| Show r y y F U sJ SYNOPSIS TOE THE STORY SO FAR Janice Trent runs away awaY awaY- from wedding Ned Paxton Paiton rich neb but a gay cay ay blade Unbeknown to fn Bruce Harcourt a family friend Wend she be be- comes of D an Alaska camp o of wh which he C is chIef en enla engineer r. r Millicent Hale wife wc fal of the man whom he suc sue Is also attracted to him Bruce Druce at first wants to send Janice back On a trip S to V the city she encounters Paxton Patton and Dd tell tens tells him she is b married to liar Har court The latter Utter hears It and Insists on ona ona a wedding that day That night after a wedding party arranged by the Samp sisters elderly owners of the Waffle Warne Shop Mrs Hale Bale breaks In the on newlyweds newly newly- weds with the cry that her husband had been shot dead She also wo says If It you only had waited Brace Bruce Bruce spends the Uie night investigating Investigates the murder A Commissioner arrives to conduct an om eta probe Jimmie Chester Mrs Hales Hale's brother who hated her husband runs off oft In a plane Bruce and the CommIs stoner loner sot set out to find and him bins Ned Paxton Patton and his yacht arrive at nt the headquarters town Now continue with the story CHAPTER XV Ned Paxton looked stern What do you know of my scheme of living I want a woman at the head bead of my house for the moU mother er of my children who has an infallible instinct for the fine and beautiful things of at life lie and the courage to go after them And Im I'm going to get her You must have thought me mean mean mean an easy mark when we met at the hotel botel I was dazed by the news of your marriage As the day wore on I grew suspicious Asked a few questions Discovered that you married married mar mar- ried Tied Harcourt after you met me that morning Why did you do it Janice had bad almost liked him again trusted him bim as he be confided his Ideal of at family life lite The savage contempt contempt contempt con- con tempt of at his ills question hardened her heart Continue sleuthing Find out outI I have bave it on rather good authority ty that Harcourt was hot in love with you I suspect it was a case of knight knight errantry errantry on his bis part Girl announces that she is married to him What could he do but come across with the ring You will have bave to answer that question yourself Ned But after all aU how can you What do you know of the ambitions struggles sacrifices sacrifices flees self-discipline self which lie behind behind behind be be- hind what you call knight errantry You see You want You buy His face was dark with anger You said that once before I dont don't like it Ill I'll prove to you ou that I can earn one thing I want want want-that's that's you Think I dont don't know that this marriage marriage marriage mar mar- stuff is a bluff to save your face lace He Ho drew her close She protested protested protested pro pro- tested sharply Ned Let me go gal gol The kit kitchen hen door banged open Tong dashed into the room Head lowered brush drooping one corner corner corner cor cor- ner of his lip snarled to reveal a fang baleful eyes watchful he stood as motionless as a creature in bronze Paxton released Janice His laugh showed a tinge of strain Pasca shuffled into the charged silence in kitchen with deesh lees Samp send her Arent they coming Janice's voice dripped disappointment Tell to come in Pasca Grant entered by the front door Tubby Im I'm glad you have arrived to swell the list of those present it looks as though my party might be a frost Says you How are you Paxton Paxton Pax- Pax t ton on Wheres Where's Mrs Hale Well what know See w who's b 0 sere h here I had come in from the kitchen Samp send plate sorry they cnn cant can't t come cometo cometo cometo They say to party Tell them that I aI am terribly dis dis- dis IS- IS app appointed The girl lingered twisting twist twist- bracelets in conscious exing expectancy ex- ex in ing g her leer I I never saw so much 1 lovely ove ly silver jewelry S Something orne tho mg youve you've ha had bad d a presen present t. t te tells m me e assumed lD indifference 21 Ta t to me Who me geeve much more I marry marryon He e g gon ve me him He chiefs chief's son Some day dayI on I beeg s s squaw There was 3 4 thread of excitement In G Grants Grant's ants ant's ugh u. u gh kr dirt has he Wheres Where's his Y strut struck pa gold mine gold e He He D like ke b bhim got gol 01 mine Money him long time for card game owe e Yester Yesterday d- d dY a Y man pa pay Y buy from Ossa lil silver ilver Who's os o's the rich stranger Id Id I'd like little a-little little game with him a to get up upU myself myse U sniffed scorn Stranger I Itma Ta s heem Pasca have bave beeg Pasco a pay of