The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-02-15
81 RACHEL MACK

eSterday: having OcSH
to the captains quarters, Jerry
and Cabell Banks are charged
with desertion. This they deny
and refuse places in the king
navy.
CHAPTER XII
Polly Chelsey did not catch the
Dover coach next morning be-
cause she had a fever and a head
ache that Frustrated her. After
the realization that she was de-
serted by the man she loved ana
trusted, and for another woman
she went TO her room and gave
herself up to alternate moods OF
grief and anger which admitted
neither reasoning nor forgiveness,
In the room where she had
known happines and hope, she
naccd the floor. She did not touch
food and she had no desire 10
sleep. BY morning her sensitive,
high-Strung nature had suffered
sufficiently 20 bring on physical
illness, and she flung herself onto
her bed. sick in body as well as
mind.
For some days she kept her
fever. Mrs. Toby came and MIN
istcred to her. and the porter $
boy brought the mongrcl dog to
see her, and these things Sh" ac-
knowIedgcd with gratitude. But
there was no watchful waiting m
her proStratiOn for Jerry Whit
field. She was. as she lay there,
trying 10 cure herself of al Hove
for him, fighting TO purge her
heart of all need of him.
She told herself over and over.
give known him such q little
while. He can't matter TO me like
this, How could he
And yet he did. There would
come moments when she would
bury her head in her pillow to
stiflc the cries of Jerry. Why
did YOU? Where are you?
When this despair had spent it
self like q disease, and when
those questions How could you?
"Where are YOU" could find
no clcwS 10 feed upon. Polly
Chelscv recovered. That is to say,
she got up from bed, dressed, ate
q meal down in the public dining
room and inquired after the next
coach to Dover. She did all this
with mechanical efficiency.
Mrs. Toby'S kind and sentimental
heart was shocked and diSappoint-
ed. She had thought it so fit
ting that the deserted young lady
should languiSh in her room. But
this quick and complete recovery
Gould it have been just some
thing she ate?" she inquired of
Mr.. Toby. shes as braSh and in
different as you please. Hard, you
might say. And she's put on her
prettiest dress"
well" remarked Mr.. Toby, lit
may be just as well II looks like
young Whitfield's not coming
back. 1t beats all"
Polly rode on top of the coach
with Nuisance. She wondered why
she had given the little gray ter
rier that name. He stayed close
beside her and entered her. She
senSed his loyalty to her $50 much
stronger than human loyalty, she
told herself), and his pity. She
could not have endured pity from
a fellow being, but from MUS
ance it seemed suitable and COM
forting.
Polly could not dwell continu-
ally on Jerry's perfidy. She had
to plan how TO get out of Eng
land. Her money would soon be
gone; and for all she knew, that
terrible old man, Oliver Dart,
might be even now looking for
her.
Thank God Jerry didn't take
my money" she prayed devoutuy
on top of the Dover coach. In
that, at least, ne had been honor
able. He had given it back 10 her
that last night when they were to-
gether. Did he know at that
moment that he was about 10 de-
Sert her? Or did he only fear he
might be tempted to? II would
hurt a little less TO believe the
latter.
She did not know how to find
the Smuggler whom Jerry had
contracted. She did not even
know his name. She only knew
he was half Scotch and half
French" and that nc worked out
of "a wrctchcd fishing village be
tween Dover and Deal"
"It's hard" she said to MUS
ance. She meant il was terribly
difficult for q girl. alone, friend
less and American to get across
the Channel when England was
conducting two wars. Yet that's
what Jerry Whitfield had left hcr
to do as best she could, without
instructions.
She thought Of the woman in