Show Q Q b bE br r 1 Y l E EMILIE L LORING l SERVICE tT f CHAPTER I Fifth Fifth Avenue In that quiet hour before ore dawn aWn In to the middle of ai its O d surf surface ce like a dark isle in a glistening rIbbon of river rested a n Upper IU Black satin buckled with ants Bruce ruce Harcourt sto stopped ed short He e turned the bit of satin over ver and t E feel over w in his hand It was warm a n. n The or of it sent a curious glow through his Ws veins vens It must quite recently h have covered a slender foot Dropped Ir from rn m the now distant automobile He thrust the disturbing bit of f loot gear into his his' top coat pocket gravely regarded the glittering avenue avenue avenue ave ave- nue before he entered the Club door Twenty four hours more of ot this and he would be on his way to the wil wile Soon he would be seeing only forests glaciers fields of snow rails raUs steam shovels and the para para- paraphernalia paraphernalia of ot engineering He was not sorry to go back His colle college e classmates who had given the dinner for him tonight wouldn't believe it though What was she like Dark Fair Hard Tender Morning and his last day in hi New York He stretched his long lean body His last day in New York and nd a full one Before he left on the midnight train he had to keep In Innumerable innumerable innumerable in- in numerable business appointments confirm orders for tor materials and hire a secretary Why couldn't Tubby Tubby Tubby Tub Tub- by Grant have found one for himself on the coast Returned from rom his shower he regarded regarded regarded re re- re- re the slipper on the dresser Would the owner advertise Hed He'd take a look at the evening paper The following eight hours proved more crowded and the search for tor a secretary more futile than he had imagined The mere mention of the word Alaska set the prospects he interviewed into shivering refusal have to get one for himself himself him him- self leU on the coast he concluded as ash Jj I h 4 opened the door of his room at atthe atthe atthe the the Club He shook out the evening paper located the Lost and Found column and ran his finger down the list Here it is He read the advertisement advertisement advertisement adver adver- through twice LOST Monday evening on Fifth Filth Avenue black satin slipper with rhinestone buckle Reward If U returned at once to J. J Trent Madison Avenue J. J Trent J J. J Trent He had hid heard that combination before He turned the name over and over in his mind Click It slipped into place Janice Trent Billy Trents Trent's sister Jan He remembered red her as a leggy child of twelve when he had spent his last college vacation before the war at the Trents' Trents country place She had exasperated her brother and himself by tagging after them on fishing expeditions Darn shame that he and Billy who had meant so much to one another had drifted apart He had gone to Trents Trent's office his arrival In New NewYork NewYork NewYork at once upon York only to learn that he was out of town He stared unseeingly at the advertisement advertisement ad ad- Last night at the dinner dinner din din- ner when he had bad regretted Billys Billy's absence Silsbee the class gossip had confided Trents a little gob of ot gloom these days Cant Can't blame him His lather father played the market lost practically practically practically everything he had and passed out His sister Janice is is to be married married mar mar- ried in a week Marr Marrying mg a m who's got a way with the ladies The two are at a prenuptial out blow-out ins in hi inthis Confidentially hotel now this s very Billy heard that Paxton Paxton that's that's the bridegrooms bridegroom's name- name prospective P making whoopee in an adjacent adjacent ad ad- had been jacent city and he has gone to In in- Gosh how bow do these sheiks get away with it An hour later In answer to his hisa maid admitted him him to trim ring jug a slice the Madison Avenue house a aristocracy sandwiched of time old time new-time shops He gaves gave between tween b As he his s errand not his name be waited in th the cheer cheerless ess reception I wa leaned deje deject deject- t. t where room W ws where chairs chaIrse against t tS t shrouded Wl nV ghostly covers coverse were Tod e furniture vas was i crated he heard an and murmur u of vo voices i. i ces in a room b beyond be be- ed e- e the imperative ring of ot a teley tele- tele y yond Jhone n d the answered Harcourt Someone p ed d. d I at his bis watch impatiently look e Jl uld A J. J T Trent keep h. h him lID wal waiting t tW mg W gossiped He couldn't she VI n e voice the tinged frost help he helpIo 1 hearing unpardonable V It It was t 1 Io fiO Dont Don't Donti I shall shall not see you i have said my last come You would have bave thought You Q QU wor before Goo Good d y of that clicked on the hook receiver The e been a prospective have Co rould d' d that Harcourt wondered Code speaking sneaking bri bide de sP him the voice ice bad had