By EM1L1E LORING
© WNU Service.
SYNOPSIS
THE STOBY SO FAR: Janice Trent
runs away fro® wedding Ned Paxton,
rich, bnt a gay blade. By a device, she
becomes secretary at a wilderness camp
In Alaska. Bnt Bruce Harcourt, newly
appointed chief, who has known her since
girlhood 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 MiUiceat
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, Mill!
cent can’t go. Janice enjoys the trip and
the bustling Alaskan city.
Now continue with the story.
CHAPTER VIII
Was she really thousands of miles
from New York, Janice asked her
self, as she passed modern build
ings, a college, homes with gar
dens, riotous garden borders, with
clumps of pale yellow day lilies,
spikes of larkspur in every known
shade of blue, patches of early pink
phlox, mists of Gypsophila. She was
amazed at the size of the flowers and
fruits forced to tropical luxuriance
by the constant dew and mist baths.
She was mentally tabulating the
varieties of flowers she had noticed
as they entered the lounge of a
hotel, set in the midst of several
acres of ground. It was thronged
with tourists who had arrived by
the railroad.
Refreshed, with her skin wind
burned to a dusky pink, cooled by a
dust of powder, she met Grant in the
foyer.
“The main dining-room is swarm
ing with tourists. Harcourt has or
dered eats in a private room. There
are a lot of newspaper men about
and he’s dodging being interviewed
about the bridge.”
She turned as Harcourt entered.
“Hope you don’t mind the cramped
quarters. The place is jammed. The
tourists will be off after breakfast.”
“Breakfast!”
“What time did you think it was?
We started at sun-up.”
“I can’t believe it. How far have
we traveled?"
“Hundreds of miles.”
Indian boys, in native costume,
entered with trays. Amber coffee,
pots of it; rolls, crisp and delicate;
raspberries, crimson, gigantic—for
raspberries—cream clotted; bacon
in crisp curls; a thick bear steak
which oozed delectably red at touch
of a knife; potatoes baked to burst
ing flakiness. Janice purred con
tent as she tasted the fruit.
“So this is Alaska!”
Grant grunted skeptically. “A part
of it. Wait till we take you bridge
building next winter out into a coun
try where the nights are twenty
hours long.”
Grant chuckled. Harcourt sug
gested:
“Show Miss Trent the town, Tub
by. Don’t let her buy any fake furs.”
Later he asked, “Need any mon
ey, Janice?”
“No thanks, I brought all my
pay.” She lingered on the threshold.
“Aren’t you coming with us?”
“Can’t. Business. I will walk as
far as the bank with you and Tubby,
then I’ll meet you at the field in
an hour.”
The streets were thronged with
tourists, with automobiles, luxurious
imported models, smart town cars,
shabby out-at-the-elbow flivvers
whose only possible excuse for ex
isting was that they kept moving.
Fat oily Eskimos with square flat
faces, fat little noses; bronzed In
dians in lurid blankets; squaws sell
ing baskets and beads; brazen wom
en, their chains of gold nuggets their
fortunes; sourdoughs with heavily
lined faces, humor sparkling in their
faded eyes; officers in o. d.
A hand touched Janice’s shoulder.
She had been too engrossed in the
panorama to hear footsteps. She
smiled radiantly.
“Tubby, this is a wonder—” She
looked up. The world went into a
tailspin. Ned Paxton? She must be
dreaming. No, those were his in
tensely blue eyes. His hand tight
ened. She was conscious of mount
ing anger under his caressing smile.
“So here you are!”
She twisted free.
“So here you are! What are you
doing so far from the Great White
Way?”
His eyes held hers. “I came for
you.
“For me! How did you know
where I was?" She could cheerfully
have bitten out her tongue for grati
fying him with the question.
“Oh, an interested party, who had
seen our pictures in the paper, and
recognized you, radioed your where
abouts, and I started. I expected to
find you, but not so soon.”
An interested party! Hale? Was
that the explanation of the demoted
chief’s sinister chuckle yesterday?
Somehow she must get rid of her
ex-dance before Bruce and Grant
came. Could she infuriate him so
that he would hate her, leave her?
"Did you buy that radio informa
tion as you have bought everything
all your life? You boast that you
bribed your way out of college
scrapes. You were the youngest
captain in your regiment. Why? Not
because you were a better soldier,
but because your father was a Sen
ator with oodles of money.’*
“It would be awkward—because—well, I’m already married.’’
