| Show wa 0 y EMILIE LORING C sel SYNOPSIS THE STORY SO FAR janlee janice trent runs rum away from wedding ned paxton paiton r rich ch but a lay gay blue blade by a device she he becomes secretary at a wilderness camp in alaska but bruce harcourt Ilar court newly appointed chief who has known her since girlhood was wai not aware of it till later at mr rs lisle hale wife of cl the deposed chief engineer enil neer li Is also attracted to harcourt Ilar court her husband ire creati a her be badly bad hale il 1 badlam lyM suffers fuffer a stroke or felt one the d departure e of tie the hidei I 1 from alaska li Is postponed hale li in believed to nave have an affair with taulma an indian girt liter her sweetheart kadoyama Kad yama resents it hale calls calli janlee janice la in the absence of millicent lisle hale to take some ione dictation a codicil to his bli wu will millicent suggests going with bruce and ids his assistant tubby grant on an airplane visit to the city janlee janice li i s I 1 invited n v i ted also at the last minute c cent en t c cant ant to janice enjoys the trip and the bustling busting I 1 alaskan an city c when unexpectedly ity the she encounters encounter s axton she tells him she I 1 Is 5 married to harcourt Ilar court the latter latte r overhears overbears over ve r hears bears tt it and insists on a marriage that day janlee janice becomes mrs airs liar ilar court now continue nath ith the story CHAPTER IX the smile janice loved flashed in braces eyes his hands tightened on 1 hers that makes it unanimous he raised her hands dropped them quickly said lightly what will you do with your halt half hour what do you want most beauty parlor no much as I 1 longed to come to the wilderness I 1 have dared had I 1 not been born bom with a permanent wave I 1 want plants dozens of plants any color any kind that the florist thinks might grow in front of the samp cabin why the samp cabin why not in front of mine the question tap danced round and round in danices Ja nices mind as she kept pace with tubby grant along the concrete walk they stood for a moment looking in at a fur sale janice watched the bargaining without a quickening of her pulses only to stop with an ecstatic ohl oh before the window of a japanese shop in which was seductively draped a sumptuous mandarin coat of turquoise blue want it inquired grant sympathetically want it I 1 would want a potato sack back if it had that divine coloring get it we have time just like that you dont realize tubby that my total principal is fifty dollars I 1 had left from the family estate after buying a trousseau I 1 had to alun plunge c one cant ad marry a croesus and go to him with clothes like a beggar maids they were back to the flying field in time why you bring the greenhouse harcourt teased ile he drew grant to one side janice heard the murmur of his voice punctuated by an occasional eager assent from tubby surel great ideal As harcourt turned away with a final word he caught his sleeve hold on bruce I 1 forgot something lie he held his chief by a stra strap P on the sheppie coat of course get it look for us at five S she lie watched in amazed unbelief as grant returned to the plant laden taxi the plane had more the look of a sinister eyed creature than before as janice approached it hop fril in I 1 he fastened the straps decided that I 1 would stop on the way back and inspect a gang which is repairing a stretch of track not far from the shore of a beautiful lake the camp has a good land ingfield ing field well fly over hidden reservoirs of oil more extensive than any yet discovered above gold deposits richer than the yukon the they or are e so far from the railroads and shipping facilities that it would cost more to develop them than they are worth its a grizzly and kodiak belt might see a bearl his laughing eyes met hers no danger at this time of day or I 1 take you arent we to wait fo for r tubby no ile he will charter a small plane which will take him dimand and those million or two plants directly to headquarters he has things to do for me on and on through a thin cloud out again danices Ja nices thoughts were a chaotic jumble of past present and future what had she done to the life of the man sitting as still as a bronze pilot her what had she done to her own life shut the door of it in ned Pax tons face she had that sa satisfaction faction she been fair to him about the army even if influence had boosted him into a captaincy he had been decorated for extraordinary bravery the wheels lighted me like a butterfly the plane staggered a little shuddered hud dered a little stopped har court cut the switch pushed up his goggles smiled like it janice released the breath she had been holding during the landing love itt its marvelously how still the world A man with several days growth of beard grinned a welcome glad to see you chief weve been hoping get around janice this is johnson the section to n boss here I 1 wanted mrs harcourt to see this lake know of a good beside the stream where we can have luncheon so easily and caSU casually 2117 he an e A man with several days growth of beard grinned a welcome bounced his marriage janice felt her color mount as she met the mans astonished eyes he pulled himself together with obvious effort if you can call any place in ili this god awful country good As though we trouble enough fighting flies and mosquitoes a couple of hunters have been stirring up the bears better take some cushions ill carry them this way very shortly they emerged into a clearing through which the brook flowed swiftly singing to itself now softly now loudly as it tumbled and rippled its way to the lake part way up the stream a fall a few feet high plunged into a sombre bush rimmed pool the pagan beauty of the spot was awe inspiring harcourt arranged the cushions on a comparatively smooth stretch of ground sit here while I 1 get a fire started in a few moments twigs and small logs crackled cheerily johnson having accumulated a pile of wood departed janice laid a white cloth the samp sisters had provided bordered it with feathery ferns she spread out the tempting lunch gulls eggs stuffed with anchovy sandwiches so wafer thin you could taste the knife as the english say little balls of minced salmon coated with