PAGE EIGHT
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1942.
IAKXJ (By ROBERTA!
artofl Saba Bafclsgssgt
Chapter Nina
Enter Dolores)
JT WAS shortly bef or noon the
following- day when Melissa
had ber first glimpse of the show
boat River Queen she was
called, and in the not too far
distant past of perhaps twenty
years before, she had been in
reality a show boat, plying her
trade up and down the river,
bringing romance and adventure
and mystery, real ar.d exciting
and thrilling even if temporary
and synthetic to the dwellers in
the small towns and villages
along the banks of "Old AL"
Big and freshly white with new
paint, broad in the beam, with
gay awnings along her upper
deck, with the interior all done
over, seats removed to make
places for small, intimately
filaced tables and with the stage
eft untouched, she would have
made an old-time show boat cap
tain sick with envy. Tied up at
ber dock, the yellow river water
Ilently slapping ber sides, she
ooked peaceful and serene, like
an old lady napping in the sun.
Aa Randy ran his ear into
garage built in a clump of tree
along the bank, Melissa stood at
the edge of the tiny dock, her
eager eyes taking in the shining
white, the gaily striped awnings
of the boat
There were a few people scat
tered about. Three men in the
bow end, their heads bent over a
music score. Aft. a tall, slim girl
in turquoise blue slacks and a
daffodil yellow shirt was fishing
over the rail; near her, a young
man with thick, tousled red hair.
dressed in brown slacks and
sleeveless sports shirt, lay in a
deck-chair his head sunk over
a copy of Variety. Everything
was peaceful and serene as Randy
led Melissa aboard the River
Queen.
The girl In blue slacks and
yellow shirt raised her hand In
a little salute and said cheerfully,
mys, boss? Ana tnen ner eyes
fell on Melissa and ah looked
startled and uneasy.
"Alice, this is a new member of
the troupe, said Randy cheer
fully. "Melissa, this is Alice Jor
dan and her partner, Hugh. Me
lissa Marlowe, Hugh and Alio.
She sings a little and dances a
little and pick a guitar in her
spare time. Hugh and Alice are
the featured dance team on the
how. Melissa."
"Hello," aaid Alice and Hugh
politely, and the startled, uneasy
look did not vanish from their
yes.
The three men cam forward
and were presented as members
of the orchestra. They greeted
Melissa politely but without
marked enthusiasm.
"Hello, darling I thought I
heard the ear," said a woman's
rich, warm voice as she cam out
on deck. It was a girl with ash
blonde hair, great starry blue
eyes, exquisitely smooth whit
skin and a body that was literal
ly poetry in motion. She wore
pajamas, with enormously wide
trousers of powder blue splashed
with great whit polka dots, and
a tightly fitting sweater-shirt of
white with huge blue dots. At
ight of Melissa she stopped short,
and a startled, almost angry look
was suddenly in her eyes.
Little Moos
"TVZLL, angel wher did you
' pick up the little mouseT"
ah demanded, and now there was
the sting of a lash in the voice
that bad been warm and caress
ing. "Dolores, this Is Melissa Mar
lowe, .who's Joining th floor
show," said Randy, and for all
th quietness of his ton there
was a not in it that mad Do
lores look at him sharply. "Me
lius. Dolores is prima donna of
the show."
"And se you dont forget ft.
Melius." said Dolores curtly.
"Ace. I want to talk to you."
She turned and went back in
side. "Alice, how about finding Me
lissa room and helping her make
herself at home?" suggested
Randy quietly. "Bob. how about
a short rehearsal after lunch?
Find out what Melissa does best
and get her ready to go on to
morrow night"
"Sure, boss," said Bob, the
short, dark, wiry-looking or
chestra leader, as Alice, smiling
at Melissa, led th wsy along th
deck and down to th living
quarters, while one of the orches
tra boys followed with Melissa's
two bags.
