Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-01-08
CHAPTER III

preston and indefinable danger des-
cending. He attempted to analyze the
presentiment, but failed completely,
for the scene before him really offer
ed no tangible menace, but there was
something grotesque, gruesome and
subtly soul-chilling in this endless Wis
ia of desolation.
"Hope the mails all right" he re-
marked, unbuckling his safety belt.
eff it amt just like you," demand
ed the mechanic, thinking about mail
bags at a time like this-mail bags!"
He laughed stridently and flung an
excited hand to the passenger space.
Railways that mail, and there's one
of the prettiest girls in the world cold
as a cucumber"
"Oh," said Struthers with touch
of contrition, "Td forgot all about
her."
"You would" replied the other brief
ly. sometimes I don't think you got
no heart at all. Amt there no girl in
the world can make you get human
towards 'em?"
Struthers' face became set in harsh
lines but he forebore to reply and was
already moving down the aisle putting
the wicker chairs back in position as
he went. AS he approached the dam
ty, pathetically sprawled figure, the
girl stirred and suddenly struggled
to a sitting position blinking instead
iIy, for a beam of sunlight flashed
through port and lit her face with a
radiant golden spotlight.
ooh" she mutered to herself. GLOW
terrible it was-I-I-"
Struthers stopped, hand half out
stretched to raise the girl, but she
shrank back from his oil-stained fin
gers. During long moment they look
ed at each other and Struthers, in an
odd dispassionate way, noted the per-
lection of those slender, silk-like eye
brows of black, rising in graceful arcs
toward the soft sable hair that strayed
from beneath her smart little cloche
hat to lie coquettishly silhouetted a.
gainst the startling whiteness OF her
forehead. With almost sense of re-
lief he noted that her nose was slight
ly longer than in strictly classic
beauty to give her features piquant
touch that was quite human. But it
was the expression of her mouth that
interested Struthers most. 1t was
meant to be soft tempting little af-
fair of scarlet, but now it was twisted
into an expression of anger, bewilder-
ment and supreme contempt.
"Where are we?" she demanded
coldly.
"We're long way from Cuba" re-
piled Struthers, resentment burning
fiercely in his veins. She had spoken
as to lackey. Hugh Struthers strug-
gled to restrain words of sharp re-
buke. After all he reflected, she had
barely regained consciousness.
"What?" she demanded, and me-
chemically smothed her skirt about her
rounded knees. "Then just what do
you mean by stopping here? / tell
YOU must get to Havana by eight
O'Clock tonight! Come, come, my good
man, don't waste time-get your fun
ny little ship flying again. l simply
can't disappoint Senior Almarzo."
Then to her amazement the tallred-
headed pilot broke into a chuckle of
suppressed AID seemingly overwhelm-
ing laughter.
The pitiful futility of this spoiled
girls imperious demand to be taken to
Havana by eight o'clock. Poor child,
she had not realized her command was
as magnificent and futile gesture
as old King Canute's fiat to the sea.
At the sound of his continued mirth
Liette Lincoln's flush became deep
crimson, banishing that fragile pale
ness from her face in an instant.
"Stop it," she commanded in a
hard, brittle tone. Stop it! I don't
allow my employees to laugh at me-"
Gripping the arm of chair, she got
unsteadily to her feet, her large dark
blue eyes chilling in their displeasure.
"Don't stand there wasting time-do
you understand? If it's money you
want"
The inference of her words annoyed
Struthers inexplicably and his jaw
snapped shut. ooh, be quiet" he
said. "Don't stand there throwing
useless orders at me. You may not
realize it, Miss Passenger"
Lincoln" corrected Carnforth who
had come aft and stood an interested
observer