cmrrrit xix
The Commissioner showed symp
toms of apoplexy. "You could be
jailed for holding back testimony ”
Martha Samp bristled.
"Sake* alive, could I? Because I
waited for M's Hale to tell herself.
She’s been a loyal wife. She's been >
through hell without whimpering I
knew when she got to thinking she'd
straighten things out. The world s
just bubblin’ with stories of man s
loyalty to man. but there ist’t so
much said about woman’s loyalty to i
woman, an’ letting her tell her own
story was my idea of loyalty to !
her"
"Suppose she hadn’t told?"
"She did. didn't she? But I pro
vided against that. When I’ve read
about trial* it’s seemed to me that
testimony re-hashed months after
the crime took place couldn't be
very accurate. The morning after
.the shootin’ I wrote down everything
■d heard and seen. Sealed it. Took
Tt to the radio man. He stamped it
with place and date just as be does
letters that go out. Here it is.” She
handed the Commissioner an enve
lope. He turned it over in his hand.
Conferred with the deputy. Rose.
"My associate and I agree that
the late Joe Hale met his death by
accident. The inquest is closed.”
m m m
“AD you little doughboys come
and get your chow!" The ringing
call of the bugle pierced Bruce Har
court's absorption- as he left the
Samp cabin. Would he find Janice at
the office, or would she have gone to
luncheon? She had slipped away di
rectly after the Commissioner had
pronounced a verdict of accidental
shooting. Paxton, immaculately at
tired. with deep lines of exhaustion
about his eyes and an apparent
stiffness in every joint, had come
in. had announced an afternoon de
parture. He had offered to take
anyone who wanted to go back to
the States. Millicent had been tear
fully eager to get away. Mallory
advised expert surgical treatment
for Jimmy Chester.
Janice was hooding her typewrit
er as he entered the office. Her
cheek still bore faintly pink evi
dence of Blot’s mercurial tempera
ment, but her eyes and smile were
radiant.
“Now that the cyclone of excite
ment has passed over, I hope to
accomplish something.”
Harcourt picked up a letter from
his desk. ‘This is Alaska. You
mustn't expect life here to be like
jjfic in New York. It’s a different
'Wtory in this wilderness.”
“Paxton's yacht goes out this aft
ernoon with Mrs. Hale, Chester and
the Commissioner aboard. I want
you to go with them.”
Amazed consternation wiped the
happy radiance from her face. “1!
On Ned Paxton’s boat! You advise
that?”
“Two days ago I would not have
permitted it, but he has proved him
self trustworthy. This letter is from
your brother Billy. I wrote him aft
er I discovered the identity of Jim
my Delevan. I’ve told you before
that I will not let you spend a win
ter here. As soon as I can get
leave I will join you and we'll—well,
we will talk things over. I will ca
ble Billy to meet the yacht at Se
attle."
“Just like that!” Her eyes were
brilliant with anger, he could see
her throat contract “You needn’t
trouble to cable Billy. I’m not go
ing. Tubby Grant hired me to work
for the outfit I shall keep my posi
tion here. You talk about my going
back as though it were as simple as
setting out for dinn$r and dance.
How am I to earn my living when
1 get to the States? It isn’t so easy
to pick up a job. Perhaps you think
I’ll live on my brother. Absolutely
not!”
Indignation swept him like a red
hot wave. “My . .fe does not need
a job. You'll have half my salary,
more if you need it”
“Your wife! I’m not your wife.
I’m merely a companion on trial.
. Money doesn’t figure in that agree
[ ♦~<'nt. Do you think I would ac
, c'tpt it from you? You can’t give
me even understanding. When you
made good my silly lie to Ned Pax
ton, I saw myself as I was, always
at the mercy of my imagination. I
determined that I would do my ut
most to make you happy. I didn't
know then that ’if you’d only wait
ed' you would have married Milli
cent Hale.”
“Jan!”
