Newspapers / The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, … / Feb. 5, 1942, edition 1 / Page 5
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CHAPTER X Harcourt picked up the belt and holster which he had dropped to the desk when he came in. The shoulder holster which held its twin was emptv "Pusca!" No answer to his call. The boy was doubtless helping the Samp girls in their preparations. Plump Miss Mary in a dove-gray taffeta, its balloon sleeves proclaim ing it of the vintage of '94, its rose point bertha suggesting a grand mother of parts, greeted him as he enlerttfl the Samp living-room. "WMI. now! Well, now! Janice is dressing. Mr. Bruce. Mary and I begged her to wear one of her love ly evening dresses for our party. She let us choose it from a trunk in the storehouse." She patted his sleeve. "Don't you look nice." "That goes for you too. MUs Mary. You almost knocked my eyes o"t with your pretty dress." He bent his head and kissed her rosy, wrinkled cheek. "Thank you for arranging Jan's room. When did you hear the news?" "You're the mosi heart-warming person, Mr. Bruce. I feel as though I'd been sitting in the sun after I've been with you." She smiled through tears, dabbed at her eyes. Mr. Tubby radioed the news before he left the eity. Knrh a surprise." Janice was lovelier even than he had thought her. Her pale blue gown, silvery as the edges of a cloud, suggested a fairy loom. Slip pers which matched her gown had bows of sparkiing stones which were repeated in the clasp of > bag of antique brocade. She laid a mandarin coat, heavily embroidered with mauve and purple iris, care fully over the back of a chair. He picked up the mandarin coat. "Taking this?" "Yes. I'll use it as a wrap. Isn't it gorgeous? I found it in my room here. Tubby must have bought it for a wedding present when he went back to the city. He knew that I was mad about it. I suspect that it was frightfully expensive. It is taking goods under false pretenses for me to accept it. I ought to give it back, but I love it. Can he af ford to buy a thing like this?" "Probably not every day, but wed dings do not occur every day at headquarters. Why hurt the donor by returning his gift? Let's go." An orchestra, consisting of fiddle, flute and saxophone, agonized into the Wedding March from Lohen grin, as they appeared in the door way of the Waffle Shop. Janice laughed and parried ques tions, played her part brilliantly. No one could suspect from her man ner that she was not the most gor geously happy bride in the world, Harcourt told himself with a tinge of bitterness. Her radiance van ished like sunshine blotted by a cloud as Miliicent Hale approached. "Dear Mrs. Harcourt, how sweet of you to provide an occasion for civilized clothes. I am consumed with curiosity to know how you ac complished it. I've heard Bruce de clare repeatedly that never, while he was in Alaska, would he marry. What brand of coercion did you use?" The malice of the attack rendered Harcourt speechless. Was the little woman whom he had considered pa thetically helpless like that? Was Janice as amazed as he? He glanced at her in concern. She was looking straight into the eyes watching her with cat-like intentness. "It was a method quite my own, Mrs. Hale. You couldn't possibly ?use it." Harcourt came out of his trance of surprise, laid his hand on her bare arm. She shook it off, turned to extend her hand to Ches ter. Challenged gaily: "Why the gloomy brow? Cheerio! This is a party, not a memorial service." Before he could answer Tubby Grant seized him. "Want you, Jimmy. Going to stage an old-timer. The Samp girls are stepping out in a quadrille." "Salute Partners!" Miss Martha spread her plum-color taffeta skirts with work-worn hands and curtsied to the floor, recovered, made a deep obeisance in response to a shouted, "Salute Corners." Her beautiful dignity set the key note for the dance. The others kept watchful eyes on the sisters, who sailed through the figures with the grace of an angular and a chubby ?wan. "Change Partners!" Millicent Hale was first to give out. She turned to Bruce: "I haven't danced so much nor so hard since the winter I came out. Do take me home, Bruce. Jimmy has disappeared. Joe will be furi ous if I stay longer." For the fraction of a second Har court hesitated. Why pick on him? Better tc humor her. She might make a scene. Anything was credi ble after her hateful attack on Jan ice. "Of course I didn't need an escort this short distance. Bruce, but I had to consult you about Jimmy." "Jimmy! What's the matter with Jimmy?" "That's what I want to know. To day when I entered our cabin, he was threatening Joe with a pistol." An empty shoulder holster hang ing against a log wall flashed on the screen