Show adah WOR rs THE STORY THUS PAR FAR zorie corey lt 1 expected by her employers employer wife mrs folsome to lio deliver invitation I 1 to tea in person she calls at he her r employers employees pl home during a rainy evening and picks up the invitations she has a date this evening with paul duncan her flance bance but fears ears sh she will ha be late for or it utterly despondent about delivering the invitations she leans against a telephone pole and cries suddenly a man appears lie listens to her story gravely then rl rips its the invitations from rom her band tears them up and tosses them into the trash basket lie balls a taxi and instructs the driver to take her where she directs pauls paoli uncle admiral duncan calls on borle CHAPTER IV what did you say he demanded hoarsely what did you say to mcgonigle did you promise an endowment dow ment 1 I dont recall just what I 1 said his grandfather answered vaguely but its all right it means ill lose my job what of it I 1 have lieve better ideas for you on that plantation paul asked hoarsely lie he was breathing hard yes theres a fine opening for you better than the one I 1 mentioned 1 I dont want paul cried well youre going to take it hm you have just time to pack and meet us at the plane lo 10 look ok at miss corey he said smiling benevolently ne at zorie as if she were the final proof of something S hes all ready aunt hannahs voice broke in I 1 with sleepy irritability ready for what she come came down the stairs holding her pink quilted dressing gown about her short plump figure this is my aunt hannah admiral duncan zorie murmured ready tor for what aunt hannah repeated aggressively good morning aunt hannah paul said in a sardonic voice my grandfather has just decided to take zorie to hawaii aunt hannah stared what for 11 ashes agreed to help me write my memoirs admiral duncan answered she stared at him then at zorie how how long will it take she gasped atlease At cast least a year said paul its a dandy job P but to become of me aunt hannah wailed 1 I cant afford to run this house without the the assistance that zorie gives me C rent a smaller house said the admiral coldly i why should I 1 she cried her nose had become pink as it always did when she was angry zorie is perfectly happy here ashes quite satisfied I 1 I 1 wont let her go ive always sheltered her ashes never traveled ashes too too young too innocent ashes how old is she the admiral curtly interrupted ashes twenty four paul answered s cred she can legally do as she pleases the admiral said firmly she is coming with us to the islands hm she cannot gol go aunt hannah cried she has obligation sl she has a very responsible position with the bead head she resigned it the admiral curtly cut her off you have no right coming in here and interfering in our lives lP you are admiral duncan said testily a meddlesome woman with nothing to say about it listen to borle marveled not one ol of them L considering me or what I 1 want pushing me around as if I 1 were abuck in a hockey game aunt hannah at this moment uttered a small scream she was staring past the admiral at the stairs the admiral turned and glanced at the stairs paul was looking at the stairs zorie turned and looked A man was slowly coming down in his left hand was one of dorles suitcases the other was hugged under his right elbow philp with his right hand he was balancing on an his shoulder her small trunk zorie swayed she thought for a moment she would faint the man descending the stairs was the big bronzed blue eyed young man mafi to whom she had talked in the rain ile he was smiling mysteriously at her with kith one eyebrow up he looked sinister put that luggage dowal dohnt aunt hannah ordered put it in the car the admiral said tn in the same calm but authoritative voice he might have used on the historic liitt oric occasion many years previously sly when he had issued his historic order when you have the ringe range lieutenant horton you may let those torpedoes go the mysterious young man walked leisurely past aunt hannah and out of the door coriel Zo riel aunt hannah bleated bleared blea ted who zorie asked huskily is that wed better be moving admiral duncan said cheerily we miss that plane hm who zorie rep repeated dated is that thin lipped paul answered lets just call him an evil force in motion that is my brother steve Zo coriel riel aunt hannah wh whimpered im you cant desert me like like zorie wondered at that moment if the three kisses she had bestowed on the brow of the cast iron buddha had anything to do with all this when the two stewards had placed her two suitcases and her small trunk in the middle of the stateroom zorie corey tipped each a dollar and wondered if it was enough from their smiles and their thanks she assumed that it was never having traveled she was ignorant about such things she closed the door she took a deep breath and looked about the room which was to be hers alone for four days and five nights it was a cozy room done in ivory and pa pale ae green there were twin beds each against a wall there was a dress ing table with triple mirrors she wondered what mrs folsome was thinking about the telegram she had sent her from salt lake city she had been tempted to send one saying so sorry going to hawaii ila your invitations in corner trash basket the one she had sent said dreadfully sorry in haste of departure lost your tea invitations please duplicate and send me bill and she had sent a telegram to jimmy Hoff Holl brower saying your term paper finished in drawer my typewriter table hope you pass all courses with flying colors her thoughts drifted to the big bronzed young man she had met in the rain although she now knew who he was he remained in mysterious Ys te ter rious lous his full name was stephen c 1110 I 1 she said coolly what are you doing hire here decatur duncan and he was paul had told her in the plane in disgrace steve had been living in germ germany any his political sympathies were very pro nazi lie he had a rascally reputation steve was being taken back to uluwehi by his grandfather who paul said was disgusted with him steve is in the doghouse paul had explained and the less said the