Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-11-10

and Zorie went to sleep. 1t was
midnight when she awoke. She felt
tense. She ached here and there
and there was a faint drugged feel
ing in her brain-the residue Of the
sedative. Otherwise, her brain felt
clear. Everything felt clear. In all
her life she had never felt so clear.
Amber Lanning was sitting on the
bed across the room. She was look
ing steadily at Zorie. Except for
ghost of smile at one corner Of
her mouth, her face was express
sionless. Her eyes were like dark
round holes.
When Zorie sat up in bed, Am
ber's eyes followed her. Zorie swung
her feet to the floor. She WINGED as
pain shot through the small Of her
back. Her left knee hurt. All her
teeth ached a little. And her right
hand felt a little numb. But she
could stand. And she could walk.
She walked across to where Amber
sat and she slapped Amber's face.
There" Zorie said softly.
She waited for Amber to do some
thing. She hoped that Amber would
resent it.
The smile was gone. Amber COM
pressed her lips and stared at her,
but she did nothing and she said
nothing.
Zorie reached up to one Of the
hooks. 1t was supporting several
hangers of Amber's clothes. She
took the hangers down and threw
them on Amber's bed. She went
about the stateroom taking down
hangers and throwing them on Am
ber's bed. When the hooks were
emptied, she emptied one of the
closets. Its contents she threw on
Amber's bed.
"From now on" said Zorie in
calm, assured voice, "this closet is
mine"
Amber, sitting on the bed with her
clothes all about her, said nothing.
Zorie now dumped the contents OF
two of the four drawers on Amber's
bed. She put the drawers back and
said, From now on, these are
1Ou dl e III 81 PSloOll VI q
great many who are going to learn
that I'm never going to be pushed
around again as long as live. You
will either behave yourself in this
stateroom or you will get out"
Zorie could see Ambcr's brain
working in her steady brown eyes.
Amber was being crossed. She
~ 80 ID
justment, because she was real
list. A realist, Zorie decided, is one
who fights others and not ones self.
Amber got up. She picked up a
package of cigarettes from the
dressing table, leisurely selected
one, lighted it. She pulled at it and
considered Zorie through the smoke.
"Now that I've smoked you out,"
said Amber, "shall we be ourselves?
I was getting so fed up with your
act-and these gosh-awful clothes Of
yours. l mean the whole picture. !"
"Who," Zorie asked, "do you think
I ann" She was determined to say
nothing now or ever to this girl
about the attempt at drowning her.
She was still as determined as ever
to spend the rest of her life, if neces-
sary, in finding out who had thrown
her overheard. She would be as
smart as they were, and as sly.
Amber shrugged and lifted eye
brows and eyes with wryly de-
spairing grimace. "All right, my
dear" she said. Keep it up if you
want to. I know you're a great
actress God knows I should. I
have the greatest respect for you.
I envy you more than any woman
that ever lived. You have more
lives than a cat Frankly, think
you're a witch. I'll be good"
eve might have ladies agree
ment to that effect" said Zorie.
"Ycs!" Amber agreed. "And now,
darling, how are you fixed for
clothes?"
I'm not fixed for clothes"
Nothing in the hold?'
Nothing"
Amber seemed surprised. 81
thought you always Travelled with 8
terrific wardrobe. I'd forgotten that
month you spent in Jugoslavia
We're the same size. You can have
anything I own"
Who, Zorie wondered, was this
woman she resembled? A notorious
secret agent? 1t wouldn't do to ask
questions And at the moment she
was enjoying this arrogant girls
awe, her submission. This woman
she resembled must be much more
ruthless than Amber.
1t would be very dangerous, Zorie
realized, to permit Amber to KEEP
on assuming that she was the CIR
they thought she was. Yet it woulc
be useless to deny it. Amber, Mr.
Lanning and the sinister Mr.. Savoy
ard wouldn't believe her.
She wasn't afraid. That was the
surprising thing. She wasn't afraic
of anything any more. She wasn''
even afraid of death. A few minutes
ago she had accepted death, anc
death no longer frightened her.
She looked at the tumble of clothe: