The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-07-18
Chapter Three TOSSED ASIDE

TOSSED ASIDE
 A T last Nicholas felt peacefulness H closing about him. and then when the first rosy streak of sun light lit the greyness, he turned and flung himself down on the bed and kept heavily.
 When he awoke the door between his room and his wife's was stand ing wide open.
 He lay for little while looking at 't; somehow he knew instinctively that the room beyond was empty. She had left him a note. and she had left her wedding ring lying on 1t. st
 1 can't come with you Nick, and
 don't think you want me to, so I'm
 going away. Don't worry about me,
 but you won't-you said 1 should
 be all right. It's no use saying I'm
 sorry-you won't believe me. BERNIE.
 She had taken everything of value that he had given her, and she had left behind her wedding ring.
 The window was wide open to the morning sunshine. and Nicholas lift. ed his arm and flung the ring into the street.
 He thought again of the English countryside very much as man dying of thirst in the desert will think oi water. f4 s If there was boat home he would go by it. There was nothing to keep him in a country that had no more use for him; the thought put new life into him. @ TWENTY-FOUR hours later he was watching New York fade into the sunshine behind him.
 There had been nobody to see him of. He had registered under his own name but even that had not seemed to arouse much curiosity. so quickly was he fading from memory i
 He stood staring out over the sea, at the receding skyscrapers and the statue of Liberty which was grow ing every moment in perspective more like dumpy wagon.
 When he could no longer distin. gufsh her in the misty distance he turned and went down to his cabin.
 rha steward was there. unstraf,- ping his luggage.
 Nicholas drowned.
 "All right, leave it." he said short iy.
 The man stood up. "Anything l can do for you, Sir-?"
 "Yes. leaee me alone"
 How tired he was. He sat down on the side of his bed and stared down at his lame leg. The doctors had told him he was lucky not to have lost it.
 Overhead and all around was noise and bustle-voices calling. the thud of heavy luggage. Nicholas felt himself to be far removed from it all. He was travelling on this boat because there was no other way to go home, but he was something apart-the world had passed him by
 Someone knocked at his cabin door; he heard 1t but he gave nc sign. and the knock was repeated.
 Nicholas frowned-"Who is it?"
 The door opened timidly till I, was wide enough to show the slim figure of a girl who stood there with a bunch offiowers in her hand. z
 When she saw Nicholas. she smiled, and there was no trace of horror. or even of pity in the smile although she must have seen the thing that had made Bernie vince and turn away.
 Nicholas did not move, and she came step further holding out the flowers.
 'Do you mind? I thought you would like them" she said.
 HE made no offer to take them and she laid them down on the little table between them.
 "I'm going home too," she said.
 She was young and slender with a sort of elfin look that made Mich olas think once again of English countryside. Apart from that shs was not at all pretty. or vas it thai he had forgotten what natura beauty was like?
 Her hair was soft brown. and a lit tie untidy. hanging to her shoulders in loose curis. and she wore shor' dark skirt. and scarlet jacket. Bad