The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-20
CHAPTER TX

CHAPTER TX
 Haven't you made a sufacien spectacle of yourself today?" sh' demanded of her husband through tight lips.
 Sheepishly he tried to explain His wife paid no attention. In stead she turned to Joyce, anc in a voice which carried over tht entire deck, she cried: "As fol you, young woman, I'd thank you to keep away from my husband"
 The Empress was due to land al Nassau in the Bahamas early Thursday morning. All day Monday and Tuesday, the weather had beer mild and clear, without cloud ir the sky to dim the colorful beauty of Bermuda. But late on Wednesday afternoon the ship rode through a series of sudden, tropical squalls sending the passengers scuttling oil decks.
 The rains came up suddenly, al- most without warning. At 3:3( Joyce and Dick and several other young people were swimming about in the outside pool, mar yelling at the warmth of the water being pumped in from the Gull Stream. Then, quite suddenly, the water began to chill, and 10 min- utes later the sun was hidden be- hind a wide, deepening range oi dark clouds which had appeared from nowhere.
 'T guess that's the end of oul swimming" Dick remarked, pull ing Joyce up the ladder. "The thermometer must have dropped 20 degrees in the last few min utes."
 She climbed over the edge oi the pool and wrapped herself quickly in a large bath towel Now the rain was pouring down upon them in torrents.
 You'll be sneezing at dinner again tonight" she warned Dick.
 T will not" he contradicted with emphasis. T tell you I never cath cold. It's an allergy .
 Across the deck they heard Mrs OHara's pettish voice raising a fuss with one of the deck stewards because he couldn't move her clair quickly enough.
 ~There's someone else on the boat who has an allergy," Joyce remarked grimly.
 Dick grinned. Don't tell me she can't eat lemonS!"
 "No. It's more personal. l think shes allergic to me-"
 ~What does that mean?"
 "I don't understand myself. But every time she looks at me she has a seizure"
 T can explain it." he said. His eyes rested on Joyce, trim ano youthful and eager, lovely to look at even in the disfiguring folds oi a Turkish towel. Every time she looks at you she sees a picture o1 what she'd like to be-"
 Next morning the weather was worse, if anything, with heavy east ersy winds churning up the waves At the breakfast table Dr. Gray held out little hope that they would touch at Nassau that day.
 Joyce's face clouded for an ln- stant. q did want to see Nassau, she admitted.
 "It's terribly disappointing, really it is," Isobel assured her with super iority. Except for tho British Col onial Hotel and Dirty Dicks there's not thing in Nassau. And Paradise Beach-it's joke!"
 Dick smiled. "The whole trou- ble is that we New Workers com pare every beach in the Worlo with Jones Beach. We're spoiled
 What is Dirty Dick's?" Joyce asked.
 "A saloon," Isobel said flatly.
 The doctor shook his head. "Oh come now, Miss Porter, it's better than that" To Joyce he eX' plained: T guess you'd call i Nassaus hot spot A friend of mint is the proprietor, one of the fines gentlemen I've ever met. It's a grea gathering place for tourists"
 Sort of night club?" Joyce inquired.
 Not exactly. Though you car have your own entertainment There's always a darkey about with a guitar in his arms ant rhythm in his feet, ready to sere made one through the open win dows."
 And the famous song of tn islands" Dick added, "is a soulful ballad called Mama no want m rice nor beans nor cocoanut oip."
 pr. Gray laughed. Tt mus have 50 different verses wei have the orchestra play it tonight Miss Milner, so you won't feel S completely cheated out of Mas sau.
 Nevertheless, she did regre missing it. The Empress skirted tn island, and through binoclulars tn passengers were able to get only fair view of certain points of in tereSt.
 But the morning brought it bright spot of good fortune t' Joyce, to make up for the treach cry of the weather.
 Mrs. Porter, with an extra da. to fill in with entertainment, hast ened to arrange bingo party in th' main lounge.
 Lets try our luck" Dick sug' gested, after they had seen al there was to see of Nassau through his binoculars.
 "It's always fun to try" Joyce agreed, though I've lost a grea deal of faith in my own luck"
 Mines holding up pretty well Otherwise I would never havt found you on the Empress"
 An hour later, he had spent s -