The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1911-12-27
CHAPTER XII.

|
That's what | wanted to
~ say, but ii sounds different on
your lips. 1t sounds as though
you meant it yourself and that you
meant ii because of me. Well. am
going to bed. Let me be your partner
and you'll see me rattle the dry bones
of the Solomons. Confess. I've ratified
| yours already"
! II should say So he answered
Really. you know, you have. | never
received such dressing down in my
life. If any one had ever told me
that I'd be party even to the present
situation Yes. | confess you have
ratified my dry bones pretty consider
ably"
But that is nothing to the rafting
they are going to get" she assured him
as he rose and took her hand. Good
night. And do, do give. me a rational
decision in the morning"
81 wish ! knew whether you are
merely headstrong or whether you
really intend to be a Solomon planter"
| Sheldon said in the morning at break
fast.
81 wish you were more adaptable"
Joan retortpd You have more pre-
conceived notions than any man ever
| met. Why i'm the name of common
sense. in the pane of-fair play. can't
you get il into your head that ! am
| different from the women you have
known and treat me accordingly? You
surely ought To know | am different.
| sailed my own schooner here-skip-
per. If you please. came here TO
make my living You know that: I've
told you often enough 1t was dads
plan, and I'm carrying it out, just as
you are trying to carry out your
Hughes plan. Dad started to sail and
sail until he could find the proper
islands for planting. He died, and /
sailed and sailed until arrived here.
Well" she shrugged her shoulders,
1.-The schooner is at the bottom Of the
sea; | can't sail any farther therefore
l remain here. And planter | shall
certainly be- Do you want me for a
partner?"
But do you realize that | would be
looked upon as the most foolish jack
anapes in the south seas if | took
young girl like you in with me here
on Berande?" he asked
mo; decidedly not. But there you
are again, worrying about what idiots
and the generally evil minded Will
think of you. | should have thought
you had learned self reliance on Be-
rande, instead of needing to lean upon
the moral support of every whisky
guzzling. worthless south sea vaga-
bond"
He smiled and said:
"Yes, that is the worst of it. You
are unanswerabe. Yours Is the logic
Of youth, and no man can answer that.
The facts of life have no place in the
logic of youth Youth must try to live
according to its logic. The facts always
smash youths logic, and they usually
smash youths heart, too. It's like
platonic friendships and and all such
things; they are all right in theory, but
they won't work in practice.
|
Berande." he said, "elther I'll fall in
love with you or you with me. Pro-
pinquity is dangerous, you know. In
fact, it is propinquity that usually
gives the facer to the logic of youth"
IF you think ! came to the Solo
mons TO get married." she began
wrathfully. "Well, there are better
men in Hawaii. that's all. Really, you
know, the way you harp on that one
string would lead an unprejudiced
listener to conclude that you are pru-
rient minded
She stopped. appalled,. His face had
gone red and white with such abrupt
ness as to startle her. He was pa
tently very angry. she slipped the
last of her coffee, and arose. saying:
"I'n wait until you are in better
temper before taking up the discussion
again. That is what's the matter with
you. You get angry too easily. VIII
you come swimming? The tide is just
right"
IF she were a man, I'd bundle her
of the plantation, root and crop,
whaleboat. Tahitian sailors. sover-
eigns. and ALL" he said to himself
after she had left the room.
r that was the trouble. She was
not / man, and where would she 90,
and what would happen to her?
He got to his feet. lighted a ciga-
rette, and her Stetson hat, hanging on
the wall over her revolver belt. caught
his eye. That was the devil OF Il. too.
He did not want her to 70. After all