1948-12-18 — Page 29

CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE SKY

(Continued from Page 2)

Once again, he was gripped by n old heart-tearing pain which went wrenching Rs way through him and making his mind and body

silent and rigid. Why 'should be feel like that? ile hat-

ed the girl, didn't he?

But will, the image of Spray the first time he'd ever seen her standing on the boat deck of the ex at the start of the trip, so long ngo, was something which could never quite be erased from his mind. She had ligen looking out to Bea, and her cheek had a

THE CHINA MAIL, CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, DECEMBER 18, 1940.

from Naples, they had set off al-denied yearning for her and the moar immediately on the plang knowledge of the hopelessness of trip Into Afrien which had ended their position lind gotten the best with the crash.

Their pilot had been killed. And before they could extinguish the fire, the navigation papera and night log were burned. But they had been able to save all their equipment, even to those rubber tree seedlings. At t they had thought they were very lucky, but they son had realise that they were hopelessly lost in the heart of a very hou- tile jungle.

|

of him.

But the girl in his arma had not been as he had expected her to be. She wasn't the girl who'd been so sweet and, trusting back on the boat. Instead, she was a struggling, fighting ger eat of girl. And her face, as she strug- gled away from him, had been har with hate and fear even in the tender light of the moon.

"You can't! Don't you realize

wo mustn't? ale cried.

"You don't need to fight like Nights when they were in tiresl Jovely curve. And when shto work, they'd sit by their shart- that," he said to her, 1ส he turned around, he'll known that wave radio and listen to what released her.

"I have my an never Again all the world was being done to find them. But

*wer now." would he see anyone su hunting-as time went on, their names were

And he bad, too. A shipboard! y lovely,

romance which was inentioned lens and teas often.

over and When he saw that there was a

dono with. That 'was all he was Then, Bnally, at one o'clock in green carnation behind the lapelthe

to her now, His masculino pride morning Out ስ moonlight

had recolved . of her neket, his heart Bew up night, when

a mortal wound, } it was only about like a skylark, For now he knew seven back home, they'd listeneat was when his love for her that seeing her like this wasn't 10 # radio commentator telling guing to be all. Each of the con- the world that all hope had been fest winners had agreed by mall abandoned fur the six young to wear a green carnation when music lovers who'd taken off in it they went on board ship. That plane to study Afrlean Junglebis, meant he was goaig in spoul six firends in swing music, whole months in the company of this girl.

"But that's ont so, We're not given up for lost," declared Spray. "We're just crowded of the air by the international altuation. Don't worry,

He believed all for us. My he still looking

Any beautiful sight he'd ever Bent as a child mnde zilent brat very lovely music always come to his unit. must comprsers were like that, He thought Dat

was the Imanortal movie whs burn.

would never

had ended.

"1 thought you understood that now you and I could only be friends sho sold. Her voice was stow and sad.

"Yes," put in Jo, "that speech. from England promising ", the world peace-att

"Peace in our time,” went on Spray softly. "Those were won derful, words for me to hear. If we had'nt heard them, I would have been worrying all the time about my brothers."

"Almost any time now we'll hear the drums start up down in the compound," said Jo. His voico was reverent. "And that'll mean they are practically at our front deor."

Yes, thought Martin, It was almost all over. There wouldn't be any more of these nights of moonlit splendour and jungle shuddered, then, at a secret wish. tragrance to have to endure. He

He wanted to just once place his lips on Spray's delicates 17 curved ones. And ho hated himself for that wish. It was liite_being, a' traitor to himself.

"Touch of chili, Martin?" nek- od Hod,

you

more

"Yes I'm just beginning to realize how gind I'll be to get out of this fever hole, this mess of spinach". HI voice was bli- He'd meant nothing to her,ler with hate. "That's what this but sill there'd been something place has always meant to me, killed in the depths of her blue-

know,

Just a plniter of gray eyes as they stared into particularly repulsive. green- And that look made him black spinach that someone left moro angry than sorry.

too long out of the fee box. And we've been six poor little futile ants crawling about in the bot- tom of the dish beneath it all.” "Martin, it's not bren thal But his own volee was swifttad!" Spray's voice sounded as and hard as the pounce of a Jun-[if she thought the jungle belong- give th. But let's live each day the hawk, He purnosely made to her, as if he were insulting

his worda insufferably way as we expected to las here

cheep something she loved, here a long, long

"Surry. I thought

the truth." tine, forever Insulting.

"Sorry, Spray, it's But his mind's But when he save Spray, all the maybe. Let's have

what we said about our not get- a bute em-

eye had a air becsine

flonteri with thepire here that we can be prout in home was Inylation.quick, flashing memory pleture Jungle at sunrise. sound of the mint egeous muste of when they come and flot us. Odd that you feel like this, be of this same

rame I thought 07/1 he'd ever henrif or imagined. The

Every the hoatMorning in Jungle land. And believe me, it'll be soon. I'm

4 vou'd be easy to make. But since tree frond, overy brond tent, Blitz's orchestra Was playing sure of 11. There'd been at għaw

we pan't be friendly, let's he sparkling like diamonds. Deep something or other, but that in her eyes which add

Jak

do 3.

