Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-03-23

f%4iA-o44 rlS4NE-kdeH YORK news 3Fn1iCNtE. INC
: Copgright: 1855: By 3 l.. WHITE
!. part oNE
LUIGI, ABOARD THE PURPLE
BUS, IS UNAWARE OF SINISTER
> FORCES WORKING TO PREVENT
z HER FROM REACHING
HER JOURNEYS END.
Lucy Tree had been warned not to
90 on her journey. She had received
three successive anonymous letters.
each containing the same message:
Stay at home. You VIII not reach
your journeys end.
In spite Of the hint her heart beat
faster when the Royal Purple bus. BY
which she was travelling, left the CHS
wick High road and swung round the
curve into the Great West road.
Lucy took off her beret. revealing
curious bleached lock in her brown
water waved hair, and sank deeper in
to the padded violet seat She was
under the spell OF motion, gliding on
and on through a muffled countryside
which held the unreal quality of a
dream. Before her unrolled the map OF
Old England, hiding small towns and
ancient villages In its fold.
She wished the journey would last
forever. For she was not only return
ing to work but she was faced with the
threat OF a painful ordeal at its end.
Although she looked typical smart.
modern girl Of attractive appearance
IN one respect her character was dis
tinctive. She held rigid principles in an
age Of compromise. It was therefore
envitable that she should clash with
one Of the old gang at the school where |
she was a sports mistress.
The atmosphere Of the place was
soaked with snobbery and its head was
dominated by her lifelong friend, Miss
Xaxley- Moore, a lady Of aristocraticI
birth and terrific personality, who
filled the post of matron
Miss Yaxley- Moore was arrogant,
and infallible In her judgment, which
SponSlole for the health Of the school
But, although she took temperatures
with the importance OF Harley street
specialist and splashed her conversation
with medical terms. Lucy soon discov-
cred that she was both incompetent
and lazy.
After few minor scraps they came
to grips over fat pupil, the daughter
of very important man. just before
the school broke up Lucy ordered this !
girl off the hocky field on the grounds
I
Moore chung to the creed that noblemen \
must be logged to demonstrate their
superior caste to the soft youth of the
L. @. @. and she brought up her heavy '
guns. Ii
In spite OF her opposition the young
games mistress won the battle and a '
doctor was called to examine the fat
girl. He diagnosed chest complaint, /
complicated by a weak heart. AS t
until the following day he instructed a
he icy matron how to sustain the
yirls strength during the night. u
Morning, however, found the patient Fl
n q state of inexplicable collapse. 81
When she was revived she asked for IL
lucy, on whom she laviShed the usual
schoolgirl worship. W
Darling" she whispered, "let my
'eople know. Old Glaxo" -she referred O.
o Miss Yaxley-M oOre-"sWore to the
octor she'd given me drops and things fa
very two hours. But I got nix. call
and called, and she only snored" ST
Leave 1t to me, dear, promised Lucy. bt
Don't worry, Just get well"
Acting on impulse, she opened the al
ledicine chest which was the private m
property OF the matron. Almost the
rst thing she saw was small bottle ut
he fat pupils name was written on
&c HdkClg Willie J1lC WfA W41ACu ccdlcul Va
was unbroken. tn
In q white heat Of indignation she ",
Ished to Miss Yaxley-Moore and de- ed
vered her ultimatum.
I'm keeping this, she said, clutching ar.
le bottle But If find you here
hen I return after the holidays I we
lall show it to the doctor"
Then Lucy went out to Switzerland all
r the winter sports, and, with the yol
silence OF youth, forgot the affair acl
n her return to England she was
ocked to read in an unforwarded let no
r that the fat pupil had died before thI
lristmaS. res
She worried ceaselessly over the news,
+ her principles would not let her, an
nore It's gravity. She boarded the I'm
Irple bus with the determination TO the
r up a scandal which would per- fin
anently remove the matron from the spC
1olastic sphere. "
But in reality she had done more ma
an that, for she had stirred up the mes
vest. muddiest, strata of buried hui I
IN nature. Ever since Miss Yaxley- enc
)ore had brought home news Of the the
pending scandal her half sister, Miss /
t, had brooded ceaselessly over the wrc
eat Of disgrace TO her name. was
Hiss Bat was lady Of means and heI,
g pedigree of which she was In v
linately proud. For forty years she the
try
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