Show OVE 7 borrs r THE STORY THUS FAR borle corey Is expected by her employers wile wife mrs folsome to deliver thirty invitations to tea in person she calls at her employers pl home during a rainy evening and picks up the invitations she has a date this evening with paul paid duncan her fiance but fears she will be late for or it utterly despondent about delivering del iverin the invitations she leans against a telephone pole and cries suddenly a man appears he listens to her story gravely then rips the invitations from her hand tears them up and tosses them into the trash basket he fie halls hails a taxi and instructs the driver to take her where she directs rauls pauls uncle admiral duncan calls on borle CHAPTER rv IV what did you say he demanded hoarsely what did you say to McGon mcgonigle igIe did you promise an endowment dow ment 1 I dont recall just what I 1 saia his grandfather answered vaguely but its all right it means ill lose my job what of it I 1 have better ideas for you on that plantation paul asked hoarsely he was breathing hard yes theres a fine opening for you better than the one I 1 mentioned 1 I dont want it paul cried well youre going to take it hm you have just time to pack and meet us at the plane look at miss corey he said smiling benevolently ne at zorie as if she were the final proof of something ashes all ready aunt hannahs voice broke in with sleepy irritability ready for what she 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 for what aunt hannah repeated aggressively good morning aunt hannah Ha rinah paul said in a sardonic voice my grandfather has just decided to take zorie to hawaii aunt hannah stared what for 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 at least a year said paul its a dandy job but to become of me aunt hannah wailed 1 I cant afford to run this house without the the assistance that zorie gives me rent a smaller house said the admiral coldly 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 zories suitcases the other was hugged under his right elbow while with his right hand he was balancing an on his shoulder her small trunk the man descending the stairs was the big bronzed blue eyed young man to whom she had talked in the rain he was smiling mysteriously at her with one eyebrow up ile he looked sinister the mysterious young man walked leisurely past aunt hannah and out of the door zorie aunt hannah bleated bleared blea ted who zorie asked huskily Is is that wed better be moving admiral duncan said cheerily we miss that plane hm who zorie repeated is that thin lipped paul answered lets just call him an evil force in in motion that is my brother steve zorie aunt hannah whimpered in you cant desert me like this zorie wondered at that moment it if the three kisses she had bestowed 0 on n the brow of the cast ircle iro n buddha had anything to do with all this when the two stewards had placed her two suitcases and her small trunk in tle the middle of the stateroom zorie corey tipped tippe d 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 be hers alone for four days and five nights it w was as a cozy room done in ivory and pale green g reen 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 your invitations in corner trash basket the one she had sent said dread fully sorry in haste of departure logt bolt your tea invitations please duplicate and send me bill and she had sent a telegram to jimmy hoff brewer 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 mysterious te rious his full name was stephen decatur duncan and he was paul had told her in the plane in disgrace steve had been living in germany his political sympathies were very pro nazi he had a rascally reputation steve was being taken back to uluwehi by his grandfather who paul said was 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 3 she said coolly what are you doing here on the floor beside hers it was beautiful luggage of all shapes and sizes but all of a pattern a soft faun color with bright red and blue bands about it and all stamped in gold 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 sailing into info the room a girl of about zories zones 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 she said coolly what are you doing 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 zone answered meekly the girl glanced at zorie zone again then stared her eyes seemed to grow huge her lovely cc color ilor faded who are you she gasped my name is zorie corey I 1 where are you from confused by her sharpness zorie told her the girl stared at her a few seconds longer then her color improved she laughed and said well see about this I 1 paid for exclusive occupancy of this room and I 1 intend to have 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 t ta a unoccupied bed and snatched up the telephone she asked sharply for the purser when she got him she said purser she said vigorously this is amber Larf ning 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 something about itt I 1 cant travel with another person I 1 refuse what for 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 he says hell try to do something about it well hed better she tipped the three waiting stewards she glanced at zories zones worn old suitcases and her battered old trunk it was the size and shape of a modern field trunk or foot locker zories s father had used it on camping trips and it looked it are these yours miss lanning asked Y yes said zorie it 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 unpacked her bags and hung things up she hung up dresses and skirts and nd 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 these 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 yourself beautiful paul 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 win will you yes said zorie 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 i in n 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 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 last of san francisco was to be seen and that they were now at sea miss lanning leisurely took from hangers and drawers the things she might or might not be intending to wear this evening the telephone rang again and she answered it yes uncle win she cried yes dear but of course darling she seemed very excited she spoke rapidly in spanish then nol im sure ashes just a ni nice ice sweet little ameri american can girl all right ill see you in about forty minutes zorie glanced against again agai nat at her watch h forty minutes I 1 the t time i me was now more than half an hour since paul had phoned but she could not move she was chained to her b bed ed by her meekness zorie 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 miss lanning took a long shower it took her forever to dry herself she came out of the bathroom all pink and glowing and sat down at the dressing table TO BE CONTINUED |