Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-01
American Sunday Monthly Magazine Section

might ask a third
"Mr White!'
"Yes?"
"You will take hOo thirds!"
WHAT
"Taoo thirds" she repeated firmly, "be-
cause your heavier labor entities you to
that proportion!"
My dear Miss Sandys, you are un-
worldly and inexperienced in your gener-
osity-"
$50 are youl The idea of your modestly
venturing to ask Mirdl And offering me
a half if the Maltese cross lie inside your own
territory That is not the way to do bust
ness, Mr.. White!"
She had become SO earnest in her admon-
ition, so charmingly emphatic, that he
smiled in spite of himself
Her color deepened: II am only suggest
ing that you do not make foolish bargain
with me"
(which proves he said, that you are
not much better at business than am |.
Otherwise you'd have taken me up"
I'm very good business woman" she
insisted warmly, "but I'm too much of the
other kind of woman to be unfair!"
Commercially" he said, 1--WE both are
sadly behind the times. To-day the world
is eliminating its appendix; tomorrow it will
be operated on for another obsolete and an
noylng appendage. | mean it's conscience"
he added, so seriously that for a moment her
own gravity remained unaltered. Then,
like faint ray of sunlight, across her face
a smile glimmered. 1t was winning smile,
fresh and unspoiled as the lips it touched.
You 7C1W take half-won't your" she
asked
Yes, | will. Is it bargain?"
- 1t you care to make it so, Mr.. White
He said he did, and they shook hands
very formally. Then he went out and
pitched his tent beside hers, set it in order,
logged up the remainder of his equipment,
buried the jars of spring water, and, enter
ing his tent changed to flannel shirt, sun
helmet and khaki
A little later he called to her: she emerged
from her tent, and together they sat down
on the edge of the Causeway, with the two
maps spread over their knees
That both maps very accurately repre-
sented the topography of the immediate
vicinity there could be no doubt; the only
discrepancy seemed to lie in the situation of
the Maltese cross. On Whites map the
cross fell we'll within his half of Lot 2Io; in
Jean Sandys' map it was situated between
her half of 2Io and 22o
Plot it out as they might, using Mr.
Munsells diagram, the result was always
the same and after while they gave up
the useless attempt to reconcile the differ
ences in the two maps.
From where they were sitting together on
the Causeway's edge, they were facing due
west. At their feet rippled the clear, deep
waters of the swamp, tapping against the
base of the Causeway like transparent little
waves in Northern lake. A slight current
disclosed the channel where it flowed out of
the northwestern edges of the swamp, which
was set with tall cypress trees, their faring
bases like silvery pyramids deep set in the
shining ooze.
East of them the Coakachee flowed
through thickets of sawgrass and green
brier, between a forest of oak, pine and
cedar, bordered on the western side by
palm and palmetto exactly as drawn in
the map of Pedro Valdez.
She looked down at the cool, blue water
at her feet. He, too, gazed at it, curiously
For few feet the depths were visible, then
a translucent gloom, glimmering with emer-
aid lights, obscured further penetration of
his vision Deep down in that water was
what they SOUGHT it truly existed at ALL
After a few moments silence he rose
drew the hunting-knife at his belt, severed
tall swamp-maple sapling, trimmed it.
and, returning to the waters edge, deliber-
atelv sounded the channel. He could not
touch bottom there, or even at the base of
the Causeway.
miss Sandys," he said, there is plenty