The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-01-02
By
JACK LONDON
Copyright. 1910. BY Street 4 Smith
Copyright. 1911. ey die Mac minaa
Company


|
That's what l wanted to
say. but 1t sounds different On
| your lips 1t sounds as though
you meant it yourself and that you
meant 1t because Of me- Well. | am
going to bed Let me be your partner
and you'll see me rattle the dry bones
OF the Solomons. Confess. I've ratified
| yours already"
Il should say So" be answered.
Really. you know. you have l never
received such a dressing down in my
life. II any one had ever told me
that I'd be party even to the present
situation Yes, confess you have
ratified my dry bones pretty consider
ably."
But that Is nothing to the rafting
they are going to get" she assured him
as he rose and took her hand Good
night And do. do give me a rational
decision in the morning"
81 wish l knew whether you are
merely headstrong or whether you
really intend TO be Solomon PLANTER"
Sheldon said in the morning at break
fast
81 wish you were more adapta ble."
Joan retorted. "You have more pre-
conceived notions than any man I ever
met Why in the name of common
sense. in the name of-fair play. can't
you get 1t into your head that l am
different from the women You have
known and treat me accordingly? You
surely ought to know I am different.
/ sailed my own schooner here-skip-
per. II you please. I came here to
make my living. You know that; I've
told you often enough. It was dads
plan. and I'm carrying 1t out. Just as
you are trying to carry out your
Hughes plan. Dad started to sail and
sail until he could find the proper
islands for planting. he died, and
sailed and sailed until arrived here.
Well" she shrugged her shoulders,
"the schooner Is at the bottom Of the
sea: can't sail any farther: therefore
remain here. And planter shall.
certainly be. Do you want me for a
partner"
"But do you realize that I would be
looked upon as the most foolish Jack
anapes in the south seas il l took
young girl like you in with me here
on BerandeT' he asked.
mo; decidedly not But there you
Ire again, worrying about what idiots
snd the generally evil minded will
think Of you. l should have thought
you had learned self reliance on Be,
rande, instead Of needing to lean upon
the moral support Of every whisky
guZZling, worthless south sea vaga
bond"
He smiled and said:
Eyes, that Is the worst of it. You
are unanswerable. Yours Is the logic
Of youth, and no man can answer that.
The facts of life have no place in the
logic of youth. Youth must try to live
according to it's logic. The facts always
smash youths logic, and they usually
smash youths heart, too. It's like
platonic friendships and-and all such
things; they are all right in theory, but
they won't work in practice.
Suppose we do become partners on
Berande," he said. ''either I'll fall in
love with you CT you with me. Pro
pinquity Is dangerous. you know. In
fact, it is propinQuity that usually
gives the facer to the logic of youth"
IF you think 1 came to the Solo
mons to get married. she began
wrathfully. "Wen, there are better
men in Hawaii, that's all. Really, you
know, the way you harp on that one
string would lead an unprejudiced
listener to conclude that you are pru-
rient minded
She stopped. appalled, His face had
gone red and white with such abrupt
ness as to startle her. He was pa
tently very angry. She slipped the
last of her coffee. and arose, saying:
III wait until you are in a better
temper before taking up the discussion
again. That is what's the matter with
you. You get angry too easily. vii!
you come swimming? The tide is just
right"
If she were man, I'd bundle he.
off the plantation, root and crop,
Whaleboat, Tahitian sailors, sover-
eigns, and ALL" he said to himself
after she had left the room.
But that was the trouble She was
not a man. and where would she go.
and what would happen TO her?
He got to his feet. lighted a ciga-
rette. and her StetSon hat. hanging on
the wall over her revolver belt, caugh,
his eye. That was the devil OF it, too
He did not want her to 60. After all
she had not grown up YET. Never
again would he lose lis temper W
her She was a child: he must re
member that He sighed heavily. But
why in reasonabeness had such Z
child been Incorporated in such a WON
, ans form:
Her trilIing laughter smote upon hi:
reverie and be stepped to the screer
door, through which he could see bel
) running down the path TO the beach
At her heels ran two Of her sailors
! PaDehara and Mahameme. IN scarie