Show W 4 eor alop ira S by in MAE FOSTER FOSTEER JAY copyright by W A wilde co service SYNOPSIS mary daughter of a millionaire has the he idea that her personality Is obscured inured by the fact act that she Is the child of 0 the rich david brown and determines ter mines to make her way in life unaided she has a million dollars which she insists her father invest in the wildest dream imaginable and about which she must know nothing she Is a graduate engineer As IM M brown mary secures a position as engineer with the paradise valley project a development concern she Is engaged by letter on the train on her way to her job she meets dents craig who immediately antagonizes her alighting from the train mary Is left at a way station practically penniless craig coming to her assistance Is also leti left behind he befriends her despite her ber c coldness 0 edness toward him enabling her to continue her journey arriving at the project she Is accused by john stark chief engineer of deception in concealing her sex and again meets craig who Is the promoter of the project project mary alary IS given a position she cannot make ake up her mind as to whether craig Is an honest visionary or a slicker mary makes good on her job clr winning the friendship and esteem of her fellow engineers in an accident at the risk of her life she saves a va valuable I 1 u instrument and through the incident Is drawn closer to craig cragg CHAPTER VI continued 13 let me ue ile removed the soggy boots through the chewed out holes in her socks to together eaber they looked joked upon the great blisters on the heels of her red slim feet craig whistled ever go barefoot young lady 11 no well wel if you were no horny handed banded or footed son of toll I 1 was ile he began unlacing his own boots 1 I beg of you and I 1 of you he interrupted quietly im aching to feel the squash of boff mud thron through gh my toes again and the rest of our journey Is through the bottoms here stick a foot in now hows that mary alary experimented heaven to my heels 1 they dont touch them and yet arent loose enough to atoo rub I 1 lets go then pilgrim I 1 they ran down the grassy slope to the trail that flat led through the valley the black mud came oozing up tip through denis craigs white toes man and girl looked at each other laughed and trudged on so they came to the headquarters house but marys mirth petered out suddenly at the sight of john stark in the doorway it was no longer to laugh 1 it was on to the slaughter guterl and then miracle of miracles 1 she noticed that john stark was laughing too I 1 CHAPTER VII mary steps into denis craigs shoes and other things the shock grew the more severe as mary dripped her wa way down a wide hall behind her soldierly host lie ile admitted her to a large room with a great many windows and a very little furniture but with bright flames in a fireplace the most cordial reception committee mary alary ever had faced sketchily furnished you see stark went on waving a hand at a cot and an array of dry goods boxes ive decided dictatorially to keep you over ni night 9 fit its sheer nonsense to send you forth on what would be a two hour ride in the rain with the roads as heavy as they are ali ah here comes the flunky with my first prescription it was the cooks helper from the nearby camp hearing bearing a cup of ste steaming boullion bouillon drink this while its hot and then get into dry clothes by the way chuckling 1 I made a raid on dennys wardrobe I 1 his lis things not only will fit you better lhnn th a n mine MID e but they seemed well more modish without giving her time even to gasp achink a thank you he left tier her marys alires first act was to pinch herself assured of reality slie new fiew to to the bathroom there was a tense moment as she turned the spigot above the new tub then a fervent glory glor y be the water was hot it was the one thing thin her soul and body craved hot water and plenty of it to warm her to the bonel bone submerged to her neck deck site she sipped the steaming soup luxuriously urious ly and emerged warmed and rested she discovered comb and mir monogrammed C on a shelf be side a box bos of powder spreading her hei kinking finking light hair to dry she ran into the bedroom somewhat shyly to hinves digate the clothing laid out on the cot a mans under things long legged soft sofi and warm soft woolen socks slip pers a dark blue quilted satin robe dents denis craig craigan s mary enry giggled a little as a she put them on it seemed so shockingly intimate 1 she had spread her own clothing to dry when a knock came on her door again sho she opened to john stark quite warm miss aliss mary alary feeling all right lie he asked then come down to the living room ive had our dinner sent over the the living room but im not dressed sir air stark I 1 K kindly actually kindly eyes beamed at her in amusement now ill wager you youre I 1 re more thoroughly dressed than youve been in many a day I 1 went through drawer after drawer before I 1 found wool formalities are waved to night lie ile laughed genially as he sur keyed her lucky penny denny had thattil mil lion dollar lounging garment have looked like stepchild in my old bathrobe now you make me think of my daughter nancy on christmas morning parading around camp in what she bullied from santa your family has lived with you I 1 this was a new conception of him with a family 1 I 1 usually have dragged them about with me they claim they lire like it yes with him like this sue she could imagine him tha th center of an adoring 1 N ha 11 1 w he removed the soggy boots family and just a few hours ago she had been quite sure that he even human I 1 the living room was enormous fireplaces at either end made it homelike and snug A small table was set before one of them invitingly set for three il ill input put you on this side where it Is warmest miss mary this solicitude mary looked up to thank him but the words somehow come out her chin got slig slightly atly w out of control and she turned quickly away to hide the mist in her eyes this came starks quick demand mary iary smiled up at him frank frankly ly dont pay any attention to me you see I 1 had a sudden spasm of home sickness this afternoon and a little fathering was the one thing I 1 was needing but having it descend upon me out of a clear sky Is so overwhelmingly like food to the starving ue he patted her shoulder understandingly be all right with a nights sleep become of denis that boy never would stop to eat if I 1 drag him to meals he i stepped to the door denny chow I 1 ile he Is so busy mary alary was curious for john starks slant on a baffling subject too wrapped up in hla game ever to relax of course he have much chance carrying g the load he Is 18 but bill hes too strenuous you did him a good turn when you made him hi in a barefoot boy this afternoon knocked his worries for a while who says anything about wor worries riesT craig entered the room briskly looking more than ever scrubbed and dubbed in his fresh flannel sull suit ive just knocked a serious ws eze la in the head but I 1 had to raid the cacy to do it miss aliss brown eloquently en trea tingly dramatically as lie he drew a small box from his pocket will yon wear these in remembrance of me curiously diffidently mary alary into the box laughed reached for it 11 eagerly you touch my very soul mr air craig I 1 you have guessed my hearts most fervent longing I 1 they were not orchids which met mell marys entranced gaze nor pearls they were circlets circle ts to be sure but not no of gold nor dor platinum for her fingers they were bunion plasters for my poor heels mary alary indeed ill wear and ive e i sneaking suspicion ill wear houi shoes too if I 1 can make off with will them from previous experiences exper lences IH 1111 have to coddle these heels a long iong time im grateful to serve even in so sc lowly a way it was a jolly chummy lel leisurely surely meal john stark was in a geminis cent mood by adroit questioning denis craig kept him monopolizing tho conversation mary alary noticed she listened with little thrills going doar her back to his adventures at an early hour she rolled into thi th 1 blankets on her cot outside the ralp drizzled pleasantly the clatter of dishes in the mess house still was and am ible off in the hills a coyote bowled how lei and a young fox barked in a candor above the thud of rain drops czi um trio roaring of a madcap stream something sounded like I plucky lucky little idiot heavenly to be so drowsy with all the events of the day marching past one colorful beurl this conglomeration of questions in her herid head was john stark a lion or a I 1 lamb amb was denis craig a slicker or the adorable impersonal comrade of the trail she could see the lie concern on his race face the look in his eyes as she came back to consciousness there on the mountainside ile he had called her dear without any apology brazenly openly but not flirtatiously flir why was that his line with women had he a habit of calling girla dear hang tile the questions TO BE CONTINUED |