THE 0AKVILLE-TRAFALGAR JOURNAL I'm not grown up, doesn't it? Back To Port BY ETHEL WILLIS HEWITT But I can make you happy -- I know it." He kissed her softly, holding her close. "I want you to marry me as soon as we land. I don't care The story thus far: Elsa Swan, peniless and jobless, has left New York for France to meet Cris Valentine. She thought Cris had offered to marry her, but on shipboard she meets Joe Sterl- ing, a friend of Cris and a pro- fessional gambler, who tells her Cris never intended marriage Nick Hudson, young Texan on his way to Paris to study art, has fallen in love with Elsa, and she returns his affection, But Nick overheard some of the con- versation about Cris--enough to suspect Elsa, but not enough to convince him that she was ignor- ant of Cris' intentions. Sterling tells Nick he has misunderstood everything, CHAPTER VIL Elsa lay back against soft, puffy pillows and gazed moodily out through the silk-hung win- dow. Cris' latest radio message lay open on her lap: "Darling, why don't you send me a line? Three more days and there will be no need for messages--such vague things. The house at Deauville is in gala attire for you and I'm getting impatient, Love. Cris." The thought of what had been in store for her sickened her. Perhaps she should have under: stood--as Sterling would say, "Cris isn't the marrying type." But the thought of how Criss had misunderstood her, how he had casually expected that she was that type of woman--it infuriat- ed Elsa to think of it. What would 'she do? Cris had sent her money; more money than she would be able to pay back in years, even if she had a job. She would pay it all 'back; he'd have to give her time. He'd have to give her passage back to New York--and then where would she be? In the same des- perate straits that had impelled her to accept his offer--his mar- riage offer, as she thought--in the first place, She sighed miserably. Some- how the problems involving Cris and the money--even a job--were * secondary now. Through her d ran insistent pictures' of _ Nick--his smouldering gaze as fie Swept her into his arms with sudden wild fury that exhausted her, left her weak and trembling, but clinging to him, loving him. The door opened suddenly and closed. Nick stood with his back against it, his ardent eyes blaz- ing. She pulled Her dressing gown around her and stood up.* "What do you want?" she de- clenched hands showing white at the knuckles. "How much do you owe this __this Cris," he asked fiercely, The blood drained from Elsa's Then, in a sudden flare: "What business is it of yours?" she de- manded angrily. Nick laughed, a hard grating sound. "Business--I intend to pay him off, every cent, and send you back on the next steamer, Tl send you part of my allow- ance until you get a break." His face softened, Her nearness tore at his resistance. "Nick!" her eyes misted. They stood silent, gazing each other. "Understand me, I'm not pro- posing anything. I don't want you, but I can't bear the thought of you wanting to marry some- one--just for the money." "Money--do you. think I'd take money from you?" she said in a at fierce whisper, "You, offering me money! I hate you--I hate you! Go. Go mnow--go -- get out, leave me alone!" She rais- ed her arms and covered her face with them. Nick stood back, his muscles flexed, his eyes on her, not know- ing what to say. "I'm not good enough for you to matry," she stormed. "You think I'm not decent. Very well --if a man cant tell the differ- ence--"" Nick stopped her, pulled her to him, pressed her face down against his heart. They clung to each other fiercely. "Darling--forgive me, I guess Tm just a kid, It's the first time T've ever loved a woman and I've gone all to pieces. That shows ter of conserving heat is Phone 1014 SAVE THAT HEAT With Fuel-Oil prices on the upward trend, the mat- be done by insulating with "FLEECE LINE" ROCK WOOL INSULATION Paper Packed Batts "For Comforts Sake . . . Insulate" S.W. Savage Sheet Metal Works OAKVILLE doubly important. This can Cross Ave. at Dundas St. manded in a very small voice. | JU 3d keep coming up, Nothing that you can gIVelyn.¢ doubt, You couldn't trust me" He looked at her, his face. a world of tender reproach in his "Money --how much? IT) p00 herell never be anyone dort lenew,". she answered numb-|VoSE. TEE Dever Be MYL know it, It isn't as if it was about--about anything. I've been a fool to think I could go on loving you, wanting you like this, and let you go, Promise, sweet- heart, there'll never be anyone else! I love you," he ended in the faintest whisper. Eisa held him off. "No, Nick, you're young. You think you love me enough to for- get what's ebeen in your mind, me. In time you--you might even grow to hate me." She looked at him with dull, patient eyes. "You think I' don't know my mind, that some day I'd regret having loved you?" There was only I who wanted you, it"s--" "Nick, please! I can't marry you. I'd rather die than hurt you like this, but I can't." Nick was back at her like a whirlwind. He caught her face tenderly between his hands. "Haven't I hurt you, darling? Listen," but the mute appeal in her eyes stopped him. She shook her head. "It's no use, Nick. I can't. It would be taking an unfair advantage of-- of what you're feeling just now." She smiled up at him. Nick didn't move. He stood holding her as if he could never let her go, He kissed her and her mouth fitted itself to his with maddening precision. He emerg- ed suddenly from an untried boy into a man who knew--Xknew de- finitely--that they were made for each other. "Get dressed," he whispered against her wet cheek, a marvel- ous light in his blue eyes. "We'll go outside" He turned and left her. LY She got in and out of a scented bath and into the least expensive of the lovely frocks that Cris' money had bought, as if that could lessen her obligation. Be- fore she wal quite dressed Nick was at the door, Team-work of the KCAF and staved off hunger