, 1913-05-01

=
30 there is nothing to prevent your
telling me. for / demand to be con
sidered Al a r. man. 1 didn't come
down here to trail my woman's skirts
over the Solomons. Please forget that
! am accidentally anything else thar
q man with a mans living to make
81 have told you." he began stifiy
that recruiting on Malaita is impos'
stble for a ems and that u all !
care to ay-or dare"
And 1 tell you. In turn. that It is
nothing Of the sort 1 am a naviga-
tor. and hat Is more than your Solo
mons captains are. And am a sea
mana better seaman than you, when
1t comes right down to 1t and you
know 1t. Z ! a shoot. l am not a
fool. I can TAKE care of myself"
Sheldon made a hopeless gesture.
THAT'S right" she ratified IN. Wash
your hands of me. But as Won used to
say. You just watch my smoker l sup
pose you've been accustomed to Jane
Eyres all your life That's why you
don't understand me. Come on. Satan
let's leave him to his old music
He watched her morosely and with
out intention of speaking. till he saw
Der take a rife from the stand, exam
Inc the magazine and start for, the
door. sa d
where are you going?" he asked
,peremptorily.
"As between man and woman" she
answered. lit would be too terribly-or
Indecent for you to tell me why I
shouldn't go alligatoringg Good night
Sleep we'll" 14 .t.i~.
He shut OF the photograph with a
snap. started toward the door after
her. then abruptly flung himself into a
chair. r H. .ieI 4nt
you're hoping II gator catches me.
aren't your she called from the veran-
da, and as she went down the steps
her ripping laughter drifted tantaliz-
ingly back through the wide doorway.
The next day Sheldon was left all
alone. Joan had gone exploring Pari-
Sulay and WIS not to be expected back
until the late afternoon. The loss of
the Jessie had hit Berande severely.
Not alone was his capital depleted by
the amour of her value. but her earn
ings were no longer 70 be reckoned on.
and 1t was her earnings that largely
paid the running expenses Of the plan
tation.
poor old Hughie." be muttered
aloud once. I'm glad you didn't live
to see It,. old man. What "a cropper.
what a cropper." r
Between squalls the Flibberty Gibbet
ran into anchorage. and her skipper.
Pete Oleson tbrother to the Oieson of
the Jessie,, ancient, grizzled. 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 tsrned In his accounts
YOU'RE rotten with fever" Sheldon
said. why don't you run down to
Sydney for a blow of decent climateY'
The old skipper shook his head.
II can't. I've been in the islands too
long. I'd die. The fever comes out
worse down there" &
XIII or cure" Sheldon counselled. {
"It's straight kill for me. tried
1t three years ago. The cool weather
put me on my back before l landed.
They carried me ashore and into hos
pital. was unconscious one stretch
for two weeks. After that the doctors
me back to the islands-said 1t
was the only thing that would save
me. Well, I'm still alive. But I'm
too soaked with fever. A month In
would finish. me-"
He declined to sleep ashore. took his
orders. and went back on board the
cutter. iurtd sunset was blotted out
by the heaviest squall Of the day. and
Sheldon watched the whalebOat arrive
in the thick OF 1t. AS the spritsall was
taken In and the boat headed OIL to the
beach. he was aware of a distinct hurt
Mt sight Of Joan at the steering oar,
standing erect and swaying her
strength to 1t as she resisted the pres
sures that tended to throw the craft
broadside In the surf. Her Tahitians
leaped out. and rushed the boat high up
the beach. and she led her bizarre
pound.
Lovely, perfectly lovely-Par1-
sulay," she painted 81 shall buy 1t.
ri write to the commissioner tonight.
And the site for the bungalow-rve
selected It already-is wonderful. You
must come owe some day and advise
me. You won't mind my staying here
until l can get settled? Wasn't that
squat beautiful! And suppose I'm
late for dinner. I'll run and get clean
and be with you In a minute"
do you know. I'm never going to
squabble with you again" he an
nounced. when they were seated.
~'squabbleI' was the retOrt. ITS
such a sordid word. 1t sounds cheap
and nasty. l think it's much nicer to
quarrel"
Call It what you please. but we
won't do 1t any more, will wer' He
elan red his throat ~npryOusly. for her