The daily Alaskan., 1917-08-06
"wa,t A minute, f want to askn--

"Walt a minute. i want to ask"--
 I am afraid %as guilty of rank dis. courtesy in hanging up the receiver before heard her question, but knew i should be unable to answer it any way, and 1 had to have an opportunity to think what 1t was all about.
 First of all, Lucille must be told and an end put to her anxiety. went upstairs and called "LucfleP'
 ... '. CHAPTER X.
 The Clam Hunter. .TAHBRE was no answer, and I
 stepped to the door of her room,
 which stood open She was ly-
 ing on her bed, dressed, with her head on her arm, sleeping the dead sleep of utter exhaustion. She seemed very small and childish, and her fn- gers curled adorably, like a baby's. 1 didn't have the heart to waken her., so I dptoed out The news would be just as welcome when she wakened of her own accord, and sleep would do her much good. b.
 When came downstairs saw Bopp go through the yard, looking under every bush and Into every gully. l went out to tell him that Mrs. Green was located.
 He stopped when he saw me.
 "I see Clair has cut you out with your actress friend" he said. "I saw them arm in arm on the beach a min ute ago. There's no use talking, Mon ty, you can't seem to hold a girls at tention long enough to slip a ring on her. Why don't you try advertising in one of those matrimonial papers?"
 'Imade no answer, but turned around abruptly and went back to the house. was angry enough myself to let him hunt until the crack of doom before l would tell him that Mrs. Green was found.
 When entered the house the tele- phone was ringing again. took off the receiver.
 "Hello% l said.
 "Heliog' said a masculine voice. "I am a newspaper man, representing the Haniman syndicate. l understand that you had an earthquake over there this morning and that Mrs. Green, the wife of the president of the First Ma tional bank, made her escape In an aeroplane dressed in a spangled red ball gown I want to know If l have these facts absolutely correct be- fore P'l- '~ '"'
 1 carefully lowered the receiver un- til 1t hung suspended from the wires and tptoed away from the telephone, letting him talk to the empty air
 The story was out.
 When l went out, after leaving the reporter holding the wire, so to speak, I took Tootles for q walk, and l then turned my attention to the undevelop- ed food supply which l had discovered earlier when walking with Vida. There were hundreds of fresh water clans on the beach, and 1t was possi- ble to dig them in the cove when the water was not particularly rough. l spent the afternoon wading, Compen- sated for the cold discomfort of the performance by the thought that by providing food I would win back a large share of the favor had lost with Lucille. Not that she would ad- init that she needed food, Not she.
 Vida and Llpton S. Clair strolled by while l was wading. It seemed to me that she was making rapid progress to- ward winning her bet.
 Are you still looking for Mrs. GreenT Clair called out as fished under water curiously.
 ."No," l replied shortly, T am teach ing pet fish to swim"
 'You look as though you were talk ing one of those barefoot cures" ,,"I didn't know you could cure bare feet" supplied Vida. By the way, Mir. Blainey, does your ring come of easilyT"
 "It would from your hand. Do you wish to wear it?" ID '. "Oh, no, not yet-not until am en- titled to. You can begin to work 1t of though" 10. ''.
 "Did any one call me up on the tele- phone" asked Mir. Clair.
 "Yes," l said.
 "Why didn't you call mel" he de manded grossly. q haven't been far away"
 The self assurance of this man en- ragged me. Here he was, an uninvited guest, complaining that he was not B 1X