The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-08-04
E Chapter IS W UNCLE EDWARD

E Chapter IS
 VI UNCLE EDWARD
 IN q moment Georgie was wide IT awake, realizing that it was mere
 " her uncle coming home from the
 Boar's Head. She passed trembling
 hand over her rougheIed hair and
 went out into the hall to meet him.
 Edward Bancroft stood at the foot
 ofthe stairs, his face flushed and his
 hat on the floor at his feet: he stared
 at Georgie for a moment in silence,
 then he burst out:
 What's all this nonsens tWhere's Lovelock?"
 Georgie's lip trembled. "Dr. Dudd ssent her to the hospital; she's ill"
 "Ill!" he swayed a little. I'll! Rot sand rubbish" he stormed as Georgie
 had known he would. cover eaten,
 that's what's the matter with her.
 Look at me? Do ever make a pig of myself?" ~Not with food" Georgie said. He swayed a litle closer to her. N, What d'you mean by that?" he demanded thickly. You mean that
 drink, suppose, do you? A nice
 thing when a mans own whipper-
 snapper of a niece tells him he's
 drunk"
 T didn't say you were drunk"
 Georgie said. She was very near
 tears; the events of the day had
 shattered her nerves. But all the
 same think you've had enough a"d
 you ought to go to bed"
 "Had enough, have I?" he roared. "And who gave you permission to tell me when I'd had enough? Go to bed and mind your own business" |. ''Tm going" Georgie said, thank |r full to be dismissed so easily. but when she would have passed him to E mount the stairs. he caught her by the arm, swinging her roughly round to him again.
 K "Lovelock's gone, has she? We'll, o you can go too. and good riddance. I I'm sick of white-faced, useless fe- 1 males about the house. What good
 are you, anyway, should like to
 know; standing there staring at me E with your moon-struck eyes. Just like your mother; the same self i 1sh :"
 \ Georgie suddenly regained her courage.
 You can leave my mother out of | the question:" she said with spirit. 1 ~And as for staying here, do you ! think I want to stay if I'd got any l where else to go?"-she broke off l with little cry of alarm. "Oh, you're i not going to hit me?"
 3 Hit you" He kept his rough hold of her for moment staring at her with his blood-shot eyes, then sud denly he pushed her from him with all his strength. so unexpectedly that her light body was flung back be- fore she could make any attempt to recover herself. She half swung round in a desperate attempt to catch at something to save herself from falling and her head came into violent contact with the heavy oak |b balusters.
 "That'Il teach you, perhaps. my lady" Edward Bancroft muttered, and with a grim laugh of satisfac- tion he slunk off unsteadily to his library leaving Georgie where she aad fallen. m NICHOLS BOYD came slowly ~ down the winding old staircase of the Boar's Head and, crossing the deserted lounge, looked out at the r sunshine.
 pr, Dude had advised him to lie up for day or two longer, but Nich- olas was not man to take advice, so this morning he had dressed and had been tempted by the bright sun shine to venture out.
 Nicholas walked slowly down the rpad. his thoughts many miles away, for only that morning he had re- ceived letter from his wife, char acteristically f1ippant and selfish, in- forming hi that she had at last got the opportunity she had long desired and that those who were in a posi- ton to know, were assured that she was well on her way to becoming . great star. "I am to play opposite Roy Fran els in story called Moonlight It seems funny. doesn't it.. that you and I should suddenly have changed places in the world. I wonder what you are doing? Isn't 1t rather silly |vtp bury yourself as you have done? At any rate am sure that now you will see how wise was not to have