"I guess this will do," said
Alice, opening a door and stand
ing aside (or Melissa to precede
her into s stateroom that was a
marvel of compactness, surpris
ingly comfortable for all its
tmallness. There wss a bunk,
puffy-looking, covered, wilh
snowy linen; above it, a shelf,
an! nooks to augment the tiny
closet thst was made by curtain
ing off one end of the tiny room.
"As soon aa you'v unpacked and
hung your things away, Shorty
will store your bsgs below for
you until you want them again,"
Alice explained, smiling.
She turned toward th door,
but Melissa stopped her with a
little bslf shy, half ester gesture
1 "Who Is thst girl Dolores?
She's beautiful, isn't she?" she
asked, and waited, ber heart
hammering a little.
Alio hesitated, running a hand
carelessly through her thick,
naturally curling black hair, ber
eyes a little troubled.
"Dolores?" she repeated, and
once again her eyes swept over
Melissa before she said with sn
odd sort of wariness, "Oh. Do
lores is star of the floor-show.
Sure, she's beautiful."
"Is she is she engaged to
Randy?" asked Melissa, because
she hsd to know. It wss suddenly
th most desperately important
thing in the world that she know,
Alice grinned wickedly and bar
yes danced ever so little.
"Randy?" she repeated. "Oh,
you mean Ace? Well, now I'm
afraid I wouldn't know whether
Dolores Is engsged to him or not
All I know is she wants to be
hesd womsn in his life and she
acts as though he wanted her to
b but as for Ac well, he's a
cool and wary gent Nobody ever
gets on th inside of what Ac
thinks."
She hsd been about to leav
th room. Now she seemed to
think better of it and curled her
self up in the one chair th tiny
cabin held while Melissa took oft
her bat and opened her smart
new suitcases and began un
packing. Alice watched th other girl
as she moved about th tiny
cabin, and Alice's eyes took In th
smsrt new frocks and slipper
and hats that Melissa had bought
under Irene's guidance, and there
was a puzzled look in Alice's
eyes as she lit a cigarette, flicked
in maicn oui or ine portnoie ana
asked gently, "Hav you known
Ace a long time?"
"Sine last spring," answered
Melissa. That's more than a year
ago." .
"Oh." said Alice mildly.
Advle
MELISSA looked at her.
"I don't quit know what
you mean by that" said Melissa
swiftly. "Randy csme to our
filsc lsst spring when he wss
ost in th woods. He stayed
over a day and a night and
well, my Gran and I liked him
lot And when Grsn died and I
sold the cabin and cam to New
Orleans, I telephoned him and he
took ma to dinner and offered me
a Job
Alic nodded. Her expression
hsd cleared a little.
"Like thst eh?" she .aid.
"Look, Melissa, you're a nice kid
and you don't want to get off on
th wrong foot here on the River
Queen. So mind if I give you a
trifle of advice? And can you keep
your mouth shut about it?"
"But of course," said Melissa,
puzzled and wide-eyed.
"It's Just this: let Ace slone as
long as Dolores has her hooks
into him. Becsuse she's a tough
baby when she's aroused and Just
at the moment she claims Ace
for her very own. so you d be a
pretty smart little girl if you Just
kept your relations with the boss
on strictly business footing!"
"Of course." said Melissa quiet
ly, above th shsrp. twisting oain
at her heart
Alice said drily. "There's th
signsl for lunch. Com along
and I'll steer you."
ine auauorium dciow tn stag
where tables were laid for th
night's guests wss the scene of
the show bost personnel's meals.
Her a table had been laid for
th floor-show performers, and
beyond them at another table sal
six young-old men. Looking at
them, Melissa told herself shs
couldn't even begin to guess at
their ages.
They might hav been any
where from thirty to sixty; they
were like men who had been born
old and wary and very wise. She
watched, fascinated, and saw
that though they talked among
themselves, their expressions hsd
scarcely changed and they seldom
even glanced in the direction ot
the Door-show crowd, noisy and
gsy and cheerful.
