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THE OAKVILLE-TRAFALGAR JOURNAL Thursday, February 26th, 18 BY ETHEL WILLIS HEWITT Back To Port The story thus far: Blsa Swan, on her way to Cris Valentine in Paris, meets Joe Sterling, a pro- fessional transatlantic gambler and a friend of Cris. From Ster- ling she learns that Cris does not: intend to marry her, as she had thought. She is jobless and pen- niless, and is even now spending Cris' money. She has met Nick Hudson, young Texan on his way to Paris to study art, and they have fallen in love, But Elsa is afraid that Nicks affection for her is a passing thing. CHAPTER VII Nick whistled softly as ne got into his clothes. He wondered if it were too soon to call Elsa, He hadn't slept very well. The fact that Elsa had a headache, how- ever slight, was torture to him. He had lain awake staring at the ceiling, thinking. He wanted to amount to something, do big things--for her, He recalled say- ing to his father once: "Dad, you attach too darn much importance to business and money." His father had smiled, indulg- ently, and patted him on the shoulder. "Son, business and money are only the means to an end, Wait until you love a woman and you will understand why men go at it with such fury." There was a little crinkle at the corner of his fine blue eyes. Nick had laughed--it all seem- ed much ado about nothing to him. "Well, T won't be bothered that way for some years, I'm for art, and it's a long way to money by that road." To that his father agreed, but he had added: "But don't be too sure about the other. Falling in love is like Judgment day--a man knoweth not when the hour cometh." His eyes had twinkled as he said that. Nick had looked at him long and silently. He was a man in a thousand. Fifty-five, with the strength and vigor, physical and mental, that comes of a clean life that has marked off the years by unselfish living, "Youre still very much--that Nick asked suddenly. His father had met his, clear gaze and laughed, coloring like a boy. "If T get what am, very much," ened. "I couldn't ask any more of life," he added, and for a moment he seemed to have forgotten Nick's presence. Nick felt awed, as if he were walking, for the first time, in a sacred temple. "If I thought it would be like that with me," he had said, "I wouldn't mind how soon it came, Sometimes, I'm afraid that--" He stopped, confused. His father had nodded as he filled his. pipe, "T° know, Afraid that you might expect too much." His gaze held Nick's for a moment with deep trust coming through in his eyes. "You're a Hudson. They've, al- ways been able to give abundant- ly, and to receive--shall we say, gracefully?" he asked with a lit- tle show of pride, Nick knew that he had spoken out of the fullness of a life that counted no sacrifice: too great to grace the altar of love. From that time the bond be- tween the two strengthened until the day Nick informed his father of his intention of going in for art seriously. They, talked it over quite frankly, as man to man, "You must 'have guessed that I had other plans for you," his father had paused, tapping the end of his fingers with the pencil, smiling. "But that was foolish of course. So--you are set on this--this art, What is it you want, & year or two abroad?" He was again the indulgent father. Nick almost gave up the idea. If he had put up a fight, or even an objection, it would have been easier; but just sitting there try- ing to keep the disappointment from coming through in his pa- tient eyes, nearly broke Nick's heart, They had hurt each other cruelly, as age and youth must you mean--T His eyes soft- always do. Nick had laughed nervously. "Perhaps if I. were in love, Wway--about mother, aren't you?" wanted everything money could SAVE TH ROCK wooL "For Comfort's S S. W. Savage Sh Phone 1014 With Fuel-Oil prices on the upward trend, the mat- ter of conserving heat is doubly important. This can be done by insulating with ---- "FLEECE LINE" Paper Packed Batts OAKVILLE AT HEAT INSULATION ake . . . Insulate" eet Metal Works Cross Ave. at Dundas St. buy for--for her, it'd be differ- ent." He had flushed and turned his eyes away. His father looked at him, a slow smile curving his pleasant mouth. " "Yes Yes it would be differ- ent--very different, Art wouldn't furnish a woman with much for some years," he added in a mat- ter of fact tone, "However, we'll see what comes of it, eh?" He had rather strain- ed at lightness there, and on that note it was settled. While Nick had lain awake, he came to understand his father. Loving Blsa had made him un- derstand a. lot of things he never guessed before. For instance, he had never thought he could feel so completely responsible for a woman --her comfort, her happi- feet. "When you love a woman you'll understand that money is only the means to an end," he heard his father say again. He was glad he had such a father, Some day they'd go back, make it up to him; maybe some dayesoonf if-- Of a sudden, on the thought, Nick went cold, then hot, 'and ended by diving out 'of Bed and into his shower. An hour later he called softly at Elsa's door. There was no an- swer. He rattled the knob and knocked, Still no answer. Funny she hadn't waited for him; she might have known that after last night--not seeing her--he'd come for her. He found her with Sterling, on the forward deck, She was radi- ant in something pale green that caught in the wind and clung to her slim, round body. They were getting spray with every . blow and the roll made walking diffi- cult. "Youve no business out here." Nick caught her arm roughly. That she should be there with Sterling when she had refused to see him last night infuriated him. "You're wet," he added angrily, his eyes on her flushed face, "Well, I'm neither sugar nor salt." She laughed. Looking at Sterling she asked pertly, "Does- n't he take excellent care of me?" "Can you blame him," Sterling returned: amiably. Nick flushed and Sterling look- ed at his watch, "Sorry," he said pleasantly, "I've an appointment. Youll ex. cuse me?" He held out his hand to Elsa, "Dll join you at 4 for the races," he added and, smiling he left them. Nick caught Elsa roughly by the shoulders. "Well, what's up