The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-03-03

the government sells you Pari-Sulay at
a pound an acre. clearing viii cost you
at least "a more--tbat IS IS for 400
acres, or, say, $4,000 Have you that
much"
mo; haven't quite 5000"
'STheD here's another way OF looking
at IT: You'll need, as yeu said. at least
fifty boys. Not counting premiums.
their wages are $50 year"
81 pay my Tahitians $15 q month"
she interpolstea.
"They won't do on straight plantation
work. But to return. The wages of
City boys each year Will come to 1900
that is, 81 zoe. Very well. 1t will be
seven years before your trees begin to
bear. Seven times 81 500 is $1oy5oo-
more than you possess, and all eaten
up by the boys wages. with nothing
to pay for bungalow, building. tools,
quinine, trips to Sydney and so forth"
Sheldon shook his head gravely.
You'll have to abandon the idea"
But l won't go to sydney" she
cried. 'T simply won't. I'll buy In
to the extent of my money as q small
partner I'm some other plantation. Let
me buy It In BerandeT
"Heaven forbidF' he cried In such
genuine dismay that she broke into
hearty laughter.
There, / won't tease you. Really,
you know, I'm not accustomed to
forcing my presence where 1t Is not
desired. Yet as you said yourself, It
was impossible for me te &c away, 80
/ had to stay. You wouldn't let me
go to Tulagi. You compelled me to
force myself upon you. But i won't
buy in as partner with any one. I'll
buy Pari-Sulay. bat I'll put only ten
boys on 1t and clear slowly. Also,
III invest In some old ketch and take
out a trading license. For that mat
ter. I'll go recruiting on Malaita."
She looked for protest and found It
In Sheldon's cIenched hand and IN
every line of his clean cut face.
go ahead and say It." she chal-
lenged. please don't mind me. I'm
I'm getting used to it, you know.
Really l am"
tel yen how prepesterously insane and
impossible It IS" he blurted out.
Better than that, you are a man
So there Is nothing TO prevent your
telling me, for demand to be con-
sidered as man. didn't come
down here to trail my woman's skirts
over the Solomons. Please forget that
/ am accidentally anything else than
a man with a mans living to make"
81 have told you" he began stiffiy,
shat recruiting on Malaita is inlpcs-
sible for q woman and that Is all
care to say-or dare"
"And ] tell You, In turn, that It is
! nothing Of the sort. am a naviga-
tor, and that is more than your Solo
mons captains ara And l am sea
man-a better seaman than you, when
1t comes right down to it and you
know It. i can shoot. i am not
| fool. can take care OF myself.
! Sheldon made a hopeless gesture.
That's right" she ratified on. Wash
| your hands Of me. But as Won used to
say, You just watch my smoke! sup
pose you've been accustomed 70 Jane
Eyres all your life. That's why you
don't understand me. Come on. Satan;
I let's leave him to his old music
He watched her moroseiy aud with
out intention of speaking, till he saw
her take a rice from the stand. exam
inc the magazine and start for the
door.
Where are you goingT he asked
peremptorily.
"As between man and woman" she
answered, at would be too terribly--or
indecent for you To tell ne why 1
shouldn't go alliGatoring. Good night.
Sleep well"
Ee shut OF the photograph with a
gnap, started toward the door after
her, then abruptly nuns aimself into a
chair.
You're hoping gator catches me,
aren't your she called from the veran-
da, and as she went down the steps
her ripping laughter drifted tsntaliz-
ingly back through the wide doorway.
The next day Sheldon was left all
alone. Joan had gone exploring Pari-
| oulAI anu was nOL W DS CApStJSI D@CA
until the late afternoon. The loss Of
the Jessie had hit Berande severely.
Not alone was bis capital depleted by
the amount of her value. but her earn
ings were no longer 10 be reckoned on,
| and it was her earnings that largely
paid the running expenses OF the plan
tation.
"Poor old Hughie." he muttered
aloud once I'm glad you didn't live
to see it, old man. What a cropper,
what a cropper."
Between squalls the FIibberty Gibbet
ran into anchorage, and her skipper,
Pete Oleson (brother to the Oleson of
the Jessiel, ancient. grlzzled, wild
eyed, emaciated by fever. dragged his
weary frame up the veranda steps and
| collapsed in a steamer chair. Whiskey
and soda kept him going while he
made report and turned in his accounts
You're rotten with fever" Sheldon
said. why don't you run down to
Sydney for q blow of decent climateT'