given creeps H ger Ier vo there could be two J. J Of cow cour courin se City of New York th toe the a in a eats Tr e tU but bum my slipper h have ryo ti u regarded the girl on onH curiously H 13 ae Little Janice Trent threshold the e r The Same boyish cro croak g fr awn u UP voice P that he remembered b bel that the in berj have thought d WO V child would develop into an i Her glinting brown hair b beauty waved softly close to her bo boyish ish head The ardent curves of her lips showed vividly red against her pal pal- lor If this is yours flew The long tipped gold lashes the color of up Her eyes were bronze pansies slightly beaten by bythe bythe bythe the rain of recent tears he sur sur- sur- sur Incredulity amazement certainty certainty followed one another in her voice Why Vh Why you are Bruce Harcourt Harcourt Har Har- court Impulsively she extended her hands The satin slipper dropped to the floor as he caught them Then you haven't forgotten me I Remember Remember Remember Re Re- Forgotten you How could member how I tagged you and Billy and how furious you boys were when you drove of off to the Country Club I was ready to scratch out the eyes of any girl you looked at However no matter how obdurate my brother remained you always relented and said the difference Let Lether Lether Lether her come along Billy She was eager radiant Her fingers fingers fingers fin fin- gers seemed to cling to his His hold tightened Where did you find the slipper Winking and blinking in the middle middle middle mid mid- dle of Fifth Filth Avenue before dawn this fir 1 1 t tg tr r g ii eg egi i f wJ l r f AG v orF I i v Z n sr r F Fr Her fingers seemed to cling to his His hold tightened morning I have been consumed with curiosity to know how it came there A flame fiame of ot color tinged her face She freed her hands I started to get out of a roadster I had opened the door put one foot out to j jump p when when- Reckless child Go on when When I I-I I I changed my mind He had the sense as of a door closing closing closing clos clos- ing between them Its wonderful to see you I had been told that you were in Alaska Have been for years Im I'm starting starting starting start start- ing back tonight Tonight What a shame that Billy is away You will stay and ond dine with me wont won't you This house is a mess Weve We've sold it and are clearing it but we still have a cook I have a better suggestion Dine with me unless I unless I was told last night that you were about to be mar marr ried rued Perhaps you are not free I am free to do as I like The color which the surprise at his identity iden iden- identity had brought to her face faded Id love to go only let it be some quiet place where we can talk Anywhere you say You know your New York better than I I. I She had selected an hotel up town They talked of her family the loss of her mother and father of Billy of the enormous growth of the city of the changes in it it In the fashIon fashion fashion fash- fash Ion of plays of books of clothes since he was last in New York As the haired gray waiter set the coffee on the table and withdrew to toa ton a n discreet distance Harcourt suggested sug sug- We still have time for part of a show I dont don't leave until midnight I would rather sit here and talk Suits me Will you smoke She 6 J shook her head head- Elb Elbow w on the v table dimpled chin in one handshe hand she drew hieroglyphics on the cloth with a rosy nailed finger No My fiance so admires the accomplishment in n his friends that I wonder he chose a girl so prewar pre pre- war In her tastes and habits as I. I L LAnd And you have promised to mar marry so a man of whom you can speak so contemptuously It ItIn In the C r room beyond into hito the a violin sw swept pt music of Sch Polish Po Po- lash lish Dan Dance ce with a B swing and fire wh which ch set Bruce Harcourt's pulses thrumming to Its tempo She folded her hands hands he noted In surprise sur sur- prise prise lightly lightly on the table as she answered his question with another Ever met Ned Paxton IThen I. I No Then you wouldn't understand He He has attracted attracted me unbelievably while something deep within me protested protested pro pro- tested You know that you dont don't trust him Moth and candle stuff I suppose He has hurt my heart and my pride yet when he smiled and explained I would dope my intelligence intelli intelli- gence instinct gence-instinct instinct rather rather forgive forgive him and remember his good qualities He has them Old people adore him children like him him but but he doesn't gei get geton geton on with dogs Vh Why Wh am I telling you all this I wonder He answered the troubled sweetness sweetness sweetness sweet sweet- ness of her eyes her mouth so proud so unhappy more than her words Because youve you've reached the point where youve you've got to talk You used to tell me everything when we went fishing together Remember I remember what a pest I was But lets let's not talk