The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-04-19
cAsr nFpcHARACfERS
BY MARloN;WHLTE

look an Easter Cruise.
DICK HAMILTON,' hero; nc
bumped into the heroine.
/ ISOBEL PORTER, traveller; she
sought a mate.
Yesterday: At dawn Joyce hears
Dick return to the ship, singing
80 J.obcl. She would never for
get this night! ,,
CHAPTER Mi
Joyce dressed with special care
for breakfast. At first she was
tempted to take it in her room
and luncheon and dinner as well
For that matter. But she thought
better of it. She would go down
to her meals as usual; she would
cniov every minute. Dick Hamll-
ton would never know that 1t was
within his power to hurt her!
She found Mr. Gregory alone at
the table, intent upon his bacon
and eggs. >, .,
ca SODtl ~
evening""
"Spicndid" she lied enthusiasts
, tically. "And YOU"
Il didn't 80 ashore. Eve been
to Havana before, and there
seemed only the usual things to
cd. Some of the officers invited
me to join poker game.
al hope you won. Otherwise
YOU might have done better at the
Casino" ,
"Did YOU find it successful?'
Remarkably. But ! was Just a
/ stoOge, playing with some one,
else's chips. Perhaps If it had
been my own money, | Wouldn t
have been so lucky.
Just as they were finishing their
coffee. Dick appeared, And hang
ing to his arm, looking like a
blue-eycd chcrub who had never
been out after 9 o'clock, was lso-
bel. -,
! "Good morning, everybody"
she greeted cheerfully.
Good morning" Joyce match
ed her smile.
She felt Dicks eyes upon her,
searchingly. Her throat was tight
and dry. ,0,
"Havc good time last night
he asked her deliberately.
Her eyes darkened with sudden
indignation as she looked up at
; him. The arrogance of him to
dare ask her that, after what he'd
done,
"A surprisingly good time
she retortcd dcfiantly.
Isobel giggled. mot half as
good as we did, I'll bet"
Mr.. Gregory was holding her
coat, and as she slipped into it,
Joyce commandeered her most
gracious smile to thank him.
Dicks eyes still studied her, Curl
ously. She tried to pass some
light remark, to prove her non
chalance, but no words came to
her lips. Her heart was beating
in wild confusion, and she could
feel the hot blood tinging her
cheeks. All she wanted was to
escape from the dining room be-
fore everybody saw through her
discomfort. -.
"Care to come ashore with me
Mr.. Gregory suggested as they
emerged on deck. "You could help
,han co., ,Nn1F1r11pS
"That would be lovely" She
forced an enthusiasm she did not
feel into her voice.
The presumptuous conceit of
him. Walking out on her, IN a
foreign gambling den, then ask
ing her how she liked it. Laugh
ing at her.
Throughout the day she did
her best to be nice to Mr.. Greg
DRY. But it was an effort. De-
spite the mans courtesy nd gen
crosby, there was something
vaguely repulsive about him. She
could not explain it, not even to
herself. They lunched on the
Plaza roof, and seated across the
table from him, she decided sud
denly why she could not like him.
It was his eyes. Behind the thick
glasses. there was something fur
tive in their pale depths, some
thing a little cruel. One looked
at Mr.. Gregory and felt peculiar
" uneasy, and thought, against
ones will, this man is treacher-
Gus.
But Joyce put the thought aside
quickly. She had no cause to feel
that way. 1t was ridiculous to
analyze a person so critically.
"How about driving out to the
beach at La Playa" he suggest
ed.
"That would be fine. It's so
sticky and hot in the city" She
forgot his eyes.
She found La Playa a surpris-
ing contrast to the swarming sum-
/ mer beaches she had known at
home. This was more country
club than a public beach. In
rented bathing suits, they VEN
tured into the surf, marveling
that the water could be warm,
since this was the same Atlantic
Ocean that rolled against New
York, and the same month Of
March that registered an average
temperature of 30 degrees.
/ IL
AR at home, don't you Think"
joyce questioned.
A young man, swimming along
side of them, stopped and grin
NED. Spring, my eye" he contra
dlcted brightly. 81 was ice-skat-
ing Yesterday morning in Central
Park"
sTTh b,,L =. q,