| Show r y ill l 0 THE TAE STORY THUS FAR FAit Zone Corey who bates hates herself for be being Ins so meek Is IsI I railroaded Into taking a Job she docs does not want assisting Admiral Duncan write his memoirs She Is In love with Paul Dun o can the admirals admiral's grandson randson Aboard the I steamship Samoa en route to Hawaii awall sho she dances with Steve Pauls Paul's brother I Paul Is furious and warns against him claiming that Steve Is a Nazi spy 1 On returning to her stateroom after taking takI tak tak- j I ing dictation Zone discovers that berj her ber notebook Is missing While alone on j deck a brutal hand Is clamped over her herI I mouth she is scooped up and thrown overboard She avoids the propellers I and manages to catch a IS life ring which I some sailor has tossed Into the sea I CHAPTER X i The nurse told me not to disturb you for a while Id I'd like to see you as soon as possible Its It's very important important im im- im- im are arc you alone I will be said Zorie Zone She reached for her her dressing gown and said to Amber You wont won't mind going going going go go- goI I ing out for a while My l fiance wants to talk things over There was droll amusement in Ambers Amber's Ah Ab yes Your fiance Not at all my dear Zorie was sitting at the dressing table thoughtfully considering Ambers Amber's Ambers Amber's Ambers Amber's Am Am- bers ber's array of cosmetics when Paul knocked mocked She opened the door He came in and closed it She half lifted her arms expecting expecting expecting expect expect- ing that he would seize her and hug and kiss her out of sheer relief that she was alive He l looked her over quickly He nodded jerkily You were lucky he said You certainly were lucky Are you sure youre you're all right Yes Zorie Zone said Im all right She was surprised that her feeling about Paul hadn't changed Everything Everything Everything Every Every- thing else had changed but she was I still in love with Paul With a little working over Paul would be satis satis- factory Well Vell Paul said in a businesslike business business- like way Ive just had a long talk with the captain with captain with the doctor I and the chief officer sitting in This is pretty serious Zorie Zone Yes said Zorie Zone I suppose it isn't an everyday occurrence She realized she had to make a decision Her sole desire just now was to find out who had thrown her overboard It occurred to her that it might be unwise to tell Paul that she had been thrown overboard She was sure that the only people on the ship who knew were Amber her uncle and Pierre Savoyard It would be impossible to prove that one of them had thrown her overboard It would she decided be wiser to wait until she had talked with Steve I uI have it all fixed up with the captain Paul said The UThe whole episode will be forgotten nothing forgotten nothing will be said The incident will be closed Im afraid I dont don't understand Zorie Zone interrupted You see he explained a Ua thing like this is very unpleasant for the steamship company Its uIt's rather unpleasant for the victim too Zor Zone e pointed out Y d 1 d d 1 d L j ou UIA on i un J. eran I sai cuu Paul This could easily cause a great deal of trouble for us all The mainland and the Honolulu papers papers papers pa pa- pers if they picked up the truth truth- The truth Zorie Zone stopped him Paul looked somewhat grim You see Zorie Zone even while the ship was being put about to pick you up and since then the captain and the chief officer have been questioning the crew brew Several of the crew say you were drunk You were seen staggering staggering staggering stag stag- gering about the ship I uI see Zorie Zone said dreamily I uI fell overboard because I was drinking drink drink- ing Well isn't it obvious Didn't you I Will that get into the papers I Zorie Zone asked Certainly not That's what Ive I've been arranging Everything's all fixed The story had already been to Honolulu and the mainland mainland main main- land that it was a prank Someone dared you to walk the rail You did You slipped You You You- Who Vho dared me Zorie Zone asked Paul made a gesture of i tience No uNo name had to be given t No one knows One of the gers That clears you of any of the wrong kind of notoriety and it absolves absolves absolves ab ab- I solves the company of any I You see in a case like this theres there's often apt to be a lawsuit You mean the company might t sue me I No dear You might sue the company Paul Zorie Zone said youre won won- You think of everything f I UI even dropped in on the wired wireless wireless wire wire- d less man They publish the shipboard shipboard ship ship- board newspaper you know I gave them a rather amusing account of it for for the passengers' passengers benefit benefit and and to plug any nasty rumors that might be going around Now all you have to do is sign this I He held