Show 4 Y I t Q SYNOPSIS THEt TIlE THE t STORY SO FAR Janice Trent run s away ly from Redding wc Ned Paxton Faxton rich K b t bec becomes rui a wy gay blade By a a device she h In secretary at a wilderness cam camp AI Alaska k a. a But Bruce Harcourt ne newly appO T x IS chief who has Ius known her since girlhood c was Wai not aw aware of It tl till later Uter ter Mrs tin Hare Hale al e wile wife of or the deposed chief en engineer uJ er is II also ako a attracted to Harcourt Ducourt Be Her husband nc treats ats her badly DaleS Dalea Hale Dale autre suffers 5 S a stroke roke or fel feigns ns one The departure depo de- de a re of or the Hales Dales from Alaska Is Isa po Postponed Hale Is js believed to have hl an a affair with an Indian girl Her Der swe sweetheart eart resents it Hale Dale calls J Janice In the absence of Millicent Hale Bale to take Uhe some dictation a codicil to toB his hi will wall B sn suggests going with Bruce ruce anc and his assistant Tubby Grant on an D airplane visit to the city elty Janice Is tov Invited e l also At the last minute Mill Mill- cent nt cant can't go o. o Janice enjoys the trip and ande th we the e b bustling Alaskan elt city Now continue with the story awry Ch CHAPTER APTER VIII Was she rc really ally thousands of miles from irom New York Janice asked herself herself herself her her- self as she passed modern build build- lags ings jags a college homes with gardens gardens gardens gar gar- dens riotous garden borders with cl clumps ps of pale yellow day lilies spikes of at larkspur in every known shade of ot blue patches of early pink Phlox mists of at She was amazed at the size of the flowers and fruits forced to tropical luxuriance by the constant dew and mist baths She was mentally tabulating the varieties of ot flowers she had noticed as they entered the lounge of a hotel set in the midst of several acres of ground It was thronged with tourists who had arrived by bythe bythe bythe the railroad Refreshed with her skin wind- wind burned to a dusky pink cooled by a adust adust adust dust of powder she met Grant in the foyer The main room dining-room is swarming swarming swarmIng swarm- swarm Ing with tourists Harcourt has ordered ordered or or- dered eats in a private room There are a lot of newspaper men about and hes he's dodging being interviewed about the bridge She turned as Harcourt entered Hope you dont don't mind the cramped quarters The place is jammed The tourists will be off oil after breakfast Breakfast What time did you think it was We started at sun sunup sun up I cant can't believe It How far have we traveled Hundreds of at miles Indian boys in native costume entered with trays Amber coffee pots of ot it rolls crisp and delicate raspberries crimson gigantic gigantic for for raspberries raspberries cream cream clotted bacon In crisp curls a thick bear steak which oozed delectably red at touch of ot a knife potatoes baked to burstIng bursting burst burst- Ing lag flakiness Janice purred content content content con con- tent as she tasted the fruit So this is Alaska Grant grunted skeptically A part paTt of at it Wait till we take you bridge bridge- building next winter out into a country country country coun coun- try where the nights are twenty hours long Grant chuckled Harcourt suggested suggested suggested sug sug- Show Miss Trent the town Tub Tub- by Dont Don't let her buy any fake furs Later he asked Need any money money money mon mon- ey Janice No thanks I brought all my pay She lingered on the threshold Arent you coming with us Cant Business I will walk as asfar asfar asfar far as the bank with you and Tubby then Ill I'll meet you at the field inan in inan inan an hour The streets were thronged with tourists with automobiles luxurious imported models smart town cars shabby out out-at the elbow the elbow flivvers whose only possible excuse for existing existing existing ex ex- ex- ex was that they kept moving Fat oily Eskimos with square flat fiat faces fat little noses bronzed Indians In In- in lurid blankets squaws selling selling sell sell- ing jag baskets and beads brazen women wom woin en their chains of ot gold nuggets their fortunes sourdoughs with heavily lined faces humor sparkling in their faded eyes officers in o o. o od d. d A hand band touched Janice's shoulder She bad had been too engrossed in the to hear footsteps She panorama untied radiantly Tubby this is a wonder wonder- She looked up The world went int into a tailspin Ned Paxton She must be dreaming dreaming- t 1 N No those were his intensely intensely in in- tensely bl eyes His hand tight tight- In-d In sited ened She was conscious of mounting mount- mount under his c caressing smile anger tog jug So So 50 here you