“That whitens your face, doesn’t
it? You can have her now. Better
go along in the yacht yourself and
start annulment proceedings. Once
you told me that when you mushed
back behind the dog-team and saw
the H house through the falling
snow, it seemed like coming home,
although you knew that only a
husky and a house-boy waited for
you behind those lighted windows. I
had thought that next winter you
might be glad to find me there too.
My mistake.”
The picture she conjured of her
lovely self waiting for him to come
in through the snow-filled darkness
set Harcourt's blood afire. With ail
his strength he resisted her charm.
He kept his voice under rigid con
trol.
“That means that you will go—
this afternoon?”
Her breath was a straggling sob.
Shjr caught her lips between her
t^th. From the threshold she de
i '
fled him. ‘iceberg! Til go. but
only fbom the H house Now that
the one person to be impressed by
convention is leaving—I will return
to Argus of the Hundred Eyes and
Miss Mary. They'll be glad to have
me back with them.*’ Grant pushed
open the door "Thank heaven,
you've come. Tubby. You almost
lost your secretary. Your superior
officer was giving her notice. Don't
ruffle up like a turkey-cock. She
wouldn't accept it." The door closed
behind her before Grant emerged
from a stupor of surprise.
“New orders for us came by plane
this morning. No bridge-building
this winter. Retrenchment all along
the line. We are to push the tracks
from here south while the weather
holds—the Crowned Heads are all
excited about pulp-wood possibili
ties—then keep the repair shops at
headquarters humming till spring.”
“Headquarters for us all. Janice
will be crazy about the winter here.
We'll teach her to pilot, to handle
a dog-team.”
Harcourt crossed to his desk "I
want her to go out on Paxton's boat
with the others this afternoon.”
“Says you!” The words bubbled
with indignation. "Granted you’re
a wow of an engineer, as a married
man you’re a total loss. Isn’t he.
Miss Martha?" be demanded, as the
elder Miss Samp entered the office.
“Isn't he what? I heard you shout
in’, Mr. Tubby, as I came from
M's. Hale’s cabin—she's pretty
near packed up—an' dropped in to
see if you were tryin’ to talk with
Fairbanks without a wire.”
Grant’s grievance was too acute
to permit of appreciation of her hu
mor. “You’ll shout when you hear
that the chief wants Janice to join
the party on Paxton's yacht”
"Sakes alive, has the excitement
turned his brain?” Miss Samp
dropped into a chair. “Course ’tisn't
any of my business any more than
’tis Mr. Tubby’s, but why are you
sending that child away, Mr.
Bruce?”
“You have been so kind to Janice
that it is your business. Miss Mar
tha. I don't want her to experience
the hardships of a winter here. Re
member what this life did to Milli
cent Hale.”
Martha Samp's gnarled fingers
stroked the glossy coat of the black
cat circling in her lap. She regard
ed Harcourt with shrewd eyes.
“Did to her! It made a woman of
her. didn't it? Think back. She came
here just an ordinary, spoiled,
flighty young married girl. At first
she fretted. Then she kinder found
herself. Never complained. She de
veloped the heart the endurance
of a noble woman.”
“And bow did it end?"
“You mean about her kinder fly
in’ off the handle at the last? I’ve
got a pretty good idea of what
caused it. She got to leanin' on
you, Mr. Bruce, you were all her
husband wasn't When Janice came
along, so pretty an’ gay an' attrac
tive, she got to broodin' on her
troubles an’ thinkin’ life played fa
vorites, an' something snapped. She
hadn’t any notion of hurtin* Joe.
Course she shouldn't have threat
ened him. but who doesn't do a
fool thing or two in the course of
a life? Doesn’t it restore your faith
in human nature to find an officer
of the law with the common sense to
recognize an accident when he sees
one. an' not try to make a criminal
out of a female who hasnVt enough
sense to leave a revolver hangin’ in
its holster?”