She stopped for breath. His eyes
were dark with amazement, his lips
hung open. Of a sudden, color
surged under his fair skin as though
it would burst through, it reddened
even his ears.
“If I buy, you’ll admit I pay the
highest market price.” He took a
step nearer. “Like you all the bet
ter for that flare, Jan. Crazy about
you. Now I’ll never let you go. You
know that you love me. I’ll forgive
you this school-girl trick. We’ll be
married here.”
“Oh, no, we won’t.” Who was
speaking? Janice -listened to the
voice which seemed like her own,
yet not her own, which came from
a long way off. "It would be awk
ward—because—well, because I’m
already married.”
“Married!” His grip on her shoul
der tightened till it hurt. “Mar
ried!" He turned her toward him.
“What’s the matter with your face?
Does friend husband beat you up?
To whom are you married?”
The strange voice so like her own
yet not her own answered prompt
ly
“To Bruce Harcourt. I—”
She turned at a curious sound. Be
hind Tubby Grant, whose green eyes
bulged, whose boyish mouth sagged
in surprise, stood Bruce Harcourt.
• • •
His eyes steadily compelling her
eyes, it seemed hours to Janice be
fore he spoke. Then he said evenly:
“Met an acquaintance, Jan?”
Paxton laughed. Anticipated the
girl’s answer.
“An acquaintance! I am the man
she was to marry. Is to marry. Just
who are you?”
“Bruce Harcourt. Janice told you
that she was already married to
me. After that, your boast is an in
sult to her and to me.”
Jpnice stepped between the two
men as he took a step forward.
What evil spirit had prompted her
to drag Bruce into the mixup? But
Harcourt laid a silencing hand on
her shoulder. He ignored the blond
man regarding them with skeptical
amusement.
“We must be off, Janice. Found
orders here which will take us back
at once.”
Paxton laughed indulgently.
“Don’t linger on my account, Jan.
I know where to find you. Sent my
boat up the coast; I am to join it
by plane. Life may be real, life
may be earnest in this wilderness,
but I’ll bet by the time I arrive
you’ll be fed up on it, be Reno-mind
ed and raring to get back to the
Great White Way.”
Harcourt reached for him. Jan
ice blocked his advance with all her
strength.
"Bruce! Bruce! Don’t make a
scene here—please.”
With a laugh and a mocking bow
Paxton backed away.
“I’m sorry. I’m terribly sorry. 1
didn’t know why I said it.”
“Said what?”
“That you—that I—oh. don’t make
me repeat it. You know.”
"Come.”
He slipped his arm within hers
and led her to the sunny room in
which they had breakfasted.
“Sit down, Janice. I want to talk
to you.”
Harcourt leaned against the table,
arms crossed on his chest.
“Although his name wasn’t men
tioned I gathered that the man was
Paxton?” she nodded assent. “Why
did you barricade yourself behind
a lie?”
“Someone touched me on the
shoulder. I looked up expecting to
see Mr. Grant. When I saw Ned, a
sense of unreasoning terror, panic,
stampeded me. The world went into
a tailspin. My one thought—if you
can call my mental process thinking
_was to put an unscalable wall be
tween us. I had been so happy all
morning—’’
“You had been happy?”
“Gorgeously. When I looked up
and saw that man it was like
like a plunge back into the night
mare of those weeks before you
found my slipper. When he said
that someone who had seen my pic
ture in the paper had radioed him
my whereabouts—”
“Did he say who?”
“No. When he said, ‘We’ll be
married here,’ I heard a voice,
which didn’t seem to be mine, re
tort: ‘That would be awkward, be
cause—well, because I am already
married,’ and then he said—”
“That being the case there is only
one thing to be done now. Remember
that yesterday I told you I had a
plan? It won’t interfere in the least
with your onward, upward business
career. I tried to prepare you for it
last evening when I hoisted that 'No
Trespassing’ sign. I want you to
marry me.”
“No! No! No!”
“It is the only way. You can’t go
back to headquarters except as Mrs.
Bruce Harcourt. Tubby’s gone for
a notary public—luckily there is no
flve-day marriage law in the north
ern wilderness—when we get back
we’ll announce that we set off this
morning with every intention of be
ing married, wanted to avoid fuss,
etc., etc. Let’s try Miss Martha’s
test. We will live in the same house
for two months before the marriage
decree becomes final. Get me? It
won’t be any different from living
with your brother Billy. If you dis
cover at the end of that time that
I appear at breakfast ready to bite,
annulment is easy. We’ll be mod
ern—call it trial companionship. Un
derstand me? I will give you ten
minutes in which to think it over."
