Evening Star Newspaper, July 17, 1936, Page 12

CHAPTER XVII. ATSY was still thinking of | Courtney Vallance when Rich- ard drove her back to Tree Tops that evening. All after- noon she and Richard had listened over the radio to the Army-Nnvv‘ game and Patsy, betting a dollar | with Richard on the Navy, had lost. Then they had had dinner together at Log Tavern on the Severn, and | Richard had talked most of the time | about Admiral Benson and the South Pole trip. Though she had once sus- pected that he had joined the expe- | dition solely to get away from her, | she was convinced now that he was | genuinely interested in it. | But now, back at Tree Tops. and Richard gone. all of his exciting | words of the trip to the South Pole slipped from her mind and only | thoughts of Courtney Vallance re-| mained. She put the key in the lock{ of the big front door and stepped an‘ the hall. | Marcia and Dr. Cole Procior were | aitting on the sofa in the fi L oof | a softly pulsing fire, talking so low that Patsy could scarcely hear their voices. In the last three months Dr. | Proctor had come to the house often | enough professionally. But lately. it | seemed to Patsy, he was coming every day—and not quite professionaily Now, seeing them alone and un- | guarded like this, Patsy realized for the first time that the fam ist was in love with her sister 3 under his care and devotion she was improving noticeably. Lately Marcia had started using rouge and lipstick again, which made her look more like | the lovely girl that dashing Tom Kane had escorted from the academy chapel beneath crossed swords that glittered in the sunshine of June week, Marcia heard Paisy in the hall &he turned slightly on the <ofa and said over her slim shoulder: “Is| that vyou, Patsy? A Mr. Courtney Vallance ftelephoned. He's at var vel Hall and would like you to gi She smiled—such a radiant smile that Patsy's heart re-| sponded to it warmly. Could it be possible that Marcia, too, was In lnve? That after two years of vid-[ owhood—of hell—that she was to find a reprieve in this doctor’s de- | votion? Or would love ultimately bring her more misery than she had ever endured? Patsy said: “Hello, Dr. Proctor. | Nice 10 see you again.” And then: | “Mr. Vallance is a motion picture easting director, Marcia. He wan's to hear me sing. Remember I told vou about meeting him at Virginia's | cocktail party in the early Fall? I've been practicing every morning this month just hoping he'd not forget me and come back!" Then she went into the library to eall Courtney Vallance. As she picked up the receiver, gave his number and heard his voice on the other end of the wire she had a strange feeling | that she had taken some irrevocable | step. He had been siting, he told her, by the telephone waiting for her to ring him. She asked him to come out | to Tree Tops and he said: “Right-o! | By the time you reach the front door | I'll be there! I'm that anxious!” Patsy was still smiling as she put | the receiver down. But just as it | touched its cradle a burst of bells shattered the room’s silence. Ted, in an excited voice calling over long distance, told Patsy that he and Virginia, flving on their way back from the Army-Navy game, had had to make a forced landing because of en- gine trouble. They were at a farmer’s | house—a Mr. Silas Carroll—abont 25 miles north of Annapolis, and would Patsy drive out for them. As he gave her the directions Patsy scribbled | them down on the back of an envelope | and said she doubted if she could find such an isolated place. Besides she toid him Courtney Vallance was com- | ing to call and she wanted to sing for him. Wouldn't the farmer, if he paid him well, drive them into Annap- | olis? { Ted laughed. “Patsy, listen,” he #aid, “T know you won't believe me. But this farmer is throwing a party | in his barn. He calls it a ‘husking bee." " | A husking bee?” Patsy's voice was | puzzled. Now wait & minute! Don't keep Interrupting me. You see, there are about, 40 farmers and their best girls out in the barn now. shucking corn | like fiends. The lad who gets a red | ear has to kiss the girl sitting next | to him if shell let him. She won't usually, and then .the chase is on. He | has 1o catch her and hold her until he has kissed her. It's all very jolly. | You'd be surprised how many red | ears turn up and s0-0-0-0-0-0 you can | see that no amount of money can lure these huskers out of the barn. From the stack of corn piled up in the center of the floor I'd say they'll | be husking and kissing until dawn.” | Oh, all right.” she told him. “Mr. | Vallance and I will come for you after | I sing for him, and not before! That is, if we can find you by these wild directions!” “Swell!” Ted answered. “And snap | Into it, kid! You'll miss the fun of | your life if you don't get here before ! the husking bee is over! Virginia's | out in the barn now. and I'm going back. I'm in a husking and kissing humor, no foolin".” | But when he reached the wide, | lantern-lit barn his eyes, his whole | face glowed