Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-02-09
"ls he bleedlnr seriously .. she asked

the important arteries. Rut tina
would have been II pirkIe."
"Then there's no need to both"
about reading up" Joan said "Ant
Pm just dying to near what it wa
Gained inside the point. and her boat
are out towing. She'll he at ancho
In FIVE minutes. and DR.. Welsimere l.
! sure to be on Board SO all we've go
to do is to make Tudor comfortable
T., We'd better put him III your room un
der the mosquito netting and send ;
boat off to tell DR.. Welshmere to brini
his Instruments
An hour afterward DR.. Welshmer,
left the patient comfortable and ut
tended to and went down to the beacl
to 60 on board. promising to come bacl
to dinner. Joan and Sheldon. stand
ing on the veranda. watched him de
F., part.
"I'll never have it in for the mission
aries again since seeing them here IL
the Soomons." she said, seating her
self in a steamer chair.
She looked at Sheldon and began t.
laugh.
"That's right" he said. ITS the
way | feel. playing the fool and trying
| to murder Il guest"
! But you haven't told me what II
was all about"
"You." he answered shortly.
me? But you just said 1t wasn't"
ooh. 1t wasn't the kiss" He walked
over to the railing and leaned against
it, facing her. But it was about you
all the same. and may as well tell
you. You remember ] warned you
long ago what would happen when you
wanted to become partner in Be-
rande. Well. all the beach IS gossip.
ing about it. and Tudor persisted In
repeating the gossip to me. So you
see it won't do for you to stay on here
under present conditions. 1t would be
better if you went away"
But don't want to go away" she
objected with ruefuI countenance.
IA chaperon them
mo. nor chaperon."
But you surely don't expect me to
80 around shooting every slanderer In
the Solomons that opens his mouth?'
lie demanded glOomily.
"No. nor that either" she answered
with quick impulsiveness. "I'll tell
you what Wen do. Well get married
and put a stop to it all--there"
He looked At her in amazement and
would have believed that she was
making fun Of him had it not been for
the warm blood that suddenly sutfused
her cheeks.
do you mean that?" he asked un.
steadily. Why"
ITO put stop to all the nasty COS
sip Of the beach. That's pretty good
reason, isn't it:''
mo: it is worse than no reason at
all. don't care to marry you as
matter of eXpediency"-
You are the most ridiculous crea
ture" she broke in with a fash Of her
old time anger. You talk love and
marriage to me very much against
my wish. and go incoming around over
the plantation week after week be.
cause you can't have me. and look at
me when You think I'm not noticing
and when all the time I'm wondering
when you had your last square meal
because Of the hungry look In your
eyes. and make eyes at my revolver
belt hanging on n nail. and fight duels
about me- and all the rest-and-and
now. when | say III marry you, you do
yourself the honor Of refusing me-"
"You can't make me any more ride.
ulous than I feel" he answered. rub
bling the lump on his forehead re-
fectively. And if this is the accepted
romantic program a duel over girl
and the girl rushing into the arms Of
the winner-why. ! shall not make
bigger ass of myself by goiag In for
it,"
II thought you'd jump at it." she
confessed. with naivete he could
not but question. for he thought be
saw a roguish gieam in her eyes.
MY conception Of love must differ
from yours. then" he said. II should
want 4 woman to marry me for love
miration because | was lucky enough
to drill hole in a mans shoulder
with smokeieSs powder. | tell you
am disguised with this adventure
tomfoulery and rot. | don't like 1t.
Tudor is a sample of the adventure
kind--picking quarrel with me and
behaving like a monkey. insisting on
fighting with me-'to the DEATH he
said. 1t was like penny dreadful"
She was biting her lip. ana. though
her eyes were cool and level looking