GOLD HILL NEWS. JACKSON COUNTY. OREGON IDLE ISLAND The Cream of the Tobacco Crop By ETHEL HUESTON W N U Senne« Copyright 1927 by The Bobba Merrill Co. C H A P T E R X — C on tin u ed — 14 '■ Rand helped w ith the Christina« party plans. On little white cards, pa j with candles and holly, they printed the Invitation. Auntalmlry's Christmas Party at the Loue Pine Christmas Eve Five O'clock. Just one week before Christmas, the Budlong bo.vs waded through the snow all over the Evergreen end of the Island, and delivered the Invita­ tions. one to every house. I t could not have been more than ten minutes a fte r she received the announcement that Alice Andover was to be seen sailing grandly up the hilt, a sort of full-rigged majesty In her advance. Gay met her beneath the pine. "Now don't blame me. I hadn't a thing In thè world to do w ith I t only lent her the cottage as she asked. She did everything herself. She sold everything she owns to pay for I t and It Isn't going to cost you a cent. She has gone without Jelly, gone with out b u tte t gone without cake, gone without sugar— It ’s her party, and none of our business, if you ask me. Alice Andover sank weakly Into a chair. “1 might have known I t T h a t’s the thanks I g e t T h a t’s how folks take to good, honest conscientious administration. And then the au­ dacity to Invite me to the party." “Ob, please come! She'll be so dis- appointed If yon don't come. She wants you to see bow cleverly she has managed." “Oh. PII come. And since she's got the unmitigated audacity to bare a Christmas party in spite of my orders. T il send my presents as usual. Oh. I always give little things— people been here for years— all In the fam ily, you know, and I being the administrator. So you can tell the foolish old woman I ’ll send my presents as usual. I've never missed one of A untaim iry’a par­ ties yet. not since that first devil cursed one fifty years ago when—” "Oh, don't She— she thinks may­ be he' is the Unknown Soldier at Washington ; she— " Alice Andover stared. She opened her mouth, closed It with great firm ness and blinked hard at times. “ Unknown Soldier ¡—Good heavens. W hat n extF’ Then she added humor­ ously. with a bright glint In her gray eyes. "W ell, whatever he Is, thank God, It Is unknown. T h a t’s all I've got to say for Buddy Bridges— Un­ known Soldier." The next day Rand climbed the tall pine and strung It with Christmas lights from topmost point to lowest branches, round and round, a hun­ dred little colored bulbs, and connect­ ed them to a switch beside the win­ dow where Auntalm iry could turn It on before the party. Auntalm iry was enchanted with the Idea of wiriDg the tall pine; she had not dreamed of such royal welcome to her Christmas guests. For days before the party she talked of little else. It was only three days before Christmas, the twenty-second of De- “Oh, you think 1 am chatting. But When he reached the plaxta of the "W e'll Just roll him over In the cor­ I mean IL I — Miss Delane, tell me. Lone Pine, he did not wait to knock, ner out of the way,” ahe aald briskly, I f I should sell out— all my Inter­ but opened the door slowly and went and cover him up with the rug, and In, closing It after him. Gay was but let him sleet H off. W e'll lock the ests— my business connections—would you—m arry m et Would you even a little way behind, and she ran In door, and keep him here till It ta think of It? I know It Is too soon for breathlessly, but stopped short In sur­ over." you to know— But would you let me prise when she did not find him In the “ W ill he stay drunk all night r Gay living room nor the kitchen. come where you are, let me see you. askked. “Shouldn't we glra him “ Hello," she called. “ Hello I Any­ something— * try to make you love me— la there body up there?“ But received no an­ any chance for me at all? I would “ Whisky I 1 wish we had some swer. have some money. I could take care whisky. I f we had tim e— maybe we of you. We could go any place— Frightened by the unnatural alienee, could keep hlui drunk for a week. I West, or to Europe, anywhere." and mindful of Rand's words o f w arn­ don't know Juat how long It does last, ing. she w r i t to the desk, slipped her hut I know the party lasta all nlghL There was no doubting the sincer­ pistol deftly Into the pocket of her He may sleep It off.” ity o f his words, the eagerness o f hts desire. heavy coaL and then she climbed the “I have a little cognac. Brought stairs, watchful and alerL “Don't," Gay said gently. “Tou w ill It In myself—from I ’arla— lu the toe And there Indeed she found him, of my dancing slipper. spoil our pleasant friendship, and 1 Real stuff,” lying face downward on the soft rug Gay said proudly. ” 1 was keeping It have liked IL It Is because you have been away, you have been lonely, per­ of her bedroom floor. for a wedding, but he can have thaL” “ Wh-what are you d o in g r she de­ haps worried. It isn't really I you “Good 1 W e'll give him a big— manded foolishly. “ What do you want. Why, you don't even know me. swig—of It.” She brought out the want?" It is Just— woman, companionship, nautical term with a nautical swag- He neither mo ed nor answered. sympathy, soft tilings. Thnt is ail." So Gay went to him tim idly and bent But he shook his head, clung to her over him that she might see his face. hands. “Gay, It Is you. Nothing else. His eyes were closed, his lipa hard Nobody else. Yon. From the moment seL She tried to raise him, but his I saw you down In the cove— Oh, I head fell limply from her hands. know you don't love me now— but She shrank away from him, shudder­ couldn't yon? I f I get things all ing with fear. straightened out, and— do something else— Vlay. Isn't there a chance?" C H A P T E R XI From somewhere down the lane sounded the low siren of a car. The crisp voice of Alice Andover Ronald listened a momenL but still had never sounded so sweet to Gay's clung to her hand. “Gay. don't say no. ears as at that momenL Don’t say anything. Just walL think “Gay Delane' Where