Martha Samp’s argument seethed
like an undercurrent in Harcourt’s
mind during the afternoon as he
packed for Chester, sent messages,
helped the Commissioner with his
reports Not until she came to the
shore to embark in the launch
which was to take her to the yacht
did he speak to Millicent Hale. Her
hand clung to his, her violet eyes
were tear-ftlled,
*'I wish I were the one to stay
with you, Bruce."
He smiled and shook his head.
"You have forgotten the long, dark
winter. I'm willing to bet that with
the first sight of the lights of Van
couver. you’ll be thanking all the
gods that be that you're back in
civilization."
Side by side Harcourt and Grant
watched the launch as it shot like
a brown streak for the yacht. In
dians and Eskimos stood in groups
on the shingle behind them, sec
tion bosses and engineers, with un
consciously wistful faces, waited
for the Modern Mariner to hoist the
anchor.
Janice was leaning against the H
house, eyes on the pale blur which
was gliding into an opaline mist. Her
long lashes were wet, but she faced
him with gay bravado.
"Sony not to have been moved
out before you came back, but Pas
ca was so busy helping the travelers
off that he had no time for me.”
He caught her by the shoulders.
"You're not going back to the Samp
cabin. You will stay in my house.”
She defied him flippantly. "Big
Chief! Heap bossy! You tried to
push me out of headquarters, and
now you are dictating as to where
I shall live. I am working for Tub
by Grant, not for you."
His hands tightened. “Jan, my
dear, don’t you know what it means
to love a person so much that you
would tear your heart out if you
thought it best for her?" He cleared
his voice of huskiness. “I know
that you are forcing yourself to stay,
triumphing over what you think is
a fear-complex, what I know to be
imagination. I know, also, that if
you stay here you are bound to be
miserably unhappy.”
Angry tears drenched the eyes
which made them think of bronze
pansies. "How do you know that
I would be unhappy? You and Tub
by and the Samp girls think Mrs.
Hale a marvel of sweetness and
light because she carried on. Why
shouldn't she? It was her job. You
talk about love. A lot you know
about it. I can see you following a
person half across the world. Not a
chance!”
"Jan!" The incredulous whisper
brought her eyes to his. Even his
‘ lips whitened. "Jan!” He caught
her up in his arms, kicked open the
door. His laugh was a caress. "This
time I’ll carry my bride across the
threshold as big, strong men do in
the movies and points south.” He
set her on her feet, gently raised
her chin till her head rested against
his shoulder, demanded softly:
"All right with you. Beautiful?”
Eyes valiant, lovely color tinting
her soft skin, she answered with an
unsteady attempt at raillery. “I
never did think much of that trial
companionship idea of yours. If you
care—”
"Care! If I care!” In a fury of
passion he kissed her eyes, the hol
low in her throat, her mouth. Kissed
her vehemently, thoroughly. Said
with a husky, reckless laugh:
"That’s how I care.”
Tubby Grant pushed open the
door. "First call for tea in the din
ing-car! You—” His voice dwindled
to a gurgle. He blinked something
suspiciously like tears from his wist
ful green eyes. With a softly
breathed. "Praise be to Allah!" he
gently closed the door from the out
side.
[THE END] *
- ' - -
The Reel ‘Father of
Independence'
ASK the average American who
was the “Author of the Decla
ration of Independence” and the
chances are that he will answer cor
rectly—'Why, Thomas Jefferson, of
course!" But we who, on the Fourth
of July, honor the signers of that
immortal document, are all too like
ly to forget completely the real
“Father of Independence"!
Richard Henry Lee was his name
and for him, “independence" was
more than just a word. It was a
living reality—and a family tradi
tion. When Oliver Cromwell over
threw' the rule of the Stuarts, his
great-grandfather. Richard Lee,
with Sir William Berkeley, held the
colony of Virginia to its allegiance
to Charles I and it was Richard Lee
who made the treaty with Crom
well’s forces by which the colony
was recognized as an independent
dominion.