money say roll all a fat at r ro S aboard Ned Paxton's boat Coming memories twanging und un- un old Id set t a had u Janice reflected d uneasily bearably Mar ably s 's eyes were big with Sap Samp sa tn Mary perched bed on toe the e edge of She Sheat e won wonder seat at at like e a Plump plume pigeon on a athe athe athe the se ro d to take off at the slight- slight rea y ledge M Millicent j cent Hale in to a aest warning warning- est cha bad ad removed her black deck ir hair seemed fairer in fa h bat contrast at Her Herto st to her sombre frock C sniffed Why had the fragile Janice nice S in black such power to hurt hurther woman her Paxton intrigued by her Was a N Ned d d that it was a glorious fitted e Adm that f fact act did not explain her day Son this boat Tubby Y Grant Gran presence responsible That was un bad be Shea lone alone was responsible fo foShe for fair what s she e did She was white free I r A l 1 Rr iW f i r ty Janice waved to those on OD the boat and considerably over twenty one quite old enough to make her ber own decisions Had it all been Tubby's Tabby's insistence or had she been glad of the chance to be away when Bruce returned After su supper pcr last night Tubby had held her up outside her ber Waffle Shop Shop had had begged her to second second second sec sec- ond his efforts to have Millicent Hale lale away from headquarters when the Commissioner and Harcourt arrived arrived arrived ar ar- ar- ar rived the next afternoon From the fact act that his name had bad not been mentioned in the radio message there here was every reason to believe they hey were bringing Jimmy Chester He e had asked Paxton to operate co-operate by inviting a party on his yacht for fora a nearer view of the erupting vol vol- cano Grants Grant's plan had seemed sound Now on thinking back over the conversation conversation conversation con con- she wondered that he be had hadnot hadnot hadnot not referred to startling disclosure as to the source of the money which had lavish lavish- ly y expended on silver jewelry Where could Pasca get so much cash so suddenly Was it part of that taken from Joe Hale when he was shot It would account for Bruce's revolver having been used for Pascas Pasca's absence from the squaw- squaw dance A ships ship's bell struck She counted Eight bells Was it possible they had bad been sailing three hours Tea time She joined the group under the awning Paxton rose You stood so long staring over the rail we decided that you were making up your our mind for a swim Not in this icy water I was wondering i if we could approach the volcano near enough to get a pic pic- ture I brought a movie camera Ill Til talk with the Captain and the native pilots We have two aboard Meanwhile will you show Miss Mary the interior of the boat You know enow every crack and cranny of it though you haven't seen it since I had lad it re decorated for you The last words were so low that Janice wondered i if ff anyone but herself herself her her- self sell heard them Miss Mary admitted admitted admitted ad ad- Id like real well to see it Mary Samps Samp's eyes shone her cheeks reddened with excitement as they passed from one part of the yacht to another The silver and blue black and rose and gold of the staterooms reduced her to a state of thrilled speechlessness On the threshold of the main lounge she clasped ecstatic hands Well now I suppose this is what folks call modernistic I Two Filipino boys were bringing the tea things when they returned to the lounge deck Janice's lips twitched with laughter as she remembered remembered remembered re re- Pascas Pasca's high-held high tray That reminded her where had the Eskimo procured the money to pay Janice She looked up Paxton Paxton Pax Pax- ton was standing before her fastening fastening fastening fasten fasten- ing a n holster belt better You were a hundred miles from rom here bere Ill I'll bet you couldn't tell whether er youve you've had tea or not You have i The sea is running smooth I If you want to get near enough to the volcano volcano volcano vol vol- cano to take a picture the Captain says that it will be perfectly safe for the native pilots to take you inthe in inthe inthe the launch Janice's premonition nerves tingled tin tin- Darn her imagination Here was the opportunity of a n lifetime Would she let her fear complex rule She would not Im nil all excited Am Pun I to go alone No Ill I'll go to make sure liure that you dont don't fall out of the boat In your excitement The sky Is not quite so clear as ns it was wed we'd better get geta a move on The yacht will follow We will turn back the moment you say the word Seated in the launch Janice waved to the two women and the Captain bending over the rail to