The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1912-02-01


swered shortly. "I'm going to pack
now"
An hour later the three men had
shaken hands with Joan down on the
peach She gave the signal, and the
boat showed on, six men at the oars,
the seventh man forard 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 a boys
under the Stetson hat that failed "a
conceal the heavy masses of hair be.
meath.
You'd better get into shelter" she
called to them. There's n big souall
coming, and hope you've got plenty
or chain out, Captain Young. Goodbyl
Goodby, everybodyg'
Her last words came out of the dark.
ness, which wrapped itself solidly
about the boat Yet they continued to
stare into the blacl1ness In the direc.
ton In which the boat had disappear.
ed, listening to the steady click of the
oars in the rowlocks until 1t faded
away and ceased.
she Is only a girl" Christian Young
said with slow solemnity The discov.
cry seemed to have been made on the
spur of the moment "She is only a
girl" he repeated with greater solem.
nifty.
"A dashed pretty one and a good
traveller" Tudor laughed. "She Ger.
tainly has spunk. eh. SheldonY"
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
iulls 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" be said. apropos OF
nothing spoken and yet distinctly reIe.
want to what was In each of their
minds. "She's got n good boats crew,
and she's sailor herself. With this
favoring bit of breeze she has sail on
already. and she'll make Guvutu by
daylight Good night"
Il 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-Joan had GER
tainly fingered at Berande for no man.
not even Tndor. 1t was not very nat.
tertng. but what could any man count
In her eyes when schooner waiting
70 be bought In Sydney was In the
wind? What creature! What crea.
ture.
Berande was lonely place to Shell.
don in the days that followed In the
morning 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 her? be de-
manded of himself angrily Never
had he encountered one who had so
thoroughly irritated him. rasped bis
feelings. smashed his conventions and
violated nearly every attribute OF what
had been his ideal OF woman. But be
loved her. That was the point of 1t
all. and he did not try to evade 1t. He
was not sorry that 1t was so. He loved
her. That was the overwhelming,
astounding fact.
Outt dgsliu ne ulSCONtTtu DlS EN-
thusiasm for Berande. 1t must sue.
coed not merely because Joan was a
partner In it, but because he wanted
to make that partnership permanently
binding. Three more years and the
plantation would be splendid paying
investment They could then take
yearly trips to Australia and oftener.
and an occasional run home to Eng
land-or Hawaii-would come as O
matter of course.
He undertook more clearing of bush,
and clearing and planting went on I'M
der his personal supervision at faster
pace than ever before. He expert
mented with premiums for extra work
performed 10y the black boys ana
yearned continually for more of them
to put to work Blacks he must have,
and If Joan were fortunate in getting
a schooner three months at least must
eIapse before the first recruits could
be landed on Berande.
CHAPTER XIV.