out a typed slip and his I fountain pen uncapped s What U is it 9 A uA release It absolves the company company com corn L pany an of all responsibility Zorie Zone signed it Paul waved the release to dry her signature By UBy the way he said rother roth roth- er is quite ill Steve Zorie Zone cried I Just about the time you fell overboard overboard over over- board he was taken with an attack s of acute indigestion That was wh why T th the e doctor didn't take care of you He was busy pumping out Steves Steve's stomach E How ill is he Zorie Zone gasped Oh hell he'll be all right in the morn morn- ing Does he get these attacks often No uNo but he should the should the way he drinks I dont don't want to sound like a reformer darling but you do know how I feel about liquor I hope youve you've had your lesson I hope you'll never touch the stuff again as long longas as you live There was a familiar expression in Pauls Paul's eyes It usually went with one of his lectures on the importance importance importance im im- im- im of being earnest Zone Zorie he said you are still under the influence of those drinks and Im I'm afraid you dont don't quite know what youre you're saying Im saying Zorie Zone said gently better stop being so grim grimand grimand grimand grim grim- and you'd better start stopping awfully awfully awfully aw aw- aw- aw fully soon I am not the girl you knew Paul I am a changed per per- son Im I'm not meek any more I ama am am- a woman who intends to fight for her rights Good night dear Paul said hastily as he moved to the door You need sleep Sleep as late as you can Good night But Zorie Zone began with de de- de- de termination Then she realized that she must be patient with Paul There were many people with whom she hadn't the slightest intention of being patient but Paul was not one of them She adored Paul She would see to it that he lost his grimness grimness grimness grim- grim ness and his stuffiness Then Paul would be perfect She went to bed She was almost asleep when Amber let herself in Amber opened and closed the door so carefully that it didn't make a f f 1 o. o Z 1 j 1 ter ar Y r yr S 1 x r Honolulu and Pearl Harbor he said were bombed this morning sound She undressed noiselessly She took the greatest pains not to disturb the girl who had slapped her face The telephone awoke her at a little little little lit lit- tle before nine Amber reached for forit forit forit it answered it and handed it to Zone Zorie saying Its uIt's for you darling dar- dar ling It was the admiral He hoped he hadn't waked her He hoped she was feeling well after her experience ence hm ence-hm hm Do uDo you suppose you could drop around sometime this morning he asked Steve is very anxious to tota ta talk k to you How is Steve Hell be all right Steve is pretty tough you know Was Vas it something he ate Zorie Zone asked The uThe doctor couldn't say Ill I'll tell ten him you'll be around as soon as youve you've had a bite of breakfast breakfast- hm All right said Zorie Zone She would see Steve when she got around to it She wanted to do some thinking first And there were other things she wanted to do She went to the beauty parlor She had her hair washed waved and arranged in a becoming new way The beauty operator was clev dev er She was an enthusiast She knew just what Zorie Zone wanted and she knew just how to help her Zorie Zone bought rouge and lipstick and the beauty operator helped her apply them tellingly Now the girl said when Zorie Zone paid and tipped her you are beautiful beautiful beautiful beau beau- Miss Corey You really are Zorie Zone did not have to be told but it was nice anyway The mirror told her everything But it wasn't just the new hair-do hair the rouge the lipstick It was something new in her face There had been an in indefinable indefinable indefinable in- in definable softness before before before-a a vague vague- ness Her chin line seemed clearer and bolder But the great change was in her eyes They were clear and bright and sparkling They had assurance They had arrogance She went to the admirals admiral's suite and knocked on the door not with her old timidity but with assurance She had two lovely battles on her hands beyond that door and they weren't going to be Battles of Ma Ma- 1 01 0 nila Bay they were going to be The admiral opened the door He was smiling absently He looked at her He stared His smile became tremulous It faded It returned inthe in inthe inthe the form of a delighted grin Zone Zorie he cackled Why I hardly knew you my dear And after what you went through last night You are lovely Maybe Id I'd better fall off this ship myself Where is Steve On the lanai Zorie Zone walked out into the lanai with the admiral trotting along behind behind behind be be- hind her Steve in a white toweling dressing dressing dressing dress dress- ing gown was stretched out in one of