Evening star., 1925-02-01

x 4 x X
A S things happened, it was not long.
~ BY O'Clock next morning, the old
| woman whom he had sent to take
| care Of Nadine was on his veranda.
You looking out along dis wahine
papa?" (white woman) she asked, taking
her black pipe out of her mouth.
| YES" answered Lockhart's trader.
ME tink," observed old Mala, more
better you marry dis wahine papa.
More better marry him hurry-up."
~ shouldn't object" was the traders
answer, "but I daresay there'd be two
words to that bargain. l mean, Mala,
that wahine papa maybe him no want
| alonga me-fellow," he translated.
Las night, me no sleep" remarked
Mala
"Oh%
Las night, tie wahine papa no
sleep. Too much him ely
Yes. l suppose So said the man
called Jones. Poor pretty lonely
| girl
"Te wahine papa, me no sleep alto
| gether. By-an'-by, him finish ely,
| him too much tired No sleep, stop
long bed. Me stop long floor No
me talk. no him talk. By-an'-by, me
| hearem something's"
"Oh-you heard something
| "Eo. Me hearem, one man. Two
mans"
The trader was wide awake now.
A red-hot word or two escaped his
| lips.
"Eo," assented Mala, agreeing.
Bad man. Come tighten along door
| (hitting the door. "Te wahine papa,
| him taken gun. him SCOT up long te
roof Man he flight, he 60"
Did they say anything" asked
Jones furiously. Only let him get a
clue to the name or names of the in
| trudersl
He hardly knew 1t, but in that mo-
ment his resolution was taken. 1t
was very clear that some man would
have the girl. The man should be
| himself. He was incomparably the
most worthy on Manaia. Nadine, In
| all honor, and most for her own
sake-though not a little for his
! should be his wife, and as soon as
| possible.
But Mala was speaking again.
Man, him talk, yes" she observed.
Him sing out along tie wahine papa,
| 'Openem safe"
open the SAFE" 4 recollection
! dsrted through the traders mind.
"She will have money" Could the
doctor have anything boarded away?
What did he mean by valuable
papers? Probably bonds Of some
kind Whatever it was, the riff raft
of the beach" seemed TO know all
about it,
The bungalow stood in the fierce
light of the coral beach. Glascott
had had 1T built right down on the
sand for the convenience of his work.
Eleven years" thought the trader.
| Eleven years wasted-nothing to
show for il all, and the girl buried
away up here. He meant she should
go way. He was so afraid, poor
devil, of that shadow of the palm
he talked about. And now"
Now, as things had turned out, the
shadow was TO lie on little Nadine s1ife
forever. No one knew better than
Jones" why an existence linked to
his could not be lived elsewhere than
among the "legions of the lost" But
he had a fund Of hard common sense
that forbade him to sentimentallze
over the inevitable. with drunken
beachcombers battering at the girls s
shutters In the middle OF the night
whatever their alleged object may
have been-there was only one course
possible, and that course must be
taken at once. No schooner was due
for months. He could not protect the
girl for a week among that crowd
every hour OF the twenty-four
Nadine was on the veranda. He
sat down beside her. He saw
how very fair she was. And the girl,
looking on the traders splendid
height and handsome face. said to
herself, as many a woman in the
world, who would die rather than
acknowledge it, has said;
"Oh, I like you. ] think I would
uly ad
me-" But she thought this as one
thinks, II would gather stars and
string them, II the sky were to fall
In my lap"
Then the sky fell. For Lockharts
trader slid her little hand gently into
his own and said, Nadine, what do
you think about marrying me?'
I'll haven't thought about it, ;"
said Nadine confusedly.
Don't you think you could7 You
| want to be taken care of. You can't
be exposed to-to-well, you know
your father left me in charge of you,
and / don't see any other way. Do
you, Nadine?"
The girl made no answer in words
There isn't any other way" said
Jones, and very gently kissed her.
At this she suddenly burst out cry
ing, and said, II have forgotten
father-oh, dear, dear father" But
the man called Jones was not dissat-
isfied.
Tomorrow" it was agreed. And
that night Lockhart's trader lay
across the doorway of the bungalow
outside on the verandah. And no
footsteps came near the house. But
in the morning he saw bootmarks on
the sand below, and he silently
cursed.
To-day" he said to himself.
He breakfasted with Nadine, old
Mala waiting. I've something to tell
you before you marry me-" he said.
"It may make you feel bad about it,
but hope 1t won't, because IL would
be difficult to manage any other way.
However, it shall be as you like.
Fifteen years ago, Nadine, 1 killed
mana fight and he was dead.
WELL I had a good counsel, or they'd
have hanged me. L got five years,
and served it all, because | tried to
escape. I had to leave England after.
l tried Sydney-Buenos Aires Hong
Kong. All the same. My history
came after me. 1 fancy the police
hand on those things. Anyhow, 1t
was the islands for me at last, and
1t will have to be till the end.
What do you say now, Nadine?
"I can't do what your father wanted
for you? You will have to stay in
the islands"
"I always have, ever since 1 re-
member" she said in a low tone.
Anything before that seems like a
| dream"
Little GIRL" said Lockhart's trader,
its not the big, live world outside
that's the dream; it's the islands
themselves We all live in a dream
here"
Then I'd rather go on dreaming"
she told him.
Things will be as they must be-"
said the man named Jones, and went