, 1913-07-10

NthCh AT WV Va III
her. the deep seated antipathy for re
straint of any sort. No man could
aver put his arm around her and win
her. She would hutter away like a
frightened bird. Approach by contact
that, he realized. was the one thing
he must never do. His hand clasp
must be what it had always been-the
hand clasp of hearty friendship. and
nothing more. And then, one morning.
quite fortuitously the opportunity
came.
Berande." Joan had just said apropos
of a discussion about the cheapening.
of freights on copra to market.
do you mind If l tell you the lear
est wish of my hearth" he promptly
returned. 81 long for it. l dream
about it. 1t is my dearest desire. 1t
is for you some day when you are
ready to be my wife"
She started back from him as II she
had been stung. Her face went white
on the instant, not from maidenly en-
barrassment, but from the anger which
he could see flaming in her eyes.
This taking for granted! This
when 1 am readyr' she cried passion
ately. Listen to me, Mr.. Sheldon. 1
like you very well. though you are
slow and a muddler. but I want you to
understand once and for all that / did
not come to the Solomons to get mar
ried. Getting married is not making
my way I'm the world. 1t may do for
anma woman hut mot FOR ~ fhonl
you. When i sit down to talk over the
freight on copra | don't care to have
proposals of marriage sandwiched in.
Besides-besides''-
Her voice broke for the moment, and
when she went on there was a note of
appeal in it that well nigh convicted
him to himself Of being a brute.
Don't you see? 1t spoils everything.
1t makes the whole situation impos-
sible-and-and | SO loved our partner
ship and was proud of it. Don't you
see? I can't go on being your partner
If you make love to me. And l was
30 happy"
Tears of disappointment were in her
eyes. and h caught a swift sob in her
throat.
II warned you" he said gravely.
"Such unusual situations between men
and women cannot endure. told you
80 at the beginning"
"Oh. yes; It is quite clear to me what
me against every other man in the
Solomons except yourself"
1t was a blow in the face to Sheldon.
He smarted with the truth of it, and
at the same time he smarted with
what he was convinced vas the injus-
:ice Of it. A CLEAN of triumph that
hickeged in her eye because of ths
hit she had made decided him.
1T is not so one sided as you seem
to think 1t is" he began. Il was do.
ing very nicely on Berande before you
came. ] did not want you to stay. !
wasn't in love with you then. want
ed you to go to Sydney, to go back to
Hawaii. But you insisted on staying.
You virtually
He paused for a softer word than
the one that had risen to his lips, and
she took it away from him.
Forced myself On you-that's what
you meant TO say" she cried, the flags
of battle painting her cheeks. 90
ahead. Don't mind my feelings"
"All right. | WON'T" he said deci-
sively, realizing that the discussion was
in danger OF becoming a vituperative,
schoolboy argument. You have in
sisted on being considered as a man.
Consistency would demand that you
talk like a man and like a man listen
to man talk. And listen you shall.
1t is not your falt thai his unpleas.
antness has arisen. | do not blame
you for anything-remember that-and
for the same reason you should not
blame me for anything.
you can't help being yourself. You
can't help being a very desirable crea
ture 30 far as | am concerned. You
hav made me want you. You didn't
intend to: you didn't try to. You were
80 made. that is all. And ! was so
made that | was ripe to want you.
But l cant help being myself. l can't
by an effort of will cease from want
ing you any more than you by an eff
fort of will can make yourself unde
sirable to me-"
On. TINS desire, this want, want,
want!' she broke In r~ebelliously. II
am not quite a fool. | understand
some things. | really think it would
be a good idea for me to marry Noa
Noah or Adamu Adam or Lalaperu
there or any black boy. Then I could
give him orders and keep him penned
away from me and men like you would
leave me alone md not talk marriage
and 1 want. | want
Sheldon laughed in spite of himself
and far from m genuine impulse to
laugh.
"You are positively soulless," he said
savagely.
Because I've a soul that doesn't
yearp for a man for masterT" she took
up the gauge. very well, then. 1 am