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Show SYNOPSIS Prudence Schuyler conies to Pros, pcrlty Farm, In Maine, Inherited u-om her uncle, to make a new life Jor herself and her brother, David his health broken by tragedy. Prue falls from the barn loft into the nrms ot Rodney Gerard, rich young man. There is at once a mutual attraction, at-traction, but Prudence suspects men since her sister's husband ran away with her brother's wife. Len Calloway Cal-loway tries to buy Prue's timber, but she contracts with Rod to dispose dis-pose of the trees. David arrives from Now York. Prue accompanies Rod and Jean, his thirteen-year-old niece, to a circus. Chicot, an old clown, grandfather of Milly Gooch, circus rider, Is accidentally killed. Rod had known the girl years ago. Mllly broke her engagement to Calloway; Cal-loway; he believes Rod was the cause. Rod calls on Milly to see If he can be of any help. Prue sees a flashlight picture of him with Milly. Unable to get timber cutters because of Calloway's enmity, Rodney Rod-ney goes to New York for them, taking David with him to help select se-lect men from among the Rescue Mission hangers-on. The ne'er-do-well Walter Gerard, Rodney's half brother, arrives. Rod sends word that he Is on his way back, with workers. To keep the knowledge of their arrival from Calloway, Prudence Pru-dence enters her timber tract with htm on the pretense of bargaining on the lumbering. He confines her in a cabin. An escaped convict appears, ap-pears, and robs Prudence of her pearls. Then Rod arrives and recovers recov-ers the jewels. On the way home, with Prudence, he assumes a domineering domi-neering attitude, which the girl resents, re-sents, and in a spirit of defiance she tells him she Is engaged to Jim Armstrong, Rodney's closest friend. Twenty-five men are brought to the forest and put to work. CHAPTER IX Continued 13 He poured tea, strong enough to curl the straightest lashes up tight, and passed her the cup. "Drink it while it's hot." She took a hasty swallow. "It's boiling 1 You haven't a c-copper-lined mouth up your sleeve, have you? You're such an sflVcSeut . n-person." .. - ' "M;i...it burn?" ; ; - . "Oh no.rt-Troze and. .frosted all the way down." "Don't try to be funny. Drink It. At least, you're not shivering now. What the dickens have you done to this room?" "Paper and paint. I wanted it fresh for David when he returned." She started to her feet "Dave! Uow could I have forgotten? He must be wild with anxiety about me." "Sit down ! Finish that tea ! I phoned him from upstairs. Told him that you were okay and that you would be at High Ledges for dinner. I" A door banged. "Who's that? Sit still!" Before he could reach the hall, Jane Mack appeared on the threshold. thresh-old. "Miss Prue ! Miss Prue ! They've i, ncn-inofl nrisnnerl Now euum- i-1 t-oL'- c perhaps you'll get your jewels.' She took a step into the room and pulled down her spectacles. "What's the matter, child? What happened to her, Mr. Rodney?" True reassured quickly: "Nothing happened, Macky, except that I went to look at my timber and got wet. Mr. Gerard made some tea and-hcre we are." Jnne Mack put her hand against Prue's cheek. "You look feverish. Sure you haven't taken cold?" - "Of course not. I never have a C0ld What did you hear about the convict, Macky? Tell us, quick." Gerard lifted the heavy coat from jane's thin shoulders-rrue wondered won-dered If that attention ever had been shown her before and drew forward a chair. "Sit here, Miss Mack. How did you hear about the capture?" "The news was broadcast about ten minutes ago. The convict was brought to the county jail by a leading citlzen-didn't tell his name over the radio who caught him In the woods, dared death from the desperado's revolver, and captured him single-handed." The leading citizen was Calloway, Callo-way, of course. Kvldently he had forgotten to mention Rodney Gerard's Ger-ard's timely entrance at the cabin had forgotten her masterly stroke with an ax. CHAPTER X nFUCHED on a stump Prudence r listened to the warning call -Timber!" before the crash of a tree. to the clop of axes, the rasp It saws that shattered the brood-silence brood-silence of the woods Was It o ,1v two weeks since Rodney Ger-ard'and Ger-ard'and David had personally ducted their crew from New ork? 'raoal.lv It seemed months to the who. unused to hard work, had been Instructed "ho art of handling and grinds axes, twisting peaveys, and pulling on cross-saws. Two weeks since they had arrived, ar-rived, and this was the first time she had seen them at work. Absorption Ab-sorption In work and sports was not the only reason that had kept her from the logging belt, Prue acknowledged ac-knowledged to herself with heightened height-ened color, she didn't care to meet Rodney Gerard, and she couldn't face Jim Armstrong. Of course, he didn't know of her absurd statement state-ment that she was engaged to him, but until she felt less ashamed of herself she would keep out of his way. She must have been dazed with cold and excitement that day to have fabricated such a story. She blinked away sudden tears of gratitude as her brother appeared between the snowy trees. It seemed Incredible that the erect, vigorous man In army breeches, high boots, and heavy sweater was the same person whom she and Gerard had tenderly assisted from the black roadster not so many