He opened die door, closed it be
hind him. Janice tried to weigh
the situation dispassionately.
Suppose she consented to the plan
Bruce advised? She would still be
secretary to the outfit, do her share
in opening up the great north coun
try. Why shouldn’t she help as
well as the Samp sisters, who were
making history with their Waffle
Shop? Life here thrilled her.
A knock at the door. Had ten
minutes passed already! Her heart
shot to her throat and fanned its
wings. She steadied her lips.
"Come in.”
Bruce Harcourt closed the door
behind him.
"Well?”
Janice swallowed hard. "Don't
stand there like a judge about to
announce a life-sentence. I—I’ve de
cided. I'm going—back.”
“To New York?”
"No. To—to headquarters.”
"You understand that you go only
as Mrs. Harcourt?"
Something in Janice's heart
snapped.
"Of course I understand. You
made it plain enough that you
wouldn’t take Janice Trent back
with you. I know that you don't
really want me—I know that I'm
tagging again—that I’m utterly self
ish--but—I want to stay in Alaska.
I can’t really hurt you by marrying
you—temporarily, can I?”
The tense gravity of his face
broke in a smile.
"No. You can’t really hurt me
by marrying me.” He picked up the
telephone.
"Office? Harcourt speaking. Tell
Mr. Grant that I am waiting for
him.”
The sense of unreality persisted
through the civil ceremony, per
formed by a short, fat little man
who intoned through a r.ose pinched
to compression by tortoise-shell eye
glasses.
A hand touched hers, slipped
something on her finger. She met
Bruce Harcourt’s eyes. Asked
breathlessly:
"Is it over?”
He looked at her without answer
ing. Grant and the notary said a
few words of felicitation and depart
ed. Harcourt released her hand.
“Quite over. Now, Tubby will take
you shopping. We haven't much
time. I must get back to head
quarters.”
Resentment at the lightness of his
tone, at the fact that he was eager to
turn her over to his henchman,
pricked at Janice’s not too steady
nerves. How could he take the
situation so lightly?
“You speak as though you were
in the habit of being married every
day."
“Not every day. Never before to
a girl who was miles away during
the ceremony, who didn't sense the
fact that I existed.”
Janice’s heart was twisted by
contrition.
“Bruce! Bruce! Forgive me. I
was beastly. I was dazed, that was
all, dazed. It came so suddenly
Let's not start out as though we
were going to fight and die over
this. I’m not sorry I did it, really
I’m not. I’d do it again this min
ute."
(TO BE CONTINUED i
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
First Signal Officer
IN THE post library at Fort Mon
*■ mouth, N. J., is a simple velvet
covered box with an engraved plate
which reads: "Compass and chain
worn by Brigadier General Albert
J. Myer. First Signal Officer, U. S. j
Army. Presented by his daughter.
Miss Gertrude Myer, through Major !
General Campbell B Hodges, by the
Chief Signal Officer to the Com
manding General, Fort Monmouth,
March 3, 1942." This latest addi
tion to the collection of early signal
corps equipment at Fort Monmouth
is a memorial to the man whose
foresight and pioneering with flags
and torches, during and after the
Civil war, blared the way for the
army’s streamlined signal communi
cation systems.
When 20-year-old Albert J. Myer j
was graduated from Hobart college
in his native state of New York in
1847, his graduation thesis was titled
“A Sign Language for Deaf Mutes”
and it contained the germ of the
visual signaling system which he
was to devise later. After his grad
uation from Buffalo medical college,
he practiced for three years. Then,
in 1854, he was commissioned as
sistant surgeon in the army and or
dered to New Mexico.
In the dry climate of the South
west, where the clearness of the air
made it possible to see objects at a
great distance, Myer became enthu
siastic over the possibilities of visual
signaling and devoted his leisure
hours to developing a simple sys
tem. In 1858 the war department
recognized the work of the young
doctor by appointing a board to ex
amine ‘‘the principles and plans of
the signaling, mode of use in the
field and course to be pursued in
introducing to the army.” The next
year John B. Floyd, President
Buchanan’s secretary of war, com
mended his system to congress
which appropriated $2,000 for the
“manufacture or purchase of ap
paratus and equipment for field sig
naling." It also authorized the ap
pointment of one signal officer on
the staff of the army with the rank
and pay of a major of cavalry and
on June 27, 1860, Assistant Surgeon
Myer became Major Myer.