tomato jelly A jar of mayonnaise to accompany them dates stuffed with orange marmalade or marshmallows coffee hot pungent from the distance came the sound of mens voices the ring of steel on steel was her thoughts raced wildly she said finally 1 I was thinking that it was a pity I 1 been dropped from the plane before I 1 messed your life up as I 1 have done he clasped his brown muscular hands about one knee you messed up my life jan today merely precipitated what had to be done if you are to stay here when ive been away from headquarters my mind has been half on you half on my work when I 1 saw you in the kennel yard it stops my heart now to think of it I 1 swore to myself that either you would go back to billy or you would give me the right to look after you here I 1 intended to fight it out with you tonight Pax tons appearance merely precipitated the crisis 1 I know now that I 1 dont want ned paxton you think you dont wait till he appears at the mouth of the inlet in his palatial yacht meanwhile get this straight except that you will take up residence in my cabin and be called mrs harcourt life for you will go on as usual yc you will have your secretarial work to help make time fly I 1 shall be neav days at a time I 1 shant bother 11 you you bother me it if you stayed bruce he stood up lie he looked immensely ly tall his face bronzell bronz ely immobile thanks I 1 will interview the section boss then well takeoff take off ill be back in fifteen minutes dont mind what johnson said about bears they are not feeding at this time of day you ate are perfectly safe here I 1 can hear you if you call exercise all you can we have a ahead of us but dont wander away from the brook janice watched till his tall lean figure was lost in the underbrush how still the forest was the fire had died down to blinking red coals and flaky gray ashes violet haze hung above it like a brooding spirit A as large as a new york state which had crow perched on a swaying branch across the stream regarded her from beady eyes in a pert tip tilted hea head d A huni humming ming bird flashed and stabbed into the hearts of pink blossoms on a tall tal spike bees hummed long festoons fes of moss swung like flitting gray wraiths the shadows were tu turning ming to amethyst dusk she could hear mens voices the crashing of branches squawking protest the curious took wing the martens vanished she jumped to her feet her heart pounding the sound of snapping branches gasn wasn t comin coming 9 from the direction in which ch bruce had gone the a iders alders across the stream shook violently A bearl darn her imaginations bruce said that they feeding at this time of day just the same her eyes dilated in terror across the brook a great kodiak crashed through a clump of alders it stopped regarded her its head swaying from side to side as though in pain two bloody marks on a shoulder were alive with flies to the excited fancy the creature looked as big as a house with an infuriated growl it splashed one great foot into the brook coming for her she kept her eyes on it as she backed cautiously away she tried to call her voice come nightmare that was what it was nightmare what red eyell eyes I 1 terrible byest eyes an earsplitting ear splitting roar that ought to bring the men they were coming she could hear their yells branches crashing the bear stopped in the middle of the brook jant danl she tried to answer the anxious call her voice cracked dont shoot johnson you might hit her danl danl herel here the word was a mere whisper nightmare if she call she could move she not stand as though she were hypnotized with au all the force of her will she dragged her fascinated stare from the red eyes coming nearer and nearer she ran in the direction of the voices stepped into a hole filled with water fell heavily the shock freed her voice pulling herself up she called she stumbled over a hummock harcourt caught caugh ther her before she reached the ground jan jant jan youre not hurt she rested against him as she struggled for breath laughed shakily hurt hartl no at last ive ive seen a bear bruce for the love of petel what a etl A rine rifle shot followed johnsons shout of exultation another then a crash splashing water A yell of triumph eight feet long if its a foot and four bev feet high at the shoulders ill bet it weighs fourteen hundred pounds chief harcourt bent over the head lying on th the e pebbles abbl ea how do you account for q its being b ing out at this time of day johnson hunters Hun firs see the two marks on the shoulder the bullets kill the old fella and he hid bid in the bushes I 1 bet afley aey gave him a pain ile he grinned at janice well send you the pelt for a wedding present marm blarr rk thank you mr johnson I 1 should love AW johnson Joh nAon watched their takeoff take off As the plane climbed janice waved to him the wind ilung flung her arm back across her lher breast could it have been only this mom morning theat that she had left the samp cabin tingling with a desire for adventure she aked herself as hours later they came down in the field at headquarters pasco pasca his bronze face split by gleaming rows of white teeth charged from the hangar we all mighty glad you and get marry yes sirree grom H harcourt ourt swung janice to the ground thank you pasca we are mighty gli alsi too has mr grant arrived ile he come two tree hc r ago Much flowers much bundle Sampse esters they cry they make for bleg beeg party yes birtee 1 I harcourt Hac court smiled at janice 1 I im m afraid that were in for a celebration r 1 she looked at the grinning expectant eskimo A flicker of amused comprehension in harcourte Har courts eyes was reflected in hers as she echoed debonairly deboni irly Af I 1 should hope that there would be a celebration one one ona get married every day w 13 harcourt Hard burt thoughtfully bowed his black tie he before the mirror in his bis room af agthe the H house little he had though thought tas as he had shaved in front of the same ame glass this morning before sunup sun up that he would return to it a n carried man he spoke to tong watchfully waiting on the ahe threshold together we ought to keep her ber safe and happy old fella the dog responded with a prom isso of his rough red tongue TO BE CONTINUED |
