Henderson daily dispatch., 1934-01-25
CHAPTER /

SHF WAS standing against the
rail Of the promenade deck when
Tiggie Turner first caught sight of
her-a pale. brown haired girl with
chldShly . WiSttul blue eyes that
seemed TO be searching for someone.
The sun blazed down with a pitiless
intensity upon the awning. and the
boards underfoot were hot They
had left bombay three hours before.
and most of the women were resting
in their cabins or on deck chairs
in the coolest corners to be found.
Tiegie himself had been on the point
of following their example and seek
ing peace and comparative cooInesS
below--since he was going home on
sick leave and was still something
of an invalid-when he spied the
slight, solitary figure standing at the
rail.
No one else paid any attention TO
il: In fact II seemed to Tiggie al
most rs II it might be an apparition
visible TO him alone. But he was
not in the habit of seeing appari-
tions. and he decided that the girl
in question. II not quite as solid as
most of the people around her, was
at least composed Of the same ma
terial. Doubtless she was waiting
for someone to join her. and with
this thought in his mind he was
about TO pass her by when she
turned her head and met his eyes
upon her.
She did not speak: he remem-
bered that afterwards. But the
effect OF her look was such as TO
arrest him as completely and effec-
tually as though she had uttered
cry for help. 1e stood stIll. lifting
q hand in salute.
81 beg your pardon! Are yon
looking for someone?"
yes" she said-"yes." her voice
very low. rather breathless-"my
husband.
"Your husband!" said Tiggie.
Have you missed him? Praps I
can find him for you!" ..'..
"Oh. thank YOU" she said. II
wonder II you can. He told me to
wait down in the cabin. but as
he didn't come-and 1t was so
stuffy 81" ... M
lie detected look Of panic in the
blue eyes and replied to it almost
instinctivelv "Oh. he's somewhere
about. I'll see if I can get hold of
him. What's he like? What's his
name?" ..,
"His name"-she still spoke half
under her breath-"is Norman-John
Norman. He is dark-with IRON
gray hair-and black mustache-
rather-rather fierce to look at =. ~
Her voice tailed off; her eyes con-
tinued to appeal.
"Oh. that's good enough" said
Tigeie I'm have a look round.
Can't get you chair first?"
"Oh. please don't wait!" she said.
Of you can only find him--that's all
/ want"
"Right-ho! said Tlggie with a
smile. "I'll see what can be done"
lie departed. to spend the next
haIf-hour in an exhaustive and
wholly fruitless search for the owner
OF the brown haired girl with the
Wistful eyes on the promenade deck.
1t was somewhat like looking for
a needle in a haystack. for the in
eVitabe confusion attendant upon
liners departure still prevailed on
hoard and Tiggie most good
natured of men-was hot and per-
spring freely before he finally sue
ceeded in securing the purser's at
tention.
look here! Have you got fell
low called Norman on hoard this
ship? What's the number of his
cabin?"
lie might have gone back to the
silent watcher on deck to ask this.
but something restrained him from
doing so.
Norman. sir?" said the purser. Il
can't tell you off-hand. but can
md out. Is it urgent?"
"Ill wait" said Tiggie.
He waited-for another half-hour,
al the end Of which the information
came.
There's a Mrs Norman on board.
sir She has a double -berthed cabin
Number 53 to herself. But no
Mr.. Norman. He didn't sail-dldn't
take a ticket"
"The devil" said Tiggie: then,
Tecollecting himself. "Oh, that's all
right. Thanks very much. Sorry to
have given you the trouble. My
mistake!"
And with that he went away to