Nogales international., 1930-03-11
Seventh Instal1nent
What Happened Before

At 4 party in Palm Beach given by Mr. cooper
C!ary, Lesson, an attorney, meets Lucy Harkness,
known as Devil-May-Care because of her adVen-
turous, eventful life In game in which partners
for the evening chosen, Lucy is won by Iinn
Stevens, who has great reputation as successful
heart-breaker Lesson is bit jealous. Tin
Stevens tells Lucy they are going aboard his boat,
the Minerva, and she accedes in order not TO be
"a gutter" Asked if she is sorry that he won
her company, Lucy says she is NOT and that
evidently Fate has arranged it. Tim thereupon
tells her to stop looking regrerfuy after Lesson.
Aboard Stevens boat, the Minerva, Ste
vens tells Lucy of his love. When she re-
plies with contempt for him, he grows vio-
lently angry and she becomes afraid. of him.
He saws he will never let her go from the
Minerva until she accepts him. To escape
him, she leaps into the water from her cabin
window, swimming a short distance under
water.
Lucy reaches land and meets DR.. Fergus
Faunce on an island. He takes care of her
and takes her home. Everyone IS worried
about her, and when she meets Stevens he
is frantic, regretful and still ardent in pro-,
testations of love.
Lesson informs Lucy that Stevens must.
raise quarter of a million dollars or go
to jail-''at FIVE o'clock" Lucy goes to-
her bank and raises the sum. r
Lucy goes to Stevens to help him, but
he refuses to take money from a woman
to whom he is not married So Lucy
marries this man that she hates, and
promptly runs away from him, gong TO-
her staunch friend DR.. Fergus Faunce to
tell what she has done.
Stevens sets out in search of Lucy,
Meanwhile, DR.. Faunce and Lucy lainch
a new boat. A hurricane wrecks them on
their first trip. Lucy. is saved, and hnds
herself aboard the Minerva, wondering
what happened to DR.. Faunce.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
She felt her throat constrict and
was Conscious Of an almost mastering
desire to scream. If Fergus had not
been saved, if he, her mad companion
in her mad adventure, had been lost,
then life would have no SAVIOR, not
even reason for continuance. If she,
.irnpelied BY motives which even to
herself were obscure, had dragged
Faunce to his death, then would she
be guilty of that death.
She cried out at sight of him, and
he leaped from the chair. She leaned
against the outer wall Of the. cabin and
laughed. He was so ridiculous in
hose clothes, obviously borrowed from
Stevens's supply. Then she wept
slightly, but dried her tears as he
advanced upon her. She aeld out her
hands to him.
"I wanted to die" she said. The
ear that I'd dragged you to death -"
AS his hand dropped gently upon
hers and imprisoned it, she met his
glance.
If she had not known before, she
would have been informed now. lie
loved her with that overnlasterlng love
which is given only to middle age.
Youth is romantic and desirous, but
the middle years bring selhess de-
Votion.
Don't, Fergus" she said brokenly.
my dear" he said, II can't help it..
Il seems to me that it's always been
so, and always will be SO. But I'm
not going to bother you with it, Lucy
dear. I didn't mean you to read it IN
uy eyes. But you have, and l am
glad, because if ever you need any
one l don't want to be melo-
dramatic, but I'd die for you, Lucy"
"Oh, Fergus, don't speak of death |"
she pleaded. We've been SO close =. E.
SO near :" Her voice ceased; the
hand that rested beneath Faunces
moved uneasily, and then the fingers
clenched. Faunce looked up. Stevens
had emerged from the pilot-house for
ward and was now approaching them.
Unwillingly Faunce admitted the
great charm of the man. His big body
moved cat-lil<e, smoothly, gracefully
He had the krack of wearing clothes
well, and his blue-hannel double
breasted jacket became him. The
Yachting cap could not entirely hide
the blond curls, and the tan of his face
but made his teeth the whittier as they
showed in smile.
Better, dear wife of miner" he in
quired.
She felt taunt in the inquiry and
her checks blazed.
II suppose l owe you my life?" she
queried.
He shrugged his wide shoulders.
mo need for protestations OF graft
tude, my dear. The hurricane hit the
Minerva and we were scurrying tor
the lee of Barracuda Island when we
saw the waterspout hit your craft.
We didn't know who was in your boat,
but we did the obvious thing. We
managed to save you. Rather shock
to pick ones bride out of the ocean,
clasped in another mans arms, but as
one gets older one understands that
life is lurid melodrana when it isn't
a savage farce. Sleep we'll, my dear ?
"Say, Faunce, would you mind let
ting me have word alone with my
! wife?"
Flaunce flushed at the brusqueness
of the request. He glanced at Lucy
"I'm not bit afraid of him, Fer
gus" she said.
Reluctantly the doctor arose and
walked forward. Stevens leaned
toward his wife.
"Where were you going with
Faunce?" he demanded.
81 don't at all mind telling you,". she
replied. 1--WE were going to spend last
night on Barracuda Island. Then we
were going to some Bahama key and
stay there"
"Forever?" he sneered.
"Until we became tired OF it. Until
I'd had time to think"
! "Well, you're going to do just that
hing" he said. "Only you're going