Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-11-20

70 sailing on the Martha any time you
please-recruiting on Malaita IL you
want to-"
1t was great concession he was
making. and be felt that be did it
against bis better Judgment. Her re-
ception Of it was surprise to him.
with old Kinross in command?'
she queried. mo, thank you. He'd
drive me to suicide. couldn't stand
his handling Of her. I'll never step
on the Martha again unless it is to
take charge Of her. I'm a sailor. like
my father. and he could never bear
to see a vessel mishandled."
An hour later. just as they were
riding out of the compound. Sheldon
glanced at her sharply and noted her
face nothing. even as he looked. and
turning orange and green.
Its the fever" she said. TN have
to turn back"
By the time they were in the COM
pound she was shivering and shaking.
and he had to help her from her horse.
Funny, isn't it," she said. with
chattering teeth. Like seasickness-
not serious, but horribly miserable
while it lasts. I'm going to bed. Send
Noa Noah and Viaburi to me. Tell
Ornflri to make hot water. I'll be out
Of my head in fifteen minutes. But
III be all right by evening. Short and
sharp is the way it takes me-"
Sheldon obeyed her instructions,
rushed hot water bottles along to her
and then sat on the veranda glancing
across the compound to the grass
house. Yes, he decided, the contention
Of every white man In the islands was
right-the Solomons was no place for
q woman.
He clapped his hands and Lalaperu
came running.
Here, you" he ordered; go along
barracks. bring m black fella Mary,
plenty too much. altogether"
A few minutes later the dozen black
women of Berande were ranged before
him. He looked them over critically,
finally selecting one that was young.
comely as such creatures went, and
whose body bore no signs Of skin dis
ease.
"What name. you." he demanded.
'sangui?"
me Mahua," was the answer.
AL right you fella Mahua. You
finish cook along boys. You stop along
white Mary. All the time you stop
along. You savvee?"
me savee," she grunted and obeyed
his gesture to 60 to the grass house
Immediately.
what name?" he asked Viaburi.
who had just come out Of the grass
house.
big fella SICK" was the answer.
''White fella Mary talk IN too much
alice time. Alice time talk m big fel-
Ia schooner
Sheldon nodded. He understood. It
was the loss Of the Martha that had
brought on the fever. He lighted a
cigarette, and in the curling smoke Of
It caught visions Of his English moth
er and wondered If she would under
stand how her son could love a wo-
man who cried because she could not
be skipper Of schooner in the can
nibal isles.
-
The most patient man in the world is
prone to impotence in love, and Shell
don was in love-
But how to approach her? He d.
vined the fanatical love Of freedom in
her, the deep seated antipathy for re-
straint Of any sort. No man could
ever put bis arm around her and win
her. She would flutter away like a
frightened bird. Approach by contact
that, he realized, was the one thing
he must never do. His hand clasp
must be what it had always been-the
hand clasp Of hearty friendship. and
nothing more. And then, one morning.
quite fortuitously the opportunity
came.
my dearest wish is the success Of
Berande," Joan had just said apropos
Of discussion about the cheapening
Of freights on copra to market.
do you mind If I tell you the dear
est wish Of my hearth he promptly
returned. II long for it. l dream
about it. 1t is my dearest desire. 1t
Il for you some day when you are
ready to be my wife,"
She started back from him al If she
had been stung. Her face went white
on the instant, not from maidenly en-
barrassment, but from the anger which
he could see flaming in her.eyes.
This taking for granted! This
when I am readyv' she cried passion
ately. Listen to me, Mr.. Sheldon.
like you very well, though you are
slow and muddler, but want you to
understand once and for all that I did
not come to the solomons to get mar
ried. Getting married is not making
my way In the world. It may do for
some women, but not for me. thank
you. When I sit down to talk over the
freight on copra don't care to have
proposals Of marriage sandwiched in.
Beeides-besides"-