The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-04-29
BY MARION WHITE
CAST OF CHARACTERS

sought a mate.
*
Yesterday: Dick is stunned to
learn that a jewel clip is found in
Joyce's room. He hastens to the
captains quarters.
CHAPTER XXI
For hours after Joyce returned
to her cabin, after leaving the
captain, she waited hopefully for
Dick. Surely he had something TO
say to her, some consolation TO
offer. Though her head ached and
her eyelids burned, she kept the
light burning, glaring down upon
her, lest he come and, finding the
room in darkness, go away with
out attempting to speak to ner.
But at 2 o'clock she turned OF the
light and went to bed.
He was not coming. he, too'
must have heard about the emp
being found in her room. And
he had accepted this final PROOF
against her. :.
All through the endless night
she tossed on her pillow, tortur-
ing herself with the thought. DICK
did not believe in her.
And when morning finally came
only one thing was clear in her
mind. When the Empress stopped
at Miami, she would leave the
ship and take the bus home. She
would ask Mrs. Bates to help her
pack; the stewardess must be able
TO testify that she was not leaving
the ship with the jewels tucked
in her luggage. Mr.. Bates could
search everything; on the pier she
would ask the customs men TO de
the same. Despite their suspicious,
these people would know that
whether or not she had taken the
things, she was leaving the ship
without them.
However, before she could ring
for the stewardess, there was a
knock at the door, and her heart
jumped expec tan tly, hoping
against hope -.
1t was her stweard, with note.
From the Captain, Miss"
"Ohw Her voice was lifeleSs.
She closed the door before she
read the message. Miss Miner
Do not think it wise for you to
try to leave. the ship today T..
The words danced before her
eyes in SCATTERING bewinderment
She sank down on the berth, and
read it over a second time. Her
hands were trembling so that the
paper shook. The note could mean
but one thing. She was unofficial
ly under arrest!
She spent the day in her cabin,
gloomy and respondent, persaud-
ing herself that she might as well
get accustomed to the idea OF
confinement. The ship was quiet.
Every passenger but herself had
gone ashore; every member OF
the crew now on duty had taken
himself off for a few hours IN
which he miEht change places
with the world and demand at
tention. The hours passed slowly
At A o'clock the ship began to
come to live; in pairs and IN par
ties the passengers returned their
bright, enthusiastic voices echoing
through the corridors. Joyce felt
a rising bitterness toward them;
Why should they have enjoyed
their day ashore while she was a
prisoner in her cabin? why
should she be punished for some
thing one Of them had done!
She turned over, buried her
head in the pillow and cried.
Once started, the whole miserable
heartache welled up in her throat
choking her, and she could not
stop, She cried, first of all, for
the Injustice Of it, that Of all the
people on the ship she should be
accused of taking the woman's
Jewels, fashy, pretentious adorn-
ments that she wouldn't be seen
wearing to a three:ring circus IN
Fall River. She cried for the hum
iliation of it, that she should be
made to appear a common thief
before these people. But most of
ali she cried for Dick, because he
had turned his back on her, be-
cause the affection he declared
had been so shallow, so short
I lived.
So it was that DR.. Gray found
her a long while afterward. He
stood outside her cabin, and as
the curtain across her half-opened
door blew aside, he saw her there.
He knitted his brows in quick
sympathy before he knocked.
when she opened the door, he
saw tina Their eyes were swollen
and red with weeping, and he pre-
tended to scold her.
"You don't mean to tell me
you've been down here, crying
your eyes out, all this lonely
day."
She blew her nose dolefully.
"Tm not allowed to 60 out. I'm
Pm a prisoner" Her tears
flowed anew.
"The devil you are! What gave
YOU thai silly idea?"
She reached over to the table,
nicked up the captains note and
handle dit to him. He read, it
( frowning ominously.
| "Mmph! But it doesn't say any
thing about being a prisoner.
That's nonsense. He slipped the
note into his pocket, patted her
shoulder with a kindly gesture.
"Now you dry your eyes, like a
good girl, and wait until | come
back. III look into this"
ESya minutes later ha ,yas ho al