Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-08-23
CHAPTER FOUR

were with him. She presented gro
tesque appearance in the moonlight.
One arm supported Tommy, propping
him against her blood-spattered eve
ming bodice with its torn skirt. Her
hair had been blown to wild disorder.
Her eyes were dazed. There was a
black smudge on her cheek.
But she held her aching head up
bravely. "Who are you? And what
authority have you to tell us to stop?
Maybe you'll tell it to the judge,
young woman!" the man retorted.
"The Judge? But we've done moth
ing wrong"
He barked: "This is piracy! You'll
laugh on the wrong side of your face
when you get ten years."
Light dawned. She went deadly
white. The river police!
THAT'S the stretch the law demand
for piracy" the man went on.
Still clutching Tommy, who was
badly shaken, she managed to keep
her head up, to tell them: I'm Jean
Garrett"
"And Pm the King of England.
You're both under arrest"
A binding flash as the news-cam-
eraman beside him took their picture,
murmuring: Gee, what scoop"
Then he added, louder: "Thank you,
Miss Garrett. Now, the young gen
tleman's name please?"
Tommy came to. He made stab
for the camera. But the cameraman,
accustomed to such sorties, sidestepp-
ed him.
One of the patrolmen put his coat
about her. All argument proved use
less. Tommy and Jean were taken
ashore and lodged in the nearest
Jail.
"This is q sweet mess!" thought
Jean, over and over, during the two
hours solitary cogitation that follow
ed their arrest.
It was her missionary" spirit that
had brought her to this! Why, oh,
why hadn't he let Tommy alone?
Why had she taken on the role of
guardian angel? Keeper? Why had
she tried to stop him drinking, and
then followed him and Helen out of
the club, in fear that he would at
tempt to drive his auto? Have SER
ious accident?
What was Tommy to her? Only a
friend-of-sorts. 1t was her idealistic
conception of friendship and its OBJ
legations that had led her away.
The ironical part was Walter. She
wanted Walter. How could she eX-
plain to him that it was to save Tom
my she had gone aboard his boat ?
He either wouldn't believe her-attrib-
ute very different motive-or he
would think she was crazy about
Tommy.
Her mouth twisted as she thought
of Helen. 1t must have been none
other than Helen who had made the
wager with him, dared him to take
the wheel. Helen had saved her own
skin at the last minute, which was
probably what she'd intended from
the beginning. Jean had played right
into Helen's hand by going aboard
the boat. And it was she who would
have to face the consequences now
and not Helen!
She'd give all the tea in China il
her stepfather didn't hear the bad
news! Rupert was a darling, but q
staunch stickler for etiquette.
Still dazed from her fall, her mind
reeled doubly when she thought OF
that picture of their arrest, and the
lurid captions!
If only they'd let her phone Wal
ter, he'd knock the head off that
cameraman-he'd smash the plate
he'd stop the presses printing it-he'd
hate to see her in this jam!
They'll be turning out the pic
ture in tens of thousands now!" she
told herself mlSerably.
Heavy footsteps sounded down the
stone passage. Jangle of keys in the
cells door.
An officer-and with him, Walter
Mallory! He stared at Jean for 9
long moment, wrapped as she was in
the police coat. No sign of sympathy
in the keen blue eyes.
"I'm sorry you were troubled, Off.
cer," he said CURLY, "but there is nc
charge. won't sign complaint. You
see, Miss Garrett was authorized by
me to use my boat at any time"
Darling! She could have Rugged
him. But his expression didn't invite
demonstration.
He went on: Had I known it was
she who had taken IL for a RIM m