The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-07-24

ting very still, her eyes downcast, her slim body suddenly tense.
 Nelly went on, "You won't ever see him az | any more than I shall ever see you. Ships that pass in the night that's what we are"
 But l shall see you again." Ceorgie said quietly. "I want you to come and stay with me If you will"
 Stay with you?"
 The two girls looked at one anoth. CT silently for a moment. then sud- denly Nelly began to weep. You don't really mean it. l know if we hadn't had to share a cabin you wouldn't have spoken to me at all. It's kind of you to say you'll ask he. but know you won't when 1t comes to the point"
 "I don't think you know much about anything" Georgie said comic ally. You've got everyone and ev- erything all wrong. Life isn't half so bad if you won't let 1t be. And" Georgie wen. on positively. "You're quite wrong if you think I'm in love with MT. Boyd"
 Nelly climbed into bright pink pyjamas.
 Alright. have 1t your own way" she said. "Im going to bed"
 And when will you come and stay with me? I'll give you my ad- dress before we land. and you must let me know when you are free."
 "Weekends are my only time," Nelly said: she sat on the side of the bed. one foot already under the sheet. q say. do you mean it?" she asked again tensely.
 "Of course do."
 The foot came out again, and Nel- ly took an impulsive dive across the narrow cabin and dropped a half shamed kiss on Georgie's cheek. Well. you're decent" she said. Goodnight"
 She disappeared beneath the bed clothes.
 eC EORGIE finished undressing and ~ lay down. She had never felt more wide awake in her life.
 Many a better man than he is has gone overheard just before the boat gets in" NelIy's words haunt ed her.
 It was all nonsense of course: Nicholas Boyd was not that sort of man-not coward! and yet. well he certainly hadn't much left to live for. not now. He wasn't anybody any more. and 1t was quite possible that even his wife had turned him down.
 How could woman be SO cruel? A woman who had shared his sue. cess too. Georgie's heart ached for the man who had said to her so quietly. ant without vestige of self-pity. You're little fool. Robin. a bigger little fool than even 1 took you for if you can squeeze out a single tear for an ugly. scared devfl who has toppled of his brass pin nacle into obscurity."
 That was ths only time he had ever spoken about himself to her: no. he was not coward. Life might have knocked him down. but Georgie was sure it could never master him: he would take up the broken threads and make something out of them. even if he had to do 1t alone.
 "But believe shall be there to help him." she told herself. Some thing in me tells me quite surely that shall be there to help him."
 She fell asleep at last, full of quiet confidence. the only trouble being that when she awoke next morning life did not seem quite so simple.
 She could not find Nicholas though she hunted t1e decks for him.
 It was raining little and the sea was grey and rather choppy.
 People were packing and the gangways and passages were al- ready stacked with big trunks and suit-cases.
 Georgie wandered about on Boyd's deck peering at the labels on all the big trunks (she was sure that Nicholas would have quantities of luggage) but when at last she found a trunk that bore his name. 1t was simply labelled London" And London was such a big placel
 Her uncl, had once told her that if man wished to hide. 1t was safer to go out of his own house and into the one next Qoor than to go to Lon. don and hope to be lost. but on the other hand Mrs. Lovelock who cooked and cleaned the house and got her own way in everything. had always declared that nobody could ever find you in London if you didn't want them to.
 You can walk about London for a month and never see a soul you know" she had once told Georgie. "London's the loneliest place in the world for all that it's supposed to have i've million people in It."
 fCopyrioht. Isss. Doubleday Doran)
 Nicholas rebuffs ceorple's friend.
 f.. s>->s->~