the long bamboo chairs His pallor pallor pal pal- lor for was shocking His eyes were pale He looked really ill He grinned slowly and said Hello Hel lo 10 glamour girl The admiral said Zone Zorie do you think youre you're going to feel like working working working work work- ing today Yes Zorie Zone answered I 1 feel very much like working today I uI wanted to get on with the Battle Battle Battle Bat Bat- tle of Manila Bay then I thought wed we'd go back and finish up those chapters on my first years in hi Annapolis Annap Annap- olis For a moment her resolve fal fal- Habit that Habit that detested old habit of meekness meekness made made her pliant But the wavery feeling passed Im sorry Zorie Zone said Im sorry sorry sorry sor sor- ry to let you waste all that time If It you want me to help you with your memoirs Admiral the chapters on Annapolis and everything perhaps but a short chapter on Manila Bay go overboard L L Now wart wan a minute minute minute- me lne ad admiral aa- aa miral beganI began I UI mean it she said Steve was right yesterday Youre You're the only person alive who can tell the stol of the Duncan family From the little little little lit lit- tle Ive I've heard of it its it's a fascinating story a really wonderful story If you want me to help you on a book book- that's going to be the book She heard a chuckle from the bamboo chair The admirals admiral's eyes were fiery His obstinate chin was unusually nent His right fist was clenched With it he banged on the table Nobody is going to tell me how Im I'm going to write my book he shrilled Not even you Zorie Zone No sir I write my own book my own way way way-or or there wont won't be a book Very well Zorie Zone said serenely There wont won't be a book As a matter matter matter mat mat- ter pf fact there isn't any portion of any book All of yesterdays yesterday's dictation dictation dictation dicta dicta- tion tion- tion She lifted her hands in a gesture indicative of emptiness You didn't destroy it the admiral admiral admiral ad ad- miral gasped Gone said Zorie Zone Good girl said Steve Im sorry Admiral Zorie Zone said but that's how it is Admiral Duncan glared at herAll herAll herAll her All right he snapped If you say so Zorie all Zone all right But only because I have the utmost respect for your opinion Not because I agree with you for a moment moment moment-hm hm And that Steve said languidly is the first time since grandmother died that anybody has backed down the old fire He strode out of the room A moment moment moment mo mo- ment later he came back almost running His face usually so red looked very pale He was panting when he stopped beside them Honolulu and Pearl Harbor he said breathlessly were bombed this morning Japanese planes flew fiew flewin flewin in from a carrier They've destroyed our planes at Hickam Wheeler and andI Kaneohe Were We're helpless The radio radio radio ra ra- ra- ra I dio says they're coming over Shafter again in new waves The road into Uluwehi E Kai ran along the edge of a red purple-red cliff beside tall ripe sugar-cane sugar with sil sil- ver-bronze ver plumes then it dipped rather abruptly into the palm trees which fringed the cove Zorie Zone caught a glimpse of a golden beach on which waves broke in a snowy smother and of pale green water deepening to dazzling blue offshore Through the palms she caught glimpses of a group of houses with flat fiat blue tile roofs and an immense garden against the sheer mountain wall in back The mountain side was a shivering purple flame of bougainvillea And she recalled that Uluwehi E Kai meant a profusion profusion profusion sion of growing things by the sea It was a sparkling morning golden gold gold- en and blue Schooner clouds ghosted ghost ghost- ed along an indigo horizon Zorie Zone unpacked in the charming airy guest room to which a J Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- apa- apa nese maid had taken her then wandered wandered wandered wan wan- dered out under the banyan trees and into the garden garden garden-a a fragrant junC jungle jun- jun gle C of strange exotic flowers She hoped that Steve would join her and tell her what some of the flowers were but she presently saw him and the admiral walking briskly along another garden path toward the garage They passed within a dozen feet of her but the largest ferns she had ever beheld screened them She heard their voices clearly in the jungle stillness Well Vell all right light Steves Steve's grandfather grandfather grandfather grand grand- father was saying in a sharp voice but it may be hard to arrange at atthe atthe atthe the last minute This island is under under under un un- un- un der total blackout and people arent aren't going to like driving over these Ulese narrow narrow narrow nar nar- row twisty little roads with those dim blue headlights TO BE CONTINUED 1 t a ft vs T Y t |
