The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-09-24
CHAPTER 12. A BATTLE OF WITS.

Nan said: Please tell me, and heard her voice hurry and stum- ble. Ferdinand couldn't know-he couldn't know anything. And if he did-no, he ldn't-she couldn't face it-not here, not now, with Jervis looking at her. No. he was not locking at her. he was looking with a half-frowning tolerance a. F. F. and F. F. was saying:
 Don't look so frightened-he got out of it all right; thanks to the pluckiest kid I've ever run across" He flung around to Jer- wis. Did you ever find out who she was?"
 Jervis said, No"
 Nan leaned forward with her el- bows on the table and her chin in her cupped hands. The move ment was purely instinctive. Her heart was beating and her lips trembling. She pressed hard with one of her fingers against the cor ner of her mouth.
 Well then, Mrs. Weare, you shah hear the story
 Tt won't interest her." said Jer- wis.
 "Oh, please tell me-" Nan begged quite steadily. Her grey eyes were dark They met F. F.'s dancing question marks with a certain soft dignity.
 He knew her-and he knew that Jervis didn't know.
 She dropped her chin on her hand again and waited for what he was going to do with his know ledge.
 You shall have the exclusive story If Jervis doesn't want to listen to it, he can leave us. Now, let me see. |. nine-ten-itn be ten years ago Yes, exactly ten. because it was August and I'd gone down to Croydston-well, I can't remember just why I had gone down, but there was, and being there, I went for a hike along the beach and as near as possible get cut off by the tide. How many thousand words does this run to, F. F." said Jervis.
 Ferdinand took no notice. He went dramatically on, retelling the story of Mans rescue, and of his own part in it. Nan appeared to listen with all her faculties, her concentration a means of hiding her nervousness. Her mind skipped away for a moment when it re- turned, F. F. was saying:
 C.. TIC I.so last wave broke clear over her head and the return of it cut her arm to the bone against the rock, should say she'd scar there she'd never lose. And all she said when I pulled her out was Is he alive?' Extraordinary what?"
 The scar was on Mans left arm, three inches below the elbow. She moved naturally as F. Els bright eyes swept her face. The move ment took her back, turned her towards Jervis, dropped her hands into her lap, and hid the small white scar against the cloudy grey of her frock. She caught queer remembering look on Jervis' face F. F. was speaking to him.
 Pity you never found out who she was"
 The queer look deepened.
 'Is it a pity? I-dont know ? he said slowly.
 Nan heard her own voice with surprise. She had not meant to speak but she heard herself say: You would rather not know her really?"
 AS before, something passed be- tween them-a curious flash of un- derstanding. Then he said with a short laugh.
 Well it would be rather diffi- cult to live up to that sort of be- ginning-wouldn't it?"
 She smiled slowly and gravely.
 "Now, that's just fear. You're afraid of meeting that plucky girl not because you wouldn't know what to say to her, but because you'd know very well, and you'd be afraid to rushing into words which you'd never be able to think