Show d v 1 1 a EMILIE CORING r Ct I 0 ce w r SYNOPSIS SYNOPSISE LE K STORY SO FAR Janice Trent way from wedding Ned Paxton nt at a gay blade By a device she Its es secretary at a wilderness camp But Bruce Harcourt newly d chief who has known her since was not aware of It till later Hale BaIe tale wife nUe of the deposed chief chiefT r T is also attracted to Harcourt treats her ber badly Hale a a stroke or feigns one The dee dels de de- de- de ls e of the Hales from Alaska Is II ed ed Hale Is believed to have an with an Indian girl Her HerI I Seart heart resents It Hale Halet t anice In the absence of Millicent l ito to take some dictation a codicil to 1 Millicent suggests going with hand and his assistant Tubby Grant airplane visit to the city JaniceI Janice 2 I Hied ted d also At the last minute Cf cant can't go Janice enjoys the trip and ej Jostling Alaskan city a 1 p continue with the story 4 IK CHAPTER VIII I II 1 U she really thousands of miles New York Janice asked hert heri her- her i t as S she passed modern build- build jia a college homes with gar- gar 4 riotous garden borders with ls S of pale yellow day lilies fit J of larkspur in every known pf of blue patches of early pink mists of She was Red feed ed at the size of the flowers and forced 3 forced to tropical luxuriance 1 constant dew and mist baths was was mentally tabulating the pies sies of flowers she had noticed ey y entered the lounge of a aset aset set et in the midst of several l of f ground It was t thronged tourists who had arrived by byM M 1 Railroad with her skin wind- wind J to a dusky pink cooled by a af f a powder she met Grant in in the thee thea e main ain room dining-room is swarm- swarm ith tourists Harcourt has or- or eats ats in a private room There Ilot lot of newspaper men about ies Les dodging being interviewed the bridge turned as Harcourt entered ape pe you dont don't mind the cramped Viers 7 ers The place is jammed The Its ts will be off after breakfast t th t 4 at time did you think it was Parted darted i ted at sun cant Sant believe it How far have of miles Kan an 1 boys in native costume nd d dl with trays Amber coffee flit it rolls crisp and delicate r tries ies crimson gigantic gigantic for for cream cries cream clotted bacon p curls a thick bear steak oozed delectably red at touch touche e potatoes baked to burst- burst r ess Janice purred conis conIs conis con- con l is Is is she tasted the fruit this is Alaska mt zit t grunted skeptically A part aWait Wait till we take you bridge- bridge ing Pg g next winter out into a coun- coun here the nights are twenty long Wong nt t chuckled Harcourt sug- sug r ow v Miss Trent the town Tub- Tub nt t let her buy any fake furs er r h. h he e asked Need any monI mon- mon I II nice th f-th thanks I brought all m my y I She lingered on the threshold I Jt it you coming with us tnt m t. t Business I will walk as the bank with you and Tubby Ill I'll Ill I'll meet you at the field in streets were thronged with its ts with automobiles luxurious Ltd d models smart town cars carsY carsy JV Y y the out-at-the-elbow flivvers only possible excuse for for exI ex- ex I was was that they kept moving lly 1 y Eskimos with square flat J fat it little noses bronzed In- In m lurid blankets squaws sell sell- f- f and beads brazen wom- wom ir chains of gold nuggets their theirs js es s sourdoughs with heavily t aces ces humor sparkling in their yes eyes officers in o. o d. d and touched Janice's shoulder I tad ad been too engrossed in the theama theama ma ama ama to hear footsteps She Shel l radiantly this is a wonder wonder- She uP The world went into a Dui Ned Paxton She must be sing jiing ing No those were his in- in blue eyes His hand tights tight- tight s She was conscious of mount- mount tiger Iger ger under his caressing smile J inhere here ere you are twisted r free here you are arel What are you so far from the Great White eyes yes L held hers I came for forr r me How did you know I was She could cheerfully bitten out her tongue for him i with the question l an i interested party who had a ur pictures in the pa paper per and ed d you radioed your where- where and I started I expected to fou but not so soon 0 interested tt party Hale Was Vas Ke e a explanation of ot the demoted gs f s sinister chuckle yesterday lehow she must get rid of her Mace oce before Bruce and Grant Gran t tC C 3 Could Could she infuriate him so soe i e would hate her leave her f you buy that radio r fA 1 r y you u have bought everything blur ur life You boast that you d your ur way out of college You we were e the youngest ft In in n your regiment Why Not Note I fee e you were a better soldier I cause cause your father was a Sen- Sen rith oodles of money I II V P t tA tf tt A t f 1 14 I it I 5 S i. i r It wo would be a awkward well because kw r be because s- s well ll I Im I'm m already mar married I 0 She stopped for lor 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 If I buy you'll admit I pay the highest market price He took a astep astep astep step nearer Like you all 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 Vho was speaking Janice listened to the voice which seemed like her own yet not her own which came from froma a long way off It would be awkward awkward awk awk- ward well ward because well because well because Im I'm already married shoulder shoulder shoulder Married His grip on her 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- I She turned at a curious sound Behind Behind Behind Be Be- hind Tubby Grant whose green eyes bulged whose boyish mouth sagged in surprise stood Bruce Harcourt I His eyes steadily compelling her eyes it seemed hours to Janice before before before be be- fore he spoke Then evenly Met an acquaintance Jan 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 sloe sh was already married to me After that your boast is an insult in insult insult in- in sult to her and to me Janice stepped between the two 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 silencing hand on her tier shoulder He ignored the blond man regarding them with skeptical amusement We Ve must be off Janice Found orders here which will take us back at once Paxton laughed indulgently Dont Don t linger on my account Jan I know 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 V Harcourt reached for him Janice Janice Janice Jan Jan- ice blocked his advance with all her strength Bruce Bruce Dont Don't make a scene here here please With a laugh and a mocking bow 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 morning- You had been happy I 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- pic- pic ture in the paper had radioed him my whereabouts whereabouts- 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 retort re re- re- re tort That would be awkward because be be- cause well cause well because I am already l married and then he said said said- That being the case there is only one thing to be done now Remember Remember Remember ber that yesterday I told you I had a aplan aplan aplan plan It wont won't interfere in the least with your onward upward business career I tried to prepare you for it last evening when I hoisted that No Trespassing sign I want you to marry me No No No 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 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 If you discover discover discover dis dis- 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 ever over ver 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 outfit do her share in 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 Well Janice swallowed hard Dont stand there like a judge about to announce a life I Ive I-I've Ive I've 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 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 self- 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 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 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 something on her finger She met Bruce Harcourt's eyes Asked breathlessly Is it over He looked at her 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 you shopping We haven't much time I must get back to head- head Quarters Resentment at the lightness of his tone at the fact that he was eager to turn her over to his 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 miles away during the ceremony who didn't sense the fact that I existed I Janice's heart was twisted by contrition Bruce Bruce Brucel Forgive me I Iwas Iwas Iwas was beastly I was dazed that was all dazed It came so suddenly Lets Let's not start out as though we were going to fight and die over this Im I'm not sorry I did it really Im I'm not Id I'd do it again this min min- ute TO BE CONTINUED |