Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1937-01-29

do you want gallantly-turned COM
monplace?"
"Dear me-" she Knocked a trifle
breathlessly, "I'm curious to know the
truth-you're evidently a man of some
intelligence"
Cali right, what would you like to
know?"
"You said you didn't think I'd be
good girl to marry-just why that
unkind conviction?"
"Well," began Struthers deliberate
ly, "for a good many reasons. You
are by far the most beautiful girl I've
ever laid eyes on. You've evidently
got perfect taste and a pretty keen
intelligence but, on the other hand"
his deep set eyes sought hers with a
steady glance that made her suddenly
lok away-'you're colosally selfish,
self-centered and, as near as I can see,
the most complete little snob I've ever
had anything to do with. In my
humble opinion you haven't the faint
est sort of ideals, probably it's not
fashionable to have them, but I'm a.
fraid haven't much respect for one,
no matter who it is, who tries to bribe
a man from his duty"
He spoke evenly, unheatedly, as he
had when he spoke Of the experiments
that were his ambition.
ooh" Huddled in her gorgeous
scarlet peignoir, Liette sat looking fix
edly at the end of her cigaret, quite
unconscious of the lovely contrast her
white complexion and jet black hair
afforded to the vivid wrap about her.
For some minutes a painful silence
ensued broken only by the squeaking
and rustling Of rats in the passage
leading to the saloon beyond, then the
Lincoln girl slowly raised her head.
"If were a man." she murmured in
a very low quivering voice, 81 suppose
I'd try to knock you down. AS it is,
I'll have to stand for your insolence."
"That's not fair" he objected. "Rer
member you asked me for my opinion.
I obeyed against my better judgment.
Perhaps you'd like me to go?" He
made as though to rise, then suddenly
sat motionless, for from the night out
side came queer indistinct throbbing
noise, not unlike the beat Of distant
steamships propellors, but it was SO
faint as to be almost unrecognizable.
Excuse me-" he said and quickly
crossed to the portfolio set at the foot
of her bed. Quickly unscrewing the
bronze butterfly bolts that secured it,
he flung open the port.
There was an thrush of musty smell
ing air that blew the window curtains
against his face and instantly the
sound was clearer, apparently coming
from great distance, yet very dis
tinct and apparently beating with
steady cadence.
"Do you hear that noise?" he in
quired.
eyes," she replied, "but can't make
it out"
Then for the first time Struthers'
eyes gazed on a breath taking pheno-
menon. Low down on the horizon
burnt great fire that scared power
fully skyward, but the flames had the
weird blue glow of the same livid in
tensity as an electric spark. The dis
tant conflagration was sufficiently
bright clearly to outline the maze of
masts amid the nearby shipping and
against it he could see the ponderous
cranes on the collier's deck. High
streamers of blue flame seemed to lick
towards the stars wavering with the
faint unrealism of the aurora bor-
calls but, lacking the changing vivid
hues, it remained steady greenish
blue, rising and falling like the glare
of distant azure colored blast fur
naces.
Rapt in astonishment the pilot
stood motionless gazing out Of the
port, until he became aware of the
Lincoln girl standing beside him.
"What is it?" she said in a low
choking voice. "Do you see more-of
of them?"
NO." he replied. otis only the
noise and those lights; if we weren't
so far south, I'd think they were the
Northern Lights"
While the sour smelling night wind
beat in their faces the two studied
those distant lights with growing cur
iosity; then Struthers pointed out an
odd fact. At one point only there
seemed to be a lesser fan of red which
rose and fell more quickly than the
greater blue felt of light and all the