HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, FEB. 23, 1928.
PAGE FIVE
RED HAIR
AND
1BLUE SEA
STANLEY R. OSBORN
UiAJSTRATIONS BY HENRY JAY LEE
COPyWOHT BV CHARXES SCRIBNER.'S sons
CHAPTER I
HAND OF THE GENII
When the square sun-browned
hand with the lace mitt upon it was
thrust from the outer darkness in
through the port of her cabin
aboard the yacht Rainbow, Miss
Palmyra Tree had been lying, for
sometime, with eyes closed.
And then, when she opened her
eyes at last, it was to discover the
sinewy sun-browned hand with the
black lace mitt upon it The hand
had come thrusting in from outsiae
the yacht. The girl became aware
only Just in time to see it raised,
seemingly In benediction. For an
instant the hand remained thus.
Then It receded, grasped the lower
edge of the opening as if supporting
a body, let go and disappeared.
The girl sat back, seriously dis
turbed . Her first thought had been
that a seaman was overside on
some dangerous duty, that he was
swept away. She would have given
the alarm. But she had restrained
herself on a positive perception that
the hand was not torn from ' its
grasp. It had deliberately let go.
And there had been no cry.
The girl laughed uncertainly in a
growing appreciation of this last
cricumstance. The apparition had
been silent as a ghost Was it real
ly a hand at all, or only a dream?
It seemed very real, but she'd had
only an instant . . . ,
Again Palmyra laughed, this time
in musical mirth.
Yes,- when one thought it over,
the whole vision had borne that ex
aggerated Impressiveness common
to dreams. As she opened her eyes
the hand appeared to be rising
above her In a gesture, solemn,
warning: a something of ineffable
portent
Palmyra shivered once again In
the chill air. She slammed shut the
port. Then she dived back into her
covers; drew them up to her chin.
With the chiming of five bells of
the morning watch half past six
o'clock the girl awoke to a serious
mood.
Why this voyage?
She. could not doubt it had, in
some way, to do with Van Buren
Rutger, John Thurston. For she
had seen a great deal of those two
while the family, from Boston, had
been in Southern California.
When Mrs. Crawford and the
Wampold sisters and Dennis Mc
Carthy and Constance Crawford
had come idling up the coast in the
Rainbow, the girl had not suspect
ed. But five days later her parents
were bundling her aboard without
any explanation that explained
and the family was bound, at least
for Honolulu, perhaps even Japan.
Had Van alone been asked as a
fellow voyager she would have un
derstood. But with John also here,
she was at a loss.
She was inclined to look upon this
yachting as indelicate, brutal; pen
ning her up, as on a stage, to play
for them all an endless triangle of
courtship.
As if In protest there rose from
the main cabin the earnest voice
of John Thurston, followed by the
gay laugh of Van Buren Rutger.
Before her the strong interesting
face of Thurston formed Itself.
What a splendid quality of brain
and will and courage; to have forc
ed oneself up, at thirty, from noth
ing at all to recognition in one's
profession. But shortly his features
were replaced by the handsome
highbred visage of his rival. Van,
she defended, had done none of this
because there was hone to do. And
her parents, in favoring him, had
her happiness as their sole consid
eration. Warned by the voices that It was
time to dress, Palmyra jumped out.
And only now, did she think of the
hand she had seen.
She had dismissed the appearance
as a dream, but it seemed so real
now that when she had clothed her
self she climbed upon the berth for
anotlrcr look through the port.
Bending down to gaze out, she be
came aware of something on the
polished metal of the opening that
caused her to start back in sur
prise: the print of moist and dirty
fingers.
She sat, astonished. The hand,
then, had been no dream, but real
flesh and blood?
Palmyra had an unexpected sense
of evil. She jumped down and hur
ried for the companionway to inves
tigate. The girl was only a moment In
verifying her Impression of the eve
ning before.
She shot a glance toward Captain
Pcdersen's hunds. Blg and square
enough, heaven knew, but fiery red
and flaxen bristled. At the wheel
stood one Johannsen, his huge paws
gripped on the spokes. A scarlet
ballet girl danced, disqualifying, on
the back of one and of the other
the index finger was missing.
Presently seven bells came, with
breakfast for the whole crew, so
that she was able to scrutinize, not
only the men who had been on deck,
but also those of the watch below.
"But Captain Pedcrsen," she ask
ed at last "the apparition of the
cabin had seemed very dark skin
nedhaven't we still a Jap or a
Mexican aboard, or maybe a colored
chef?"
The sailing master shook his
head.
