Newspaper Page Text
SYNOPSIS
THE STORY SO FAR: Janice Trent
s away from wedding Ned Paxton,
, )c h but a gay blade. By a device, she
becomes secretary at a wilderness camp
ln Alaska. But Bruce Harcourt, newly
appointed chief, who has known her since
rlrlhood was not aware of It till later.
Mrs. Hale, wife of the deposed chief
engineer, Is also attracted to Harcourt.
Her husband treats her badly. Hale
suffers a stroke or feigns one. The de
parture of the Hales from Alaska is
postponed. Hale Is believed to have an
affair with Tatima, an Indian girl. Her
sweetheart, Kadyama, resents It. Hale
calls Janice In the absence of Millicent
Hale to take some dictation, a codicil to
his will. Millicent suggests going with
Bruce and his assistant, Tubby Grant,
on an airplane visit to the city. Janice
Is invited also. At the last minute, Milll
cer.t can’t go. Janice enjoys the trip and
the bustling Alaskan city. When unex
pectedly she encounters Paxton, she tells
him she Is married to Harcourt. The
latter overhears It and Insists on a mar
riage that day. Janice becomes Mrs. Har
court.
Now continue with the story.
CHAPTER IX
The smile Janice loved flashed in
Bruce’s eyes, his hands tightened on
hers. “That makes it unanimous.’’
He raised her hands, dropped them
quickly, said lightly:
“What will you do with your half
hour? What do you want most?
Beauty parlor?”
"No, much as I longed to come to
the wilderness I wouldn’t have dared
had I not been born with a perma
nent wave. I 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 Janice’s 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 “Oh!”
before the window of a Japanese
shop in which was seductively
draped a sumptuous mandarin coat
of turquoise blue.
"Want it?” inquired Grant sympa
thetically.
“Want it! I would want a potato
sack if it had that divine coloring.”
“Get it. We have time.”
“Just like that! You don’t real
ize, Tubby, that my total principal
is fifty dollars I had left from the
family estate after buying a trous
seau. I had to plunge. One can’t
marry a Croesus and go to him
with clothes like a beggar-maid’s.”
They were back to the flying field
in time.
“Why didn’t you bring the green
house?” Harcourt teased.
He drew Grant to one side. Janice
heard the murmur of his voice,
punctuated by an occasional eager
assent from Tubby. “Sure!” “Great
idea!”
As Harcourt turned away with a
final word he caught his sleeve.
“Hold on, Bruce, I forgot some
thing.” He held his chief by a strap
on the sheepie coat.
“Of course, get it. Look for us at
five o’clock.”
She 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 in!” He fastened the straps.
“Decided that I 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
ing-field. We’ll fly over hidden res
ervoirs of oil more extensive than
any yet discovered, above gold de
posits richer than the Yukon. They
are so far from the railroads and
shipping facilities that it would cost
more to develop them than they are
worth. It’s a grizzly and Kodiak belt.
Might see a bear!” His laughing
eyes met hers. “No danger at this
time of day or I wouldn’.t take you.
“Aren’t we to wait for Tubby?”
“No. He will charter a small
plane which will take him—and
those million or two plants, direct
ly to headquarters. He has things
to do for me.”
On and on, through a thin cloud,
out again. Janice’s 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 beside her? What had
she done to her own life? Shut the
door of it in Ned Paxton’s face.
She had that satisfaction. She hadn’t
been fair to him about the army.
Even if influence had boosted him
into a captaincy, he had been dec
orated for extraordinary bravery.
The wheels lighted like a butter
fly. The plane staggered a little,
shuddered 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 land
ing.
“Love it! It’s marvelous! How
still the world seems!”
A man with several days’ growth
grinned a welcome.
“Glad to see you, Chief. We’ve
,^ n Upping you’d get around.”
“Janice, this is Johnson, the sec
tion boss here. I wanted Mrs. Har
court to see this lake. Know of a
good spot beside the stream where
can have luncheon’?’