are you? I of me a little, and as soon ns 1 can— saw you take that foolish creature I will come again. But try to think home, so I came to see I f I could— o f me— I f not with love— at least with W hat Is the matter?" a little tenderness." Gay beckoned to her sternly from Quickly he lifted her hands, palms the top o f the stairs. “Come up," upward, kissed them passionately, one she said, and her voice was hollow. a fter the other, crashed them to his “Come up.” face and went away. Alice Andover was never one to Gay sank Into the big chair and hesitate In a crisis. She came at burled her face In her arms. A crim­ once, breathing hard. Gay pointed inal 1 T h a t artless, boyish, ingenuous dram atically to the bedroom. man, with the pleading voice and the eager eyes? But even a crim inal de­ Alice Andover gave one wide-eyed glance and saw the prostrate form. serves some kindness o f thought from the woman to whom he gives his love. “Good heavens, oh, good heavens! Gay was very kind. Where did he come from —where did The next day, very early, Rand ap­ you get him— I mean— " peared at her door, dressed roughly “H e came up the bill Juat ahead of She 8hook Har Flat a. the Door. for outdoor w inter weather, I l heavy me. Walked right In. Came upstairs, oilskin coat and breeches. He was and evidently fell down there. O r lay ger, both doubtless Inherited from the down. There he la." hurried In manner, preoccupied. He long line of senfarlng ancestor«. told Gay he was obliged to run down Alice Andover crossed the room snd "W e'll keep him as— tight as a lord— to Boston f r a few days on business. stood above him, touching the Inert until the party's over." N o w you sit tight while t'm gone," body tentatively with the toe of her Carefully but sternly they rolled he cautioned her. “T’m on the trail shoe. him over half out o f sight beneath and I ’m going through w ith it. Fve “D run k,” she said disgustedly. the window-seat, and covered him. told the folks Tm looking for a Job, “Dead drunk." So Gay brought the precious smug­ and they won't expect me home until Gay breathed more freely. In some gled bottle o f cognac, never yet on- they see me. You Just wait here. Say relief. “Ob, Is that It? I — was afraid sealed. and they gave him a generous nothing to anyone. Do nothing. of—oh, terrible things I" swallow, forcing the bottle between Don't set your foot In those woods A t that momenL spasmodically he Ilia teeth not without much difficulty. under any circumstances. And at moved, and his face rolled back Into He choked over It and coughed pain­ night. Gay, please, to please me, go the IlgbL fully, while the conspirators held their down and stay with Auntalm iry. And “Oh, oh I” Alice Andover's explana breath tn a panic above him. Rut don't worry, for I shan't be In any tlon was a startled gasp. “Oh, my God, presently he relapsed Into troubled danger.” I believe— Oh, poor Almlry. I be breathing agnln. “You are not going to Boston," she lleve It Is Buddy Bridges. Come home “T h a t'll hold him fo r a while," said said bitterly “You are going Into to his poor trusting mother— dead Alice Andover grimly. those woods, to lie under the piazza drunk. Oh, It Is all my fanIL Oh, They locked the door upon him and and watch the clubhouse, and try to what In the world have I done? Bud­ went downstairs. Rut when Alice An­ catcb those murderers. They'll catch dy Bridges— poor Alm lry. All my dover moved as If to go to her own you, firsL Rand, don’t, please don’L fau lL" home, Gay refused to be left alone In What business Is It of ours if they Buddy Bridges? Oh, really? Oh, the house with the drunken creature break the law? What are their affairs Auntalm iry—how happy— '• Then upstairs, and Alice Andover was to us? W hy should you risk your came sickening realization of the pain obliged to remain, fixing herself up Ufe—” It would be to the little old woman for the party as well as she could '•Oh, there's no danger, Gay, not a to have him come home to her like with G ay’s face powder and electric bit of IL I ’ll be careful, I promise this, dead drunk. Better a thousand curlers. They had tea to strengthen jmu. Just a little w eather eye out times for her to live on In her trust­ their shattered nerves, and at five for squalls. No, I am going to Bos­ ing Ignorance, fondly believing him an o'clock tiptoed up to the bedroom to ton. I have gone to Boston. Get that unknown hero, pure and fine. “Oh, give him another potent draught of in your mind, and stick to IL I shan’t poor A n n talm lryl See here, Mrs. An­ the cognac. He swallowed thia time be able to w rite you, and I may not dover, this drunken creature shall not with less difficulty, and as he drank, be home for several days. Just wait spoil the poor dear’s Christmas party. to their horror, his eyes opened, eyes for me. and don't worry.” T he way she has slaved, and saved, large and dark, Gay noticed even In Bnt Gay did worry, worried heart- end starved herself— He shan't! Let thnt horrible moment, eyes now vlslon- breaklngly. But she would Dot go to her have one happy night—It may he lesa, not seeing. When the muffled Auntalm iry. Rand might come, and her last, since Buddy came home like heavy breathing recommenced, they she wished to be there, waiting for thts. H e shan't spoil IL Not If I tiptoed from the room. him where he left her. He might have to poison him.” Alice Andover, because the opening need her— a shot I d the night, a Alice Andover, trained to efficiency of his eyes had frightened her, was scream of terro r—Gay set her small She shook her fist sleek head determinedly. Nothing, by years of hard administrating, sud­ freshly furious. at the door when It was safely lockej nothing In the world should keep her denly became practical and decided. behind her. from going to him Io answer if he Being In charge of things always aroused her latent cleverness. (T O B E C O N T IN U E D .) called for help. She was glad for the excitement of <-X-5'X4-X<'X-;-X-:-X->X*X>X->X<-X«X<-X<-X<>X«X*X<5-X4-X«-X->X