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skyscrapers and said that Ruel called it progress. Julie knew that was a touchy subject with her employer, so she avoided it.
    "It was too dark last night for me to see much and with the rain this morning, I really don't know all of what you have here," she commented.
    "Sugar fields mostly and Ruel runs cattle in the hills," came the information. "Of course, he spends most of his time in Honolulu with his other . . . projects. Al oversees most of the work around here." The tone of her voice left little doubt that it was a situation Emily Harmon didn't like.
    When Malia returned with the toast, Julie let the conversation lag. Ruel and his activities seemed to be a sore issue with Emily. She thought it was best to let the subject fade out of the woman's mind before attempting to discuss anything else.
    After breakfast was finished, Emily suggested, "Let me take you to meet Deborah so the two of you can become acquainted."
    Julie agreed readily to the proposal and the two of them left the dining room. Rain continued to come down outside, but it wasn't the deluge it had been. The air in the house was muggy and warm.
    "Deborah's room is here on the ground floor. It used to be Ruel's bedroom, so his comings and goings at odd hours wouldn't disturb the rest of us. After Deborah's accident, it was much easier to move his things to a guest room on the second floor than to try to get a hospital bed upstairs. Plus—" a smile briefly touched the woman's mouth "—when Deborah does begin perambulating, we won't have to worry about her falling down the stairs!"
    They were crossing the entryway and Julie glanced at the U-shaped stairwell and understood Emily's concern. Not only would it have been difficult to cart a bulky hospital bed up and around those steps, but also dangerous for anyone on crutches to negotiate the polished wooden treads of the stairs.
    Entering the smaller, second wing of the house, they passed a room that was a combination study and library. The door stood open to reveal an unoccupied room. A second door was also open. It was this one Emily entered.
    The room was dominated by the stark serviceability of a large hospital bed. A dark-haired, dark-eyed girl lay framed by the white sheet. Julie felt the warmth in the girl's smile and was reassured that Malia hadn't overexaggerated her praises last night.
    "Hi, Auntie Em," Debbie Chandler greeted her aunt first, but the interest of her gaze was centered on Julie.
    "I brought Miss Lancaster in to meet you," her aunt explained unnecessarily, and turned to Julie. "This is my niece, Deborah Chandler."
    "How do you do, Miss Lancaster. I hope you had a good flight over here."
    Julie approached the bed. "I did, thank you, although it was a long one." One side of the girl's face was faintly discolored, but the bruises had practically faded. "And please, call me Julie."
    Keeping up the formality of "Miss" on a one-to-one basis would be difficult under any circumstances, but the natural openness of this girl would have made it doubly so. Julie decided to dispense with it from the beginning.
    "This is Sue Ling, my nurse," Debbie made the introduction of the slim Oriental woman, uniformed in a white pant suit, as she lifted a tray from a service cart.
    "Glad to have you with us, Julie," the nurse smiled.
    Again Julie felt thoroughly welcomed. "I'm glad to be here." Of all the people she had met since she arrived, only Ruel Chandler had held himself aloof. But it was foolish to think about him. He wasn't the reason she was here. The girl in the hospital bed was.
    "I'm glad to have you here, too, Julie," Debbie offered. "My right arm and my head are the only two things that aren't plastered, in traction or otherwise immobilized. I need to put them to use."
    "I'm going to do that all right," Julie laughed. How many people could joke about their condition, especially sixteen-year-olds? Perhaps it was the resiliency of youth. "I'll probably turn out to be such a slave driver that you'll be