I want that much, any-green of leaves and black of wasn't 16 This was maaste of s some of the tear away from them

dew-drenched three trunks. The way," own. And it was fone descrip- all.

But Spray bad refused to be lovely snow of the fails above tion of what this girl's beauty "Spray," Marti And to her,

had to do his an enemy. Ho'd

the bathing pool. Everi meant to bin as a man. More when they were inally alone, "a hating by himonf And he looked newly mado. than that, even.

that we'll ge was the deep, you really think

dłonie o erral rival of it. After highly personal knowledge that out of here soon?"

stl. 1 had cause. . First love he'd fount

rl made in the

For a mute, mi that soft light. Sed ne rasally destroyed it in exact image

their long her eyes seemed to measure hits him as if it had been a trouble- dressing in his trippy chithoort. and then sho

some epat. And now that they 8. "No, Her one was Spray, as 11 hap-

were whenit do gr out of her. She hardest naime, too. praml

nite to fall in

*

!

|

an

don't think you do, either. Bul wo

fing b mustn't ever tell the others that, Martin. We mism' taka their wil voor else.

Full he joined the others

Well, folksles," he said, com- He knew all his heart was ing up to the group as an imit-

It was Newll}, ilut, somehow. be pever thought of hoe as hav-hope away from them,” fnt say name but Suray. Flowers, sea foun, bridal wel waterfalls, green leaves, runners--they were all there in her are which suit cd her so well.

"Oh, Spray, Spray" he muc-by the Br muret

muret.

thats

The bright butterfiles moving flowers, a strolling pole of giraffes or a group of barking, These animals | trotting zebrns.

all seemed so clean and new, It should have been for him the freshest, gladdesi picture that ever met his eyes. But, Instead, It seemed as dull to him as an unpleasantly coloured picture n geography the sound of Spray's laugh and the rapid sound of her running feet come to his ears everything would change for him.

book.

unti-until

Just to look at her by. the white light of the indon, in that per Juned jungle night, sems to have his armr ache and his kenti pound like a messige, drum.

A

world, and that she must be the "It's quite a surprise for us."

observed had like first girl who

been ever

"31 zure is," created. She would be so lovely with hor marvellous eyes that youliger man named Sterling.

"Well, it

show does

thul looked na if they, too, had been

with washed with dew,

Amerleans have the right stuf," her thick, vital hair that was such went on Banting. "And that is good to know in times un amazingly beautiful colour s certainly full of life, colour and vitality.ilke these." You could see rainbows in "Times like these?" That was Spray's hair, too, sometimes.

and her voice was ques- Spray. So lovely, so lovely. At such loning. "Please don't tell me it

is still hard times back home? fimes as those, it would seem to his voice, and he thought he saw

could catch the

The man's eyes narrowed sud- him that he a look of challenge in hry faen,

faintest sort of echo of his lot denly. "Haven't you kids got u It had seemed to him that he'd Looking like This at bm mandle

Just the sight of Spray in her

music

Those heavenly tones, short-wave radio?" never known any sort of joy be-him feel torn apart inside, Se

"We had a radlo," answere That was before the two bathing suit would make it sud- wild, illusive, and forever haunt- for. And those elages on ship must know by now how he teh fighting elephants bad come and deply all BU wonderful. She Ing. And then they would sud- Martin, "before is got trampled board went whuzzing just

toward her, even though no won trampled their set into powder. would have her white cop swing- brief, lutei seconds. There'd had been spoken. There'd never thereby cutting the

denly be gone as completely as by the elephants right after we Just fralling from her hand, and her long. If a door hind closed on them.

came." been hurrie, whypered dirtations be anyone else for him. Sheard which held them to the honey-coloured bob would be "Spray, Spray

Mr. Bantling's face was Spray!" His heart was and

Deeting kiss or two on the must feel the same way, a

wasn'! world,

streaming out behind her. Just to still crying out to her even boat deck.

"Folksies-hello, And, of course, he what either of their would have

1931, Tolksles" re-

wasn't it? will was back was had Spray in his arms as they chosen. But here they were, an

prated Ann. She

young and carefree, would remembered

this le practically beyond make danced to the music of the ship's it might be forever.

Just

it right, and her face it up the scène to looks

come alive orchestra.

already "Tomorrow I'll tell her how at her by the white light of the ten more than it was

the night's excitement. Just think of it-radios again! It How Just doesn't seem possible.

fer and what she means la me," he't promise himself.

But all the fine during the trip form New York to Naples, there'd been le

chance for hikn

moon, in that perfumed jungle night, was to have his arms che anul his heart pound like a savage drum.

He had to have her in his and arms, all that fragile, maddening Spray be alune together. And, I slenderness of hers. His long

ation of a wild-walerd fèmnie namovi Tizzle whom they'd used to latch at over Peir shortwave radio set when they'd first corne

have missed them."

**I would have been worse. though, if we hadn't been able to hear that one-last broadcast." said. Spray,

per..

see her like that, so madly gay on this night, while he now, fectly, blunk for a minute, "haf

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