The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-10-19

fish which flap slowly to and fro be-
 hind the plate glass of an aquarium.
 The light in the office was almost | as opaque as water, and he had the
 pale unwinking stare of fish. He
 had a voice that matched, high and
 weak.
 "Please may I see an entry in the
 register? It's marriage-on the
 twenty-fifth of July"
 "Last?"
 l Caroline did not take his meaning. l She looked at him with bewfldered eyes.
 Please may see the register of
 marriages for the twenty-ffth of July?"
 Last July?"
 "Yes-oh yes"
 She stood and waited. She wasn't afraid: she kept insisting on that
 There was nothing to be afraid
 about-there couldn't be. She was
 going to see Jim Riddell's sigma
 ture, and it would be the signature
 of stranger. There wasn't the very
 slightest possible doubt about that.
 She saw the clerk turn the pages
 of the register-big, stiff pages thick
 with the names of men and women
 who had gone adventuring into mar.
 riage through this drab back door.
 Perhaps if you loved someone very
 much. you wouldn't notice the lino-
 leum and the smell of disinfectant.
 Here you are," said the clerk in
 his high weak voice. He stood aside
 and pointed at the left-hand page of
 the open book.
 l Caroline, little dazed, looked
 down at the names. She saw Nesta's
 name first-"Nesta Williams, spin
 ster." And then-"James Riddell,
 bachelor" It wasn't Jim's writing
 of course it wasn't. What odd writ
 ing it was-like a child's. No, it wasn't. A child wrote round hand. This was moro like shaky print. She looked up with puzzled frown.
 What funny writing!" "What?" said the clerk. "Oh, that? Written with his left hand, that was, on account of having his right arm ) in a sling-motor-bicycle accident, I think he said."
 CAROLINES heart jumped; she O didn't quite know why. Jim hadn't got his arm in sling. Jim hadn't had an accident. Jim hadn't writ
 ten that signature. Why didn't she ] feel all happy and triumphant? Why didn't she even feel relief? Why did ] she feel as if there was something horrid just round the next corner?
 The clerk was speaking, and she
 tried to give him her attention. If you want certified copy, 1t
 will be five shillings." T Caroline famed. A copy of this abominable lie! She made her voice gentle and polite with terrible eff fort. sff No. thank you" ~ 1s q The flame died down. She felt businesslike and rather tired. Jim Riddelps address was given as 14
 Saracen Row. Nesta Wiiliams' as 3 Grove Road. His fathers name was James Riddell1 too: her fathers name was Thomas Williams. She , wrote down both the addresses and asked to be directed to Saracen : Row. fA
 Third to the left, second to the right. and third to the left again. , said the clerk. sT '.tA II Caroline turned back at the door DO you remember this MT. Rid
 dell-couid you describe hfth?" Jl The clerks pale. pfomineht eyes
 looked at her without intelligence. sI "ffe had his arm in { sling ge "Oh. can't you tell me what hs
 looked iike?"Y s h4l F : aasaa why" said the clerk, Eve get :. them coming in all day. I shouldn', z remember about his arm if 1t wasn'l for the writing-said he'd never [ signed his name with his left hand before. and you can see what ar
 awkward job he made of 1t. If i,
 wasn't for that, Iwouldh't remember . him. sk .s''
 q You cant remember at all. Not , whether he was dark or fair, ol short or tall?" wssA II "No, miss, can't-and you might { take that to mean that there wasn'l ? anything very much to remember | You take my meaning I might have , remembered red hair, 'or a squint, ol 1. bandy legs. or anything over si1 } foot or under five. 50 you may take lit he was just one of the average , lot-and as I said before. they keeI on coming in. What with births. mar t riages and deaths, they keep coming !. in all day, and after bit you stor i, taking notice."7 6 1eeya
 Caroline went out feeling very r much discouraged. eas ,g ss fcopmioht. 1sss. J. B. Lsppincott Co.,.