are She twisted free tree SO So here you are arel What are you doing so far from the Great WhiteWay White WhiteWay Way Way Hi His s eyes held hers I came for forme you For me How did dd 1 you know where here I was She could cheerfully h have ave bitten out her tongue for him with the question tying Oh Ob an interested interest d party who had haden our pictures m in the paper and Icen cen en ac recognized ed you radioed your whereabouts where where- and I started I expected to toa tod a bouts about but not ot so soon fin d you finAn An interested party Hale Was Wasat Wash the explanation of the demoted that h at t chuckle yesterday esterday sinister chiefs chief's c Somehow she must get rid of her before Bruce and Grant Grante tz e fiance ex-fiance Could she infuriate him so ea came that me t he w would hate her leave her that radio information Did Did you buy you have bought everything as lion tion life You boast that you 11 your TOUT all ll out of ot bribed bed your way college 01 you we were e the youngest s sc crapes lain in your regiment Why Not because cap ause you were a better belter soldier t because your father was a Senor Sen Sen- b 5 with oodles of money a or r o C 47 J r r rr f 1 v a 1 pj a ad d i ir r 1 It would be awkward because awkward because well Im I'm already married She stopped for breath His eyes were dark with amazement his lips hung open Of a sudden color surged under his fair skin as though it would burst through it reddened even his ears I If I buy you'll admit I pay the highest market price He took a astep astep astep step nearer Like you all aU the better better better bet bet- ter for that flare Jan Crazy about you Now Ill I'll never let you go You know that you love me Ill I'll forgive you this school-girl school trick Well We'll be married here Oh no we wont Who mo was speaking Janice listened to the voice which seemed like her own yet not her own o which came from froma a long way off It would be awkward awk awk- ward ward because because well because Im I'm already married Married His grip gripon on her shoulder shoulder shoulder der tightened till it hurt Married Married Married Mar ried He turned her toward him the matter with your face Does friend husband beat you up To whom are you married The strange voice so like her own yet not her own answered prompt prompt- ly To Bruce Harcourt I I It She turned at a curious sound Behind Behind Belind Be- Be hind lind Tubby Grant whose green eyes bulged whose boyish mouth sagged in surprise stood Bruce Harcourt His eyes steadily compelling her eyes it seemed hours to Janice before before before be be- fore he spoke Then he said evenly Met an acquaintance Jan JanIt Paxton laughed Anticipated the girls girl's answer An acquaintance I am the man she was to marry Is to marry Just who are you Bruce Harcourt Janice told you that she was already married to me After that your boast is an insult in- in insult Insult In in- sult to her and to me Janice stepped between the two I men as he took a step forward What evil spirit had prompted her herto herto herto to drag Bruce into the But Harcourt laid a n silencing hand or on her shoulder He ignored the blond man regarding them with skeptical amusement We must be off Janice Found orders here which will take us back at once Paxton laughed indulgently Dont linger on my account Jan I know mow where to find you Sent my boat up the coast I am to join it by plane Life may be real life may be earnest in this wilderness but Ill I'll bet by the time I arrive you'll be fed up on it be Reno mind ed and raring to get back to the Great White Way Harcourt reached for tor him Janice Janice Janice Jan Jan- ice blocked his advance with all her strength I Bruce Bruce Dont Don't make a scene here here please With a laugh and a mocking bow Pa Paxton backed away Im sorry Im I'm terribly sorry I didn't know why I said It Said what That you you that that I oh I-oh oh dont don't make me repeat it You know Come He slipped his arm within hers and led her to the sunny room In which they had breakfasted Sit down Janice I want to talk to you Harcourt leaned against the table arms crossed on his chest Although his name wasn't mentioned mentioned mentioned men men- I gathered that the man was Paxton she nodded assent Why did you barricade yourself behind a lie Someone touched me on the shoulder I looked up expecting to see Mr Grant When I saw Ned a sense of unreasoning terror panic stampeded me The world went into a tailspin My one thought thought thought-if if you youcan youcan youcan can call my mental process thinking was was to put an wall between between between be be- tween us I had been so happy all morning morning-It You had been happy Gorgeously When I