The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1907-01-11

island. A mere coral reef of the Nal.
dives. Plenty of vegetation-and ants.
But nothing else"
And Robinetta?'
Within ten minutes had become
the despotic ruler of the whole com
pany. There We're three other women
but Robinetta didn't give them time
10 think. She saw hat Wharf was
going to be boss, and so annexed him.
Ihey o their belongings to the
shore, and started to build a camp"
But how could they build a camp
when there was only vegetation?"
They broke up the Kaiseri-hind,
and used her timbers for the frame.
work of their several huts. The CO.
coanut trees"
Palms, Reggie"
"Thank YOU. The palms did the
rest. By nightfall a very ~presentable
native village had been created. The
best hut was Robinetta's. 1t had a
toilette table and a looking-glass; a
brush, comb-and curling tongs. vi
bart had dived into her cabin, which
was partly submerged, to rescue these
feminine essentials-little dreaming
that they were going to be treacher-
ously used against him"
But didn't RoDinetta love Mr..
Williams, then?"
Il don't think she loved anybody
for the first day or two on that island.
When ones hair is all in tails, and
ones clothes are a mass of creases
and mud-one's attention is largely
occupied with home affairs. But we
must proceed. After a week of it,
the island became too small to hold
the whites and the Lascars. So vi
bart decided hat one or the other
must 90. He look a reading of the
sun, n loudly consulted the ships
chart. Then he called the company
together, and announced that they
were on n of the least frequented
atolls in the Maldive archipelago"
"Atolls, Reggie?"
"Atolls-islands. It's the correct
word. The Maldives are sometimes
styled the Thousand Isles They are
ruled by a sultan. This sultan
journeys to Colombo every year
to pay tribute. He is a Moham-
at Male. the chief village in the chief
island. The exports of the Maldives
are b%readfruit, cocoanuts-
Thank you, Reggie. May ask"
You may not. | shall never get
along at this rate-and | had much to
say concerning the iniquities of Rob
meta. Wharf suggested that the Las.
cars should take two of the boats, and
attempt to reach Male. Then they
We're to tell the sultan of the plight
of the rest"
why didn't the whites go, and leave
the Lascars?"
"Ah, why didn't they? Can't you
guess that Robinetta had decided all
that? She wouldn't go in the boats
any more. One night of it had been
ample. She said she had rather die.
She made Wharf export the Lascars
for sundry easons. For one thing
there wasn't much food left in the
derelict Kaiser-i-hind, and the water
barrels were low. The Lascars went.
Another week passed, and still no
sign came from the great world with
Wharf held a second council"
Since the Lascars hadn't come
back remarked Kitty sagely, surely
it was evident that they had reached
Male?"
You forget the sharks" said l with
meaning.
How dreadful"
Eventually it was agreed that,
sharks or no sharks, the third boat
should put to sea. There was only
Observation-Disclosures. When the ia
tai moment of embarkation arrived,
she disappeared"
"Disappeared?"
Like snow on the deserts face
said l. ut was extremely awkward.
I'm going to stay said Wharf deter
minedly. 1T will be one month the
less. Go on, all OF you. and get help
The sad-faced men and women raised
a cheer"
But they didn't go?"
I don't quite know how it happened
that Wharf and R%obinetta came to be
left alone on the coral reef" said l
hurriedly. But it certainly was the
fact. OF course, he found her hiding
behind a palm, or something's soon
as the boat had passed from view.
She told him that she had made an
important discovery-and so she had.
Hidden equally behind the palm tree
were three kegs of fresh water and a
quantity of provisions. The Lascars
had concealed these"
Against a rainy day."
Against a too long series of dry
days" l corrected Kitty. "One can
never trust Lascars. This little find
came in very handy for Wharf and
Robinetta."
81 wonder" murmured her ladyship,
where, in this story, truth left off and
fiction began? Really, Reggie, | do
think you're becoming very talented
1T wa about then" said l. that vi
bart wished for a newspaper, or a
town-crier, or a balloon. The Puff
agency would have saved Wharf
could he but have paid it. He would