Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-01-09
NUMBER 2.!I

50 have l. | came to the SOl0mOns to
work. not to De escorted about like q
doll. For that matter. here's my es-
cort. and there are seven more like
him.
Adamu Adam stood beside her. tow.
ering above her. as he lowered above
the three white men.
I'VE start In an hour In the whale
boat for Guvutu. big brother" Joan
said to him. Tell your brothers. all
Of them. 50 that they can get ready.
We catch the Upolu for Sydney.
Leave the guns behind. Turn them
over to Mr.. Sheldon. We won't need
them"
IF you are really bent upon 60
ing Sheldon began.
That's settled long ago." she an
swered shortly. I'm going to pack
nOw."
An hour later the three men had
shaken hands with Joan down on the
beach. She gave the signal. and the
boat showed OF. six men at the oars.
the seventh man fOr'ard and Adamu
Adam at the steering sweep. Joan
was standing up in the stern sheets
reiterating her goodbys, a slim figure
of a 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 boys
under the Stetson hat that failed TO
conceal the heavy masses Of hair be-
meath.
You'd better get into shelter" she
called TO them. There's big squall
coming. and hope you've got plenty
OF chain out. Captain Young Goodby!
GOodby. everybody
Her last words came out Of the dark
ness, which wrapped itself solidly
about the boat Yet they continued TO
stare into the blackness In the direc-
ton In which the boat had disappear
ed. listening TO the steady click ~ the
oars I'm the rowlocks until II faded
away and ceased.
'She Is only n girl" Christian Young
said with slow solemnity. The disroy-
cry seemed 10 have been made oh the
spur Of the moment "She II only a
girl" he repeated with greater solem-
nifty.
"A dashed pretty one and q god
traveller Tudor laughed. She Ger
tainly has spunk. eh. sheldonr'
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
iuils Of the driving rain
An hour later Christian Young stood
up. knocked out his pipe aud prepared
10 20 aboard and get under way.
shes all right" be said. apropos Of
,othing spoken and yet distinctly reIe-
vant 10 what was In each Of their
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"
II 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 I'm it-JOan had Ger.
tainly fingered at Berande for no man.
not even Tudor. II wns not very nat
tering. but what could any man count
In her eyes when schooner waiting
to be bought IN Sydney was In the
wind? What q creature! What crea-
ture.
Berande was a lonely place to Shel.
don In the days that followed. In the
after Joan's departure be had
seen Tudor's expedition or Oh It's 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. aud III the even.
ing he found himself standing staring
ut the nail upon which from the hrst
she had hung her Stetson hat ana her
revolver belt.
Why should he care for herr he de-
manded Of himself angrily. Never
had he encountered one who bad 80
irritated him. rasped his
smashed his conventions ana
violated nearly every attribute Of what
had been his ideal Of woman. But he
loved her. That was the point of II
all. and he did not try to evade II. He
was not sorry that II was so. lie loved
her. That was the overwhelming.
fact.
Once again he discovered u big en-
thusiasm for BeranIe. 1t must sue
ceed not merely because Joan was
partner in It. but because he wanted
to make that partnership permanently
binding Three more years and the
plantation would be splendid paying
They could then take
yearly trips To Australia and oftener.
and M occasional run home to Eng
land-or Hawaii-wOuh come as
matter Of )urSc
He undertook more clearing Of bush,
and clearing and planting went Oh un-
der his personal supervision 1T faster
pace than ever before. He expert
mented with premiums for extra work
performed by the black boys and
yearned continually for more of them
TO put to work. Blacks he must have.
and II Joan were fortunate In getting
a schooner three months at least must
elapse before the first recruits could
be landed Oh Berande.
(To BE CONTINUED