with dull fury. For a| youth in blue denim overalls had | Just turned up a red ear and was kiss- Ing Virginia. And Virginia, contrary to all rules of the bee, was making no resistance, but placidly permitting him to kiss her. Mr. Carroll, the farmer-host, went over to welcome Ted and said: “Ain’t this the craziest ever? First bee we had in years. Honest, ye'd think we's headed straight for the nut house instead of being downright sly, now wouldn't ya? You see, this year, | with money for hired help scarce'n hen’s teeth, us farmers decided to co- operate, and the red ears is only a bait to snare them otherwise un- gettables into the business of shuck- ing.” He paused: “Reckon ye'd care to Join in the huskin’, lad? But you can't sit by your gal. Rules of the bee. Aggravatin’ couples git together now and again and do a lot of kissing and yell ‘I found one!’ ever minute or so. But everbody knows they ain't, ‘cause I declare to my Maker, the whole pile would have to be red ears if they had of.” A little sulkilr, Ted took a seat on the floor. He didn't notice the girl he had selected for his husking part- ner. Through a blur of indignation and fury he could see Virginia beyond that mountain of corn—stalks, ears, husks and all, just as carried in from the fields—and he could see that she was looking up into the country youth's face, her brillilant red lips ) saying: “Don't be a piker! Find another red ear, you good-looking devil!” And, to Ted's torment, he watched the youth working feverishly in an effort to find a red ear, some- thing of that fever burning in his Jean, tanned cheeks and his shining eyes. Suddenly he felt some one roughly shaking his shoulder. It was Mr. Carroll and he was yelling at the top of his lungs. - “Lad! Ye've turned up a red 'un! And look at Mary Jane go! Quick like a rabbit! Atta girl, Mary Jane! No daughter of mine is going to be easy lipping for a fellow!” In a sort of daze Ted heard the insinuation against Virginia and saw a pink gingham dress whirl away from him. He knew then that the girl he had to kiss was on the run and that he couldn't humiliate her by not chasing her. He got up quickly and started after Mary Jane Carroll. She was as elusive as a sunbeam and her slim little figure knew all the arts of dodg- ing. He really didn't see her face with the loose dark hair around it until he caught her at the far end of the barn and gripped her shoulders to pinion her against the wall. But when he saw her he stared at her breathlessly and for one mo- ment couldn't swallow. Years later he had only to close his eyes to see | - | her there against the wall, gazing up at him with shy blue eyes shadowed THE EVENING DAN DUNN AH! HERE'S A IN HIS WATCH POCKET -- EVIDENTLY OF SOME MY NAME IS WEASEL-- STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, ‘WE FEARED DEATH AT THE HANDS FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1936. Secret Operative 48 WE BETTER GET DOWN THERE AND == 1T SAYS-- I LIVE AT 1845 FORREST AVENUE -- RIHITCTHIIN | « GUARD THE CORPSE-~ LET'S GET GOING . SHERIFF--LET ONE OF YOUR DEPUTIES WHAT DO YOU MAKE e =30y g A TYPICAL GANG MURDER, SHERIFF--- MAYBE WE CAN LOCATE SOME LEAD IN WEASEL'S HOME * temples, her cheeks flushed with ex- citement, her soft lips parted in the | wanest little smile of embarrassment. .-He bent to kiss her lips, his heart thumping now from something more than the chase—something he didn't giute understand, when he loved Vir- ginia as he did—but he missed her mouth, for she turned her head quickly. It resulted in the briefest kiss on her firm chin. Then she clipped out of his arms and hurried | back to the husking, the blood high in | her cheeks. Ted followed her, strangely exhila- rated, and took his seat on the floor beside her. For a full five minutes YOUR SRANDPARINTS RNIW US The Second National Bank, with resources of over eight and one-half million dollars, is one of Washington's older financial institutions. Organized in 1872, it has seen America conquer every depression since the Civil War. 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She said: “For heaven's sake! Look at Ted AT going to town! And what a perfectly beautiful partner he has! Now there is the girl who ought to have a screen test, Mr. Vallance. If she can be that lovely in pink gingham just think what a Hollywood fashion expert could do to her.” ADVERTISEME] A MINUTE : Movis fiw iy s LA ARNNNNTTT At "HANDS UP! ECRET | ERVICE'f PLAYLEY by JE DIXON Selining e Alank of ‘When the music stopped and most | every one made a dash for the cider and doughnuts, | Patsy and Vallance. perspiration from his temples and He hadn't, he was still laughing. | Patsy thought, laughed like that since | “Sa-a-a-y, what's up, kid? ADVERTISEMENT, Ted came over to| This is the life! He was wiping | could have been here for the husk- he had met Virginia Keith. He said: “Gosh, I never had so much fun! Wish you two ing!” Then he lifted an eyebrow at Patsy. You've ADVERTISEMENT. ;. 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