The girl hurried away to her cab
In to make sure those prints had
been real. The normality of every
thing on deck had quieted her al
arm. She was glad now that some
instinct had kept her from explain
ing. Of all on board, she alone
knew.
Palmyra began to giggle In the
most juvenile fashion. "Never be
fore," thought she, "except in the
theatre or between the covers of a
book, have I come within hailing
distance of adventure. But now,
with the yacht scarcely out of sight
of land, fascinating mystery makes
its presence known."
In the not remote past this girl
had been a devoted reader of Treas
ure Island. And today, startled by
tier sudden realization of responsi
bility in this new and adult problem
of Van and John, she was in a mood
to flee away back to those irrespon
sible days.
So, as she jumped up on the berth
again, she was demanding that pi
rates lurk aboard. "Yes, undoubt
edly," she affirmed, "they have mis
taken the yacht for a treasure seek
er." The girl sat staring at the finger
prints. She was serious again.
Ought she to tell Captain Peder
sen, Mrs. Crawford? She sat for a
time disturbed. Then, all at once,
a laugh. Her expression became
ominously mischievous.
"I must," she announced, "see our
pirate chief at once and alone, for a
very special and secret reason."
Palmyra was searching the Rain
bow. She had penetrated as far, in
the 'tween-decks, as the space set
aside for the heavy baggage of the
guests.
Van and John and the Wampolds
who had followed her, stood cling
ing one to another, laughingly puz
zled at the way she had poked and
peered into dark corners.
Van regarded her severely. "Real
ly," he said ; "really I marvel at any
one trying to examine the fabric of
a yacht wtlhout a microscope. Such
superficiality. Deplorable."
The others laughed, but not the
girl.
As she had reached out for a big
trunk a dip of the Rainbow drove
her extended hand on and down
over. Her fingers came, rather aw
fully, into contact with a something
warm and furry, but solid. And
the something moved!
'Last night," she said a little
breathlessly, "I felt like Aladdin.
But now, now It's All Baba. All
Baba, and a thief I mean a pirate
behind every one of these trunks.
Every one."
'A pirate?" Van was commenting.
"Then, let's go. I shouldn't want to
walk the plank tilj I'd had my tea."
l he tone was light But ho was,
for the second time In five minutes
dusting with a handkerchief at his
hands. Born to the American aris
tocracy, he had an almost heredi
tary distaste for the dinginess and
grime of the underplaces. Give him
ever the prepared and proper stage
of life. There, indeed, he could be
a sure and gracious figure.
Palmyra" assented. "I go," she
said, "but I shall return. I like
these lower regions; so still, so
dark, so mysterious. I shall re
turn " she paused significantly
tonight I shall come back. . . ."
"She means," interpreted Van, "to
sneak pickles and ham, chicken and
jam for one real uninterrupted. . ."
The girl laughed. As you have
said: with food and drink, I shall
return at the sacred hour of midnight"
She gave them a covert glance.
But, unaware of the hand, of that
hidden presence, nelhter Thurston
nor the others realized that her, to
them, Idle chatter held any purpose
of return.
They moved to go.
And once more there came from
out the dark tha,t stealthy wraith
of sound intimidating, sinister.
Midnight
Palmyra swung the bulkhead
door open.
Now that she was alone, how dif
ferent it was down here; the dark
ness menacing, alive with groaning
whispers of sound, yet empty save
for that unseen presence. She was,
unexpectedly, a little afraid.
But she had her definite purpose.
Palmyra entered, placed sand
wiches, a bottle of water, an elec
tric torch on the deck. Then she
shut the heavy door. '
"Here I am," she announced
cheerily.
Silence.
She got up, waited, the torch cast
ing a moon of light upon the food
and water.
In the center of the spotlight
were two feet They were small,
encased in button shoes. They dang
led, juvenilely, six Inches from the
deck. For a moment she thoueht
that here was a boy.
But as the disk of illumination
moved upward It revealed the body
of a man, small, plump; dressed in
a way one might associate with the
racetrack, ringside. The checked
suit, fancy vest bright tan gloves,
above all the walking stick, were
ludicrously unnautical.
The face now broke into a grin
and the man said: "I ask you, lady,
Is It fair t'kecp me hove to under
ycr light, when I can't make out a
line o' yer rig?"
She took up the water and sand
wiches and put these on the trunk
next to that on which he Bat Then
she backed away to a seat opposite,
turned the torch upon them.
One of the gloved hands snatched
up the water, and he drank eagerly.
Not every lady," he went on ad
miringly, "would lay below at mid
night t ferret out a stowaway."
As the Rainbow drove into an
other sea there came again that
fettered clink and clank of Iron
away somewhere In the dark. At
the sound Palmyra stirred with a
returning disquiet vague but insist
ent, that could scarcely have been
a response to anything In the man's
tone.
