a bowlder threw and his arms wide The gesture might have been a welcome to freedom or an acquiescence in Inthe the In- In evitable In either case It savor savored d of ot rt kismet lie De turned suddenly toward herI herI herI her I am sorry o he said I feared It would upset you you today Why today she asked curiously A look of Incredulity crept Into his tP 0 face It Is December twentieth Wasn't th that to be be your ou wedding day SHe sue sank back staring at him blank blank- ly Twice T she opened her lips to speak I but no w rd f c came me At last slowly n she turned her gaze seaward 7 It was she slie murmured had I I had r I forgotten Again her head dropped into her hands j t Low as the words were he heard them A wild Joy flashed through him Because lie he dared not of t trust himself or hIs Ills voice he left Tier dashing ther-dashing dashing with i t throbbing pulse toward the palm grove F Was there a singing In n the thc air around i as If It every bird upon the Island lead had i. i mistaken coming n night for tor the dawn da or oras was as it the Inward song of his heart For long Barbara Darbara sat where he had left her without looking up though 1 1 m knowing that she was alone She faced fared her shrinking soul for tor the first tI time e tb the beacon burned Itself out beside J Jin- Jin the sun sank lazily In a sky a dame z Until today she had taken for granted grant grant- ed d the supposition that underneath the growing enchantment nt of this land the craving for Hugh and rescue still pre pre- dominated ted Ful Full of shame she Realized r this supposition to have been but tut a bubble burst at this timis first test She understood with a sense of ot shock the small space now occupied by Hugh HughIn In her hel thoughts Yet Yet Yet-he he seemed In memory ns as dear as ever Tears brimmed In h ha w eyes she he realized a alast at last how this cry ery dearness proved prove Its vast separation from lov Like a bird newly nw aware re of freedom after efter narrowly escaping capture she stood tood up and looked around with l n- n gering e eyes rett which now knew how close closen n a hold the brilliant scene hat lia l upon he her heart If It er e rescue carob It would brio pangs of crl grief f Instead o of the un un- n alloyed Joy she had supposed Again her thoughts turned to Hugh won wondering ering what were his feelings Ings today to to- day And her sensitive heart henrt smote her overwhelming her with renewed renewed renewed re re- re- re shame Hurriedly she set about laying supper sup sup- per perl hoping vainly to the still still th awakened depths then sought further lon tion Her glance fell upon fell uvon upon her lu ht- ht lug gage With sudden decision probably o Induced by byn a a hazy hazy Idea iden of recapturing the he Instincts of civilization to to combat unruly emotions she seized a a box bor and opened It y Wl When n presently Croft return returned d he was was met met on the threshold by a wistful wistful- eyed figure gur clothed In something soft and white and al altogether ge ler womanly vol In Instead Instead instead In- In stead of ot the bl blouse use and ind old skirt He stopped abruptly then with rather grim lips smiled m So So we the returned to civilization In Inspirit Inspirit inspirit spirit if not in f fact ct His uncanny uncanny- knack of reading her motives caused ed l hereto g give v him as usual the swift sift deep sea deep a se which he ic sought v AlapI r to ta tell teu lr something What What is Is ls It he asked breathing quickly o at at 11 he he saw In In n her er e eyes oes I ocr saw aw a fl fo And hurriedly hurrIedly hurriedly hur hur- I roi oh At Alan p f 1 I I realized all aU you vou have done for foe me me all you have risked and spared m met me All my Invisible S N halos halo In fact She ignored I ored the flippancy And I If J J. f feel l simply full of Of Of what Of what Barbara What j jOr Or Gratitude Gat Gratitude He He turned away with witha a short la laugh gh lean Ican Y enri do so go to little In turn to make things tolerable for yo you here she ehe went on on In the Inthe the warmth of f h her r heart eart Your Tour life wasso full tull i H J roq round id again quickly No o tuner fuller than yours ours with the man you you Ah h she e interrupted passionately Dont I I Know Her voice rolce went w v ent nt Into silence For Forlong Fora a along long ong time lie be sat watching the darkness darkness darkness dark dark- ness creep creep swiftly over the water A fierce craving for tor advice sympathy sympathy sympathy sym sym- pathy even disapproval so 80 long as could unburden her agitated mind mastered mas- mas ered the girl She took o one e of ot her old oM impulsive plunges s 's I am so so- o. o troubled I 1 she exclaimed suddenly Tell me Just what Is troubling you he answered hi his voice softening Loneliness The T 1 clasp ofT bi Ills tinkers Ills fingers encouraged raged confidence No no This wild life this lov lovely y Island seem to seem to creep up and up engulfing en engulfing n en- gulfing golfing me so so that I dread I-dread dread the thought thought bought of ot the old restricted existence lan flan Its It's terrible e. e It It its Its It's intoxicating 1 oil dt f lightens frightens m me I n never ner er crave pr pr the he world worm and n a wider wiler sphere asp asi I Idid lid did in tn I know knoW- I ought Fought tobe pining for tor rescue to long for for for-fo for for-for 4 those hose nt at home at-home home t to b be unhappy r Ibe e ow tried honestly But But But- g Laughter Interrupted her j have u e you really Then The Then Then- you you are happy here J 3 the trouble dont don't you yu s se see 7 1 T 1 khow fitt J. J L t as even glad when the ship didn't come come com t L. L Its Jt's Just r e's es s some Dp spirit In this Island draws which one n up and up up- up Do you think me utter utterly y heartless He lIe laughed again and she wondered wondered wondered won won- won won- dered at the exultant ring of ItI itI It I think youre you're a goose goose waking waking up Have Baye you only Just realized the the the- spirit spirit on on on the Island T TJien en he lie became became became be be- came serious How could your jour our unhappiness unhappiness unhappiness