With such a heritage, it was not
surprising then that Richard Henry
Lee should become a valiant defend
ed of the right of men to be free.
Elected to the house of burgesses in
j 1757, his first speech was one de
! nouncing the institution of slavery
and advocating a tax upon the im
portation of slaves so heavy as
eventually to destroy that traffic.
Long before his fellow-Virginian,
Patrick Henry, was demanding
"Give me liberty or give m%
death!”, Richard Henry Lee was re
belling against the attempts of the
government overseas to limit the
liberties of its American colonies.
In 1772 Lee protested against the
establishment of admiralty courts,
which took away the right of trial
by jury, and when the Boston port
bill was passed, he suggested the
sending of delegates to a colonial
congress which should take such j
measures as were necessary to re
sist such tyrannical acts. When the
First Continental congress was
called the next year, Lee was one
of the first delegates chosen from
Virginia and in that congress he
became a member of all the leading
committees. He wrote the memo
rial to the British people, pleading
with them to help correct the in
justices to their American cousins
and he is also credited with writing
a similar address to the king.
Then came the convening of the
Second Continental congress to
which Lee was again elected a dele
gate. In 1775 he was one of a com
mittee which drafted the commis
sion of another fellow-Virginian as
commander-in-chief of the Continen- ,
tal army and George Washington put
on his buff-and-blue uniform to lead
the fight for American liberties.
Heretofore the talk had been about
the “rights of English citizens” but
as the year 1776 opened men began
to talk about the "rights of Ameri
cans.” And of all those who dared
to begin using the word "independ
ence,” Richard Henry Lee was the
most outspoken.
Then came June 7, 1776, and on
that date Richard Henry Lee offered
his historic resolution "that these
United Colonies are, and of right
ought to be, free and independent
states, that they are absolved from
all allegiance to the British crown;
and that all political connexion be
tween them and the State of Great
Britain is, and ought to be, free
and totally dissolved."
Some of the fainthearts were hor
rified at this drastic step. But slow
ly and surely the sentiment for in
dependence gained ground. At last
a committee was appointed to draft
a Declaration of Independence. By
every right Richard Henry Lee
should have been on that committee
and have written the historic docu
ment. But he had been summoned
home by illness in his family. Thus
the task fell to Thomas Jefferson,
John Adams and Benjamin Frank
lin. So Jefferson became the "Au
thor of the Declaration of Independ
ence." But who can deny that to
Richard Henry Lee rightfully be
longs the title of "Father of Amer
ican Independence”?
Although Lee returned to Phila
delphia in time to sign the declara
tion, it is an ironical fact that he
almost lost that liberty which he
so loved. For a force of British
swooped down upon Stratford,
his ancestral home, and Lee narrow
ly escaped capture by them. Until
1779 he remained in congress, taking
a leading part in preparing plans for
treaties with foreign nations which
brought the help so desperately need
ed by the Patriots. For a time he
commanded the militia of his native
county in repelling British raids
'long the coast of Virginia.
Summer fashions Tell a Storv
Of Fascinating Color Trends
By CHEBIE NICHOLAS
IT IS with a lavish hand that fash
ion dealt out color during the
spring season, and the emphasis on
color glamour in the style picture
is rushing on at a fast and furious
rate in the summer program.
It is not only that designers are
making a brilliant record in carry
ing out color technique that gives
full play to the imagination in the
matter of almost unbelievable com
binations that either contrast or
blend, but the fact that featured in
dividual colors are in themselves so
refreshingly "new” and out of the
ordinary makes this a season that
fairly thrills with excitement. Speak
ing in general, the scheme of things
seems to indicate gowns and suits
styled with sophisticated simplicity,
yet so strikingly colorful there’s nev
er a dull moment throughout the cur
rent fashion program.