She shifted the light to the man's
face. "Why are you aboard?" she
demanded.
He hesitated. "Because," he ex
plained presently, "I'd sooner be
here than in the cold, cold grave.
Not," he added with a shiver which
set the plump cheeks atremble,
"that I ain't cold here, too."
"Grave?" inquired Palmyra.
"Bullet," explained the stowaway.
The girl smiled invisibly. She did
not think anyone would feel it nec
essary to shoot such a plump little
man.
"As for who I am," he continued.
"I'm asking you, lady; do y'know
the Line? The Line islands, I mean
the Gilberts, , Marshalls, Caro
lines?"
She shook her head. Then real
izing he could not see, added a spok
en negative.
"If y'was knowing t'the Line,
lady, you'd savvy Ponape Burke.
Named after the biggest o' the Car
olines by admirers " a titter "and
also them as is not so admiring. As
I says before, I follow the sea. Mas
ter o' my own craft."
Palmyra was amused skeptical.
"But why . . ."
"I'm stowed away 'cause I had
t'make my westing quiet! If this
yacht puts back with me," he add
ed, "I'm a corpse. That's why I
thank you. Y'kept still and those
hours counted. Now, she'll more
likely hold her course."
The girl smiled delightedly. Once
again, Arabian Nights, ahoy!
There had been, it seemed, a Chi
nese merchant of Bagdad no, Hon
oluluwho was sending a cargo to
California that would go under the
hatches rice and toa, but come out
coolies and opium. He wanted just
the right sort of man along to smug
gle them through, and Ponape
Burke, who had been idling about
the town, was chosen.
"But lady," he explained earnest
ly, "don't mistake. I sure meant
t'play fair and square with Uncle
Sam. I planned both t'make a piece
o'slde money and do my plumb duty
as a citizen by tipping off the con
traband."
His countenance beamed with en
joyment of the intended coup; inno
cent of an slightest perception of
the shame of bad faith.
As he went on, however, his fea
tures turned ugly with disgust Un
cle Sam had proved an unbelievable
tightwad, and the Orientals had dis
covered Burke's attempt They had
set gunmen after him. And "for a
reason" which the man did not
explain he was conspicuous.
"I could have laid up ashore, he
concluded, "but some ulavale devil
Shanghaies my bankroll and leaves
me just plain on the, beach. So I
stows away here." j
Palmyra thought it safe to be
lieve he might really have been rob
bed. "So, then," she inquired in a
tone of regret "you're not after all,
a pirate .' l felt you might have
heard the Rainbow was seeking
burled treasure."
Ponape Burke Bhot a look of In
terest in her direction. Then ap
parently annoyed that for even a
moment, he could have taken her
seriously, he voiced a protest
Presently: "Miss, why did ylay
below here?
She had lain below mischievously
to consult a buccaneer. So, "I'm sor
ry you don't smack more of the
Spanish Main," was what she said.
Then he asked: "But what did
y'have in mind? Maybe we could
do better'n y'think."
Palmyra Bhook her head invisibly.
"Oh, no," Bhe said, you're not at
all the sort" But she explained.
When she had round there was
someone aboard, she recalled a pop
ular comedy: a burglar entrapped,
all unknown to tne ouiers, with a
house party under guard in quar
antine; no end of mystery, excite
ment before he'd been discovered.
"And I hoped," she concluded, "we
could get up a little plot Some
thing piratical, thrilly. But" she
added resignedly, "not one would be
scared at you.
From the dark there came a pro
longed chuckle. "Well," hesitated
Burke at length, "if y'insist on pi
rates. . . . But why not some stunt
a little more genteel? A concert
say? Know a lot o' native songs."
In sample he gave her a phrase;
a chanting fragment rhythm with
out music; low-voiced words, mel
lifluous, polysyllabic.
"There, he concluded with a
touch of pride. "Something like
that"
But the girl scorned minstrelsy.
He relapsed into the laugh to
her irritation. "Pirates it is," he
assented. "And even if yer bunch
ain't scart o' me, maybe we could
frame 'em up a startle. Wouldn't
be a bit surprised. Not a bit" He
was much amused.
She remained unconvinced and he
laughed again.
There was silence for an interval.
Then, "D'y' know where the gang
way is y'came in at?" he asked un
expectedly. The girl looked puzzled, toward
him; turned her gaze in the direc
tion of the door. "Yes," she said
wonderingly, "I know exactly where
it is."
"Then," said Ponape Burke, "just
give it one flash with yer torch."