better she slipped into sodden sleep A series of bannings hangings hang bang ings aroused her three men were in the stateroom and they were depositing luggage on the floor beside hers it was beautiful luggage of all shapes and sizes but all of a pattern a soft faun falin color with bright red and blue bands about it and all stamped in gold fold with the initials AL zorie sat up and gazed at it there were at least ten pieces of this handsome luggage then a girl came into the room a girl of about zories age and size and she was slim dark and beautiful she had brown eyes and a dusky lovely skin she looked as if she might be spanish or french she hardly glanced at zorie borle she said coolly what are you doing in in here she had the kind of accent that you associate with sophisticated people who have lived a great deal abroad not english or french or german or italian or russian but a smooth blending of them all 1 I 1 I 1 thought this was my room zorie answered meekly the girl glanced at zorie again then stared her eyes seemed to grow huge her lovely color faded who a are you she gasped my name is zorie corey where are you from confused by her sharpness zorie ald her the girl stared at her a few see sec ads longer then her color improved she laughed and said well see about this 1 paid for exclusive occupancy of this room and I 1 intend to lieve it she was once again sharp and vigorous and sure she was the kind of girl zorie thought enviously whom people dont push around the girl sat down on the unoccupied bed and snatched up the telephone she asked sharply for the purser urse r when she got him she sa said id vigorously this is amber lanning stateroom theres someone else in here I 1 paid for exclusive occupancy of this cabin and I 1 insist on having it 1 I was supposed to have exclusive occupancy too zorie zone said meekly amber lanning glanced at her with raised eyebrows she said vigorously orous ly the person chos in here says she also paid for exclusive occupancy what well do so something me about it I 1 cant travel with another person I 1 refuse what F for or some time miss lanning listened with a bored expression to the explanation from the pursers department part ment she hung up the phone with violence jumped up and said with gestures it even a he says packed he says the government demands so many cabins every voyage for defense workers and navy wives and such and that were lucky to have accommodations at all ile he says hell try to do something about it well hed better she tipped the three waiting stewards she glanced at zorie zones s worn old suitcases and her battered old trunk it was the size and shape of a modern field trunk or foot locker zones father had used it on camping trips and it looked it are these yours miss lanning asked Y yes said zorie zone if there had been any other place to go she would have gone but there were no other places zorie sat on her bed while the dark skinned girl briskly un unpacked packed her bags and hung things up she hung up dresses and skirts and gowns and nightgowns night gowns and lounging pajamas and coats and other things in both closets until both were full then she went about hanging things on hangers about the room until there a hook left zorie was sure she was hanging up a great many of the these se things needlessly that she would not have a chance to wear a fraction of this wardrobe on the trip the telephone rang amber fairly leaped across the room to answer it yes she cried on an ascending soprano scale who wait a minute she glanced resentfully at zorie its for you zorie tremblingly took the phone she was relieved and happy at the interruption now miss lanning could shower or dress or do whatever she wanted without the feeling that every movement she made was being watched yes zorie said meekly hullo honey it was paul he sounded in much better spirits than when she had last seen him and she hoped he had had a couple of drinks although paul disapproved of drinking make said and come and join us in the admirals suite for cocktails and dinner well dance afterward were dressing will you of course zorie said meekly its number twenty seven on B deck paul said make it snappy darling will you yes said zorie zone when she turned from the phone she saw that amber lanning had not taken advantage of her privacy at all she was wandering about the room zorie was she realized caught in another trap set by her meekness she did not have the courage to go about the relatively simple job of undressing showering and dressing because this girl with her simple egotism her unquestioning self as aurance had her buffaloed buffaloes buff zorie glanced at her wristwatch wrist watch it was almost six ten minutes must have gone by while she sat there unable to move frozen by whatever the word is for the exact opposite of confidence sureness and courage the bed on which she sat was shaking gently but this was not entirely due to the state of her nerves even as she wondered about it the stateroom tilted ever so little and she realized that while she was sleeping the samoa must have left its pier and that when miss lanning looked out of the porthole and made her ecstatic remarks the lost last of san francisco was to be seen and that they were now at sea miss took from hangers and drawers the things she m might I 1 or might not be intending to wear this evening the telephone rang again and she answered it yes uncle binl she he cried yes dear but of course dar lingl she seemed very excited she spoke rapidly in spanish then no I 1 im sure ashes just a nice sweet little american girl all right ill see you in about forty minutes zorie glanced lanced again at her watch forty ag minutes the time was now more than half an hour since paul had phoned but she could not move she was chained to tc her bed by her meekness zoric started to get off the bed then relaxed again there was very little she could do or would do until her roommate was gone so she waited and perspired and fumed burned miss aiss lanning took a long shower it took her forever to dry herself she came out olit of the bathroom all pink and glowing and sat sal down at the dressing table TO BE CONTINUED CONTINUE Dp |