The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-11-24
Chapter II
SONIA NICHOLS

SOiN ~ tHtStiSGS
 TNHE girls coolness surprised curt. T Except for breaii.ing a little quickly Sonya was entirely calm aud self-possessed. She certainly had courage, he thought admiringly. even if she hadn't shown very much sense in coming over to that island alone.
 "Pd better take you back to shore, Miss. Your canoes wreck. We saw it down there. It's not worth repair ing"
 The breed got to his feet. wy you tell dat yong feller get my ca noe? Wat you go do wit me?"
 q ought to pitch you into the lake, friend. But I'm not going to. A night ion this isiandll sober you up and teach you lesson. You're lucky to get of so easy"
 To smooth out his enmity he add ed: "Im not reporting this to the Yellow-stripe because think you've ordinarily got more deceney than you showed this evening Ill beach your canoe below the cid post where you got it; and III see that you're taken away from here in the morn ing"
 He walked out on the rock thrust, got the girls net and creel of fish, and rejoined her.
 As they started down the land wash together. her hand touched his arm, little gesture of gratitude. "You and your partner to do this for a complete stranger like mel can't think of anything adequate to say" ;"
 Curt had not heard her speak be- fore. Her voice drew his attention A low contralto, it was tinged with an accent. faint, rather pleasant, giving an odd sweet overtone to her words. Her English was precise and flowing, but English was not her native tongue.
 "No bother to u6." he turned her thanks aside. But you do want to be more careful than you were to- night" He had meant to give her a stern "talking-to"; coming across to the island. he had even thought up several blunt things to say. But some instinct checked him.
 Paul had found. the canoe and brought it to the water edge. Use this one to go back in. Mam'selle," he bade Sonya. Our OWL is muddy from wet portage today. I'll take it."
 He stepped in and glided out into the channel. Curt fioated the breeds canoet helped his companion in, showed away, and followed in Paul's wake.
 The girl took off her tam. wiped her forehead with a ridiculously small kerchief. and looked back at the receding islands. For the first time Curt observed her closely. He tried not to stare but he could hard fly help it. He did not remember that he had ever seen so beautiful a girl as this tenderfoot stranger.
 She was odd and puzzling. Some thing about her-he could not pin it down ito any one thing-gaye him She depression of aristocracy. The fingers of her small brown hand resting on the gunwale were long and tapering; there was proud poise to her head; her firm nose. arched lips and delicately-molded chin lseemed finely aristocratic. Browtish-golden and silky. her hair was so long that he knew it must reach to her knees when she combed 1t out loose.
 LIE stopped padding minute to l l proffer her his opened cigarette case and lighter. She selected a cigarette. lit it slowly and deliber- ately. The little flame lighted up her face for a moment. and he saw her more distinctly--her long lashes. the brown of her eyes. the merest suggestion of dimple in her cheeks. She was about twenty-four. he judged; maybe twenty-fve-it was hard to tell girls age. especially | at twilight in canoe.
 Tn vague way he understood why | he had not given her that talking | to- She was no child. like Rosalie Marlin. to be scolded or lectured. She had character and depth to her. this stranger. Her thoughtful fea- lures showed a maturity far beyond her years. Q maturity of mind and heart which Rosalie did not have and never would attain.
 But all in all he did not know whether he liked her or not. She I was strangely beautiful, with the face of a Madonna and the body ofl