Show K r THE TilE STORY T THUS US FAR Zone Corey had bad a date with Paul Duncan her fiance nance which she feared she could not keep as the wife of her employer Mrs Folsome wanted her to deliver some thirty Invitations invitations to a tea tea tea-in In person After Arter office hours she calls at her employers employer's home and picks up the Invitations As It Is raining she Is tempted to bU buy stamps for forthe forthe the whole lot and mall mill them She leans s against a telephone pole and cries Sod Sud Suddenly denly dewy a man appears He De listens to her story gravely Then he rips the invitations lions from their cellophane covering and te tears rs them to pieces He lie halls hails a taxi tm and tells the driver to take her where she f directs Mrs Folsome phones and asks if 1 the Invitations are delivered CHAPTER III But Pauls Paul's face was shiny too ob ob- ob- ob and his eyes eres were angry and h livious She backed into the room as he entered hoping he would take j her in his arms and make love to her a little But Paul was too pre pre- occupied There was a sheaf of yellow yellow yel yel- u low paper rolled up in his handI hand lt I can only stop a moment he said vigorously What a night Ive I've spent my time trying to wheedle that old pest into taking a plane In west But hes he's got another of his obsessions Hes He's on his way back to the Islands and some publisher t whose motives or mental processes a are certainly worth looking into has hassold hassold hast t ro sold him on the idea that his life tei would make a wonderful book Pauls Paul's expression was so dour that Zorie Zone laughed it she asked From what youve you've told me about it his life has been awfully colorful You dont don't understand Paul said Hes picked on me to help him write it You Zorie Zone gasped She had worked on enough of Pauls Paul's compositions compositions compositions compo compo- to know his literary short short- comings 2 Yes said Paul savagely Mel Me MelI I loathe the story of his life I was SD weaned on it I cut my teeth on it VII D I grew up on it Im I'm a problem child because of it Paul was pacing up and down the small room weaving his way adroitly adroit adroit- I ly among tables and chairs and brandishing the yellow scroll as if it were a sword 0 a He whirled on her Did I ever tell you the story of how he helped George Dewey win the Battle of Manila Manila Manila Ma Ma- nila Bay how Bay how he ran in under the very guns of Cavite and let the torpedoes torpedoes torpedoes tor tor- go You never mentioned that Zorie Zone P murmured 4 eu Paul stopped again facing her l with his mouth twisted into a wry gr grimace mace his hands spread-fingered spread shrugged up in a gesture of comical comical comical comi comi- cal hopelessness I I Itell tell yo you 1 darling Im I'm a des des- i Aerate man r Zones Zone's smile was made up largely of compassion Do you want me meto meto meto to take him off your hands while whileS S you work on your dissertation He can sit here and play with Toby I t while I copy a term paper No Zorie Zone Theres There's something else He has another brain wave on He thinks Im I'm wasting my life a He calls what Im I'm doing childish nonsense He wants me to give it up go back to the Islands with him im and go to work as a cut-cane cut luna on the old plantation and work up y Seriously Zorie Zone asked Ill say seriously I And I have to tobe tobe be awfully careful with him Hes He's been een dropping vague references all 11 evening to drawing a new will when i he hits Honolulu If I dont don't watch hay Iny step he might even cut me off Do you see now why Im I'm desperate desperate desperate des des- I see Zorie Zone murmured She wanted to say that in her humble I opinion his taking a job and working working working work work- ing up on a sugar plantation in Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii Ha Ha- sounded infinitely more attractive attractive attractive tive to her than his going on and becoming a professor of psychology but she wisely refrained Where is he now At McGonigle's He has a way oy Paul went on of bullying and cajoling cajoling cajol cajol- i ing you OU into doing what he wants and he uses some kind of mesmerism mesmerism mesmerism mesmer mesmer- ism too It almost always works but when it doesn't hes he's furious It ti isn't working on me tonight and hes he's fit to be tied The dissertation is finished finished or or oras t as finished as it can be with all this in the air Will you copy it tonight c darling and w will ll you take special pains with it spelling it-spelling spelling and grammar e and reasoning and what not not and and catch anything Ive I've gone wrong on u You know how my mind works better better bet bet- to ter than I do ny 1 H He held out the the scroll scroll to her an and d i iii she automatically took it iJ I Its in your hands now Zorie Zone 1 tf he said But But Paul she protested Ive already prom promised ed to copy a term paper tonight The glow