Dolores and Randy cam tn
after th others were seated.
Dolores, still in the polks-dotted
pajamas was haniinc on Randy's
arm, laughing up at him, her
whole manner so possessive, so
proprietary that it was like an
open declaration to the world of
other women.
And Melissa scolded herself
sharply because her hesrt con
tracted a little with pain. After
all. Just because Rsndy hsd been
kind to ner snd hsd ottered her
a lob certainly it gave her no
right to feel Jealous or resentful
of another woman's attentions to
him. Randy bad never, by word
or act offered her the slightest
encouragement for ber dreams
about him.
He and Dolores sat down at the
table. He bent his hesd toward
Dolores until she hsd finished
whatever she had been ssying to
him in an intimate little whisper.
And then he laughed, and her
eyes were gay and audacious.
But as Handy snook out his
napkin he glanced up end met
Melissa's eyes, and the little swift
friendly smile he gsve her mad
her foolish hesrt lesp a little.
Te se eeatlaae
Pandlelon Airport
Hopsing Bids Eyid
Portland, Ore., March 18.
W) Klotpfer & Cahoon of
Boise and J. W. Brennan of
SHOP AT NIGHT
Barker's ar open
a n 1 i 1 o'clock
EVERY night
Btor for Men
i
Pocatello wer low with a Joint
bid for several troop housing
facilities at th Pendleton army
airport. Col. C. R. Moore of the
U. S. army engineers, an
nounced today.
Frank Lohse of Portland sub
mitted low bid on another sec
tion of th general enlarging
Job.
Censorship forbid disclosure
of amount of bids, details of the
construction and date of com
pletion. Col. Moore sa'd.
NEW COMET
Helsinki. Finland, March 18.
Torku university an
nounced today the discovery of
a new comet March 11 by Prof.
Kalle Vaisala. A star of the thir
teenth dimension, the comet has
been given the nam of "1942
C Comet Vaisala."
On the Radio Chains
STSTIONSl
Ckata amilaUoa sag where
they mrm on tbe dial:
HALS IMBtl IISO. Portlsn;
EX NBC-Blue) 110. r-urtlan.
Kua Mtc-tUue a MHai laie
Spoaanei (uo (NHC-Biue si.
San Franetaro; luw iMtC-Hrdl
z. eon la no: kjb (NBC-Blur)
lout. Seattle; RNX (CBftl 101
Los Anseles; 0 (NBC-Red) su
Denver: KOIN (CBS) S70. Port
land: KOMO (NHr-Red) SS
Bealllei KPO (SBC-Red) H0.
Ban rranctaroi KSL (CBS) 1160.
Mil Late city. .
Time howa Is NT
Wednesday
1 00 p. m. Ken Stevens, KOIN;
Orchestra Solo. KOMO: Brewster Boy.
XSU Adventure Stories, KOO. KJR:
Stan or Today. ROW; Don Wlmlow
or the Sir j. KPO.
S So p. m. News of the World,
ST IX, KOO. KJR: Dr. Christian. KSL;
Bill Henry. KNX; It Happened In
the Berrlc. KPO. ROW, KOMO: Eyes
of tbe World. KOIN.
6:00 p. m. Eddie Cantor Show,
KOW. KOMO, KPO; American Melo
dy Hour, KOO, KEX, KJR; Shirley
Tempi la Junior Miss, KNX. KOIN,
Sports, KSL.
40 p. ra. Dr. Cab Calloway's
Qulselcle. KOO. KJR, KEX: Mr. Dis
trict Attorney. KPO, KOMO, KOW:
Kaneom Sherman Show, KNX. KOIN.
1:00 p. nv Basin Street Chamber
Musle. KOO. KEX, KJR: Olenn Mil
ler's Orch, KKX, KSL, KOIN: Kay
Kraer's Musical Quia, KPO, KOW.
KOMO.
T:SO p. ra. Morgan Beatty, KOO.