The army’s first signal officer
soon had an opportunity to demon
strate the value of his system. He
was detailed to duty with Gen. E. R.
S. Canby’s expedition against the
hostile Navajos in the Southwest,
where an extensive test of his new
system, using both flag and torch,
proved a distinct success. The re
sult was the opening of a signal
school at Fortress Monroe, Va., un
der his direction and at the outbreak
of the War Between the States, Myer
was called upon to organize signal
communications in the Army of the
Potomac. Immediately after the
battle of Bull Run, he submitted a
plan for a separate signal corps but
it was not until March 3, 1863, that |
this was done.
Within a year he was no longer
Major Myer but Colonel Myer, hav
ing been brevetted lieutenant-colonel
for gallantry at the battle of Han
over Court House and colonel for
similar services at Malvern Hill. By
the time the war ended he had been
brevetted brigadier general.
After the war Colonel Myer, who
had been relieved of duty as chief
signal officer following a disagree
ment with Secretary Stanton of the
war department, was reappointed to
that post by President Johnson. He
succeeded in having West Point in
clude signaling as a permanent part ■
of the cadet course and the naval
academy at Annapolis also adopted
his methods. Myer was pro
moted brigadier-general on June 16,
1880, and died in Buffalo, N. Y., two
months later, on August 24, while
still on active duty in the service he
had organized.
Myer has another distinction
which entitles him to the grateful
remembrance of his fellow-Ameri
cans—that of “Father of the Weath
er Bureau." In 1869 he proposed
that the peacetime activities of
the signal corps be extended to in
clude sending out storm warnings.
He influenced congress to es
tablish the United States weather
bureau under the direction of the
signal corps and during its first
10 years it was supervised by
“Old Probabilities,” as Myer be
came familiarly known all over
the United States.
New Fabrics and Designs Meet
Increased Demand for Blouses
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
THE unprecedented rush for suits
this spring is breathtaking. And
with the acquiring of a new suit
the one thing that never fails to
happen is the sudden urge that
comes upon one for a blouse ward
robe that will perform the trick of
changing the mood of one's suit as
magically as a chameleon changes
its color.
The blouse program as set for the
coming months is unusually versa
tile. Starting off with trim tailored
effects individualized with smart
styling details, it continues to carry
on in a brilliant way with stunning
costume blouses of handsome (often
spectacular) fabrics climaxed by a
procession of exquisite fantasies of
beguiling femininity.
Blouse fabrics were never more
interestingly varied as in this sea
son, when modern textile ingenuity
has reached a peak, especially in
the matter of rayon weaves that
leave nothing to be desired. Side
by side, on the blouse hangers, you
will find rayon materials including
exotic bold-patterned print jerseys
and acetate crepes, trim spun rayon
shirtings in linen or challis finish,
soft-bodied monotone crepes and an
intriguing display of filmy sheers.
Prints are creating a sensation in
the field of sports blouses, done
often in gay South American pat
ternings and colorings. A blouse
that stands pre-eminently at the
front in the style parade is shown
centered in the above illustration.
It is the full-blown rose print that
everybody is calling for. Note, espe
cially, the big floppy bow tie at the
neck. These bow fastenings are of
outstanding interest this season, so
watch bows! The long bishop sleeves
are also important.
Two chic tailored blouses (to the
right above and below in the group)
are noteworthy. The model at the
top is a real “find." It is a classic
in tailored simplicity, with the
charm of a material, corded mar
quisette, which is to be coveted not
only for its prettiness, for joy of
joy! it launders to perfection and as
easily as a pocket handkerchief.
This blouse is skillfully designed
with a fitted waistband for either
tuck-in or over-blouse wear.
Exquisite handwork finishing off
all edges in contrast color is a nice
trimming accent for the beautiful
tailored blouse in snowy acetate
rayon crepe shown just below this
blouse in the above illustration.
I Note the stud-fastened cuffs and be
coming turn-back neck.
A giant jabot (jabots are conver
sation pieces this season) is very
flattering at the front of the fresh
spring blouse shown below to the
left in the above picture. It is
designed of fine rayon marquisette
for smart suit wear.
Note the flowers in her hair. The
wearing of flowers in this manner
is an approved fashion, even in the
daytime if occasion warrants.