went out of Pauls Paul's eyes and the drama o out t of his posture i Whose is it Jimmy But s going to flunk It Its It's 5 in the bag I II I want to help him all I can Zorie Zone said gently But you cant can't put that tripe of td his ahead of mine t Paul cried an an- r d For heavens heaven's sake Zorie Zone i i McGonigle's promised to read it as soon as ns you can get i it t done Tonight Tonight Tonight To To- u night That's how important it is isio iso io 0 o us Hell He'll be up all night reading kr term rm m papers It may be the the the-the the r lark lork in the road Youve You've got to do ft n right away Zorie Zone Very well wen Zorie Zone said It meant she would have to stay up most of the night to copy both papers He must know It t meant that because he must know she would not let Jimmy down Paul kissed her quickly and meaninglessly meaninglessly meaninglessly mean- mean on the mouth and opened the door Youre certainly a peach darling he said with the effusiveness effusive effusive- ness of a man who has got his way and is happy because you have cometo come cometo to heel With his head turned he was looking looking looking look look- ing at her whimsically You know Zorie Zone you'd be the ideal person for that job What job Working with the admiral on his memoirs I 11 she wailed Dont be silly Dont be so modest darling You virtually ghosted Fergusons Ferguson's book on econ for him and the amount of original stuff you write into these papers you copy often saves them Paul was grinning at her Sure you would he teased her Hed storm up and down dictating that garbage to you and you'd just sit there in your sweet meek way and t 4 f f c y w You dont don't understand Paul said He picked on me to help him write it take it down in shorthand then work it up glibly into chapters It would be right down your street Zorie Zone Its UIt's a way one-way street Zorie Zone answered answered answered an an- and Im I'm walking the other other other oth oth- er way thank you She finished copying Jimmys Jimmy's term paper a little before two- two thirty She made herself a pot of coffee took it into the alcove with witha a cup and saucer and sugar and glanced through Pauls Paul's dissertation It was entitled Differences in Intellectual Functioning among Normal Normal Normal Nor Nor- mal Paretic and Schizophrenic Adults She asked herself Is this nearly so important as raising this sugar that Im I'm putting into my coffee coffee coffee cof cof- fee It certainly wasn't to her Starting in on the old family plantation plantation plantation planta planta- tion as a cut-cane cut luna whatever luna whatever a cut-cane cut luna was and did sound did sound sounded ed much more exciting and worthwhile worthwhile worthwhile worth worth- while bothering your head over than intellectual differences between normal normal normal nor nor- mal paretic and schizophrenic adults At a little before four the doorbell doorbell doorbell door door- bell rang again It startled her even though she was occasionally called to the telephone or t to the door by a student or an instructor at some such scandalous hour to have something copied A pang shot through the small of her back as she got up from the typewriter She was so tired she staggered Her hands felt numb her legs ached and her neck was stiff The bell rang in long urgent peals She opened the door A thin tall old man with a furrowed red face china-blue china eyes and curly snowwhite snowwhite snowwhite snow- snow white hair stood on the doormat still jabbing with his stick at the thedoor thedoor thedoor door button He wore no hat He had an air of eagerness and impatience im- im patience and his untrimmed t Whit white Viita brows brows which grew up into peaks on his forehead gave him a whimsically whimsically whimsically cally ferocious appearance His eyes were mischievous and his jaw was large and prominent and this as any student of human nature knows is a dangerous combination Even before he spoke Zorie Zone knew that her untimely caller was Pauls Paul's crafty willful meddlesome grand grand- father Youre Zorie Zone Corey Corey hm hm he said The girl who is so clever at doing manuscripts that the entire faculty leans enns on her her hm hm It was she would learn a confirmed confirmed confirmed con con- firmed old habit that hm hm-ac- hm ac acquired qui red from years of dealing with Hawaiian Japanese Portuguese Filipino and other plantation laborers labor labor- ers who might not understand the simplest order You sa savvy hm savvy hm Im Zorie Zone Corey Zone Zorie said in ina a meek voice He quickly looked her over He J JI I was really a very distinguished looking looking looking look look- ing old man so tall and erect with his striking white hair I UI am Admiral Duncan he in introduced introduced introduced in- in himself My grandson Paul has been telling me about you I know its it's very late but this is a avery avery avery very urgent matter May I step in for just a moment moment moment-hm