| Show P 0 A abul A by EMILIE L I 1 ING T I 1 0 servi SYNOPSIS THE ST BO 60 faill running away from orn marriage marr laie to ned paxton rich but ft a ray fay blade janace trent becomes become secre tary in pin an alaska wilderness camp over uia the protest of 0 druco bruce harcourt halcourt hal court a long lone time friend arnce li Is chief engineer engine er succeeding joe jo itale hale deposed for negligence hale nil his wife li Is also alio attracted to bruce janice tells tell ned paxton faxton she ha li Is married to Karr the I 1 latter a tier overhears overhear i her and insists on an immediate marriage the newlyweds newly wedi are interrupted at home that night by mr birs itale who says her husband hag bai been shot hot dead ste she exclaim it you had only waited bruce bruce spends the abight investigating the murder when jimmie chetter chester cents brother runs rum off in a plane bruce brings him back in the meantime ned paxton the women to his yacht janice and he be and two natives leave in a launch to V view w a volcano closer suddenly it erupts erupt the boat ti Is stranded on a lonely beach tho the two tuo natives native run off with the launch paxton and janice spend a ear ful night their ire fire keeps the w alv ex away now continue with the tory story I 1 cuarte U paxton reassured janicata it is safer than acro with the ore fire dying with those thosa great gaps in the base boards the shack instead of being a safety zone might prove a trap As wo we came up the hill I 1 saw a big log by the side of tho the brook it will lost last till down if I 1 can get it here its not far there ore are no eyes glaring from that direction keep between the shack end and the fire 11 im going with you janice it if you want to help do as I 1 say any ills ilia eyes burned like twin blue lights in his soot streaked face i this night must have been a gruel ing muscle racking experience for a man who had for years lived soft t 4 ly sho she capitulated with lc ic understanding 1 I will do whatever you say any ne ned d i ill keep the home ires fires burning the stuff see those two humps on the th trees that look like misshapen heads hoisted on pe tards the log Is under those I 1 noticed it when we camo came up the tha brook hang on to the revolver but bu t dont waste a shot watch out if you see points of light between mo me and tho the firo yell like a maniac but dont shoot fl ned before you go I 1 want to take back what I 1 said about your never having earned anything tonight you have earned my unwavering respect and friendship friendships think ill be satis tied fled with that slow seconds dragged into interminable minutes as she waited watched listened tho the rain had stopped A warning howl rose from beyond tho the fire are heart in her mouth she sensed swift stealthy movement green eyes shifting the beasts had discovered nod ned suppose she yelled what hc help would that bo be to him fire only fird would kaep them back wood was what she needed could she pull a board from tho the shack no she might bring the tha whole wobbly thing down clown and be burled in the ruins tho the dohrl she seized it within her welled a terrific physical impulse she wrenched the bullet riddled thing from the ono one rusty hinge dragging lifting jerking she dropped it on the coals it flamed brightly thank god for that instinctively sho she looked up were her eyes de calving her or were those stars stars ilk like a a million lighted win dows down they gave a sense ot of home glowing through the darkness sent her courage soaring me like a captive balloon lot let loose all her bar life lighted windows had fascinated her A touch on her shoulder she started to her feet A sob of relief tore up as she looked into ned pax tons grimy weary face how did you get back after you threw the door on the fire wo we need that log crawled back Th there theres ereis is a pink light in U the a east the wind has changed it its a blowing the smoke away they will find us ua soon meanwhile ho he cleared tho the huskiness from his voice to suggest practically lets sit on the log you may least feast on that broken cracker ill smoke the last cigarette she smiled at him tremulously ned I 1 like you better than ever before you seem so so different ills his mouth was grim differently I 1 have been different since you told mo me that I 1 bought everything I 1 wanted dont caie care tor for that word like I 1 want your love jan she laid her hand on his could she make him understand 1 I love bruce brace harcourt Harco uit the undisciplined spirit of the man to whom she sha had been engaged flamed in his voice he cant have i you think what I 1 can give you jewels travel sables homes homei anywhere you want them A home means more than a house ned somehow ive learned that in these last weeks I 1 feel terribly old and wise tonight A kome foma is built by mistakes and struggles as well ab aa by love it means mutual sacrifices mutual response res spiritual companionship you cant buy a home she felt the hand under hers clench 1 I mean that you were trying to buy my love now really I 1 you will believe me wont you lie he looked down dorm at the scorched fingers his haj haveard gard tyes eyes met hers 1 I believe ou jan darling darlina I 1 cant let you crul I 1 0 I 1 er s I 1 sli S is A f A f y Ms pasca clutched his arm roin pointed ted bruce Ilar court looked down at chester lying on tho the cot in tho the cabin which had been built tor for janice stephen mallory bending over the unconscious man was real so was the smell of antiseptics in the air the coast missionary gave a final touch to the bandaged arm and straightened Il hou lell b ba e stiff tor for days but nothing moro more serious unless inflammation tio n sets in better got get to bed liar ilar court you look all ali in all ini you dont know the halt half ive had hair raising adventures and escapes since I 1 came into this north country but nothing eq equal ual to tho the hell of these last hours came down twice on the shore had to risk it though I 1 know knew it if my self starter r went on the blink I 1 was done tor for radio work compass useless chester halt half dead I 1 thought good lord Wh why yamI am 1 living over that its behind me inc it if you yell are arc sure jim jimmy my Is all right ill turn in ill stay with him Har harcourte courts tired eyes narrowed ns as he stepped out upon the board walk lights voices in the