Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-12-26

uouuu LOT Marau ana tnat you SAT-
yourself that in two hours you ar
getting under way again"
But may l not see you safely
across" Tudor asked. a pleading not,
In his voice that rasped on Sheldon
nerves.
mo, no, and again no." she cried
you've all got your work to do. anC
SO have !. came to the Solomons t.
work, not to be escorted about like O
doll. For that matter. here's my es
cort. and there are seven more like
him."
Adamu Adam stood beside her. tow
ering above her. as he lowered above
the three white men.
I'VE start in an hour in the whale
boat for Guvutu. big. brother" Joan
said to him. Tell your brothers. all
Of them. SO that they can get ready
We catch the Upolu for Sydney
Leave the guns behind Turn them
over to MIR. Sheldon. We won't need
them"
IF you are really bent upon go.
ing Sheldon began.
That's settled long ago." she an
swered shortly. I'm going to pack
now
An hour later the three men had
shaken hands with Joan down on the
beach. She gave the signal. and the
boat showed OF, six men at the oars.
the seventh man for'ard and Adamu
Adam at the steering sweep Joan
was standing up in the stern sheets
reiterating her goodbys. slim figure
Of woman in the tight fitting jacket
she had worn ashore from the wreck,
the long barreled Colts revolver hang
ing from the loose belt around her
waist, her clear cut face like boys
under the Stetson hat that failed to
conceal the heavy masses of hair be-
meath.
you'd better get into shelter she
called to them. ''There's a big squat
coming, and hope you've got plenty
Of chain out. Captain Young. Goodby!
Goodby. everybodyv'
Her last words came out Of the dark
ness, which wrapped itself solidly
about the boat. Yet they continued to
stare into the blackness in the dlrec-
ton in which the boat had disappear
ed, listening to the steady click Of the
oars in the rowlocks until it faded
away and ceased.
"She is only girl" Christian Young
said with slow solemnity. The discov-
cry seemed to have been made on the
spur of the moment. "She Is only q
GIRL" he repeated with greater solem-
nifty.
"A dashed pretty one and good
traveller" Tudor laughed. "She Ger
tainly has spunk. eh. Sheldon?''
Yes. she is brave" was the reluc-
tant answer. for Sheldon did not feel
disposed to talk about her.
They gained the veranda. where
they sat in silence over their whisky.
each man staring straight out to sea.
where the wildly swinging riding light
Of the Minerva could be seen in the
lulls Of the driving rain.
An hour later Christian Young stood
up. knocked out his pipe and prepared
to go aboard and get under way.
She's all right" he said. apropos of
nothing spoken and yet distinctly rele-
want to what was in each Of their
minds. "She's got a good boats crew.
and she's sailor herself. With this
favoring bit Of breeze she has sail on
and she'll make Guvutu by
daylight. Good night"
II guess I'll turn in. old man." Tu.
dor said. rising and placing his glass
on the table. "I'll start the first thing
In the morning. It's been disgraceful
the way I've been hanging on here
Good night"
Sheldon. sitting on alone. wondered
II the other man would have decided
to pull out in the morning had Joan
not sailed away. Well. there was one
bit Of consolation in it-Jonn had Ger.
tainly fingered at Berande for no man,
not even Tudor. It was not very Fat.
tering. but what could any man count
In her eyes when schooner waiting
to be bought in Sydney was In the
wind? What a creature! What q crea-
ture.
Berande was a lonely place to Shell.
don in the days that followed. In the
after Joan's departure he had
seen Tudor's expedition off on its way
up the Balesuna. in the late afternoon
through his telescope he had seen the
smoke of the Upolu that was bearing
Joan away to Sydney. and in the even
ing he found himself standing staring |
at the nail upon which from the first
she had hung her Stetson hat and her
revolver belt
Why should he care for herr he de-
handed of himself angrily. Never
had he encountered one who had so |
thoroughly irritated him. rasped his
feelings. smashed his conventions and |
violated nearly every attribute Of what
had been his ideal Of woman. But he
Owed her. That was the point Of 1t |
Ill, and he did not try to evade 1t. He |
was not sorry that 1t was so. He loved
ler. That was the overwhelming. |
fact.
Once again he discovered big en-
thusiasm for Berande. 1t must sue
,eed not merely because Joan was a
partner in 1t, but because he wanted
to make that partnership permanently
binding. Three more years and the
plantation would be a splendid paying
They could then take
yearly trips to Australia and oftener.
and an occasional run home to Eng
and-or Hawaii-would come as q
natter Of course.