Two outstanding trends that lead
to a new high in color glory in the
summer picture stress flattering, ro
mantic grays in soft sheers for both
day and evening wear, and also a
mad rush for dresses, coats, milli
nery and accessories done in bright
yellows, lemon yellow being most
important of all.
The flattery of these colors is told
in the two handsome, summery cos
tumes pictured in the above illustra
tion. In each instance it is color
that exultantly gives drama to the
ensemble. The simple dress, topped
with a swank, short box coat, shown
to the right presents a monotone
color scheme in the very new lem
on yellow. The dress is the newly
approved length with the straight
skirt which is on the way for fall.
The sleeves are short, as most
sleeves are wont to be in summery
frocks. A wide girdle belt of self
fabric fastens in front with a square
covered button. The coat has cuff
less bracelet-length sleeves. T^ie hat
is in matching yellow straw with
white polka dot veiling draped un
der the chin.
With ladies of fashion who appre
ciate the refined loveliness and sub
tle flattery of soft grays a prefer
ence is growing lor costumes made
of exquisite gray sheers having an
air of distinction about them that
makes definite appeal to discrimi
nating taste. The smartly styled
summer gown pictured to the left
in the above illustration is in this
class which dramatizes sophisticated
simplicity which conveys its mes
sage through style-correct color. It
is detailed with touches of char
treuse, and the wide-of-brim sun hat
is carried out in chartreuse.
Speaking of color importance,
“ginger” is very much exploited this
season. The fashion-alert are wear
ing colored straw hats with their
black, navy or white dresses and
suits this season, and the popularity
of this color is reflected in entire
costumes, from hat to shoes, carried
out in monotone ginger with which
topaz jewelry is effectively worn.
Considerable attention is being
given to brown-and-white alliances.
This is especially noticeable in the
latest prints, so many of which are
in brown patterned on a white back
ground or in white on brown. Hats
of brown straw that are be-ribboned
in white are also fashionable.
Color is especially carrying on at
a fast and furious rate in the realm
of play clothes and casual daytime
apparel.
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
Grooming Essential
To Chic Appearance
Now that wartime chic is ushering
in simplicity in dress, placing special
emphasis on practical suits, it be
comes more than ever essential that
special care be given to the matter
of neat grooming.
A simple, becoming hair-do, a
fresh looking complexion, a sparkle
in your eye and you will look attrac
tive no matter how simple your suit
or your uniform.
Economy is the better part of
beauty these days, so the busy
woman will find it practical to in
vest in some basic, many purpose
products. One of these is witch
hazel. Borrow the good qualities of
this old standby from your medicine
chest, and give yourself a facial.
Witch hazel applied with a piece of
cotton cleanses, freshens and tones
up the skin all in one quick opera
tion.
And be sure to take good care of
your clothes. Brush them often
and have them cleaned when neces
sary to preserve the life of the gar
ment.
Brush your hair, scrub your face,
file your nails to an efficient oval
and you will find that, although all
this takes a little time, it will pay
one of the most priceless dividends
—the chic apearance only good
grooming can give.
Fine Batiste
In the revival of exquisitely fine
batiste for the making of “nighties”
and foundation slips an old fashion
ia becoming a new fashion. In the
better lingerie departments and spe
cialty shops a revelation of lovely
lace-trimmed and finely tucked gar
ments is to be seen reminiscent of
grandmother's cherished wardrobe
of dainty “undies.”
Bows on Parade
The new slim silhouette advocated
by the War Production board in its
fabric conservation efforts is smart
ly interpreted in this New York
creation of brown crepe animated
by pert little bows of brown and
white polk a-dotted crepe. Bows are
certainly going on parade this sum
mer in unexpected ways. This scat
ter treatment, for example, ani
mates the dress neckline to hemline.
The large cartwheel hat is of white
sheer straw. Note the flattering
border of brown horsehair mesh.
And the hat, in a clever style ges
ture, buttons on.
