The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1911-12-13
A Romance of
The South Seas
BY
JACK LONDO
Copyright. 1910. by Street q Smith
Copyrifht. 1911, BY the Macmillsn Complain

Heaven IOrDlU! ne CTleu III Sucn
genuine dsmay that she broke into
hearty laughter.
There. won't tease you. Really,
you know, I'm not accustomed to
forcing my presence where 1t Is not
desired. Yet as you said yourself. 1t
was impossible for me to go away. so
had to stay. You wouldn't let me
go to Tuagi. You compelled me to
force myself upon you. But ! won't
buy in as partner with any one. I'll
buy Pari-Sulay, but I'll put only ten
boys on it and clear slowly. Also,
I'll invest in some old ketch and take
out a trading license. For that mat
ter. I'll go recruiting on Malaita."
She looked for protest and found 1t
in Sheldon's cenched hand and in
every line of his clean cut face.
go ahead and say it." she chal-
lenged. please don't mind me. I'm
I'm getting used to it. you know.
Really am
II wish ! were a woman so as to
tell you how preposterously insane and
impossible it is" he blurted out.
Better than that. you are a man.
So there is nothing to prevent your
telling me, for demand to be con-
sidered as a man. | didn't come
down here to trail my woman's skirts
over the Solomons. Please forget that
am accidentally anything else than
a man with mans living to make
81 have told you" he began stifily.
that recruiting on Malaita is impos-
sible for woman and that Is all ]
care to say-or dare"
"And I tell you. in turn. that it is
nothing of the sort. ! am a naviga-
tor, and that is more than your Solo
mons captains are. And l am sea-
mana better seaman than you. when
it comes right down to it and you
know it. can shoot. | am not a
fool. | can take care of myself"
Sheldon made a hopeless gesture.
That's right" she ratified on. wash
your hands of me. But as Won used to
say. You just watch my smoke! sup
pose you've been accustomed to Jane
Eyres all your life. That's why you
don't understand me. Come on. Satan;
let's leave him to his old music
He watched her morosely and with
out intention of speaking. till he saw
her take a rifle from the stand. exam
inc the magazine and start for the
door.
where are you going?" he asked
peremptorily.
las between man and woman" she
answered. lit would be too terribly-or
indecent for you 10 tell me why |
shouldn't go alligatoring. Good night
Sleep we'll"
He shut off the photograph with Il
snap. started toward the door after
her then abruptly flung himself into IA
chair.
You're hoping II gator catches me.
aren't you?" she called from the veran-
da. and ms she went down the steps
her ripping laughter drifted tantaliZ-
ingly back through the wide doorway
The next day Sheldon was left all
alone. Joan had gone exploring Pari-
Sulay and was not to he expected back
until the late afternoon. The loss OF
he Jessie had hit Berande severely.
Not alone was his capital depleted by
The amount of her value. hut her earn
ings were no longer ~ he reckOned on.
and it was her earnings that largely
raid the running expenses of the plan
tation.
Poor old Hughie." he muttered
aloud once. I'm glad you didn't live
to see II. old man. What a cropper.
what a cropper."
Between squalls the Flibberty Gibbet
ran into anchorage. and her skipper.
Pete Oleson Cbrother to the Oleson OF
the Jessie), ancient, grizzled. wild
eyed, emaciated by fever, dragged his
weary frame up the veranda steps and
collapsed In a steamer chair. Wbskey
and soda kept him going while he
made report and turned 10 his accounts
You're rotten with fever" Sheldon
said. "Why don't you run down IL
Sydney for blow OF decent climateT
The old skipper shook his head.
II can't. I've been In the islands toe
long. I'd die. The fever comes out
worse down there"
xiii or cure" Sheldon counselled.
Its straight kill for me. tried
1t three years ago. The cool weather
put me on my back before | landed
They carried me ashore and into hos
pital. was unconscious one stretch
for two weeks. After that the doctors
sent me back TO the islands-said II
was the only thing that would save
me. Well, rm still alive. But I'm
too soaked with fever. A month IN
Australia would finish me-"
He declined 10 sleep ashore. took bis
orders. and went back on board the
cutter A lurld sunset was blotted out
by the heaviest squat OF the day. and
Sheldon watched the WhulpbOat arrive