The Wilmington morning star., 1947-01-24

~stonished at her oW.l sinfulness.
she added, That's forgery,
Wade"
it?" Wv
Il had to come here. Don't ask
me why y just had to. and if
MI. Bosard finds out, I'll have to
80 back"
Even if he don't find out, Clari.
bels almost sure to kick him out
AGAIN: Then what happens to you?'
III have to go with him." Sud
denly her 10 hands clenched.
And won't go. l want to stay
mere more than anything in the
world, l have to stay"
"aoe $ eyes were soft with SYM
pathy. ut amt goin' to be very
easy for you to stay here since
your fathers gone. Things'll be
different
Her lip trembled. Il know what
you're trying to say. You haven't
much confidence in me. l haven't
much IN myself"
1t amt SO much that. It's Just
that DR.. Norman always sorta
shielded you. And besides. ClaIi-
bel don't like you-she never liked
you since her nephew followed you
back to the States"
Janet tried. not too successfully.
to smile. What makes it worse,
he doesn't like me either"
Who?
Mr.. Bogard. He's almost sure
I'm a humbug."
Helplessly Wade cleared his
throat. IF there's anything ! can
do-anything at all you Just tell
me-"
She saw the sympathy in his
faded, kindly eyes, and for an in
slant her own eyes lost their hunt
ed look. Thanks. old friend"
Then with an effort at calmness
she asked. did Father ever talk
to you about this Vicente?
Il wouldn't remember. But | do
remember that Vicente was in our
party when we found where your
father camped the night he
drowned. Fact is. Vicente found it.
Hammock, instruments every
thing was there after the flood
passed"
Once again he saw the shadow
Of fear cloud her face.
Il don't understand what it's al
about, Miss Janet" he said unbap-
PLY. but if there's anything l can
do-anything at all" He stopped,
for Cliff had entered the clearing.
Obviously anxious to get Cliff off
his hands, Wade hurried out after
the horses, and ten minutes later
they started through the dripping
jungle. Janet and Cliff mounted on
two sturdy ponies. Wade himself
leading a pack-horse bearing their
bags. Steadily the trail rose from
the valley, while stunted oak began
taking the place of palms, and soon
they were riding t h r 8 h open
patches of grass land, where the
footing was firmer and the air
fresher; jungle had given way TO
a land of eternal spring.
Once Janet refined in her horse
and beckoned to Cliff. Let me
show you something" she said,
and leaving the main trail. led him
out along a rocky ridge.
He gave an involuntary ex-
clamatioa of surprise. They were
on the peak OF a sheer promontory,
and thousands of feet below them,
like a shining ribbon, the river
flowed slow and deep between high
jungle banks, h Z broke into a
series of rapids. To the north,
above the rapids, the country open
ed up into a wide, fertile valley,
shrouded in mist too thick to pene-
trate.
up there" Janet said, "are
your Blacklands," and Cliff knew
that somewhere in that misty val
Icy to the north lay the famous
plantations he had come SO far to
see.
A lonely, sky-filled place. From
that dizzy height the world lay
spread out like a great colored
map, the lush, velvety green of the
jungle fading back to a purple
haze, and Cliff could hear the low
moaning of the wind beneath him.
ITS lovely, isn't it? Janet ex-
claimed. 1T was here Father al
ways liked to stop and rest"
Cliff pointed down to a spot
where, just below the rapids, stood
a low, squat building on the river
bank. Whats that? he asked.
Janet shook her head, and il was
Wade who answered. That's the
warehouse the other rubber fellow