KJR; ralthrul Btradlrerl. KEX. I
S 00 p. m. Quia Kids, KOO. KEX.
KJR; Amos n' Andj. KNX. KOIN,
KSL: Point Sublime, KPO, KOW.
KOMO.
8:16 p. m. Lenny Ross, KNX, KSL,
KOIN.
8:60 p. m. Dr. Christian, KNX.
KOIN: Uncle Walter's Dog House.
KPO. KOW, KOMO; Manhattan at
Mldnljht. KOO, KJR, KEX: News.
KSL.
6:00 p. m. News. Freddie Tberjer's
Orch, KPO. KOW, KOMO; Easy Aeee. i
KOO. KEX, KJR: That Brewster Boy,
KNX. KOIN; Hymn Service, KSL.
- 6:60 p. m. Ce Davidson's Orch,
KOO: Woody Herman's Orch, KOIN,
KKX: Pred Wiring's Orch, KPO,
KOMO. KOW; News. KJR. KSL. KEX.
10:00 p. m. Reporter News, KPO.
KOW, KOMO: Phil Karris' Orch, I
KOO. KEX. KJR: News. KNX. KOIN;
Masterworks of Music, KSL.
10:90 p. m. Claude ThornhlU's
Orch, KOO, KOMO; Howard Becker's
Orch., KSL; Broadwsy Bandwagon.
KEX; Moonlight Sonata, KOW; Sere
nade. KJR: Masterworks of Music.
KNX: War Time Women, KOIN; Con
cert Hall. KPO.
11:00 p. m Bill Clifford's Orch,
KPO. KOW; Wilbur Hatch's Orch,
KOIN. KSL: This Moving World. KJR,
KEX: News. KNX KOO; Bvenlng
eyeries, KOMO.
Taanday
(40 p. m- -Adventure (tarles.
KOO. KJR; Stars of Today, KOW; '
Don Wlnalow of the Nary, KPO-.
Death Valley Days. KSL: Adventures j
of Toyland. KEX: Eyes ot the World, i
KOIN; Dance Orch, KOMO. I
0 :SO p. m People's Platform,;
KSL; Star Spangled Melodies, KPO; j
Bill Henry. KOIN: Student Theater.!
KOW; Afternoon Dance. KNX: '
Streamlined Fairy Tales, KOMO: Newa
of the World, KEX. KOO. KJR.
6:00 p. m. Major Bowee' Original
Amateur Hour. KNX, KSL, KOIN:
Musle Hall, KPO, KOMO. KOW;
Secret City, KEX: Voice eg Victory.
KOO: Old Timers, KJR.
- 6:90 p. m. Blf Town. KNX. KSL.
KOIN; Blue Horlaoo, KOO, KEX:
Arm Chair Cruises, KJR.
740 p. m. Al Pearce's Oang. KPO.
KOMO. KOW; Rudy Valle. KOO,
KEX. KJR; Olenn Millers Orch,
KNX. KOIN. KSL.
7:80 p. m. Red Ryder. KOO, KJR.
KEX: Prank Pay. KPO. KOMO, KOW.
8:00 p. ra. Amos 'n' Andy, KNX.
KSL. KOIN: Fred Waring. KPO.
KOMO. KOW; Music by Bovero, KJR,
KOO, KEX.
8:60 p. m. Death Valley Days.
KKX. KOIN: Coffee Time. KPO,
KOMO, KOW; Tour Blind Date,
KOO. KJR; News, KSL; Flowers foe
the Living. KEX.
6:00 p. m Easy Aces, KOO, KEX,
KJR: News. KNX. KOIN: Aldrlcb
Family, KPO, KOMO, KOW; Sports.
KSL.
S SO p. m. Ellery Queen. KPO.
KOW, KOMO: Claude ThornhUl's
Orch, KOO-. Maudle's Dairy. KNX.
KOIN: News. KSL KJR. KKX.
