Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-13
Adventure
A Romance of
The South Seas
BY
JACK LONDON
Copyrisfs. 1910. BY Street 3 Smith
Copyright. 1911. by the Macmillan Compass,

ThatS right, he SAID. IT'S the
way l feel. playing the fool and trying
TO murder a guest"
But You haven't told me what it
was all about"
You" be answered shortly.
Me? But you just said it wasn't"
"Oh, It wasn't the kiss" He walked
over to the railing and leaned against
it, facing her. But it was about you
all the same. and 1 may as well tell
you. You remember. l warned you
long ago what would happen when you
wanted to become a partner in Be
rande. Well. all the beach is gossip
ing about It. and Tudor persisted in
repeating the gossip to me. So You
see it won't do for you to stay on here
under present conditions. 1t would be
better if you went away"
But I don't want 10 go away" she
objected with rueful countenance.
"a chaperon them
NO. nor a chaperon."
But you surely don't expect me to
90 around shooting every slanderer in
the Solomons that opens his mouth:'
he demanded gloomily.
NO nor that either" she answered
with quick impuIsiveness. I'm tell
! you what well do. Well get married
and put a stop TO it all-there"'
He looked at her in amazement and
would have believed that she was
making fun of him had it not been for
the warm blood that suddenly suffused
her cheeks.
DO you mean that?" he asked un-
steadily. "Why?"
ITO put stop TO all the nasty gos-
sip of the beach. That's pretty good
reason. isn't itT'
NO: it is worse than no reason at
all ! don't care to marry you as a
matter Of expediency"-
You are the most ridiculous crea
ture." she broke in with n fash of her
old time anger. You talk love and
marriage to me very much agans
my wish. and 20 incoming around over
the plantation week after week I've
cause you can't have me. and look AT
ne when YOU think I'm not noticing
and when all the time I'm wondering
when you had your last square mea
because OF the hungry look in youI
eyes. and make eyes ut my revolver
belt hanging on a nail. and fight duel,
about me. and all the rest-and-
now. when | say I'll marry you. you d,
yourself the honor Of refusing me"
"You can't make me any more ride
ulous than feel" he answered. rub
bling the lump on his forehead re
flectively. And if this is the accepted
romantic programme duel over cir
and the girl rushing into the arms .
the winner-why. I shall not make
bigger ass of myself by going in 70
it"
Il thought you'd jump ut it," sh
: confessed. with Il naivete he coul'
not but question. for he thought b
saw a roGuish CLEAN in her eyes.
| My conception OF love must difIe
= from yours. then" ne said. Il Shouts
j want woman to marry me for loy
of me and not out OF romantic aC
miratiOn because | was lucky enoug
|. to drill a hole in a mans shOulde
u with smokeless powder. tell you
l am Disguised with this adventur
tomfOolery aud rot. 1 don't like i
Tudor Is n sample of the adventur
kind-piclJng a quarrel with me an
5 behaving like a monkey. insisting o
fighting with me-'tO the death h
said. IL was like penny dreadful"
II She was biting her lip. and. thong
S her eyes were cool and level lOokin
= as ever. the telltale angry red was
her cheeks.
"Of course If you don't want I
marry me-
But l do" he hastily interposed.
"Oh. you do
* But don't you see, little girl. wal
you to love me-" he hurried on: "ot
u erwise II would be only half q ma
y rage. l don't want you to marry Il
simply because by so doing n stop
put TO the beach gossip. nor do wal
you to marry me out of some FOOLS
romantic notion. l shouldn't wal
;" yOu-that way"
"Oh. in that case" she said. Wi
assumed deliherateness. and be cou
W have sworn to the roguish gleaGl-''