*o easily and casually he an-
A man with several days’ growth of beard grinned a welcome.
nounced his marriage. Janice felt
her color mount as she met the
man’s astonished eyes. He pulled
himself together with obvious ef
fort.
“If you can call any place in this
God-awful country good. As though
we hadn’t trouble enough fighting
flies and mosquitoes, a couple of
hunters have been stirring up the
bears. Better take some cushions.
I’ll 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 pa
gan beauty of the spot was awe
inspiring.
Harcourt arranged the cushions on
a comparatively smooth stretch of
ground. “Sit here while I 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, bor
dered it with feathery ferns. She
spread out the tempting lunch. Gull’s
eggs stuffed with anchovy; sand
wiches 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 marsh
mallows. Coffee, hot, pungent. From
the distance came the sound of
men’s voices, the ring of steel on
steel.
But Janice was worried. Her
thoughts raced wildly.
She said finally: “I was thinking
that it was a pity I hadn’t been
dropped from the plane before I
messed your life up as I have done.”
He clasped his brown, muscular
hands about one knee. “You haven’t
messed up my life, Jan. Today
merely precipitated what had to be
done if you are to stay here. When
I’ve been away from headquarters
my mind has been half on you, half
on my work. When I saw you in
the kennel yard—it stops my heart
now to think of it —I swore to my
self that either you would go back
to Billy, or you would give me the
right to look after you here. I in
tended to fight it out with you to
night. Paxton’s appearance merely
precipitated the crisis.”
“I know now that I don’t want
Ned Paxton.”
“You think you don’t. 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. You
will have your secretarial work to
help make time fly. I shall be away
days at a time. I shan’t bother
you.”
“You wouldn’t bother me if you
stayed, Bruce.”
He stood up. He looked immense
ly tall, his face brunzely immobile.
“Thanks. I will interview the sec
tion boss, then we’ll take-off.”
“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. 1
Don’t mind what Johnson said about
bears. They are not feeding at this
time of day. You are perfectly safe
here, I can hear you if you call.
Exercise all you can, we have a
long flight ahead of us, but don’t
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 blue jay as large as a New York
State crow, which had perched on a
swaying branch across the stream,
regarded her from beady eyes in
a pert, tip-tilted head. A humming
bird flashed and stabbed into the
hearts of pink blossoms on a tall
spike. Bees hummed. Long festoons
of moss swung like flitting gray
wraiths. The shadows were turning
to amethyst dusk. She could hear
men’s voices, the crashing of
branches.
Squawking protest, the curious
bluejay took wing. The martens
vanished. She jumped to her feet,
her heart pounding. The sound of
snapping branches wasn’t coming
from the direction in which Bruce
had gone. The alders across the
shook violently. A bear!
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, PERRY, GEORGIA
Darn her imagination! Hadn’t Bruce
said that they weren’t 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 wefe alive with flies. To
the girl’s 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. Shs
tried to call. Her voice wouldn’t
come. Nightmare, that was what
it was, nightmare. What red eyes!
Terrible eyes! An 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.
“Jan! Jan!”
She tried to answer the anxious
call. Her voice cracked.
“Don’t shoot, Johnson. You might
hit her. Jan! Jan!”
“Here!” The word was a mere
whisper. Nightmare. If she couldn’t
call she could move, couldn’t she,
not stand as though she were hypno
tized. With 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 heav
ily. The shock freed her voice. Pull
ing herself up she called. She stum
bled over a hummock. Harcourt
caught her before she reached tho
ground.
“Jan! Jan! You’re not hurt?”
She rested against him as she
struggled for breath. Laughed shak
ily.
“Hurt! No. At last—l’ve—l’ve
seen a bear, Bruce.”
“For the love of Pete! What a
target!”
A rifle shot followed Johnson’s
shout of exultation. Another. Then
a crash, splashing water. A yell
of triumph.
“Eight feet long, if it’s a foot, and
four feet high at the shoulders.
I’ll bet it weighs fourteen hundred
pounds, Chief.”