The girl was, suddenly again, a
little afraid. Hark! Was that a
sound of Burke, moving?
Her thumb touched the torch. As
a lightning flash, its ray shot for
ward, landed full upon the plump
vest, the chubby infantile face.
Burke still sat on the trunk.
Again darkness; impenetrable, in
timidating. Before Burke could have moved,
she whirled toward the entry, swit
ched on the light
The shaft leaped across, and then
in its circle, vivid against the door,
there sprang into being a savage
face. Wild, copper-hued, it held rig
id as jungle lion caught by photo-
flashlight Under a great mat of
hair, fierce staring eyes, grinning
lips drawn back from two rows of
square teeth that clamped upon the
blade of a ten-inch knife.
It was not the face of Burke.
It was not the face of a white
man.
(Continued Next Week.)
A dance floor is a place where you
go with your girl, pay five dollars
for a good floor and the best music
in town and then sit outside all
night in a car.
POLITICAL
ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOR
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT.
I hereby announce to the voters
of Morrow county that I will be a
candidate for the office of County
School Superintendent on the Re
publican ticket at the primaries,
May 18th, 1928.
HELEN M. WALKER.
FOR SHERIFF.
I hereby announce that I will be a
candidate before the Republcian
primaries on May 18, 1928, for the
office of Sheriff of Morrow County,
and shall greatly appreciate your
support
C. J. D. BAUMAN.
FOR COUNTY CLERK.
I hereby announce that I will be
a candidate for nomination for the
office of County Clerk of Morrow
County on the Republican ticket at
the Primary election.
W. O. HILL.
FOR COUNTY CLERK
To the Republican Voters of Mor
row County, Oregon: I hereby an
nounce that I will be a candidate
for the nomination of County Clerk
at the Primary Nominating Elec
tion to be held May 18, 1928.
GAY M. ANDERSON.
(Incumbent)
FOR SHERIFF.
I hereby announce to the voters
of Morrow county that I will be
a candidate for the office of sheriff
on the Republican ticket at the
primaries, May 18th, 1928.
G. A. BLEAKMAN.
FOR SHERIFF.
To the Democratic Voters of Mor
row County:
I hereby announce myself as a
candidate for the office of Sheriff of
Morrow County, subject to your will
to be expressed at the primaries,
Friday, May 18, 1928.
WALTER L. MATTESON.
CALL FOR WARRANTS.
All General Fund Warrants of
Morrow County, Oregon, registered
"My ancestors came over on the
Mayflower."
"It's lucky they did. The immi
gration laws are a little stricter
now.
Fussy Customer: "Now, I don't
want my hair lopped off just the
merest trifle."
Barber: "I understand, sir just
a noise with the scissors."
LESSON No. 14
Question: Why is emul
sified cod-liver oil so effi
cient and so beneficial a
food-tonic ?
Answer: Because it is
to easily assimilated and
quickly builds up strength.
Multitudes use it every
day as in
SCOn'S EMULSION
If vou smoke
for pleasure
j Cei. girt -1
you're out of the
beginner class.
Camels are made for
smokers who know
their cigarettes
Camels
"I'd walk a mile for a Camel"
C 1938, R. J. RrvoMi TobaeM
Company, WliMloitMalm. N. C
on or before December 31, 1927, will
be paid on presentation at the office
of the County Treasurer at Hepp
ner. Oregon, on or after March 10th,
1928, at which date interest on said
warrants will cease. Dated at Hepp
ner, Oregon, February 15th, 1928.
LEON W. BRIGGS,
49-51 County Treasurer.
MEMBER OF HONOR GROUP.
Oregon State Agricultural Col
lege, Corvallis, Feb. 23. Maxine
Gentry of Lexington, senior in voca
tional education, is a member of
Kappa Delta Epsilon, local. honor
ary fraternity in vocational educa
tion, which has been granted a
chapter of Kappa Delta PI, nation
al education honorary. This hon
orary was founded for the purpose
of encouraging social service and
of fostering fellowship, scholarship
and achievement In the educational
field. The Oregon State chapter is
the first to be granted in the north
west and is the twenty-third nation
al honorary to come to the chapter.
Kappa Delta Epsilon now has 44
chapters, four of which are on this
coast.
I don't want to be a caveman
Nor lead a caveman's life,
But I'd rather be a caveman
Than be a caveman's wife.
Just What You
Want
AS AND WHEN YOU WANT IT.
This is the meaning of "service"
when spoken of by us. But still more,
it means prompt and courteous attention
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We appreciate your patronage, and
we mean it when we say "thank you."
For SERVICE try
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ALSO TWO LINES OF SIXES-THB VICTORY AND THE SENIOR