un- un happiness help helD those In England They lime have long ago given ghen us up for dead Besides ResIdes no forced emotions are worth worth anything No That's the chief point they shouldn't need to he be forced Hugh laugh once once called called me heartless heartless- sHe s- s He Ile drew her hands downward do puUIng pulling pulling pull pull- ing her up close behind el hIm Im going to to talk quite straight Barbara Barbura I I gather the real fact Is Isyou isyou Is- Is you ou are not fretting t for Hugh for r Hugh She made no reply but the fingers In his pis closed spasmodically albo He went wenton on his voice olce low and deeply earnest Love can be for forced ed least of all If It circumstances combine to prove that mistakes have been made It Is no good struggling lIng against W st the know knowledge Imo ledge However painful It Is better than a lifetime of vain aIn regret One of ot the cruelest crudest tragedies in this funny old world is the ease use with which such mistakes mistakes mis mis- takes takE's can be made made unconsciously unconsciously all allIn In n good faith lie He turned his bis face upward and caught the glint of In Iier ces eyes Ah my dear Dont Don't take It so much to heart She gave a n strangled little sob BOO He lie cared Hugh will ever be faith be-faith- faith ful II he Is the truest truest- truest tt Yes I know one of the very cry best But marriage g with him woul wouldn't nt have satisfied your satisfied your nature You know that Oh I she cried startled Bat But I 1 Ishall Ishall shall still marry malTY him him If If we set get et res res- cued Please dont don't think me E so 80 O dIsloyal disloyal disloyal dis dIs- loyal as all that He lIe smiled over o this third unconscious unconscious unconscious appeal for his good opinion call It loyal loyat then to carry out outa a compact when the tile very motive upon which It was founded has proved pro an Illusion You would be living a lie He all your life unfair life unfair to you you both Surely he lie wouldn't wish It tit You dont don't quite she ahe be n protested I am Just as a fond of him It would still be the same Barbara he said softly o the love of man and woman Is not fondness She could not speak Her heart henrt seemed to rise In her throat and throb there her limbs tr trembled 1 In sudden panic she tried to free tree her hands her womanhood realizing his manhood lOoe as asIt asit It It had never consciously done done- before The instinct of or the wild bird to flee and hide was hers Her turmoil communicated com com- communicated Itself to him i In that vibrant silence He lIe l looked ked up Into her face seeing there what he lie had but glimpsed on the night In n the the natives natives natives' hut Barbara I he whispered shakily Barbara I BP De true to yourself yourself- With WIth WItha a little cry she wrenched her hands bands free As he sprang to his feet she turned turned and without a. a word fled fied Into the hut He stood still sUlI for a minute then he drew a quick unsteady breath and strode to the shore to pace up and down own up and down far Into the night Barbara lay awake wake throughout long ho hours rs facing In terrible Isolation the Hie gr great at question of s Sl sex r. r What she he had had had- dimly realized and vaguely feared since that hat r revealing moment during their visit to the natives now loomed up ur l In iii Us Its naked reality to alter the time whole aspect of ot their lIf life here to to- gether She faced the true position r realized clearly that she and this man were cut adrift from all the safety of other human companionship all the restraints of civilization don with this r terrible ter ter- eternal attraction now menacing them Escape from It was as Impossible She un understood now V the nature of ot the abyss abyss' yawning below the precipice which had threatened her of late This new kno knowledge ge Illumined the past even evento evento evento to the strange magnetic attraction at btu 9 I i 9 Turned and Fled Into the he Hut half fear In the early eaily days of their acquaintance It terrified her shaking her confidence Her one shield and protector ID in all they had faced now appeared appeared appeared ap ap- in the light of the enemy enemy against whom she timid hud no ally When she r remembered the close clasp of his hands the pressure of his head hend upon her breast her Imer pulse throbbed and her face burned It must quit she told herself repeatedly this delightful Impossible tenderness between between between be be- tween them must be stopped stopp d at once She must resolutely hl hide her womanhood womanhood womanhood woman woman- hood showing nothing but the sexless comrade conrade As soon as the soft light of dawn had entered the tiny room she rose Taking Taking Tak Tuk- ing her scissors she cut through handful handful handful hand hand- ful after handful of her long thick hair hairy wasting no regrets upon the luxuriant tresses piling round round her her heI bare feet teet So far so good i But Dut It happened that Barbaras Barbara's heart art remained unshorn of at Its sex with all nil Its natural tendency to look well wel When the hair was cut short to her neck she hesitated picked up time the diminutive mirror laid It down picked up the scissors hesitated hesitated hesitated hesi hesi- again then again then laid them down one and gave her head hE a vehement shake The Time short waves and ancI curls curls- free from train all restraint followed their own sweet will waving wa piquantly around her small head clustering nl about out her ears Alan sto stood d in the outer doorway watching a bird preening Its bright plumage on a rock He turned turne In surprise surprIse surprise sur sur- prise at her ber early appearance appearance- hut lut ut the words of greE greeting died upon his lips What have you done dOle he jacu kited She laughed 11 self consciously giving her bobbed head a shake eluding his eyes ejes Oh I just I-just Just thought I 1 would I-would would cut my hair she replied with elaborate carelessness All your beautiful hair hair hair- J he Ire murmured mum mur murro his gaze never neer leaving lea her Imer Girls are arc out of ot place here bere beret J she ob observed A moments |