Harcourt bent over the head lying
on the pebbles. “How do you ac
count for its being out at this time
of day, Johnson?”
“Hunters. See the two marks on
the shoulder? The bullets didn’t kill
the old fella and he hid in the bushes.
I bet they gave him a pain.” He
grinned at Janice. “We’ll send you
the pelt for a wedding present,
M’arm.”
“Thank you, Mr. Johnson, I should
love it.”
Johnson watched their take-off. As
the plane climbed Janice waved to
him. The wind flung her arm back
across her breast.
Could it have been only this morn
ing that she had left the Samp cabin
tingling with a desire for adventure,
she asked herself, as hours later
they came down in the field at head
quarters. Pasca, his bronze face
split by gleaming rows oJ white
teeth, charged from the hangar.
.1 “We all mighty glad you and M*es
get marry. Yes sirree.”
Harcourt swung Janice to the
ground. “Thank you, Pasca. We
are mighty glad, too. Has Mr. Grant
arrived?”
“He come two—free hour ago.
Much flowers. Much bundle. Mees
Samp seesters, they cry. They make
for beeg party. Yes sirree.”
Harcourt smiled at Janice. “I’m
afraid that we’re in for a celebra
tion.”
She looked at the grinning, ex
pectant Eskimo. A flicker of amused
comprehension in Harcourfs eyea
was reflected in hers a; she echoed
debonairly:
“Afraid! I should hope that thera
would be a celebration One—ona
doesn’t get married ever/ day.”
• • •
Harcourt thoughtfully bowed hia
black tie before the mirror in hU
room at the H house. Little he had
thought as he had shaved in front
<( the same glass this morning be
fore sun-up, that he would return to
it a married man.
He spoke to Tong watchfully wait
ing on the threshold,
“Together we ought to keep her
safe and happy, old fella.”
The dog responded with a prom
issory lick of his rough red tongue
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Gems of Thought
CO NEAR is falsehood to the
truth that a wise man would
do well not to trust himself on
the narrow, edge.—Cicero.
Dost thou love life? Then do
not squander time, for that is
the stuff life is made of.—
Franklin.
The stone that is rolling can gather
no moss;
IT/io often removelh is sure of loss.
—T usser.
Bad men will excuse their
faults, good men will leave
them.—Ben Jonson.
Study as if you were to live
forever. Live as if you were to
die tomorrow. Isidore of
Seville.
A FEW OF THE MANY LUXURY PREMIUMS!
RALEIGH SMOKERS GET J
i
' Deluxe Bridge Table orated. Platinum 5
■■ with genuino inlaid wood Shaker; Pitcher; Ico bowl. I
* ■
ymm mmm MB MB I, out I
HUj& Quality Playing Cards.
J Smart new fancy hacks I
SI ;• New American Cook «
| Book. 1024 pages full of \ |
Easy-to-follow \ J
j M instructions. \ V
moke t |
Lamp porrn- I
iiiapin
MB V' BH y, BH bHL HH trim. Shadoof linen fin- f
V; v ', 'fish parchment. I
RALEIGHS |
ffl| 133 for each Oneida Community Par I
dollar stamp. Defense Stamp Plato Silverware. 26 ■
- \ Album, shown sbove, free pieces and walnut finish |
try A pack OF RALEIGHS. They’re a grand j
; blend of 31 selected grades of choice Turk- I
ish and Domestic tobaccos—made from |
'fa the more expensive, more golden colored I
W leaves that bring top prices at the great S
iiiH jJSHy' tobacco sales. And that coupon on the I
||||| wSmer/i back of every pack is good in the U. S. A. I
||||| for y° ur choice of many luxury premiums. ■
\}p i||i 1 Switch to popular-priced Raleighs today I
Bi J and write for the premium catalog. I
TsUl ■ ' "jJk*. i BA W coupons also pseksd with KOOL Cigarettes 1
" iMttnu amir | Tumi in Red Skelton and Ozzie Nelson every f
PLAIN ON CORK TIPS 1 Tuesday night, NBC Red Network m
