Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-10-12
III
P.

In
tween himself and the yacht owner
would be strained, but he was wrong
Horton had won his point-to hin
Eric was simply another tool that ha6
resisted him at first, but now ha6
bent to his use.
For convenience sake, he introduced
the new first officer to the yachting
party. The young man was Roy
Stuart, himself the son OF wealth. an
amateur OF considerable standing In
certain fields Of biology and ethnology,
the choice OF Horton for his daughters
hand and apparently OF the girl her
self, and certainly the most complex
and perfect intellectual machine that
had ever crossed Eric's trail. Roy
was the only guest: accompanying the
party was Marie Chambond, Mans
maid from old Lorraine, and d be-
specialized, grave. little mar named
Wilcox, Of Eric's own age, who an
peared to be Horizons secretary.
And this" said the yacht owner
introducing his mother, is Madam
Horton"
Madam Fiddlesticks," the old lady
snorted. .Young man, that's simply
some more OF Felix's nonsense. Nv
enemies call me the Old Witch. stran.
gers call me Mrs. Horton, and to nv
friends-and | hope you'll soon be
among the number-T'm Mother Hor-
ton Felix thinks that's plebeian. but
I like It."
Horton had chosen one OF the lone
Hest and least known cruising grounds
In the seven seas. the north side OF
the Aleutian island chain.
North OF Ignak island, far to the
west, there's a great shoal, sixty miles
In diameter" Horton said. II propose
to penetrate 1t, and find some unchart-
ed islands,"
Eric looked unbelief. But 0
can't get inf''
Wen seel I've never failed yet on
an undertaking. Where any shin OF
our draft has gone, the Intrepid can
ioli0W. InALE nnal.'
Its the reefs and tides and weather
that are final, up In these seas" Eric
said. what makes you think a shin
has ever been la there7"
ROY Stuart has record OF 1t. In an
old Russian diary. An early explorer
named Kirilof found a pass through
the shoals into deep water, and came to
some Inhabited islands. II the people
are still there-you know how the
Aleuts migrate from island to island
they are OF course visited BY occa.
sional traders, out from Kamchatka.
perhaps every year."
I've eve heard OF It,"
MY theory Is that the shoals are n
hollow circle, the submerged tops of
mountains, but the center Is deep wa
ter Anyway Wen soon see"
Through Unimak pass and west
the Intrepid ventured. Already
she was far Off the sea-lanes. and
only craft she glimpsed was a
gray specK half across the world that
vas the masts Of n Of Americas
coast guard.
Eric was alone on the boat deck
when a misty figure appeared In the
moonlight. 1t was Nan Horton. seek-
ng the reality Of the strange dreams
Il adventure that the enchanted night
In her young heart.
Wholly without embarrassment
Nth a frankness and self-assurance
hat put him on guard, she came and
Q o beside him, her arm almost
ouching his. For a long time she
'azed In silence into the spangled
ky.
Eric'H heart give a curious fling
Instantly he knew, without knowing
or why, that Nan and himself
ould never ignore each other: that
hey could not even pretend to be-
trangers; that they reacted upon each
like wind IN water. As a sailor
9 was not without superstition and
9 believed that their fates were In
Yet she was her fathers daughter
Though she was fine where Horton
coarse, generous where be was
lean, gentle where he wal hard. vet /
arrogance had come to her straight /,
she obeyed no laws but her
desires. She would take, but moi /,
Observation-Disclosures rather than |
'lfshness-and she was imperions To /
g last curly hair OF her beautiful
Like her father, she made i
OF those who came into her I
rcle--not meaniy. to exalt her own i