Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1935-03-29
CHAPTER Nv


Jim was quite unaware that Jesslca
had seen the fight or that she had
discovered the truth about him.
In fact, he supposed her to be over
at her bungalow.
Jim permitted Sykes to examine his
camp and Sykes was practically con-
vinced that Jim was just a camper.
81 don't expect you'll go tellin' folks
about me-" Sykes said.
"Not interested. Just keep away
from me and I'll forget it, although
there was no reason why you couldn't
have come along like man and talk
ed it over"
"We was so sure you was one OF
them prohibition guys we decided to
give you lesson"
"And you might have been shot. If
you had made another move I would
have plugged you."
"No hard feelings" Sykes said.
Jim watched him and his men cross
the little sand ridge and go to their
launch.
"Well, we had bit of excitement,
Mose," he said.
81 got me plenty of excitement
where one of dem men slug me on tn
jawr," Nose complained.
Jim hurried to make his camp ship
shape and he and Nose started in the
launch for the mainland. He was be-
coming impatient. His deed should
have arrived by this time and once he
had his proof as to his ownership of
this island all would be well. He
wouldn't have to be sailing under false
colors.
Poor Jim was greatly disappointed
when he discovered that the deed had
not arrived, nor was there any letter
or telegram from his father.
However, he bought two new novels
and other small gifts for Jessica and
started back to his island.
Meanwhile Jessica was in a mental
turmoil.
She scarcely knew where she was
going when she moved away unseen
from Jim's camp after learning the
truth.
Her love for Jim had been real, and
her faith in him unshaken. That he
could have been laughing at her all
this time, posing as Robinson, when he
was really that detestable Mr.. Harper,
was such jolt to her pride that she
was fighting mad.
Give the pride of any girl hard
jolt and it hurts. If the lady chances
to be statesque titian-haired beauty,
it more than hurts, it enrages her.
And so while Jim was making the
trip to the mainland and Sykes and
his men were going back to the secret
inlet for bundles, Jessica was striding
about the beach in as great a rage as
she had ever experienced.
She didn't feel like going to the
bungalow just then; she didn't want
to explain to her mother while in that
mental turmoil. She decided to walk
it off, to degree, to get cooled off
and try to decide just what she would
do to make Jim Harper suffer.
Of course she wouldn't marry him!
But that wasn't enough.
Scarcely realizing where she was
going, she neared the east side of the
island, and then she heard laughter
and voices.
Carefully and unobserved she made
her way up to the very edge of the
little camp. She was on a dry arm
of land and could get a good view of
the inlet. At once she recognized the
men who had attacked Jim.
Jessica frowned and wondered what
they were doing there. Sykes came
out from the cave with a bottle in
his hand and then Jessica understood.
Not only were they rum-running, as
they so openly admitted to Jim, but
they were hiding the liquor on her is
land.
1t was bad enough to find out how
Jim had deceived her, but worse to
think that her own private island was
also being used by rum runners!
Something else would have to be
done. She would get the authorities
over there. While she was no prohibi-
ton fanatic, she certainly didn't pro-
pose to have her island used as a rum
smuggling base.
1t was past noon when she got back
to the bungalow. She had watched