weeks ago. " 'Lengthening roads that wind through dust and heat to hilltops clear,' " she repeated softly. The men from the mission were making good, Prudence approyed, as she watched them. Gerard, Armstrong, and Si Pu2-;;;-.r.Wfe' each directing a crew. -rjTwfintyT of the original importation of Vwenty-tive Vwenty-tive had stuck. Thfee uadneaked away after their ,,-ilrst. day at hard labor; two hacV-dcsertcd to'Callo- Calloway ! .The1 -'repetition of the name brought Prue's doubts of the man's acceptance.' of the present situation' crowding back into her mind. Hay he given up the fight? She couldn't believe it. He was too resourceful, too relentless. If only M'ne could think of the devastating devas-tating things to say when she faced hJra'Ihat were thronging on the tip of her tongue now. "Warm enough, Prue?" Her brother's voice startled her back from an imaginary verbal battle bat-tle with Calloway. "Warm! I'm fairly wadded. What Macky didn't suggest as a cold-protector, Mrs. Si did. How are the men getting on? They look happy and fat In spite of their hard work." "Fat 1 You' said something then. They eat enormously, and they sleep like logs on the balsam boughs under their blankets. Even the hard work won't take care of the energy they are storing up. All their noise and guying Is good-natured now ; but let one of them get ugly or just one drink, nnd victors jubilating about goal posts would be a Sleepy Hollow compared to the Inside of that cattle barn." "Can they get a drink, Dave?" "Not unless they walk miles for it, and by the time they have tramped back to the bunk-house at the end of their work day, they've Wffl "Don't Try to Be Funny. Drink It." had all the walking they care for. They are happy enough, with a radio and one of those small moving mov-ing picture machines but. In spite of that I can't explain It, I feel a pricking in my thumbs." "Have you heard from the two whom Calloway subtracted?" "Not since the night they appeared ap-peared at the bunk-house to make a neighborly cail. On that occasion they were greeted with such a storm ot abuse and such a fusil lade of missiles tr.ut I'1" place looked as if it b.ni l--eii ' e storm center of a five-a:i i un re explosion. explo-sion. They won't try t -:.t again. Here comes Rod. ' Rodney Gerard .! J . tist a small tree and -::!". .leiuc with smiling aloe "We have with us today Prue of Prosperity farm. What do you think of our logging enterprise, partner?" She gripped the stump with both gloved hands. A small cold tremor of fear quivered through her. He hadn't moved, yet she felt as if irresistibly she were being drawn into his arms. Why, why did It have to be he who set her heart thumping, whose eyes seemed to stop her breath? How could he in a few weeks have so possessed her? Magic? Black art? Almost she began be-gan to believe In them. Why couldn't it have been Jim Armstrong, Arm-strong, who had had neither time nor money to finance circus riders? She kept her eyes on her brother as hands deep in the pockets of his heavy sweater he walked away. She said unevenlv: "David is unbelievably better. Isn't he?" "Better! He's pretty nearly okay. When we were in New York, I persuaded per-suaded him to see a specialist 1 know. He said that If your brother would keep out of blankety-blank I am giving you a carefully expurgated expur-gated version of his opinion places full of dead air and live In the country for a time, that nature, who Is the greatest repair specialist in creation, would have him on his feet In" "Timber 1" Gerard jumped to bis feet at the warning call. Prue's eyes followed his. The men had taken to the cover of big trees. All except one. Why why didn't the stupid creature "Hi! O'Shea! Look out!" Gerard yelled the warning as he dashed toward the red-headed giant. Prudence clutched her hands over her heart Would he be in time?. Didn't Rodney realize his own danger dan-ger when he hurled himself at the man? The tree was down! So were the two men. Crushed? The crew dropped their axes and rushed forward. She shut her eyes for an instant. When she opened them, Gerard was On his feet with his hand on O'Shea's shoulder. :': . ' " . . -''SifSS-tC tt5"t vou ro'tglt, Sdnnw. Tou had to tahelhe'chaikfe of tie-ing tie-ing knocked out by the tree' or- by me." The dazed man blinked small red eyes at the prostrate forest monster mon-ster harmless now which had cleared him by an inch. "Sure, an' ye're sayin' little about the chance ye took," he growled. "Three cheers for the Big Boss!" some one shouted. In the midst of the deafening response re-sponse Prue started down the trail to her car parked on the road. Body and mind were In a tumult. When Rodney Gerard had flung himself under that falling tree, the world had stopped for her. Nothing, nothing noth-ing mattered If he were safe, she had vowed passionately. As she stepped from the car, Jean flung herself upon her. "Oh, Miss Prue! Miss Prue! I'm so glad you've come!" Her breath caught in a sob. "I've got somethiug cagey to tell you !" Prue laid an arm across the fur-covered fur-covered shoulders. "Don't get jittery, dear. Come Into the house and tell me about It." Jean closed both doors. "Can anyone any-one hear?" Impatient at her temperamental response to Jean's histrionics. Prudence Pru-dence shook her head vigorously. "All righty. Come over by the mantel." Standing close, she whispered: "Len Calloway's got something up . his sleeve." The Information coincided so ex-, ex-, actly with what Prudence had been suspecting that her response was Immediate. "I thought so. What have you found out? Quick! Tell me 1" "About an hour ago I was looking round the gun room at home I had a hunch that I might find your jewels jew-els there I thought well, I thought perhaps I might I might have walked In my sleep when I was visiting vis-iting you you know I was nuts about them and have taken them not knowing it understand?" Prudence nodded. She understood perfectly. Loyal little soul. Jean drew a long, relieved sigh. "You would. I was poking round when I heard someone coming. I was scared 1 My father used that room. I knew he'd be mad If he found me there, so I slipped behind one of the window hangings. He opened the door softly. Said to someone : " 'Come In !' "My heart was pounding as if Its engine was running on high. Two people! I thought, Til never get out' My father growled: " 'Come across. Galloway. What's on your mind now?'" "What did Calloway want?" "I don't know. I remembered that I'd promised you that 1 wouldn't pry, so 1 stuck my fingers In my ears hard." If only the child hadn't taken that vital moment to keep her promise, Prudence wished fervently. "Go on, Jean. You must have heard something." "Sure, I heard something. After I'd kept my fingers In my cars for it seemed hours, I pulled them out. I heard Mr. Calloway say: " 'I'm going.' " "He didn't see you, did he?'' "Gee, you're pinching I" Joan nibbed her shoulder as Prudence quickly removed her hand. "Guess you're as excited as I am. Mr. Calloway Cal-loway didn't come to the window. His vice sounded as if he was at the dour, f'T he said quite loud: " Toni.-!:t at the old Miiithy. F.;--hL K.'vmi there. Sa.Vr thau here. Too many doors and windows in this house.' "When he said that I almost died, but I was live enough to hear my father say : " 'It's a payment on delivery proposition, Len? Sure?' " 'Sure. Ever know me to break my word? I might be a hard man, but I'm Just. Milly Gooch Is at the Puffers. I suppose she's come to see Rod.' " 'Milly' "That was all I heard Father say. for the door closed. I waited till 1 was sure they were gone. Then I sneaked out and made Tatch drive me over here." Prudence crossed to the window. So Milly Gooch had arrived on the scene. Now what would happen? She thrust the thought of the circus rider into the back of her mind and said without turning : "Repeat what Calloway said about meeting your father, Jean." " Tonight at the old smithy. Eight' " "Eight o'clock? Are you sure?" "Yep." "Where's the smithy?" "He meant the old blacksmith shop. When Grandfather ran a big s&L fewk "Sure, an' Ye're Saying Little About the Chance Ye Took."' farm he had the horses shod there. Uncle Rod keeps It In repair because be-cause he thinks it's interesting." "Perhaps Mr. Calloway has engaged en-gaged your father to boss a lumber crew for him." "Payment on delivery doesn't sound like that kind of a job. Father Fa-ther boss a crew? Don't be dumb! It's something else. You don't think it is anything that will hurt Uncle Rod, do you, Miss Prue?" "Of course not Perhaps they are planning a party for for Milly Gooch. That's just what It is. Weren't we foolish not to think ot it before? By the way, Jean, tell me again where to find that blacksmith black-smith shp." Before the mirror In her room Prudence zippered the jacket of her ski-suit over the orange shirt. She pulled on warm oversocks, fastened fas-tened heavy boots, while her thoughts ran on : "What luck that Dave phoned he : was dining at High Ledges. He would go into the air if he knew what I am about to do. What he doesn't know won't wTorry him. I suggested that Macky go to the early movie with the Puffers, and presto, the fray was cleared for my person- i ally conducted expedition to the smithv to find out what the rendez vous of Calloway and Walter Gerard Ger-ard means. I can't get lost. The snow Is marked with ski-tracks. No danger of meeting anyone. Eight o'clock Is zero hour. How soon should I start? I ought to be parked long before the conspirators conspira-tors arrive. "Skis or snow-shoes?" She visualized visual-ized a steep declivity. "The skis have It," she decided, and shouldered shoul-dered a pair. Foles In hand, she stole around the house to the road. With frequent pauses to listen, she entered the old lumber road that wound up to the sky line. She looked back. What was that? A shadow across a patch of light 1 She waited. Held her breath. Would It come again? No. Must have been a vine swaying. Resolutely she turned her back on warmth and security and slipped and stumbled over the rough road whose hidden pitfalls were tricked out with spotless snow. Was she doing a crazy thing to try to find out what Walter Gerard and Calloway Cal-loway were scheming about? She was not In spite of her reassurance reassur-ance to Jean, she was convinced that they were conniving against the lumber firm of Schuyler and Gerard. That being tho case, It was her job to find out what It was all about, wasn't It? She adjusted her skis, picked up her poles, and slid on between serried ser-ried phalanxes of evergreens. She had a prickling sense that she was not alone In the woods. Had a shadow slipped behind that large pine, or was It a ghostly Illusion? (TO BE CONTINUED.) |