j . • .....J .1
| HERE'S WHAT YOU DO ? > HERE'S WHAT YOU WIN |
I It’s simple. It’s fun. Just think up vTetliC, Rieeilie, Riyilie, RIO— J) You have 133 chances to win. If |
i alastlinotothisjingle. Makosuro J) « ixuinnne arnuil \ you send in more than one entry, ■
I it rhymes with the word "today.” S $66 yOUT Raleigh COUPONS gTOWI ) your chances of winning will be I
I Write your last lino of the > . n ,.t nr twn tnriav ( much better. Don t delay. I
I Jingle on the reverse side of a S Ba lf « P ac * or t" 0 toda y > Start thmkmg nght now. ■
Raleigh package wrapper ( ora f__ __ _ »»t ■
■ facsimile thereof), sign it with ) f First prize ... $lOO.OO cash ■
your full name and address, and Vwwwvwwwv/ww . cn m „. h i
I mail it to Brown A Williamson originality and aptness of tho lino you write. QnO pnzt • • ‘ ■
I Tobacco Corp., P. O. Box 1709, Judges’decisions must bo accepted as final. Third prize. ... 25.00 Cash 5
■ Louisville, Kentucky, post- In case of tics, duplicate prizes will be c . ..,- M . I
marked not later than midnight, awarded. Winners will be notified by mail. * prize* ®T . MI.UO cas
■ February 21, 1942, Anyone may enter (except employees of 25 prize* of $5.00 . 125.00 cash J
You may enter as many last Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., their IftA . . ■
■ lines as you wish, if they aro all advertising agents, or their families). All P r,z ** •* • carton ■
written on separate Raleigh pack- entries and ideas therein become tho prop- of Raleighs . . . 150.00 I
I age wrappers (or facsimiles). erty of Brown & Williamson Tobacco “• m
Prizes will be awarded on the Corporation. 133 PRIZES $500.00 I
aw m to touj to mmm • * •
Q Most large organizations today have skilled men Q One of the chief services of advertising to you as a
whose job it is to create a public opinion favorable to consumer has been hi pointing out *he manufacturers
the organization and its product*. This is known as the and merchants who deserve your good wilLlthas done
creation of good will - cne of the most in- rf* b, uUillg you d* « or y ol their goods and their
gradients in us policies and then letting you Judge lor yourself if
Q But the peculiar thing about good will is that it . , .
only come, to those who de~rv. it. In other words, « Worth » of » our >Uppo *-
asking the pubUc for good will Is’nt enough: the busi- Q Advertising shows you exactly where you can buy,
ness must be worthy ol that good will through giving with perfect assurance that here you will find a man
good service, through selling good merchandise, through who is worthy, a product which is honest, a price
maintaining lair prices. which is right.
(v. o. (v. (i. (v. (v. ('■. (v. (i. (i. O-* o- (v* o- o- f l * c— n e* |
; ASK ME 9 A quiz with answers offering T
i another: information on various subjects r
(u(v.<v.(v,(v,(v.ru<ucv.C^(U(i,<w
CV. (v. (v. (v. cv. O- O” O-O-* O- O’* O" C'* €*- O- l
The Questions
1. What is an abcedarian?
2. What is known as the right
of angary?
3. What year saw the ratifica
tion of the woman suffrage
amendment to the Constitution?
4. What Spanish king built the
Invincible Armada?
5. Approximately how many
children took part in the disas
trous children’s crusade in 1212?
6. In what way were Abraham
and Lot of the Bible related?
• c*-* I'- t 4 * I 1 - |»« I** I** I" I— • ww
7. What is a bibliophile?
8. Who is called the father aI
English poetry?
The Answers
1. A beginner.
2. A belligerent nation’s right t*
seize property of neutrals.
3. The year 1920.
4. Philip 11.
5. Approximately 50,000.
6. Uncle and nephew.
7. A lover of books.
8. Chaucer.
