The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-03-31
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THE sTORY SO FAR

THE STORY so FAR
 JANE WESTON feels her dreams havo come true when she sets out
 on . three weeks ocean cruise, accepted In payment for Che sal. nFy due her when the magazine for which she worked as typist suspended publication.
 On board the ship, she meets handsome DIRK STROM, expert
 ski jumper, as penniIess as her. self. The two are much attracted
 Co each other. Then . misun- derstanding cemes between them.
 Jane is flattered by Che atten- tons of TINO ROSSI, opera sing CT, and Dirk becomes the frequent
 escort of NORA LANE, famous actress and owner of the KokinOr
 diamond.
 Others among the passengers are SNOWSHOES, detective; MADAME DOREMUS, wealthy and eccentric; DUTCH LENZ and
 MANNIE JACKSON, bIackmaiI-
 CTS; KEN MARTIN and LINDA BAYES, floor show entertainers.
 Sn0wshoes persuades Nora Lane to turn the KokinOr diamond over to the purser. They go to her stater0Om to get it and find Man. nie Jackson, dead from a bullet wound. The diamond Is missing.
 SnOwshOeg takes charge of the Investigation. Most of the passen- gers are not aware of the mur-
 der, though they know of the theft.
 Leaving Nassau behind, a storm comes up that threatens to be- come hurricane. Stewards nOti- fy passengers to get their life belts. Madame Doremus reports that Millie, her companion, Is missing.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER XXI
 The steady, dull roar of the wind endured outside the ships bar, but most of those inside didn't pay it any heed. The tension had been too much for some of them; they were as high as the winds. Men who had given Up their life belts to women and children sat about the small tables with scotch at their el- bows, and told lugubrious tales about shipwrecks at sea. None of them had experienced them, but they told them with bitter relish indeed.
 "The ship hit the reef, and cracked up like a shell. The la goon was infested with tiger sharks"
 Nobody would believe Dutch Lenzs tale. He had come into the bar, his face as white as paper, and begged in trembling voice for drink. He told the bartender about it, but Ed only laughed. All the men laughed. It was better tale than anybody else had told.
 Then Snowshoes came in, and Dutch cornered him at the bar. Tt happened, I tell you!" he said pite- ously. Here, I'll give you $500 to guard me the rest of this cruise. Mamie was my pal. I don't know why he was killed, but now they're after mel"
 I'ne detective said, Get a hold sn yourself Dutch. I won't be your bodyguard, but go on, spill it.r
 Y was down in my stateroom, Wi.sn that awful roar began, the big dins. I was fitting on my left belt, standing before the mir ror." Dutch's voice broke, and he had to take another drink. stand ing before the mirror. saw the door knob turn and Q gloved hand with a pistol thrust inside. I jumped down fiat on the floor, and yelled"
 'I'll bet you screamed" the de- tective said.
 Gall it anything you like, but the hand disappeared. Don't you see3 Mamie Jackson was my pal. Now the killer wants to get rid of me-thinks know who he is. But I don't know him. I don't know nothing"
 The hulking brute was piteous, as he stood there with quaking hands, downing hard liquor, trying to steel himself against the recol- lection of that close call from death.
 Stick close to the bar" Snow shoes advised. He didn't know whether to believe Dutch or not, tainly not a sham. Dutch was com tainly nuot sham. Dutch was com- pletely unnerved.
 Snowshoes went out of the bar, and walked through the recreation rooms to get an eye on the whole scene. He wanted to find Millie, the old dowager's companion who had disappeared with the box of jewels. The winds had slackened . bit. but the roar kept. on. Every one knew that the big blow was yet to come. It was after mid night now. They expected the winds to reach hurricane intensity shortly after l o'clock.
 The scene in the recreation rooms was uniform. People stood or sat around huddled in groups. They fingered their life belts nervously, and tried to hide their separate fears. A few people continued to
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