An effect of fragile feminine
charm is achieved by the use of
filmy rayon chiffon and fine lace
edging for the exquisite lingerie
blouse shown above to the left in
the illustration. It features the new
and extremely smart long bishop
sleeves together with a high-low
ruffled neckline which may be fas
tened primly under the chin for suit
wear or opened low for dress-up
moments.
A blouse that should be included
in every wardrobe for formal wear
is the long-torso type of handsome
rayon flower print in gorgeous
colors.
(Released by Westsrn Newspaper Union.!
Doubly Smart
Yes, you are seeing double!
Matching boutonnieres of fresh flow
ers, one on each lapel, make a nov
el decoration on smart new suits
this spring. This is a style recom
mended to out-of-town beaux who
will want to wire greetings that will
outshine local competition. If it’s a
single corsage she wants for her
new spring costume, camellias,
gardenias and combinations of
variegated colorings are all good
guesses. Daisies and violets, as pic
tured above, make charming twin
lapel pieces.
The Flowers That Bloom
On Your Dress, Tra-La!
Among the highlighted fabrics for
spring, smooth surfaces predomi
nate. The worsteds are particular
ly smart, as this spring is starting
oft in a decidedly tailored manner.
Faille, wool jersey and knits con
tinue strong.
This season’s prints glory in nov
elty and color. Important are the
new butterfly prints, the lace-pat
terned types and gorgeous florals.
Amusing, also, are the vegetable
prints, cabbage roses in full bloom
and the apple motifs. There are
more plaids, stripes and checks than
ever, and the '‘dotted” theme per
sists.
Bows Run Rampant Over
Necklines and Pockets
Necklines are having a frilly time
of it this spring. Jabots are as
frothy and white as snow drifts, or
fleecy clouds on a summer day. Col
lar and cuff sets In pastel blues or
pinks are ever so good this season.
There's also a rush for huge, softly
tied bows or sprightly butterfly ties.
Bows also trim pockets and cuffs
and are posed at the shoulder. In
fact, bows are apt to light anywhere
on one’s costume and be fashion
right.
,
Loose Curls
No tight curls, all extremely loose
and very feminine looking, is the
new fashion edict. Shorter bobs are
assured, always with an easy-to
manage promise. Pompadour ver
sions will continue to be worn
and the “trick” is to wear your hat
back to show the pompadour.
Pattern No. 220.
V"OU’LL love to show these
* linens off! And they’re such
fun to embroider in lovely colors
and edge with crochet! Although
simple to do, you’ll be proud of
sheet, pillow case or scarf deco
rated this way.
• • *
Pattern No. 220 contains a transfer pat
tern of a 634xl7% and two 5%xl3 inch
motifs; materials required; illustrations of
stitches; directions for edging. Send your
order to;
Sewing Circle Needlecraft Dept.
82 Eighth Ave. New York
Enclose 15 cents (plus one cent to
cover cost of mailing) for Pattern
No.
Name...
Address...
Fast Driving
A recent study, made to deter
mine the cost of operating an auto
mobile at a low and a high speed,
revealed that, when two identical
cars are driven over the same
1,000-mile course, one at 25 and
the other at 65 miles an hour, the
latter consumes 60 per cent more
gasoline and 800 per cent more
oil and causes 700 per cent more
wear on the tires.
Older folks
say it’s
common
sense. •
AU-VECETABLE
LAXATIVE
• In NR (Nature's Remedy) Tablets,
there are no chemicals, no minerals, no
phenol derivatives. NR Tablets are dif
ferent—act different. Purely vegetable—a
combination of 10 vegetable ingredients
formulated over 50 years ago. Uncoated
or candy coated, their action is depend
able, thorough, yet gentle, as millions of
NR’s have proved. Get a 25# box today
... or larger economy size.
MR T0-MI0HT; TOMORROW ALRIGHT
IO&ue.
jy CAMPY
y COATED
IrBEGULAB!
More Raleigh Jingles
Raleigh Cigarettes are again
offering liberal prizes in a big
jingle contest to be run in this
paper. One hundred and thirty
three prizes will be awarded each
week.—Adv.
CORNS CO FAST
rain goes quick, corns
speedily removed when
you use thin, soothing,
cushioning Dr. Scholls
Ztno-pads. Try them I
ADVERTISING
• ADVERTISING
represents the leadership oi
a nation. It points the way.
We merely follow—follow to
new heights of comfort, of
convenience, of happiness.
As time goes on advertis
ing is used more and more,
and as it is used more we
all profit more. It's the way
advertising has —
of bringing a profit to
everybody concerned,
the consumer included