Arkansas State press., 1944-02-11
CHAPTER ii

She looked down again at the peo-
pie on the dock. A girl was stand
ing there gazing up along the
crowded ships rail. She was so
lovely that Anne's heart sank an
other notch In spite of herself. She
was slim and not very tall, with
warm peach-eolored skin and dark
sparkling eyes and tawny ehestnu:
hair. Behind her was an older man,
with the same arresting quality the
girl had, except that hers was an
almost breath-taking loneliness and
his was rugged and aristocratic
dignity that seemed to hold him
completely apart from the crowd
around him.
Suddenly both faces broke into an
eager smile. The old man raised his
hat. the girl waved her hand. Anne
glanced around. Miguel Valera was
waving back to them, his face light
ed with pleasure.
That's my father" he said,
Anne had noticed before the pride
and warmth that came into his voice
when he'd spoken his fathers name.
She could understand it noW-and
yet for some reason it made him
suddenly remote from her, as if the
man on the dock had moved in be-
tween them there at the rail.
And that's my cousin Graciela
She and her father live with US. Her
mother was killed in Spain in the
civil war"
She's lovely, isn't she?' Anne
said.
Anne caught final glimpse Of
Graciela's face as they followed the
crowd below, He doesn't know
she's in love with him." she thought.
"Or he doesn't care"
The reflection she caught of her.
self in the mirror on the landing Of
the stairs had new and sudden
radiance. and the touch OF his guild
ing hand on the bare skin Of her arm
had kind Of magic she hadn't no.
ticed before.
I'm sorry the trip is over. real
w." she said.
I'm glad you're going to be in
San Juan. hope you'll let me show
you around"
Anne came to a dead stop. At
the bottom of the stairs, coming out
of the purser's office with two of the
ships officers behind him, was Cap
tain Peter Wilcox of the United
-eerres Army. He was in tan tropical
gabardine, with a tan sun helmet
under his arm and an inlaid mahog-
any swagger stick in his hand. For
an instant he looked so different she
wasn't sure If it was really he; he
was older and harder and more au-
thoritative.
Then he grinned as he used to do.
Hello, Annie. wondered if there
was another Anne Haywood in this
part of the world"
"Oh, Pete--it's swell to see you'll"
She ran down the last steps. 1t
was swell to see him She would
have kissed him. For an instant she
quite forgot Miguel Valera. But he
held out his hands, SO that was
that. She turned back Have you
two met? This is Mr.. Valera ...
Captain Wilcox"
The two men shook hands. Some
thing curious seemed to happen to
the atmosphere all Of a sudden. 1t
was like a cloud crossing the sun.
If you'll get your stuff together,
Anne" Pete said, "In be along and
help you get it to your hotel. -
He grinned again. IF you'd like
me to, that is.
San Juan's famous Hotel Granada,
the color of ripe raspberries crushed
in whipped cream. was set in a fam
ing mass of red and yellow and pink
hibiscus behind a stately row OF
royal palms. 1t should have been
awful, Anne thought, and actually it
was enchanting, with its red-tiled
caves and lacy wrought-iron balco-
MES.
you 60 register while send your
bags up" Pete said. Then well
have drink before you go up"
II thought you were in the Army"
Anne said. do you just meet boats
and sit around in the SUM-"
She looked at him. He was sun
burned almost the color of his shoes,
and his hair was bleached into
crisp thatch of indeterminate tow.
His eyes that lighted up with an
amused twinkle were the kind you'd
trust without noticing their color
particularly.
"Fve just had Sreak or l
wouldn't be here" Pete said. you
run along and write your name in
the book. scram, my girl"
The passengers from the ship had
already registered. The clerk turned
to Anne.
Are you Miss Haywood? It's a
good thing you made reservation.
It's the last room in the house. A
gentleman was just asking for you.
One Of the passengers
She took up the pen, wrote Miss
Anne" and stopped. Her eyes were
fastened on the top card in the stack
the clerk was holding, On 1t was a
small curiously cramped sigma
ture Mr.. Richard TaussIg, New
York City"