looked up and saw that man it was like like like- like a plunge back into the nightmare nightmare nightmare night night- mare of those weeks before you found my slipper When he said that someone who had seen my picture pIcture picture pic pIc- ture in the paper had radioed him my whereabouts whereabouts-It Did he say who No When he said Well be married here I heard a voice which didn't seem to be mine retort retort re re- re- re tort That would be awkward because be cause well cause well because I am already married and then he said said said- saId H That being the case there is only one thing to be done now Remember that yesterday I told you I had a aplan aplan aplan plan It wont won't interfere in the least with your our onward upward business career I tried to prepare you for tor it last evening when I hoisted that No Trespassing sign I want you to marry me No No No Nol It is the only way You cant can't go goback goback goback back to headquarters except as Mrs Bruce Harcourt Tubby's gone for fora a notary public public luckily luckily there is no five-day five marriage law in hi the northern northern northern north north- ern wilderness wilderness when when we get back backwell backwell backwell well we'll announce that we set off this morning with every intention of being being being be be- ing married wanted to avoid fuss etc etc Lets Let's try Miss Marthas Martha's test We will live in the same house for two months before the marriage decree becomes final Get me It wont won't be any different from living with your brother Billy I If you discover discover dis dis- cover at the end of that time that I appear at breakfast ready to bite annulment is easy Well We'll be modern mod mod- ern call ern-call call it trial companionship Understand Understand Understand Un Un- me I will give you ten minutes In which to think it over He opened the door closed it behind behind behind be be- hind him Janice tried to weigh the situation dispassionately Suppose she consented to the plan Bruce advised She would still be secretary to the 9 outfit do her ber share In fn opening up the great north coun coun- try Why shouldn't she help as aswell aswell aswell well as the Samp sisters who were making history with their Waffle Shop Life here thrilled her A knock at the door Had ten minutes passed already Her heart shot to her throat and fanned its wings She steadied her lips Come in Bruce Harcourt closed the door behind him rum Well v Janice swallowed hard Dont stand there like a judge about to announce a life llie I Ive I-I've Ive I've decided de de- de- de Im I'm going going back To New York No To To-to To to headquarters You understand that you go only as Mrs Harcourt Something in hi Janice's heart snapped Of course I understand You made it plain enough that you wouldn't take Janice Trent back backwith backwith backwith with you I know that you dont don't really want me me-I me I know that Im I'm tagging again that again that Im I'm utterly selfish self seU- ish but ish-but-I but I want to stay in Alaska I cant can't really hurt you by marrying you you temporarily temporarily can I The tense gravity of his face tace broke In a smile No You cant can't really hurt me meby meby meby by marrying me He picked up the telephone Office Harcourt speaking Tell Mr Grant that I am waiting for for- him The sense of ot unreality persisted through the civil ceremony performed performed performed per per- formed by a short fat little man who intoned through a nose pinched to compression by tortoise-shell tortoise eye eye- glasses A hand touched hers slipped sUpped something on her finger She met Bruce Harcourt's eyes Asked breathlessly Is it over He looked at her ber without answer answer- ing Grant and the notary said a afew afew afew few words of felicitation and depart depart- ed Harcourt released her hand Quite over Now Tubby will take I you shopping We haven't much time tune I must get back to head head- headquarters quarters Resentment at the lightness of his tone at the fact tact that he was eager to turn her over to his bis henchman pricked at Janice's not too steady nerves How could he take the situation so lightly You speak as though you were in the habit of being married every day Not every day Never before to toa toa toa a girl who was was was' miles away during the ceremony who didn't tense sense the fact tact that I existed Janice's heart was twisted by contrition Bruce Bruce Forgive me I Iwas Iwas Iwas was beastly I was dazed that was all dazed It came so 80 suddenly i iLet's Lets Let's not start out as though we I were going to fight and die over this Im I'm not sorry I did it it really Im I'm not Id I'd do it again this min mite jute ute TO TO BE DE CONTINUED |