The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-20
THE FARMER: OCTOBER 20. 1911

indecent for you to tell me why I shouldn't go alligatoring. Good night. Sleep we'll"
 He shut off the photograph with 8 snap, started toward the door after her, then abruptly flung himself into a chair.
 You're hoping a gator catches me, aren't you" she called from the veran- da, and as 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 be expected back until the late afternoon. The loss of 'he Jessie had hit Berande severely. ,Sot alone was his capital depleted by the amount of her value, but her earn lngs were no longer to be reckoned on, and it was her earnings that largely paid the running expenses of the plan tation.
 "Poor old Hughie," he muttered aloud once. "Tm glad you didn't live to see it, old man. What a cropper, what cropper."
 Between squalls the Flibberty Gibbet an into anchorage. and her skipper. Pete Oleson Cbrother to the Oleson of the Jessie), ancient, grizzled, wild eyed, emaciated by fever, dragged his weary franc up the veranda steps and collapsed in steamer chair. Whiskey and soda kept him going while he made report and turned in his accounts.
 You're rotten with fever," Sheldon said. ''Why don't you run down to Sydney for blow of decent climateT
 The old skipper shook his head.
 q can't. I've been in the islands too long. I'd die. The fever comes out worse down there.''
 Kill or cure," Sheldon counselled.
 'It's straight kill for me. I tried 1t three years ago. The cool weather put me on my back before I landed. They carried me ashore and into hos pital. I was unconscious one stretch for two weeks. After that the doctors sent me back to the islands-said 1t was the only thing that would save me. We'll, Pm still alive. But I'm too soaked with fever. A month ill Australia would finish me.''
 He declined to sleep ashore, took his orders, and went back on board the cutter. A lurid sunset was plotted out by the heaviest squall of the day, and Sheldon watched the whaleboat arrive in the thick of it. As the spritsan was taken in and the boat headed on to the beach, he was aware of a distinct hurt at sight of Joan at the steering oar, standing erect and swaying her strength to it as she resisted the pres sures that tended to throw the craft broadside in the surf. Her Tahitians leaped out and rushed the boat high up the beach, and she led her bizarre following through the gate of the com pound.
 Lovely, perfectly lovely-Pari- Sulay,'' she panted. "I shall buy it. I'll write to the commissioner tonight. And the site for the bungalow-I've selected it already-is wonderful. You must come over some day and advise me. You won't mind my staying here until I can get settled? Wasn't that squall beautiful! Ard suppose, I'm late for dinner. I'll run and get clean and be with you in a minute.''
 ''Do you know, I'm never going to squabble with you again." he an nounced, when they were seated.
 ~Squabblev' was the retort. "It's such a sordid word. It sounds cheap and nasty. I think it's much nicer to quarrel"
 '.Call it what you please, but we won't do it any more, will we" He cleared his throat nervously, for her eyes advertised the immediate begin ming of hostlities. q beg your par don," he hurried on. 'I should have spoken for myself. What I mean is that refuse to quarrel You have the most horrible way, without uttering word, of making me play the fool Why, I began with the kndliest in- tentions. and here am now"-
 Making nasty remarks" she com pleted for him.
 "It's the way you have of catching me up," he complained.
 "Why I never said a word. I was merely sitting here, being sweetly