dormitories at this time of nighal what happened moonlight dappled the sparkling water with silver what did he miss Pax tona tons dachtl gone janibel ile he flung open the door of the 11 II house in the chair shoes on the rug beside her feet sat martha samp her face ace was deeply lined her eyes seemed to have been pushed back into her head with a sooty finger wheres janice wheres grant happened she patted the hand on her sleeve sakes alive mr bruce dont get scared yet Scar edl what do you mean wheres janice has she gone with you here to tell me bruce dropped his head on an arm on the mantel martha samp explained quickly ashes gone with paxton it what you mean but not the way you think where Is janice where the devil Is grant iles hes gone in the launch huntin tor for kadoyama Kad yama that sneaky indian Is out in his kayak an mr tubby Is sure he knows so methin about uie the sho otin paxton took Ms hale mary and janice out tor for a sail they were coln to got get as near that belchin volcano as they safely could it was a beautiful day when they started along about tour four a storm came up sudden there was a great ru M an then a wave which seemed mountains high ghigli swept up almost reached this plateau go go onto even then we get anxious about the boat Us such a big one about two hours ago the radio station picked up a message from the captain the color went out of her face her fingers picked nervously a at his sleeve well well ile he said that the yacht was all right an Ms halo hale an mary but that he was cruis cruising cruls ln in round to pick up the launch the launch 1 the modern marl mari ners who was in it janice and paxton and two native pilots that message came two hours agol pascal the eskimo swung open the kitchen en door in answer to his shout ills his beady eyes bulged in their slanted slits ills his bronzed face was curiously colorless fuel tho the bo be to takeoff take off yes sirree I 1 hustle martha wiped away two big tears sniffed sakes alive I 1 know I 1 could feel so sentimental got all worked up cause mary come back now I 1 know ashes safe im kinder era chin up ive got hot chom chocolate cho late on ati stove at the waffle shop you cant fly right it if you dont take care of yourself you stop there nn an have a cup ill fill a thermos bottle and pack a basket with food when you flad find janice shell be hungry as a bear grobly pr obly now dont you worry remember theres a gate in every wall A gate in every wall harcourt repeated the phrase over and over as the amphibian climbed it kept at bay thoughts which almost drove him mad tho the overturned launch janice hurt janice suffering differing jan ice on some lonely shore with pax ton you fly up play to tag C with stars yes sirree 11 pascas guttural voice come through the earphone ear car phone in warning gettin Gett ln day quick look see we fin dem dam now watch the shore for or signs of 0 ai fire pasco pasca delow below the white yacht steamed slowly like a fabled bird floating on the breast of the water still searching from a volcano top in the cast a column of smoke rose as though the force within the mountain was too exhausted from its orgy to do more than send out but a puff of hot breath looka seel seat harcourt leaned over the side to follow pascas shaking finger listed at a precarious angle a launch was piled up on a beach under a cliff lie ho sent the wing slipping down tor for a closer view the tha launch from the modern marl nerl each foam tipped wave set the contents awash life preservers preserver 1 S floated out with the receding tid tide 1 harcourt strained his eyes till they seemed starting from their sockets flew low over it not a sign oi of life no smoke rising from the woods near that wrecked boat mean necessarily that jan had been in it when it struck paxton might have thought it wise to go ashore before ashes fafel I 1 know ashes aabel harcourt told himself savagely and climbed into the air on toward the mountain pasco pasca who had been leaning over looking down clutched hla his arm pointed above a clear ing on the shore hung a blue blua haze wood smoke I 1 no mistaking that he leaned over shouted directions to the eskimo could he land on that shore ile ho must the great winged creature obeyed his lightest touch came down and settled on the water with the ease of a mammoth swan on the edge of the shore harcourt touched the control which released the landing wheels it tax led smoothly up the sloping beach ile ho flung helmet and goggles to the seat scat before he climbed out revolver in hand he gave a few curt direction to pasco pasca 1 I do wat you say your face white as crater top you ano em am pretty quick now all fine an clan dandy yes sirree 1 harcourt nodded his throat ached unbearably it if janice were under that smoke haze she would have heard the plane she would have rushed to the shore long before this perhaps she was hurt horror clutched at his throat he stumbled into a clearing stopped caught at a scorched spruce to steady himself were those real persons on the threshold ot of that blackened shack their clothes were scorched brown their to faces ces smooched smooch ed as stokers smokers sto kers the girls head rested against orte one side of the door frame which leaned like the tower of pisa the man was waa huddled against the were they before his parched tongue could formulate the word he had his hand on her shoulder deT janibel Ja nicel janibel I paxton lifted heavy closed close d them mumbled sleepily damn you cakl why you wake me ila ho tumbled over flat as the girl sprang to her feet she held out her hands sobbed brucel I 1 knew find us he caught her close in one arm ills his hand tightened on his revolver look loo it up at me jan she leaned her head back against hla his shoulder the grime about her mouth was dented with dimples laughter shone through tears in her sleep clouded eyes look at youl you dont have hav to growl that c command I 1 never was so glad to look at anyone in all my life thank godl ills his heart swelled in a passion of gratitude she was living safe unharmed lie ho slipped the revolver into its holster the arm which held her tightened she pressed her fac against his breast before she confided with unsteady gaiety 1 I hate to seem grossly material at this climactic moment but you dont happen to have a broiled uve live lobster or seafood sea food newburg up your sleeve do you TO BE CONTINUED |
