Evening star., 1941-07-23

went because she had that lonely
look again. He guessed that she'd
had a bad session with her father.
There was wicker furniture on the
screened-in porch of the bungalow.
Phil took chair, lighted cigarette,
and watched the girl draw her legs
up under her on the reed sofa. She
sat staring into space.
He said, Did Mustang put Stacey
on your out-of bounds list-along
with me? You look as though you're
srieving."
We didn't discuss Stacey"
You should-you two. You really
should"
"Why?" Joan asked her tone was
curious. not ANNOYED or resentful.
He shrugged, and said, A father
should give his daughter advice,
especially when she's 50 young.
Stacey is-well, he's Stacey Van
Arden"
Joan gave him a long steady look,
then turned her head. She said,
ut might interest you to know Capt.
Howard. that Stacey is in love with
me"
1T doesn't surprise me. Not at
all"
No? Well. maybe you'll be sur
prised to learn that he's leaving on
| q cruise to South America and he d
like to make the cruise our honey
moon"
That rather took the breath away
from him. He hadn't thought Stacey
Van Arden was serious about Joan.
He weighed the man in mental
scales recalling the marriage few
months long to movie starlet.
/ That explained Van Arden. Mar
riage was easily taken by the man:
he knew that divorce could be just
as easily taken.
Phil said. You've known him all
of two days. and you're thinking OF
marrying him"
well, why not? It would be a
way out of this mess I'm in"
so you'd run away from one mess
right into another"
why" she demanded, would
marriage to Stacey be a mess?"
Because OF what marriage means
to Stacey"
Trouble Came With Stephanie.
Joan jumped to her feet and began
pacing back and forth before him.
She wasn't angry now but distraught.
She was upset. vastly troubled. Phil
could see what was happening. Her
father. through some perverse
brutality toward her, was forcing
her into something that would ruin
her life. Phil could see that plainly.
A girl like Joan would never get over
a marriage such as Van Arden would
give her. Divorce wouldn't be .
cure for her shattered illusions.
Joan said, Stop talking to me
like big brother. You haven't any
right to talk. You carrying on with
that woman!"
Don't bring Stephanie into this,
joan"
She whirled to face him. "Oh,
you don't like my comparing her
with Stacey! Well. if he's what you
hint-so is Stephanie!'
He started to get up. but Joan
put her hands against his shoulders
and pushed him back into the chair.
She was breathless.
There's plenty I could say about
! her" she said. And maybe I will
say it-right now. A prowler was
brought here last night, in your car.
The day before Stacey Van Arden
and that soldier, Veretti had q
fight. That night Veretti escaped
from the guardhouse I've asked
questions, my dear captain, and
there was never any trouble at the
post before Stephanie came"
Nor" said Phil. before you
came Remember that. Joan"
Joan Reveals Belief.
I'll remember it, yes. But I'm
not a foreigner. I'm not some femme
fatale who became engaged to a
lieutenant who isn't a very good
catch by any standards that dear
Stephanie should have"
Next you'll be saying she's
spy"
That is exactly what 1 am say
ing"
Just because Stephanie is q beau
tiful blond foreigner" he said, isn't
reason enough to suspect her Of
espionage. Besides. how would she
know that there was anything at
Marfield to interest q spy?'
Joan gave him q scornful look and
said, You're very naive, Phil How
ard, if you think certain people out
side the Army don't know why Bugs
Porter is here. I'll bet every in
telligence corps in Europe and Asia
knows Maj. Porter is working on
something big"
Phil looked at her with astonish-
ment. She was wholly in earnest.
He got up, frownins at her.
Joan. you didn't say anything
like this to your father, did you7"
mo, I didn't. But II things were