and disease am the fishing village of Makkovik i some youngsters and adults pre] IRVEN FELL GENERAL INSURANCE Phone 32% ft SE out into the sunset. "There'll be things to put up with, like climbing steps and the hot water coming out of the cold water spigot and the cold out of the hot spigot,-but it won't make any difference because there is never any hot water." His eyes twinkled in a way that made Elsa want to scream out with the ag- ony of it all: "Pll paint and yowll keep house, Well get breakfast to- gether on an eighteenth century Outside, he led her up on the boat deck. It was deserted, This was the leisure hour before din- ner and everyone was below, nap- ping, playing bridge, drinking at the bar or flirting. He found a chair, the only one in sight, and stretched him- self in it. Without ceremony he pulled Elsa down on his lap. For a while they were silent, looking at each other. Elsa pull- ed off his beret and ran her hand through his hair, touched his face, his eyes, with eager, tender fingers. Nick caught her hands and kissed the palm of first one, then the other, Lg "Nick, there's something must tell you--" she paused, her eyes filling with tears, her hands trembling in his, He grinned up at her. , "Oh yeah!" He took off her beret and ruffled her hair, laughing like a kid. "Well, you listen to me first, It's about us. When we land we will get married first thing, then we'll go to a hotel in Paris, while we look for one of those crazy apartments to live in, you know, on top of the world, twelve or so flights up, with @ silly, slanting roof and wide windows that open ELECTRIC WELDING No Job TOO Large-- No Job Too Small We repair anything anywhere --any time J. P. KOLLEE Ph. Bronte 25r21 Palermo stove that smokes, and eat on a funny table with a red checked cloth, and we'll have dinner out. Ill be swell" His strong fin- gers closed down tight over hers and he looked into her eyes. He rumpled her hair against his face. It was sweet, like the lush odor of earth after a swift spring shower. He closed his eyes, his arms tightened. He rais- ed her face, touching her lips with his finger, gently, "You haven't told me how much you owe Cris what's-his- name," he said with a frown, Elsa hesitated. "He cabled me $5,000," she said in a low voice. Nick's jaws grew tense. "Five thousand!" He paused, staggered by the amount. "Never mind, Ill get it somehow. Ill cable dad, TIIl tell him it's a debt of honor," Hell think I've gone wild, but he'll let me have it. I can make it up to him later." His voice was unsteady. Elsa's eyes filled with tears. "Nick, I couldn't--" Nick interrupted. He turned her face up and kissed her with- about, money or anything else, Now, hurry end change, or we'll be late for dinner." He patted her hand gently. In her room with thé door closed, she knew what she had to do--if it killed her. She didn't leave her cabin again that night. She had her dinner sent in. When Nick came for her she pleaded a headache, through the closed door, He entreated, he begged, he coaxed, but to no avail, Elsa dared not open the door. Her dinner untouched, she lay across the bed wondering why she was ever born, why it had to be Nick. To keep herself from she his 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 waa CO DRUGS -- TOILETRIES -- SUNDRIES Colborne St. E. The Oakville Drug Co., Limited (Len. Hope, Mgr.) Phone 94 D} -- family with hers. He was from a long line of aristocrats. He hadn't said so in words, of course, but little things all along had given her all she needed to know. He was fine, you could see that, The way he carried him. self, the way he entered and left DELIVERANCE FROM THE parcel of food and medicine dropped to them from in ll ATC planes has the plane which ong inhabitants of n Labrador. Here pare to open the its food with it. Trivers. never would amount to anything. They were only thankful that he kept himself out of jail so far. There was the whole wide world between her and Nick. Be- sides, there were Millie and the kids, She had them to think of, She had had them in mind when she cabled Cris. She'd be able to help them. It nearly broke her heart when Millie had come to her for money 'to buy little Joey's medicine and she didn't have it to give to her. If she married Nick __which of course was out of the question--but if she did, she'd have to keep the family in the background. She flushed with shame and called herself a fool. She thought of how they had all stuck togeth- er through thick and thin; she couldn't tell Nick how she felt, She'd have to get rid of him-- some way, He wouldn't listen to the truth, young as he was; he wouldn't understand how impos- sible it all was. She turned over and hot tears ran down her face and dropped on the ship's rose silk bedspread. Later she got up and sat by the window, watching the water, dark and mysterious, rise and fall against a stormy sky. In the wireless room, Bell was relieving Lancaster. He adjusted one head phone to his ear; the other rested anyway on the side of his head. Lancaster ran a comb through ~ Thursday, February th, 1043 SKIES FOR LABRADO had destroyed most of the village and taken much of continue until summer and melting of ice in the R VILLAGERS! a had come from Goose Bay. A fire Food deliveries from the air wil "Well, is this the thick weafy er you promised us?" Bell snec. ed, "Keep your shirt on, big hy, I didn't even say when," Lancas. ter shot back over his shoulder "Okay, just sos we give the folks a good show. We're listiy plenty, if that'll help. Now if | was the captain--" (Copyright, The Chicago Daily News) (Continued Next Week) The Lorne Seais (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Rejt.) Your Regiment is cuthoriz:: recruit up to strength. Sports Weapon Training | Target Practica Social Ever Young men, 17} and up, in health are needed. You receiv PAY while supporting Canada in the Reserve Army. 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