10:00 p. m. America's Town Meet
ing of the Air. KEX. KOO, KJR:
Reporter Newa. KPO. KOMO, KOW;
News, KNX; Masterworks of Music,
KSL; Fire Star Final. KOIN.
10 JO p. m. Stan Kenton's Orch,
KSL; Wings Over the West Coast.
KPO. Moonlight Sonata. KOW; Mas
terworks of Music, KKX; War Time
Women. KOIN.
110 p. m. Bill Clifford's Orch.
KPO. KOW; This Moving World.
KEX. KJR; Wilbur Hatch's Orch,
KOIN; News. KNX, KOO; Evening
Serenas, KOMO.
FORECLOSURE RULING
HITS FORMER OWNERS
Salem, March 18. HP) The
slat supreme court held today
that it is not mandatory upon
counties to return properties,
which have been foreclosed for
delinquent taxes, to their former
owner on payment of back
taxes plus six percent interest.
The court. Interpreting a 183T
law, held that the law merely
gives county court permission
to return such properties, and
that payment of back taxes plus
six per cent is only a minimum
price set by law. The court
ruled that the counties may
charge any price they want
Th first complete census of
Alaska was not undertaken until
1929.
DIFFICULT DECISIONS
MeHe ihat . . .. e
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mm mm fte ...
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mum. UMivmaVMM JO
By GLUT AS WILLIAMS
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS
by JOHN HIX
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FIRST "POST OFFICE;'
IM EU RENO,
1659...
A DEOLATe ROAD IN
TU6 ARJZONA DESERT ON
VWUCM OV&B H-00 PERSONS
WiTiJN TU& PAST VErAR-
TH? "TIE MPg rSATilRE, OFTEN
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Near, tub road eae.lv
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OF PURE- 5lLveV2. WEIGHING
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HAP HOPPER. Washlngtoa Correspondent
That's the Question
DEATH ROAD
A Yuma. Arls.. newspsper last August carried a story announcing the deaths of seven
more travelers on the notorious "El Camino Del Diablo," th Devil's Highway. Their truck
had become stalled in th soft sand and all perished from heat and thirst before their plight
became known. Early Spanish missionaries wer th first whit people to traverse th dread
trail, and sine than it is probsbl that uncounted hundreds of gold seekers and adventurer
have left their bones to disintegrate into th desert dust. Today th trip is as desperate aa
undertaking as aver If your car should become stalledl
Edited by Draw Pearson and Bob Alias
A SHORT-WAVE RADIO STATION NEAR RERUN-
THAT TENSE, SHENT. SPLIT SECOND BEFORE-
PEOPLE OF AMERICA" I I I AM 60INS I alvjUPRP let VOUR Aaaaiap'iREAT 5f I
( I AM SPEAKING TO YOUl J ( TO ASK YOU ) stf -s. Ur ,B Fi n v O CA!SA1?'5(
Ns 'just one istv-, Vav K SECRETARY CXhost! I
-r estion-- K0p AVIATION!!
pip
Lit. ABNER Journey's End
By Al Cap
wtAf rVTrrVAND' NW THERE ( NOT f NOT "V I I ( PERHAPS YOU CAN GUESS V
tOf-flOf-l BUT- DEAR. FRIENDS, NOWJ'- L ME.'- V Met J Sv WHAT HAPPENS NETXT YOKUMS L-
OH, MOW VHAfHA.'- ) I WILL SHOW THE LAST AN NEITHER. . X 1 I IM ICB A fT
AMOOZIN'f HOW A. YOU MY LAST KNOT IS TIED.' ) AH )sTRAN6ER-l IK 7 AM tJEB SCRAGG.Y L
VO'U'U iCONFOOIIN-n AND MOST CAN YOU ft OH, HOW V" TJ TVlAr V?
TRCKS IS, Y 7 MYSTIFYINC CiT LOOM? JsTRAININAmOOMIRUSS J T1 -Y) l -t
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THE NEBBS Clothes Mske the Msn Msdl
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