New-York tribune., 1920-11-07

NP Niu Ou il0NC.
"Very pleasant" said Miss Lyn-
don easily. ~ believe we did it in
good time-six days and a half"
"Oh, very good-very good in
deed. I'm afraid you may have to
wait almost as long as that before
Laverty comes back. He's gone chas-
ing after a murderer up into the
spurs of Mount Victoria"
a murderer"
"Yes---oh, don't let that worry
you; he'll come to no harm. Not he
no, he'll come back all right.
Usual sort Of murder; man killed
and ate another for flirting with his
wife. Or rather she wasn't his
wife, but he was just finishing up
the payments to her parents for her,
and she would have been, by now.
Other fellow stole her, as they say.
And the fellow Laverty's hunting
split his head and made pot roast
of him."
, "Will he be hanged?" asked Miss
Lyndon. She was drinking from one
of the magistrates enameled, iron
cups at the moment, and | could not
see her eyes. Somehow I wanted to.
Hanged? Oh, no; they'll try him
down in port, and probably Jail him
for year or two, You see, the gov
ernment considers the circumstances.
and this poor beggar had provoca-
tion enough for anything.'
ut would" said Joan Lyndon,
slipping cautiously from the fire
hot rim of her cup, certainly he
provocation enough for anything."
And now she did lift her eyes, and
looked full at me. And the question
/ had never dared to put to her
perhaps never would have dared to
put-was answered.
eyes, when it comes to that" |
said, more to her than to the magis-
trate, there's no doubt that even a
Papuan should know enough to play
the game
ooh, rather agreed Copeland
absent-mindedly. He tlnkIed the
spoon about in his cup, and gnawed
his mustache. There fell a silence
II suppose you and ] will batch
in here" said, as Copeland seemed
lost in some sort of dream, "and
Miss Lyndon will take possession
Of the patrol otficers'
"Of course said Copeland. Il
say, do you mind if go over now
to the jail? I've a prisoner to see
to"
mot at all, we both said at once.
1t seemed to me that be had had
enough of our society for the mo
ment, and wanted to escape from it
heaven knew why.
He slipped off into the room be
hind, and | heard him go down the
back steps of the veranda. A minute
later, as | was crossing the square
with Miss Lyndon, to see that the
carriers brought her things up to
the patrol hut, saw the heel of
Copeland's white deck shoes lust
vanishing into the office building
that stood at the back Of the house.
Tie had not gone to the jail at ALL
And | wondered why, about such
trif1e, he had thought it worth while
to lie.
He did not come back till after
noon. saw to Miss Lyndon's com
fort, as far as / could, rclentlessly
ordering the magistrates boy,
about. began to think that Cope
land must be i'll. No sign Of lunch
appeared when O'Clock came round
and so went into the kitchen hut
myself and told the boys to make
some curry and another brew Of tea.
The magistrates house had two
rooms, one fitted as a kind of sit
ting room, with packing case furni-
ture, and a rough dining table made
Of bash timber. As we sat there
eating our meal the wind, scented
with warm leaves and gums, blew
pleasantly in and out of the four
doors, and a curious coolness that
was not in the wind but yet was of
1t. made itself lightly felt upon our
lips and foreheads. Joan Lyndon
noticed it. and l told her it was the
touch of an occasional breath blow
ing down from Mount Victoria,
$4,000 feet high.
"They have frosts up there at
nights - l told her, land ice forms
in big cakes on the streams. I've
Seen it,"
There are no white people
there?" she asked.
"Never were, never will be. You'd
understand if you saw the country.
Even the natives stop at ten thou
sand feet. After that, it's as God
made thigh and lonely and full