now," he de- manded angrily. She looked up at him, "What's up," she repeated. » "That's what I said." "Why, nothing that I know of" she returned quietly. "What do you mean by refus- ing to see me and making dates with Sterling 2" Elsa laughed. "That--oh that's easy. You see I wanted to talk over some- thing with him," Nick ran his hands down her arms to her hands and held them in an iron grip. She was soaked with spray, He didn't seem to notice. "Nick, let's go some place where we can talk. There's some- thing T must tell you." "This is as good 'a place as -- ELECTRIC: WELDING No Job TOO Large-- No Job Too Small We repair anything anywhere --any time J. P. KOLLEE Palermo Ph. Bronte 25121 used. PRESCRIPTIONS When your doctor prescribes a certain medicine for you or your family--let us fill it exactly to his le prescription. attendance and only the best drugs obtainable. are Qualified pharmacists are always in wacom DRUGS -- TOILETRIES -- SUNDRIES Colborne St. E. The Oakville Drug Co.; Limited (Len. Hope, Mgr.} Phone 94 ness--everything, Why, he want. | _ ed money, lots of it, to lay at her | 'that was dying. any," he said hoarsely, "But I'm wet." "You didn't mind the spray with Sterling," he said doggedly. She leaned back against the rail. "Very well. What I wanted to say is that I've been thinking, Considering everything for and against--" She looked up, an impentrable look on her face. "Nick--I can't marry you when we land--or ever. Her words fell like a sword between them, "Why?" he asked flatly, his mouth drawn into a hard, straight line, "Does it matter?" "Not overmuch," he said bit- terly, "but somehow I have mor- bid curiosity about it.' "I've been thinking--" "You said that before," he cut "Do you need to be so disagree- able about it?" she asked hotly, her mouth 'a bit unsteady. "Is there any reason why I shouldn't 7" His hands around hers were like steel. Everything about him was tempered by the brittle note in his voice. "Well--if truth--" He stared at her with disdain- ful eyes, "Truth," hissed through closed teeth. "Never mind, go on," he added impatiently, "I want Cris and all he can give me. Variety, luxury, a good time, high and wide. Married!" She. laughed and flung her head back. "I was mad to think of it --why I wouldn't be tied to any. man, I-- > Nick's hands shut down on hers with a sickening grip. "Stop," he said savagely. "Don't sink your soul any deeper in hell on my account." He look- ed down 'into her face, his jaws set, the veins in his temples show- ing blue, "Do you know, what you've done to me?" he asked in a low, tense whisper. Elsa didn't answer. "Well, Dll tell you. Tve looked at you and registered every emo. tion from heaven to hell. I was. young and--and clean; now I'm neither, You've torn loose some. thing in me, something a civilized man doesn't know he possesses." Elsa drew back, alarm in her wide, gray eyes, "You see what it is--it fright ens you." He laughed bitterly. She was silent. you want the he "I could hold you until you -- Well, never mind that," he said impatiently. "When your eyes were pleading for all we've prom- ised each other I could look into them and kill you with my bare hands. That's what you've done to me." Elsa was ghastly white, He dropped her hands and stepped back. They faced each other again, like two splendid animals on the edge of the jungle, this time their muscles flexed to destroy. With an unsteady hand he pushed back the damp hair from his forehead and moistened his lips. He said hoarsely: "And to think I learned about love from you" His words ended in a sharp primitive cry, Elsa's face waas expressionless. Her hands clasped tightly before her, she let him go without a word. Later, at the bar, Nick drank, more in three minutes than he had taken on the whole trip. He drank to revive something in him Or to kill out- right something that was strug- gling to.live; he didn't know which. He looked around the bar, there were pretty women there. Funny, he hadn't noticed them before, One, especially attractive, was looking his' way, They cross- ed glances, looking away and back again. She was not the most beautiful woman on board, but she had something. Her hair was chestnut and smooth, and her hazel eyes had little points of light in them in spite of their coolness. With the slow, even grace of a young pather, she moved toward him, circling one after another of the gay little groups that separ- ated them, Nick took the rest of his drink in one swallow and wait- ed.' He wondered, hazily, how this sort of thing was done, He felt a little rush of" excite- ment as he divined her intention. Then she was standing before him. Hands outstretched, face lifted, 'warm lips parted in a MARK-UP SAID ONE THING-- PROFIT ANOTHER Everyone interested in retail business (should take, care in us- words "mark-up". and Canadian ing the "profit," Grocer. points out "Any dictionary will tell you that profit means gain," says an editorial in the grocery business paper, "And gain is what is left after the goods are paid for and the cost of selling them taken care of. Referring to a recent statement in a daily paper about a meat dealer making 13 per cent "pro- fit," Grocer observes that what was really meant was Canadian mark-up. "The merchant certainly didn't mean he was obtaining a gain of 13 per cent after covering shrinkage and paying all the many items of overhead before the meat passes over his counter to his customers. Retailers, in discussing such matters, should omit the word profit unless they are clearly talking about net pro- fit. smile showing teeth, small and white like pearls. "Why, Nicky, to think of meet- ing you here!" she said sweetly. Nick felt the blood rush up in a' sickening flush, He wondered what he would say. (Copyright, Chicago Daily News) ANNUAL SAVING EVENT! Sheth oy SPECIAL HALF-PRICE ® Now=save on this nigh cream for flaky-dry skin, Helps make skin supple and soft... wonderful for rougl nd tiny lines due to $2.50 size $4.50 sizo $1.25 $2.50 ORDER YOURS NOW! LIMITED Ty, CLARK'S DRUGS Opp. Halton Inn (Continued Next Week) @ SPORTS ® Young men, 17% and up, health are needed. while supporting Canada Reserve Army. 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