hm Of course Zorie Zone said helplessly He looked quickly about the room unerringly selected the most comfortable comfortable com com- chair and seated himself with his stick across his knees Paul says youre you're the cleverest girl he has ever known that youve you've worked on books of all sorts with professors that youve you've a wonderful talent for literary collaboration and that youre you're just the girl to work with me on my autobiography pm hm Zories Zorie's mouth was dry But I she began Dont be modest my dear he checked her Paul says you do dothe dothe dothe the real finishing work It will be a nice job with easy hours Admiral Duncan was saying saying saying say say- ing and Ill I'll pay you whatever you think its it's worth We Ve wont won't haggle over price price price-hm hm She realized that Paul had sold her down the river to spare himself gar un Bt 4 Ad A ID n. n JUl mir a uncanA tU dU A uA publisher is very much interested interested inter inter- ested in the book he went on heed heed- lessly He wants it as soon as I Ican Ican Ican can get it done I know well we'll get along beautifully my dear And theres there's no time to waste Well We'll catch the Samoa Samoa sailing sailing tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomor tomor- row rather this afternoon at five five and and Ive I've already wired for a stateroom for you hm Zorie Zone sat stiffly in her chair with her eyes haggard and almost blinded blinded blinded blind blind- ed by exhaustion her back aching her brain spinning while Admiral Duncans Duncan's words beat against her like surf I think we can just make the plane comfortably hm hm He was going to the phone He was talking into it He was saying I want one more seat on Flight Seven to San Francisco Francisco hm hm This is Admiral Oliver Hazard Perry Duncan Government business business- hm I demand priority What's that I see Fine Splendid Excellent He dropped the receiver into the hook He was rubbing his hands Theres plenty of space on that plane Its It's the milk plane It stops everywhere and it isn't a sleeper but it gets us to San Francisco with an hour to spare You wont won't mind sitting up We can discuss the book hm hm She understood now why hl his s twelve grandchildren were in sue such 1 dread of him Much as she wanted wante i to Jet get away from Ellery ton mud much 1 as she would d love to go go- go goto to Hawaii she did not want to go at the cost o of f ft having to work with this old tyrant tyran t on his memoirs Zorie Zone would never know how h he accomplished it But the next thin thing she knew she was in her roo room 1 packing and he was lounging in th the doorway wearing a whimsical se self self- satisfied smile and telling her what wha interesting work it would be an and what a gallant girl she was for coming coming corning com corn ing to the aid of an old man with a great story to leave to posterity posterity-a a astory story of which the world might b be robbed if it were not put down o on I paper at once my dear because h he was old he old he was six eighty six eighty and h he might not last much longer hm She wanted to laugh at that With Wit his energy which was that of a steamroller on a downhill grade h he would doubtless celebrate his on one onehundred onehundred hundred and fiftieth birthday She packed her two suitcases an ana and anda I a small hand trunk The doorbell i rang Over Admiral Dunc Duncans Duncan's ms m's voice she heard Pauls They went downstairs Paul was wa standing in the open doorway wit with his feet planted apart His eyes were went dark with anger and his mouth mout h looked thin and hard He was o obviously obviously ob ob- trying to control himself Kc He was white and he was trembling He might have been posing for a statue to be entitled The Avenger So here you are he panted You pulled another fast one didn't didn you What did you tell McGonigle Admiral Duncan managed to loo look annoyed and vague at the same sam time What are you talking about he snapped What you said to When Just before you sneaked over ove r here Oh that his grandfather saidI saidI saidI said I asked him to excuse you so yo yot you you u 11 ld t n th 1 I 1 d h t cou go tV V o e s an s wi me mehm hm But you know examinations begin begin begin be be- gin in a few days Paul said hotly You know I have a million things thing s to do before the holidays It was pitiful Zorie Zone thought without without without with with- out a twinge of pity to see hi him m struggling He was furious furious and and trying trying trying try try- ing so hard not to go too far H He wanted to say so much more but h he e was as helpless as one of the white whit e rats he used in his control ments Yes I know the admiral sai said d Its all hm genially arranged arranged hm Ill go next term when school closes Paul said grimly No I want you to go now Paul had his hands in in his coat pockets Zorie Zone knew that his fists were vere clenched He was white with fury TO BE CONTINUED COl D |