watch them start Miss Marys Mary's eyes were troubled Millicent Halos Hales inscrutable inscrutable in in- the Captains Captain's complacent as he listened to the purr of the motor motor mo mo- tor rhythmic as a kittens kitten's breathing breathing breath breath- ing observed the skill of the native pilots who had shed their coats and caps gold braided with the yachts yacht's insignia and had stolidly wriggled into inlo which looked like waterproof with a hood When at nt a n proper distance Janice Janice Jan Jan- ice focused the camera on the group on the deck She cranked until the faces were dim There nere I wonder what Tubby will say soy to that He Is teaching me the picture motion art Ive I've even learned earned to develop films When I return to civilization I will be equipped to go on the lecture plat plat- form Then you expect to return to civilization Apparently absorbed in the intricacies intricacies intricacies of the black box she held she answered abstractedly Return Of Ol course Then some someday someday someday day we are going to South America to build a bridge Paxton laughed skeptically before he ic crouched down behind the engine to light a cigarette te From whence had that iridescent bit of fabrication bubbled Janice demanded of herself hersel in dismay From the rows and rows of Spanish books in the H house Had those spelled South America to her subconscious subconscious sub sub- conscious The launch was running parallel with a green shore from which twin mountains lightly clothed with al alders alders alders al- al ders and willows arid with volcano volcano volcano vol vol- vol- vol cano ash rose in a graceful sweep to lo taper into dazzling white cones Beyond towered higher peaks like purple shadows She could make out an abandoned Indian village its tumble down huts shining weirdly white in the distance Were those uprights carved totem poles She turned eagerly to Paxton as he came aft See that Indian village Ned I wish wish wish- The sentence died on her ber lips as asa asa asa a rain of tiny rocks showered upon the boat They burned as they struck her ler hands hissed as they fell into the water to float away like dingy snowflakes snow Orange and scarlet flames fired curling vapor belching smoke till the sky seemed one frightful conflagration Hol Hoi tight Hol Hoi tight Janice hadn't needed the hoarse shouts of the pilots as a warning Instinctively she had gripped the side of the launch Come about Make for the yacht Paxton shouted i Too late With the roar as of all i the thunderbolts thunder forged in Vulcan's workshops let loose with a crash which rocked the world the volcano vol volcano cano blew up Fascinated eyes on the spectacle Janice saw what looked to be the back of a great sea monster rise to the surface An island being born Paxton caught her in one arm clung tight with the other hand A wave which seemed mountains high rolled toward toward to to- ward the launch caught it as though it had been a chip in a puddle swept it shoreward with incredible speed Sweat ran down the bronze face of one pilot as he strained at atthe atthe atthe the wheel The eyes of both bulged with terror Overhead feathery scooting clouds merged The world which had been all sapphire emerald ein- ein erald and crystal went gray Stinging white foam flew back backi in drenching spray Smoke rolled and twisted like a constrictor boa in the throes of acute Indigestion The boat climbed a huge roller lunged sickeningly in the trough staggered and shuddered when a afresh afresh afresh fresh wave struck It The sea snarled and hissed under a shower of hot stones Spray blurred Janice's Janice's Janice's Jan Jan- ices ice's eyes as as- she strained them In an nn effort to see sec what lay ahead Another mighty smash and shock of at water greater than its predecessor sor lifted the boat like a toy and flung it on the shore For a dazed instant she sat with eyes tightly shut She Sho had bad thought that last plunge would end every every- thing Paxton touched her shoulder Were Vere safe Jan Dont Don't dont don't go to pieces now that the danger is over Go to pieces She blinked bUnked forced a smile I was merely orienting orienting ori ori- enting eating myself that's alL The launch was stranded on a n pebbly pebbly pebbly peb peb- bly beach The native pilots were huddled in the bow Paxton livid tense was standing over them With Witha a final word he came back to her ber Well have to camp here until the yacht picks us up The men say there is a hunters hunter's shack somewhere somewhere some some- where on this shore They are dumb with willi fright right That was all aU I could screw out of them Wed We'd better find It before another wave catches us TO BE EIE CONTINUED |