By VIRGINIA VALE
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
LD phonograph records
L are now being collected
for our fighting men. The
movement is headed by Kay
Kvser, Kate Smith and Gene
Autrey, and endorsed by
Ginny Simms. Lily Pons,
Benny Goodman, Guy Lom
bardo and practically all the
other top notchers in music.
Used and broken records will be
converted into scrap and sold, and
new records bought for U. S. army
camps, forts, naval stations and ma
rine bases here and overseas. The
American Legion and the Legion
Auxiliary will do the picking-up. If
you’ve got a man in the service,
you know what a fine thing this is.
-*
Colombia has two of last season’s
greatest grid greats, Bruce Smith
of Minnesota and Frankie Albert of
Stanford, on the lot la films based
on their own live*. Two All-Ameri
can teams will figure in each pic
ture.
-*
RKO added a potential 26.000.00fi
customers for its “Sweet and Hot”
with the announcement that two
highly popular coast-to-coast pro
grams will appear in the forthcom
ing Tim Whelan musical, which co
LUCILLE BALL
■tars Lucille Ball and Victor Ma
ture. Charles Victor and his “Court
of Missing Heirs" program, and
Ralph Edwards and the “Truth or
Consequences” company have been
signed up for the picture.
-*
Director Alexander Hall sent a
camera crew around the city to pho
tograph kissing shots for a trailer
for “They All Kissed the Bride.”
He was so impressed by a girl whom
the camera caught kissing a young
man good-by at a railway station
that he offered her a screen test
She was Evelyn Scott, of Salt Lake
City. She accepted, but didn't show
up—she’d married the man she
kissed!
-*
Betty Rhodes, one of the top sing
ing stars in radio, will be Bing Cros
by’s leading lady in his next Para
mount picture, a radio story tenta
tively titled “Manhattan at Mid
night" She has her own half-hour
weekly radio show, singing over a
90-station network.
-*
Susan Peters Is the happiest girl
In Hollywood. She was just one of
a hundred ambitious young ac
tresses, with a small role in “Tish”
—and then suddenly she had the
second feminine role in “Random
Harvest,” starring Ronald Colman
and Greer Garson, and a new long
term contract with Metro to boot.
A local girl, she’d been trying for
two years to get a start in pictures.
—ik—
Recently Jack Holt visited his son
Tim on location for "Pirates of the
Prairie.” Seeing some cowboy ex
tras he’d played with. Jack sat down
on a bench in front of a saddle shop
to talk with them. A shot was
made of Tim riding by—and later
it was discovered that, by mistake.
Jack appears in his son's picture.
-5k
Lana Turner is cheering—she won
the dramatic role of the young wife
in Metro’s “Marriage Is a Private
Affair,” based on the book of that
name. It’s a rich and sympathetic
role, the sort that young actresses
dream of getting.
_M_
Amelia Earhart's favorite racing
plane, the one in which she broke
several national records, is being
used by Pat O’Brien in his role of a
dare - devil pilot for Columbia’s
“Flight Lieutenant.” It had been
rented for spectacular film scenes
in which O’Brien is supposed to
make test dives. It was not until
O’Brien saw Miss Earhart’s signa
ture scratched on the instrument
panel that he learned the plane had
been hers.
-*
ODDS AND ENDS—Lucille Manners
had terrific “mike fright” until an engi
neer took a microphone to pieces and
showed her how it worked . . . Lionel
Barrymore was asked by Rudy Vallee
if he would consider taking his broth
er's place on the Vallee radio program,
but he refused because of ill health . . .
Columbia’s “Lucky Legs” revives the
“pixilated sisters" Frank Capra intro
duced in "Mr. Deeds" in Adele Row
land and Elizabeth Patterson ... Feodor
Chaliapin Jr., son of the famous Rus
sian basso, has a short but spectacular
role, that of Koshkin, in “For IF horn
th» Bell Tolls "