The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-29

But if I find who did this, TIL split
him open and fry him!" Bernard back
ed off towards his boat still believing
and fry him without any grease
his voice bore back to me in thunder
'on both sides"-fe stepped into the
boat-"and eat him'--he waved his
men furiously to thrust off-"without
fork!" The boat rose on a CLASSY
roller, tossed in the spume of the next
and departed out over the cleaning
sea, Bernard still staring over his
shoulder and shaking his fist
In the afternoon I called on Miss
jenkins. I found her busy cleaning
house with the aid Of a little native
girl who fourished a brush broom with
complete inefficiency. Miss Jenkins
received me coolly. 'T thought you
had gone back to Honolulu" she said
Hasn't the fMahukona' saiIed?"
Two hours ago" I said.
"And aren't you going back?" she
demanded, settling her glasses more
firmly on her nose.
Il have to stay a few weeks I an
swered. IT have to settle some mat
tiers with Mr.. Spriggs''
But thought you were employed on
the schooner" she said. How does
it come you are staying?"
Business" I replied, and would have
explained further; but she cut me
short. well. it's none of my concern.
anyway" she said curtly "And if
you'll allow me to go on with my work,
I'll be obliged"
Neither Spriggs nor I got further
than her door in the next two months.
She became acquainted with the few
natives in week and in them her
thoughts began and ended so far as we
could make out. Spriggs accepted this
philosophically. But it appeared to me
that some way I had played myself a
very shabby trick
I had discovered that Miss Jenkins
was very handsome and attractive
woman.
Finally spriggs ceased his apathy
and grew restless. 1 taxed him with
it and he admitted with perfect candor
that he had done the wrong thing. But
what led him to this conclusion he
would not say. IT was Miss Jenkins
herself who gave the key. She sent
a native girl to request me to call on
her at the Station, as we had come TO
call Spriggs's former house. / must
confess that a thrill stirred in my veins
as I pumped up the hill from the beach
where I made a tremendous appear
ance of being busy over checking up
the contents of the warehouse. That
thrill became something a little bigger
when Miss Jenkins met me at the en-
trance of the greenery and demanded
in voice Of extraordinary clarity,
Are you gentleman"
Imagine a woman (who had ignored
your existence for weeks) coming out
of the solitary inhabitable spot on a
lonely island and confronting you with
a question that you had not dared ask !
yourself in twenty years! At first l
was painfully conscious of my bare feet |
and my unmended clothes. Indeed !
looked like a beach-comber. Then IL /
came over me that no question was /
really answered till it had been asked. /
There was still the answer Possibly |
because it was a lonely island and /
there was none to hear me, possibly |
because it had been true lin dim |
way, of course) I replied, Il am a gem
Then you will help me?" she went
on.
Yes" I answered. Then. in some
sentimental flash, I added, with my
life
The missionary suddenly dropped her
eyes and 7 saw a tear flow down under
her. glasses. She tried to wipe it away
and only managed to displace the
glasses. They fell. I let them lie.
What's the matter?'' 7 demanded.
'fMr. Spriggs is so queer" she muir
"And Tim afraid!''
NV relief was prodigious For
months I had been longing for some
excuse to fall on Spriggs and beat him
INTO a pulp. I had dreamed of getting
him on the sand and silently humping
him, taking revenge for his pettiness,
lis outrageous manner. And now I
had a quarrel. "Tll kill him!'1I said,
Ind I meant it.