The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-11-04

 of the@first cab, opening the door for her.
 "One-twenty, Broadway, please. Che moment, I must say goodby to my friend.'
 Lester was striding toward her.
 Wait Hallie-"
 T will meet you two weeks from today She kept her voice perfectly even. You have accepted my word of honor as to that, so we have nothing more to discuss. I am go- ing to see a lawyer on some pri- vate business of my own"
 He dragged at her arm. He was losing his head-she had feared that he might lose his head after the ceremony.
 She knew what had happened. The words that bound her to him were ringing in his head; the mem ory of his ring on her finger, of himself putting it there, made a picture that slid over that other picture of the stern, cold, implaca- ble stranger who had journeyed with him from Baltimore. And he had been drinking.
 "Hallie. darling, let's drop all that Socks nonsense-no life for you fetching and carrying for an in- validl Come with me-have gor- Igeous time"
 Tn two weeks, if you wish it, we will go. You had better write to me at Mrs. Barthclomew's in South cliff and arrange where I am to meet you Now take your hand off me or I will scream for help as l screamed yesterday Move aside Thank you Goodby.' She had a glimpse of him as her cab rolled off-a glim p SC from which she shrank He looked-he had forced smile to his lips-he looked. at last and completely the age-old satyr whose youth is eter- nal The beautiful desirous beast. She covered her face with her 1 hands.
 ! It was during her journey that she had decided to seek out MT Perle. At times, it had crossed her mind as strange that she should have found no letter from him on any of her calls at the Southcliff postoffiee It was possible that his -haired, affected little ward had never delivered the message. Ger tainly, the original reason for want ing to see him no longer existed. Mrs. Bartholomew had told her her name. Tt is that I want, after all, to know if I have any people Of my cwn,' Hallie told herself. Any body who could help me if things get worse than I can bear"
 She gave her name to a clerk.
 Miss Conaldine?"
 He locke dconfuSed and she had to repeat it. She added
 T should be very glad if MT. Perle could spare me few min utes. Perhaps you had better tell him that I was Miss Ellesmore's niece
 The short, oyer-groomed man who rose to receive her was not in the least what she had expected MT. Perle to be. For one thing, he was middle-aged instead of very old, and for another, he seemed to be repressing excitement at sight of her.
 Miss Ellesmore's niece, think you said? Miss Marietta Ellesmore? Indeed! You must forgive me, but 1t is so many, many years since I had the pleasure of seeing Miss Ellesmore."
 "She died five years ago. said Hallie.
 MT. Perle bowed his head.
 "Indeedl" he said very softly. T had no idea. An, we'll remember her great affection for you, my dear young lady, She was concern ed, moreover. about the question of your-ah--name. N.s
 She brought me up in her own name" agreed Hallie. She offered once to tell me who I was but refused to hear her. had gather' ed that my father had abandoned my mother and me and didn't want to talk about him. But when she was dying, Aunt Harry gave me your name and your private ad- dress and said if I ever changed my mind you could tell me whc 7 was" a 1 That is so," he asserted. "Youi parentage-" he paused and shoof his head. Not a happy one"
 q know that my father was g criminal. An old friend of my aunt's with whom I stayed some time ago, told me my name. Alsf that my father-that there was z search for him"
 You should have come to me 1T