Evening star., 1933-02-23
INSTALLMENT I.

F all the small-town girls who
want to go to New York and
make good, June Varick was
not one of them. Yet she was
fated to get what she did not
wish in the strangest possible way. Her
Ing lights as she drove, bareheaded, up
the sunny slope of Pilot Knob, in the
Ozarks. But she was not thinking OF
New York.
Why, she was asking herself, couldn't
she love Hickory Ferguson? He was
q dear and she had half promised to
marry him when he returned for MS
senior year at the School OF Mines.
But she couldn't do it. So she was
running away, partly to avoid the hurt
look in Hickory's eyes, but chlefy pc
cause she wanted to study Journalism
ut the State university.
She did not know. Of course, that
she was driving straight into disaster.
It came in the form of huge car,
which shattered the serenity of her
nusing without warning. Like a
monster, it flashed over the crest OF the
knob, and swooped down upon June'S
little blue coupe with a v1ndlct1ve
crash. Then, ungracefully, 1t per-
formed a contortion at the foot OF one
of the oak trees that f1anked the high
way on either side, and spraWled IN
twisted defeat.
For a few moments there was almost
complete stiffness. A warm sun poured
over the early September foliage, spat-
tering the earth with globules of gold.
A squirrel peered down upon the scene
with bright, inquisitive eyes: AND nlros
twittered as joyously. as II TWO ioVely
and loved young girls did not lay
buried in the wreckage of the two cars.
Presently, another motorist appeared
and halted to take stock OF the damage.
This was Hal Stokes, who lived at
Yancy, a few miles beyond. He had
been in Junes class at high school.
and he recognized the bright red-gold
of her hair before he extricated her
from the overturned car. and saw the
widening stain on her white sweater.
1t was late the following day when
the girl in the bed adjoining June's
asked, Us this your house?"
Yes" was the brief answer.
Both girls had been under opiates.
June was thoroughly awake now for
the first time. and her companion had
evidently been waiting for the op-
uortunity to orient herself to her sur
"Is this your house?" she asked
again, thinking June had not under
stood her.
Yes, said"
why are we here2 Isn't there
hospital?"
IT'S nearly always full. My father is
q doctor he knows what Is pest
Hearing their voices, the nurse came
In. She fused with the shades,
smoothed the covers on the beds, and
stood awkardly about for a few mo-
ments, She did not want to miss any
thing. No one knew anything about
the strange girl, except her name. Dr.
Varick had looked in her bag and
learned that. But he hadn't not1f1ed
her family because there were so many
addresses he didn't know which was
the right one. Besides, she WASN'T go
ing to die and a few hours, more or
less. wouldn't matter. Johnny, the
garage man who had towed the big
car in from the scene of the accident,
said it was one of the most expensive
makes, and had New York license
"Now go to Sleep" she admonished,
finally. 1.-THE doctor said you was TO
be quiet"
Both girls closed their eyes. Re
luctantly, she went out. Chloe, the
Varick's colored servant. had called her
to supper, and she was dlvldeo pc
tween curiosity and appetite. She
naused on the landing few seconds,
hoping the conversation would pc re-
newed. Then they heard the thump
of her heels descending the stairs.
June moved her head little, ana
bro,1oht her eyes to focus on the other
girl Her skin looked startlingly white,
IN contrast with her jet-black halr.
Rut She was too dull at the momen!
tn take note of the petulant mouth ano
the unhappy eyes that met her own.
my name is june" sne Voiuneeefeo'
"June Varick." s,,o.bed
,o, wonder how 1t happened?"
You were straddling And you came
so fast I didn't have a chance TO get
out of your way, even II io Aao iiS
mind on it." s,..,,~
.J,ne dozed. Then she was aroused py
the uuery. "Say, will you be sporC
and not tell any one the accloent waS
INV fault? If my brother fnoS out, ne
won't let me drive any more. I've nay
the darndest luck-hes my GUARDIAN.
@r won't tell. Besides, I'll never see
' ives. YOU will. He'll come storming
ont here as soon as he discovers Wnere
I am" 1uon
"Iru have to, but there's no rusn.
IT. will do him good to fume NIUE.
He's been insufferable ever since motneI
died and left the most unjust wiz tnaC
was ever devised! I'm only nVe wears
younger than he Is ana ne treabs nle
like q child"
How old are you?"
'I'll be 81 in couple Of months"
.T was 81 in June. There's Dad,
can tell his step"
TWO pairs of suffering young eyes
were turned toward the door. DR..
Varick. a huge gray bulk OF man,
came in and closed the door then ran
the shades to the top OF the tall WIN
dows. The sun was dlsappeaIlng oe-
hind the blue veiled hills, and the room
was flooded with soft. muted light.
He held two evening papers in his hands
the st. Louis Post-Dispatch and the
Star. He folded one Of them SO that
it could easily be held in one hand
and passed it to Kay. Her eyes caught
the f1aring headline, Bishop Helress
Missing Since Yesterday" and settled TO
read the detailed story beneath.
DR.. Varick stood beside June's bed.
His fingers rested in professional ap-
praisal on her pulse for an instant, then
he stopped to kiss her. and stroke the
bright hair back from her face
''What is it, Daddy?" she asked,
reaching for the paper he held.
He let her read the story, Identical,
except for its telling. with the one Kay
was reading. The girls brother, Bruce
Bishop, was making Natlon-wlde
search for his sister fearing kidnap-
ing. She had been spending the Sum-
mer at a dude ranch in wyoming. Re-
turning from California, he had stop
ped for her at the ranch, and they had
started to drive to New York.
Bruce stopped in ST. Louis few days
on business, and Kay had been left to
amuse herself with friends-girlS who
had attended school in the East When
she did not return to her hotel at
Int r,irlnt hafnre Ia ct he not