The Wilmington morning star., 1943-08-21
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

accept him as he was, accepting
| too. what he claimed to oe, a
philosopher on rest cure, Who
had come down. to look at the
ocean and untangle his thoughts.
Those had been the things he had
first said to her about himself.
Ee had not offered to add any.
thing more to that, except to sa''
she must go on believing in him,
: taking him on trust.
Yet Karen could not help being
troubled about her recent diScov-
cry, that what she had thought
was radio in Martins trailer
was a diathermy machine. After
ward she wondered if she ought
not have warned him about the
broadcast she had heard, that the
government had issued an order
that all diathermy machines must
be registered, since they could be
used as short-Wave sending sets.
She had warned Martin that he
was being watched, which meant
he was under some sort of sus-
picion. He had not seemed alarm
ed. but he had thanked her for it.
It was unthinkable that Marty
could be any kind of fifth colum-
mist, a spy. plotting against MS
country. so unthinkable that kar-
en- told herself she would not think
such thoughts. She had told Mar
tin she would go on believing in
him and so she would do just that.
He had promised ne would come
over soon to see Buffy. She had
told him he might come to see
her, too, if that would not be
asking too much" as she half
teasingly, half seriously had add
ed. She added also that she knew
her father would be pleased to
have Martin come again, as he
had enjoyed the younger mans
company and had taken quite a
liking to him.
That had pleased Martin in-
nlensely. He had told Karen that
he considered it quite conlpli-
ment because he admired Jim Bell
as much as any man he ever had
heard about or met. Hes great
guy. your dad Marty had said
SC warmly that Karen's heart had
opened toward him even more.
That's what this country needs,
more men like HIM"
1t was things that Marty said
like that which made Karen know
he could not possibly be a fifth
columnist, all mystery about him,
the fact that he was under sus-
picion. the big diathermy machine
to the contrary. OF course she
was disappointed that Marty was
not in uniform, that he had evaded
her efforts to find out what part
he intended to play in this war,
but she supposed she would just
have to accept and like that, too.
Hadn't she adopted Martins phil
osophy as her own?
Marty had said that a man did
not like to see woman in uni
form, supplying scientific evidence
tc bear out that statement, but
here was one man who seemed
approve thoroughly of the way
Karen looked the first day she
wore her neat gray-blue costume
with its matching perky little cap.
That man was her father. W h o
fairly beamed his approval and
pride.
It's the next best thing to wear
ing one myself" Jim Bell said
heartily, yet with betrayal in the
one of his regret that he could
not wear a uniform this time for
his country. You sure are an
eyeful, chickadee. AS trim and
as pretty as they come. Turn
around once more so your old dad
can get his fill of feasting his
eyes, if such could ever be the
case"
you're an old spoofer,'' his
daughter claimed. I'm not that
good, darling" But she obedient-
iy turned around then, clicking
her heels smartly together. came
to attention before him again, with
9 hand to her cap in salute. Her
reflection, over her fathers head,
in the big mirror above the library
nantelpiece, gave credence to his
praise; the uniform most certainly
did become her. Marty would have
to eat his words when he saw her
wearing it. Science could be
wrong.
"You look that good to me-"
her father repeated firmly. II
imagine you'll make more than
one masculine head turn when you
step out on parade. You're enjoy
ing it all, aren't you, all this war
work you are doing? I don't mean
by that that you're doing it for
fun, but it's keeping you happy
as well as busy. Isn't that true. :"
"Truer than true" Karen smil-
ed into his eyes, using their old
phrase. Il only wish I could do so
much more than the little l can
contribute. Just recently she had
offered 10 serve as "spotter, -
to sight and report on all airplane
activity to the Aircraft Warning
Service. Karen had volunteered to
work two evenings a week from
8 to IL. She told her father about
this newest addition to her war
effort.
Jim Bell thought it sounded in
teresting, as well as an excellent
idea. You're doing enough for