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1 8 Thursday, January 22, 1948 Back To Port BY ETHEL WILLIS HEWITT The story thus far: life all was right with the world The stately Altivania, transat-| put only for today; tomorrow-- Jantic liner, has leit New York|Oh, if she were on her way any- for France, carrying on its pas- senger list three names. One is Joe Sterling, professional gamb- ler. Another is Nick Hudson, a young Texan on his way to Paris. The third js Blsa Swan. She is an ex-vaudeville star, out of work, Months ago she attracted Chris Valentine, wealthy sports- man, who said he'd always be waiting if she decided to come to him. Penniless, near starvation, she decided to accept his offer, although by marrying him she thinks she is being false to her jdeals of love. Sterling is Cris's friend. Chapter IX Dancing with Joe Sterling, Elsa caught sight of a man standiing off from the crowd, A young man, broad shouldered, his hair almost Dbutter-colored in the mor- ning sun, his boyish face fresh and eager, with a clean, scoured look, For a moment blue eyes dipped into gray, then she lost him in the crowd. Later she asked Sterung in a casual tone who he was. "The blond chap who wears his beret like a Breton fisher- man?" he asked pleasantly. "He is at my table. Hudson is his name--from Texas, I believe. Like to meet him?" he asked as an afterthought. "I'll need an as- sistant, you see, to help entertain you. I'm combining business and pleasure on this trip, and if you have no friends on board--" "No; no one that I know Elsa answered. "Then welll annex young Hud- son--if youll excuse me." He left her for a moment, Elsa felt a queer little glow warm her heart. So many smart people, and to be one of them when only two weeks ago she haa been at her wit's end! A steward brought her a deck chair, arranged it a short distance from the dancers. She sank into it, relaxing, her slim hands palms up in her lap. Presently Sterling returned with the young southerner. Miss Swan, let me present Nicholas Hudson of Texas," he turned pleasantly to Hudson. "Miss Swan is a friend of a friend of mine, and I'm pledged to keep her amused,' he added with a little laugh. Elsa looked up. Something in Nick's gaze affected her queerly. If only Sterling hadn't said that. Nick continued to look at her. That'll be easy, he said, addres- sing Sterling, Sterling consulted his watch. "I've a luncheon engagement and Tm no end sorry, but busi- ness is business, and T'll have to brush up a bit. See you two later -- say 4.30 for the races, then we can dine together." He bewed low over Elsa's hand. That'll be nice," she said gaily. Nick met her gaze. "They're going in for the last dance, shall we?" "Do you dance well?" Elsa asked. She felt reckless and ter- ribly alive, looking into Nick's steady eyes. Suddenly they nar- rowed; little points of light flic- kered between them and settled in Hlsa's grey ones. "Not too well," he swung back, Out on the floor they danced in silence. The music was perfect. His arms were strong, and har- der than she imagined. She glan- ced up and smiled. with a close, deliberate fury that of," ped and he looked down at her, still holding her close. "All right?" he asked. intoxicated her. The music stop- Elsa flushed, her eyes meeting his for an instant. A queer ques- tion, meaning nothing--or maybe everything. "Yes," she answered softly. Nick's mouth widened in a boy-| | they | ish smile, For a moment stood looking at each other, shar- ing something that youth gives to youth and all the world env- jes, then with a gay little laugh they covered it nicely, "What about luncheon deck?" Nick asked soberly. Without waiting for her ans- wer he called a steward. On the boat deck, looking at him across a perfect luncheon, it seemed that she had known him always. He was so clean and fresh. "All right?" she kept hearing: him ask, and herself answering "Yes." Yes, for the first time in her on He danced | where but to Chris! The thought frightened her. She tried to push it back. Nick was looking at her. you like and "Think of meeting this--" He stopped short gazed out across the water. "Visiting friends or relatives on the other side?" he asked sud- denly, Elsa lowered her eyes and gave unnecessary attention to her sal- ad, She dared not meet that eager light in his young face; it filled her with terror. She had known him scarcely more than an hour, yet she knew some day she would be called to account before him. "In Paris -- I'm visiting a fiend" It was scarcely more than a whisper. Nick's eyes brightened. "Paris--of all the luck! We'll see lots of each other, I'm study- ing art there." Bisa gasped. A queer dizziness blurred everything and she lost track of what he was saying. Finally, when she was conscious of his voice again, he was in the midst of a sentence, "I guess it's selfish--of course it is; you see, dad had his heart set on taking me into the busi- ness. He was quite broken up when he found I was all for sev- eral" years abroad. He's a sport." His clean young eyes softened. "I want to do something in art _ something big." He looked at her thoughtfully. "Know what? Tm going to make a hundred sketches of you," he ended, unveiled admiration in his eyes. Tlsa registered alarm. "Oh, I mean, from memory. I think I'll--" He paused and cut into his generous portion of steak, "pl never forget how you looked when you told me every- thing was all right" His gaze sought hers. Hisa's lips trembled, She was seized with a faint sickness that left her weak and giddy. She wondered, vaguely, if she were going to be seasick, but no--it wasn't that. It was this terrible thing that had happened to her and to this nice boy with all his young dreams. With an unsteady hand she pushed back her salad. Nick looked at her anxiously. "Arent you feeling well?" he asked. Bisa recognized something so sweet and new in his voice, something she was sure was born of the moment, "Not seasick?" Nick looked really alarmed. Fisa knew what he was