of Harcourt's mind and was gone. "As I entered," said Millicent," Jimmy was saying: " 'Send for her again and I'll shoot you. xou ve moMd up my sister's life, that's enough. Get me?' "I couldn't believe it was Joe hud dled in his chair, livid, afraid. Joe afraid! As I looked at him I thought what a poor fool I had been all these years, not to stand up to him, not to threaten him. He is a bully and a coward, Bruce, and I've never before found it out." "If you have lost your fear of him, it is a lot gained, Millicent. For whom did Joe send, do you know?" "No. Unless ? unless Jimmy found out about Tatima. Joe has made a fool of her with flattery. Nothing worse, I'm sure, but she follows him about like ? ring." "I'll speak to Jimmy. He will have to turn over his gun to me, if "You can't lose what you never bad, Millicent." that is the use he is making of it." "Talk with him, Bruce. Poor boy, he has never forgotten his experi ences overseas. You will have more influence than anyone else." She laid her hand on his arm. "We all dump our worries on your shoulders, don't we? I shan't dare do it now that you are married. I feel as though I had lost you." Under pretense of producing his cigarette case Harcourt stepped back. "You can't lose what you never had, Millicent. Good-night!" He heard her little gasp as he turned on his heel. As he entered the Waffle Shop Miss Martha and Miss Mary, crim son faced from the exertions of the dance, with mammoth white aprons over their creaking taffetas, were serving the ice-cream which Grant had brought hundreds of miles in a plane. As he approached Janice he beard Jimmy Chester say harshly: "He'll never send for you again." Had Joe Hale sent for Janice? The suspicion tightened Harcourt's lips. The girl looked up at him. There was a hint of resentment in her voice. "Oh, you have come back. Jim my and I had decided that you didn't like the party, hadn't we, Jimmy?" It was evident that she had seen him go out with Millicent. He an swered evenly. "I'm crazy about the party. Did you think I would leave before I had danced with my bride? The mu sicians have finished their gorge and are tuning up. By the way, Chester, be ready with a track-laying gang to go up the inlet at reveille. You have all the specifications. Short notice, but you can make it. Want to push the work while this weather holds." He held out his hand. "My dance ? Mrs. Harcourt." He was conscious of Jimmy Chea ter's pale, frowning regard as they moved away in rhythmic step to the music. He watched him until he left the room. Janice looked up. "Sorry I was catty, Bruce." He held her the fraction of a de gree closer. "Were you catty? Mil licent was raw to you, Jan, but don't lay it up against her. This laat year has set her nerves on edge." "I wonder if a year here will do that to mine." "You won't have a chance to find out." "Won't I? Perhaps you will like having me here so much you'll beg me to stay." His arm tightened. "Dance well together, don't we?" There was a hint of strain in her laugh. "The fighting line again. Tubby wants me here if you don't. Yes. we are good. We might make a dancing team, if engineering fails." "That's a thought. Sorry, but it is time the festivities broke up. All cf ?" : * be ?; j=ii tomorrow. We, being the guests of honor, should make a move. That correct? I suspect Tubby of a the atrical climax. We will dance round to the door, vanish and escape." As they stole surreptitiously from the Waffle Shop, the heavens still held a trace of the glory of the sun set. Above the broken crater spread a coppery glow. Janice drew a long uneven breath. 'It is more gorgeous than I had imagined. As they turned toward the H house, she said lightly: "Ever since I arrived as Jimmy Dele van, I have been consumed by curiosity to ? to see the inside of your cabin." He answered by throwing open the door. As thev crossed the threshold a shower of confetti pelted them. It powdered their hair, lay like colored snow on their shoulders, one adven turous particle clung to Janice's eyelashes. She laughed unsteadily as she brushed it away. "The trail of the resourceful Mr. Grant. Doubtless he expected you to carry your bride over the thresh old, as big strong men do in the movies and points south." Harcourt laid his hands lightly on her shoulders. "We will postpone that ceremony. Take off your wrap. The room is hot. Pasca keeps these fires roaring." She slipped off the heavily em broidered mandarin coat. He laid it on the couch, crossed to the fire place and lighted a cigarette. Arm on the mantel, he watched her eyes travel from the Indian blankets on the log walls to the Russian samo var, saw them glow with admiration as they rested on the Chinese pewter tea-service, linger on the