, 1913-04-24

net Va SpehhlnR- VI course l am not
your guardian. You know you can go
to Guvutu If you want tor to the
devil. he was almost tempted to add
only. ! should deeply regret 1t. that Is
all. n | am very sorry tina ! should
nave said anything that hurt you. Re
member ! am an E~nglishman."
Joan smiled and sat down again.
Perhaps / have been hasty.' she
admitted. "You see. / nm intoierant OF
restraint. II you only knew how 1 have
been compelled to fight for my free
dom. 1t is a sore point with me. this
being told what ! am to do or not to
do by you self constituted lords of
creation Viaburi. You stop along
kitchen. No bring IN Noa Noah. And
now. MIR. Sheldon. what am I to do.
You don't want me here. and there
doesn't seem to be any place for me to
CO."
b Is unfair. Your being wrecked
here has been "A godsend to me. l was
very lonely n very sick. | really am
not certain whether or not / should
have pulled through had you not hap
pened along. But that is not the point.
Personally. purely selfishly personally.
should be sorry to see you GO. But I
am not considering myself. I am con-
sidering you lit is hardly the proper
thing. you know. II / were married =
If there were some woman of your own
race here-but as 1t is
She threw up her hands In mock de
spair.
81 cannot follow vou." she said. I'm
one breath you tell me ! must go. and
In the next breath you tell me there is
no place to go and that you will not
permit me to go. What is a poor girl
to do?'
THAT'S the trouble" HI said help
lessly.
And the situation annoys you"
"Only for your sake"
"Then let me save your feelings by
telling you that it does not annoy me
at all-except for the row you are
making about 1t. ! never allow what
can't be changed to annoy me. 1
can't go elsewhere. by your own
count. You certainly can't go else
where and leave me here alone with n
whole plantation and 200 woolly an
nibals IN my hands. Therefore. you
stay. and ! stay. 1t Is e r simple.
Also. il is adventure. And further
more. you needn't worry for yourself.
! am not matrimoniaily inclined. l
came to the SoIomons for a planta-
ton. not a - band
Sheldon flushed. but remained silent.
81 know what you are thinking
she laughed gayiy. THAT If l were a
man.. you'd wiring my neck for me,
And | deserve 1t. too. I'm so sorry.
l ought not to keep on hurting your
feelings"
I'm afraid I rather invite it, he
said. relieved by the signs OF the
tempest subsiding.
at have It." she announced. Lend
me a gang of your boys for today.
III bald a grass house for myself
p~ound-on piles. of course. | can
TO- in tonight. III be comfortable
and safe. The Tahitians a keep an
anchor watch just as aboard ship.
And then I'll study cocoanut planting.
In return, III run the kitchen end of
your household and give you some
decent food TO eat. And finally. |
won't listen to n of your protests.
On the other hand. II you don't agree.
l will go across the river. beyond your
jurisdiction. and build a village for
myself and my sailors. whom | shall
send In the w%haleboat to Guvutu for
teach me billiards.
Joan took hold of the household with
no uncertain grip. revolutionizing
things till Sheldon hardly recognized
the place. For the first time the bun
galow was clean and orderly. No
longer the house boys loafed and did
as little as they could; while the cook
complained that head belong him
walk about too much from the siren
nous course in cookery which she put
him through. Nor did Sheldon escape
being roundly lectured for his lazi-
ness in eating nothing but timed pro-
visions. She called him a muddler
and a SLOUGH. and other invidious
names. for his %slackness and his dis
regard of healthful food.
She sent her w%haleboat down the
coast twenty miles for lines and or
anges, and wanted to know scathingly
why said fruits had not long since
been planted at Berande. while he was
beneath contempt because there was
no kitchen garden. Mummy apples,
which he had regarded as weeds,
under her guidance appeared as appe-
tizing breakfast fruit. and, at dinner
were meta morphosed into puddings
that elected his unqualified admira-
ton. She or her sailors dynamited
fish daily. while the Balesuna natives
were paid tobacco for bringing In
oysters from the mangrove swamps.
Among other things. she burned the
pestilential hospital. quarreled with
Sheldon over the deed and In anger
set her own men to work building n
new and whit she called a decent hos.