any more about Jan Trent Im I'm fed up with her and her problems How did you happen to go to Alaska Tell me about It It sounds so bracing and crisp and clean Harcourt lighted another ciga ciga- rette I wish that it always conveyed conveyed conveyed con con- that impression Ive I've fought and died trying to get a secretary for our outfit Ill I'll bet Ive I've interviewed Interviewed interviewed Inter inter- viewed fifty fity of ot them short and tall lean and fat tat The mere name of the country sets an applicants applicant's teeth to toch ch chattering a I should think there'd be dozens of girls crazy to go Girls What would we do with a girl in our outfit We go hundreds of miles into the interior Ours is no coast cinch Im I'm after a a man Are Arc there no women there Of course wonderful women inthe Inthe in hi hithe the cities cultured chic keenly conversant conversant conversant con con- versant with world conditions others others others oth oth- ers on remote farms nuggets of gold If U rough ones but not in hi our business That Is not quite true There are three Millicent Hale wife wile of the chief engineer of the department department department de de- de- de to which Im I'm attached and the Samp sisters Samp Same What a curious name What do they do Two years ago Mary and Martha Samp appeared at our headquarters on the coast at the mouth of an inlet inlet inlet in in- let and established a Waffle Warne Shop Can they cook Cook Ill I'll say they can The Themen Themen Themen men crowd the shop every night They would do anything for those two women who look as though they might have stepped out of ot the comics comics comics com com- ics of a colored supplement Martha Martha Martha Mar Mar- tha the elder is lean and gaunt with a tight little top-knot top of ot rusty hair speaks her mind no matter how welcome or unwelcome her conclusions conclusions con con- may be Mary is round and plump with big innocent blue blueeyes blueeyes blueeyes eyes which seem to be eternally interrogating interrogating interrogating in in- life and being eternally surprised at the answer They brought an enormous black cat Blot he he does look like spilled Ink when lying on the rug The Eskimos and Indians who work for us regarded him with the amazement they might have bestowed upon an elephant dont don't quite like him And the chiefs chief's wife Millicent wile Millicent you called her She has a double interest in hi headquarters Her brother Jimmy Chester is third engineer He is devoted devoted devoted de de- voted to her She is a pretty but pathetic little woman She has has has- You needn't describe her Calling Calling Calling Call Call- ing her little woman was as enlightening enlightening en en- lightening as sticking up a danger sign on thin ice I recognize the type Your description sounds delightfully delightfully delightfully de de- homey Not at all like what I thought life in Alaska would be Life human Life human life lite in Alaska Alaska Is is no different from rom life in other places People are born die marry marry marry mar mar- ry and divorce love and hate the thelast thelast thelast last two a little harder perhaps than when nearer civilization There are areas areas areas as many people there to the hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred with Ideas and ideals as anywhere anywhere anywhere any any- where else Tell Ten me more Tell me about the country your work everything She was lice like an eager child begging begging beg beg- ging for another story It will keep my mind off my problems Her problems Paxton of course Impulsively he spoke to the little girl he had known Be a 0 sport Acknowledge that youve you've made a 0 mistake Dont Don't go goon goon goon on with this marriage J Jan n Her eyes were intent on a slim finger tracing the pattern in hi the the damask cloth Arc you suggesting that I back out at ot the eleventh hour bour Think of the stacks of ot presents I Think of ot the publicity I Forget me Tell TelI me about Alaska With the sensation as os of knuckles smartly rapped conscious of deepening deepening deepening deep deep- ening color Harcourt acknowledged edged My mistake I Alaska is a big sub sub- Begin anywhere Can you get Into the northern country at this time of year Will you go by boat or sleds dog-sleds By plane You people in the States dont don't realize that the development development development devel devel- of airways in Alaska Alaskans is one of ot the romances of ot aviation Then you are an aviator as well as an engineer Rather more engineer than aviator aviator aviator avi avi- avi- avi ator at ot present I combined the two professions overseas Tonight Crowned I go to confer with the department Im I'm due Heads of our spring back at ot camp before the break breakup What is that You see my curiosity curiosity curi curl all curiosity curiosity curi curl is Insatiable It isn't voice half hAlt she admitted In a eager half haU mysterious TO BE DE CONTINUED |