The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-06-02

her face had gone rather sharp and set, and 1 did not like the look of her eyes back of their darkened eye lashes. It was good sixty seconds
 before she spoke. and in the little
 interval Pucci cast me a reproving glance and then pushed his wide bill against Grethe's red hair and fiared his yellow crest.
 T don't understand you, MT. Sun dean." she said at last. Surely you don't think the murder of last night had connection with your"
 It was clear. of course, that there was something evil going on in the old hotel. But 1 think that, until that very moment. l had not felt so definitely the presence of widening and entangling currents.
 She did not, I think. detect the course of my thoughts. although her green gaze was very sharp. 1 said quietly but more cautiously:
 No. I don't think anything of the kind. While 1 may not be a particu. larly welcome guest, still 1 don't think = anyone - would go to the trouble of murdering a man in order to get rid of me. By the way-who was the murdered man?"
 T don't know." she said in a tight voice; narrowed eyes watched my face. Do your"
 q? Absurd! You know that. But another question. madame" In my turn l leaned toward her. Why were you anxious to keep me from arrest last night?"
 LTER smooth lids went down T \ again. but not before I'd caught a look that warned me. She rose, and l rose too. naturally. and the move brought her very close to me. So near that could feel the warmth of her body. Her lips were parted a little. and her eyes. lifted again to mine. were very bright and shining.
 Tt should not be difficult to find the answer for that" she said softly.
 She would be pliant and warm and exciting in my arms. 1 wondered cieetingly how soon l could replace the faintly triumphant look I'd caught in her eyes with something quite different.
 l tossed my cigarette into the fire. lstook the cockatoo from her shoul. der and set him on the chair near and bent over her mouth.
 But 1t waited for me. and strengthened suddenly without touching it or her.
 Madame" I said pleasantly, lis more than kind. Madame is also beautiful. The cockatoo is eating fringe off the chair"
 He was actually doing just that, m a heaven inspired moment but with very dubious look. He took another bite without eagerness but philosophieally. as if in scientific pursuit one must put up with poor tasting bite now and then, and Ma dame Grethe looked at me. . l was rather interested to note that there was nothing but kind Of faintly surprised curiosity in her gaze. Then she laughed a little, turned and picked up the cockatoo- he resisted out of pure deviltry, stretching out his neck for more fringe and squalling. but her hands were firm about him-and she faced me again. still smiling.
 And Monsieur" she said, Ifs a very reckless young man. Good night"
 l opened the door for her. She held out her hand to me. still smil- ing. and l think genuinely amused and not in the least angry. l bowed very low over her hand, and she turned gracefully into the corridor. and l closed the door behind her and took long breath and hoped she wouldn't meet Sue. At least until she was at a considerable dis tance from my room.
 l was thinking of Sue when heard her knock on the door. As opened it she was looking rather fixedly at the spot on the corridor floor where the dead man had hud. dled. She looked small and quiet and frightened. and took her hand and pulled her quickly into the room and closed the door.
 Were the corridors creepy?" l said. Come over to the flre." She shivered and said yes rather breathlessly and sat down in the chair l had just left.
 "It's very queer." said Sue. But fof the last week or two I've been nervous about going these half-dark corridors. I keep feeling that there's someone coming along behind me. Or looking put of closed doors"
 fCopyriOht. i9SS. Mtgnon c. EberhartJ
 Sue confesses, tomorrow, a chill