Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-01
unawares."
Iris was serious enough now.

Ills WIS SERIOUS enough now,
"How do you know that such dan
ger threatens u.s." she demanded.
He countered readily. Because
happen to have read good deal about
the China sea and its frequenters." lie
said. II am the last man in the world
to alarm you needlessly. All l mean
to convey is that certain precautions
should be taken against risk that is
possible, not probable. No more"
She could not repress shudder The
sailor wanted to tell her that he would
defend her against host of savages
If he were endowed with many lives,
but he was perforce tongued tied. He
even reviled himself for having spo-
ken, but she saw the anguish in his
face, and her woman's heart acknowl-
edged him Us her protector, her shield.
"Mr. jerks" she said simply, eve
are in Gods hands. put my trust in
him and in you. l am hopeful--nay,
more, confident l thank you for what
you have done, for all that you will 10.
II you cannot preserve me from threat
ening perils no man could, for you are
as brave and gallant gentleman as
lives on the earth today"
Now, the strange feature of this eX,
traordinary and unexpected outburst
Of pent up emotion was that the girl
pronounced his name with the slightly
emphasized accentuation Of one who
knew it to be mere disguise. The
man was so taken aback by her dec
laration of faith that the minor Incl
dent, though it did not escape him, was
smothered in q tumult of feeling.
lie could not trust himself to speak.
He rose hastily and seized the ak to
deliver murderous assault upon a
sago palm that stood close Mt hand.
Iris was the first to recover a degree
Of self possession. For moment she
had barred her soul. With reaction
came sensitive shrinking. Her deli
cate nature disapproved these senti-
mental displays. She wanted to box
her own ears.
With innate tact she took keen in
terest in the telling of the tree.
"What do you want it for?' she in
| CURED when the sturdy trunk creaked
and fell.
jerks felt better now
'"This is change of diet" he ex-
planned. mo; we don't boil the leaves
or nibble the bark. When l split this
palm open you will find that the in
terror is full of pith. will cut it out
for you, and then it. will be your task
to knead it with water after well wash.
ing it, pick out all the fiber and finally
permit the water to evaporate. In a
couple of days the residuum will be.
come q white powder, which, when
boiled, is sago"
Good gracious!' said Iris.
1.-THE story sounds unconvincing, but
believe l am correct 1t is worth a
trial"
81 should have imagined that sage
grew on stalk like rice or wheat"
"Or Topsy"
She laughed. A difficult situation
had passed without undue effort I'm
happily the man reopened it. While
using crowbnr as a wedge he en-
deavored to put matters on straight.
forward footing
"a little while ago." he said, "you
seemed to imply that had assumed
the name Of jerks"
But Miss Deane's confidential mood
had gone. Nothing Of the kind" she
said coldly. II think jerks is an ex.
cellent name"
She regretted the words even us they
fell from her lips. The sailor gave a
mighty wrench with the bar, splitting
the log to its clustering leaves
You are right" he said. ut is dis
tinctive, brief, dogmatic cling to II
passionately."
Soon afterward, leaving Iris to the
manufacture Of sage, lie went to the
leeward side of the island, a search fol
turtles being his ostensible object
| When the trees hid him he qulckened
his pace and turned to the left in or
der to explore the cavity marked on
the tin with skull and crossbones
To his surprise he hit upon the rem.
nants Of roadway-that is, line
through the wood where there were nc