rich pelts on the floor. They met his. "Like it?" "Love it. How did these rare things get into this wilderness?" "Small trading vessels stop for any one of a dozen reasons. The captain or mate usually has some thing choice he will dispose of for a consideration." "I'm mad about that Chinese pew ter. We'll have tea every after noon." "Everything 1 have is yours, Jan." The huskiness of his voice sent the color to her face. That wouldn't do. He opened a door, snapped on a light, said grandiltv quently, "Behold the kitchenette!" She stepped to the threshold. "Pale green, and a gray-and-white linoleum on the floor. My word, but you are modern!" "I told you that I lost my head over the H house. After we had fin ished the chimneys, they just nat urally required bedrooms to utilize their other sides; bedrooms re quired baths; a house this size need ed a kitchen. I have never regret ted it. Planning and ordering kept Archie Harper busy and happy. He worked up to almost the last mo ment of his life, and now I have it for you." He nodded toward a light ed room. "Your things are in there. If you are not too tired I should like to talk a while, Jan." "Except for the fact that my feet are shredded to ribbons ? that wasn't a dance, it was a riot? I am not in the least tired. I will change my slippers and come back." "I'll get your sandals." He pulled the fan-back chair a bit nearer the fire. "Sit here ? " As she hesitated he added, "Please." He dropped to one knee in front of her. "Stick out your foot." He gen tly removed the high-heeled blue slipper with its sparkling bow, put on the sandal. "That better?"' She nodded. "The other." He held the slender foot in his hand after it was shod. "Jan, you understand, don't you ? Who the dickens is pounding like that? Is Tubby trying to be fun ny?" "Someone is bcat. ig with both fists. Go! Quick!" Horcourt pulled open the door. MiUicent Hale stumbled into the room. "Bruce!" Her terrified eye* widened as Janice took a step to ward her. She shut them. Sobbed. With arms outfiung she braced her self against the log wall. Brilliant* swinging from her ears, on her green frock, quivered with light. She uhuddered. Gasped for control. Hur court caught her shoulder. (TO Bt COTiTlNVLLrJ Always put knife in boiling wa ter for a few seconds before cut ting cake that has been iced. Then you will be able to cut without breaking the icing. ? ? ? Use a clean sheet of wrapping paper to roll pies and pastry on. It saves a lot of cleaning up later. ? ? ? Cover your recipe book with a piece of oilcloth. This will keep the cover from becoming sticky if touched by fingers soiled with cooking. The oilcloth can be washed easily when it is stained. White enamel can be cleaned with turpentine. Rub with a cloth moistened in the turps; thei. with a dry cloth. ? ? ? A teaspoon of flour mixed with the hot grease in which you fry eggs will keep them from popping. ? ? ? Cut off the leg of an old stocking and stretch it over the new broom down to a short distance above the ends of tne straws. This will pre vent it from wearing out so fast and at the same time make it better for sweeping. ZINNIA. 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To obtain this pattern send your order to: Sewing Circle Necdlecraft Dept. 82 Eighth Ave. New York Enclose 15 cents In coins for Pat tern No Name Address Liking One's Duty The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in lik ing what one has to do.? James w, Barrie. So You're "ALL ^ Tuckered out, and so much I N"? work waiting. You may ' M ? lack the proper ?ncii*u? wu becauae you haven't the appetite for the neces sary foods. The Vitamin B1 and Iron in VINOL help* promote appetite. Get pleaa ant-taating VINOL from your druggist Less Boasting The less people speak of their greatness the more we think of it. ?Bacon. First Grand Piano Sebastien Erard, a French In ventor, made the flrst grand piano in 1830. Swallows Per Second The average person swallows In voluntarily every GO or 75 seconds. Poor Lenders Great sperders are bad lenders. ? Benjamin Franklin. ? Per Cake. VM A- 3100 Units {Int.) Vitamin B,-150 Units (Us.) Vitamin D? 400 Units (Int.) VttomJn O? 40-50 Uiits (5b. Bcter.) Vitamins B? D and G tre not appreciably lost in the oven; they go right into the bread. MERCHANTS Your Advertising Dollar buys something more than space and circulation in the columns of this newspaper. It buys space and circulation plus the favorable consideration of our readers for this newspaper and its advertising patrons. LET US TELL YOU MORE ABOUT IT
The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, N.C.)
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Feb. 5, 1942, edition 1
5
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