Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-09-06
CHAPTER FIVE

she had turned on the picture of jeans
mother earlier that day shone in the
black eyes.
"I have every right because = I
swear it on the Bon Dieu-I am your
sister!" Gaby shouted.
"My sister? You. e. my sister,"
Jean gasped. "You are insane?"
"I have every proof of it," retorted
Gaby, "You come to my room with
me this night, and will show you!
I swear it'll"
Suddenly a ships officer appeared.
He told them: Go to the purser's
office with your tickets, ladies'"
"We have no tickets. We're visitors.
We're not sailing" Gaby said quick
ly.
"Then run for it! They're starting
to draw up the gangplank. I'll tell
them to stop and let you ashore. Come
on!"
There was nothing to do but COM
ply. Jean was fairly caught. This lying
Gaby was a leech as well as an i'm
poster! But whatever happened, she'd
have last word with Pedro de Nor
aes, make him force that nonsense
about his being married down her
throat!
There he was! Close to the gang
plank, waving happily to those on the
pier. Little knowing, poor Pedro, that
their lovely plan had been torn to
pieces by this interfering French girl
who was probably in love with him
herself, and driven by jealousy! She'd
been a fool ever to tell her that he
was sailing on this boat!
"Pedro!" she painted. He swung
round. "She says you're married, and
that your wife and three children are
waiting for you in Paris! Quick, tell
her that's false!"
"Ask him to show you his pass
port! See, he is holding it in his
hand!" Gaby's red lips twisted. "No?
You see he is afraid?"
"Deny it, Pedro! Quick, deny it,"
Jean breathed.
She saw, in that fleeting moment
before a sailor fairly heaved her up
onto the moving gangplank and
another dragged her down the steep
ly tilted incline, that Pedro's olive
complexion had turned a queer mot
tied green. That his mouth opened,
But no words of denial came from
it.
Radio me tonight" she called
back.
But had he heard? The band was
playing loudly, and there was the din
of shouted farewells. How she hated
this French girl for her interference!
But once that officer knew she hadn't
got her tickets, she couldn't chance
sailing openly! Not even if she had
been allowed to pay her passage at
the last minute! For how could she
explain that to her stepfather!
Lets all go to Tony's for night
cap" one of the gang suggested,
when the ship had slid from the pier.
jeans eyes were straining for Pedro,
but he was no longer at the railing!
"You will come with me now"
Gaby's voice in her ear.
go away at once! We make short
shrift with imposters in America"
"But l will not leave you'll"
Jean was so mad at the singer that
it would have been a pleasure to tear
her hair; to yell at the top of her
voice what she thought of this i'm
pudent imposter. What about I'M
masking her to the whole gang, here
and now?
But they'd gossip! The stunt of the
sister-a sister singing for a living
in a dive!-would be too choice a
morsel. Jean visualized them telling
it at Tony's. The buzzing would reach
the gossip columnists and her name
would be shockingly linked in print
with The Blue Owl. This time, her
stepfather would do something dras-
tic. He wouldn't overlook scandal
in the papers a second time.
"C'mon, Jean. Quit incoming for
Pedro!" someone shouted
The gang all laughed. She flushed
holly.
Get me a taxi, porter" She'd
leave them flat.
"Miss Garett-please!" The French
girl had overtaken her halfway to the
exit. Jean swung about.
I'll have you deported if you don't
keep away from mel" she snapped.
"Then l shall be forced to tell your
stepfather what I wish you alone to
hear. For you that will be bad. Very