think- ing. If she were, there would be days lost out of the crossing for them. She slipped out of her chair] seeing him in a little blur. His nice eyes anxious, his beret on the side of his head, forward, like & Breton fisherman's. "No, I think I'm going to be a good sailor, it's just that--" He was at her side in an instant. "Youre tired. Well go in, of course," he said gently. «Oh, not you! TIl be quite all How CAN Hiccups BE STOPPED 2 BY INHALING AMYL NITRHE: ONE. oF THE WORLD'S HIGHEST MOUNTAINS: -H RISES 144 [13 18,000 FEET oF iL Mou -- ed Jy PILOT'S HEAD OUT OF 'THE PROPELLER: O00 FELT HOUTA Bo ABOVE SEA LEVEL , Buf ape! E SEAS a right after a little. At 4.30 we'll see the races." He walked beside her down the deck and through the corri- dor. Surely at the lift he would leave her, she thought, but. no. Only at her cabin door he stood' aside. "As long as I'm right across, mind if I stop for you at 4.307" He held her hand a trifle longer than necessary. Fisa flushed. "Of course not, I'll be ready," she said in a very small voice, Would he never go? "Your first crossing, isn't it?" he asked. Elsa nodded. "Mine, too, It's great we're taking it together, It's -- well symbolic, don't you think?" He looked at her solemnly. He was so sweetly serious, so young. Elsa wished he would go quickly--before-- As if he divined her thought he pressed her hand close for a moment. "Until 4.30, then," he said re- luctantly. Inside her cabin, Elsa stood very still. She heard his door close with a bang. So--he hadn't gone back to his luncheon, She felt suddenly very sorry for him -- for herself and for Cris, What could she ever be to him now? What could she ever be to this boy? She threw herself down on the bed and buried her face in her arms, All these years she had saved herself for the moment when some man like Nick would look into her eyes and say: - "Think of finding . you like this!" Oh, the pity of it. What could she have been' thinking of to have cabled Cris. She tried to reason that there was no other way: What if Nick and Sterling should become friends and Sterling should drop a hint about Cris and--about her? That she was selling herself in marriage to 2 man she didn't love? } She lay quite still, a sort of numbness keeping her from feel- ing too keenly the ache that swelled in her throat. The stew- ardess brought in a radio from Cris. He was having his house at Deauville fixed up for her. Just the two of them would be: there for the first week--then he had arranged a house party. She gazed at the message with wide eyes, like one would stare, fasc- inated, at the whirlpool that would presently suck him down. After what seemed to her an eternity, she got up and bathed her head in cologne, Out of all the future, only this one week belonged to her, She dressed like one in a dream, slipping into her exquisite pink sport dress and pulling a little felt beret to match down over her shining hair. 'Whatever. she thought of her- self as she stared absently at her reflection in the mirror, there was no doubt in her mind as to how near she came to per- aaa mah SPECIALIZING IN J) POISONOUS SNAKES fection when looking at her at 4.30. said softly, she found Nick "Oh, but you're beautiful!" he almost reverently. After a confused moment they went laughing up to the minia- ture races . . . . The day was dulling; twilight closed in as frail as spun lace. Flushed and breathless, Elsa and Nick tramped the deck, finally sinking into tHe comfort of deep deck chairs, content, laughing into each other's eyes. "Tell me about you," he said, gazing into her eyes with a rush of tenderness that was a bit breath-taking. It had been a marvelous day. They had shared everything to the last drop. Together they had been caught up into a world of rapture where everything and everybody formed a hazy back- ground for themselves. She wan- ted to hold the memory of it always. In the uncertain future it would be like a tiny voice singing its song against an im- mense loneliness. "Never mind! He laid his hand, strong and deeply tanned, over hers. "I'd rather Believe nothing of importance ever hap- { pened to you before we met. I feel that way." He lay back in his chair and looked at her through half-closed lids; A strange consciousness of possession flowed between them, warming them. Only in the midst of the wonder of it, the thought of Cris fell like a chill hand. across Hilsa's heart. of] Copyright, The Chicago Dailiag News. = Next week: The very thought of Cris is unbearable to Elsa now; but after Sterling makes a in the next she discovers: Cris cannot be dis- missed from her mind. Fresh Meats A FULL LINE OF Tuna Fish Streetsville Butter Fresh Fish Daily Eggs OAKVILLE FISH & POULTRY -- WE DELIVER -- PHONE 30 REMEMBER AND -- One of the sights in South Africa is the snake pit at Port Elizabeth, second port of call on the Gatti- Hallicrafters expedition to the "Mountains of the Moon." Here the ant, holding a puff, adder and dis- playing its fangs while cape cobras goggles in deference to the ringhals, a snake that spits venom at the eyes from a distance of four to five feet. explorers saw Freddie, the attend wriggle about his feet, striking at his leather-clad legs. Freddie wears Valentine 6 Thomas Street I'S LEAP YEAR Are Now On Display At THE GOLDEN HOUR BOOKSHOP freeing --om Phone 668 used. PRESCRIPTIONS When your, doctor prescribes a certain medicine for you or your family--let us fill it exactly to his prescription. Qualified pharmacists are always in attendance and only the best drugs obtainable are DRUGS -- TOILETRIES -- SUNDRIES Colborne St. E. The Oakville Drug Co., Limited (Len. Hope, Mgr.) Phone 94 DOOR. TION, BOY SCOUT SATURDAY JAN 24 from 8 O'clock till Noon THIS WILL BE A TOWN-WIDE AND LINBROOK AREA COLLEC- TION AND RESIDENTS ARE AS- KED TO HAVE THEIR CONTRI- BUTION READY WHEN A BOY. SCOUT OR CUB CALLS AT YOUR FURTHER IF REQUIRED, OBTAINED BY CALLING 564-J INFORMA- MAY BE OUT, TILFORD...LVE { Gor ToiSTAY iN MY Wii I 9727 a [RN | ni ii SS 5 | ZH