The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1926-12-18
George and the
South Seas
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD
(Copyright-)

Y
Omuch engaged young man. His
fancee, pretty Sarah Makepeace, had
her own loving ways Of occupying his
evenings and his Office hours were
frequently punctuated by telephone
calls arranging to meet him for lunch
or downtown after work on this err
rand and that. And because George
really loved her and knew In advance
what a capable, thrifty little wife she
was some day going to be to him, he
never drought Of protesting that her
apron strings were bit firing.
Never, that is, until that memoir
able night when they read aloud 70
each other a fascinating story Of the
ever-alluring South seas.
When George had kissed Sarah
goodnight three times, he turned slow
" homeward. Thoughtfully, too. For
the first time it struck him that there
were distant lands to be seen.
He neither was free to go nor had
the money, as far as that went. But
he and Sarah, who gave music lessons
in between being engaged to him,
were saving every possible cent to-
wards a nest egg on which to marry.
When George reached his room, he
found slipped under his door a white
envelope addressed to him in hand
writing only family familiar. Curl
ously, he opened 1t, and read the let
ter that was enclosed
my dear nephew"-sO read the
letter
I'm not dead yet nor thinking of
dying. But I'm playing the dead aunt
to my heirs. That Is, I'm giving away
now what you'd probably get later,
each one Of you. Please spend II to
crafty some secret wish.
"AffectiOnately, my dear boy, etc"
Attached to the inner sheet by a
wire clip was a folded check for
$1,000.
1t is significant that George did
not at once telephone the good news.
In a way, it made their marriage an
immediate possibility and surely one
would expect that any engaged young
mans secret desire would lie In that
direction.
On the contrary, several days went
by and still George said nothing to
Sarah Of the windfall. IL he appeared
distract the very next time he saw
her, she gave no outward sign of no
ticing the fact. She even loaned
him the magazine containing the
South seas story without a query as
to why he wanted il.
To tell the truth, George was an
enigma to himself. Here for months
he had been longing to marry Sarah
and now, at the instance of a silly
yarn dealing largely with beating surf
and hOney-cOlOred moons and dusky
maidens, he was yearning to take a
little trip all by himself and postpone
settling down for year or two. His
unexpected legacy seemed to render
legitimate this desire, yet how could
he explain to Sarah?
The obvious thing to do would be
to get married and then, If he must
blow the money In such a way, make
the journey In Sarah's company. He
loved Sarah, he was insanely Jealous
II Sarah looked sidewise at anyone
else, and yet-hOw he wanted this
last mad fling Of irresponsible youth
all by himself
Suddenly he made up his mind to
get 1t over with. He opened his
mouth, shut 1t, cleared his throat and
was about to speak when Sarah, lay
Ing down her work, leaned forward
and regarded him.
George she said soIemnly, ave
something to tell you. It's hard to
say, but-wel. I've changed my mind
about getting married. l feel-well
before l settle down, I'd like to &c
somewhere, see somebody"
"See somebody" echoed George
feeling as If the bottom Of things were
falling out.
YES" nodded Sarah, and into hel
eyes came a faraway ecstatic expires
sion. Sometimes l dream Of distant
lands where the off-shOre surf beats
on the coral reefs, where honey-colored
moons rise out of a velvet ocean. and
strong, brOnzed men In spOtless suits
white helmets and Victoria crosses on
their chests"
"SarahP' by this time George had
risen. Then, with an effort to swallow
his indignation, "Just how would you
do ell this?' he asked.
WELL" said Sarah, i've nearly q
thousand dollars l was saving to
wards the house and"
"And you'd use that !"
Perhaps when / come back" said
Sarah gently, ''Fll not mind marrying
you But first-oh, I want one last
mad fiingI" Rising, while her work
fell to the floor unheeded, she threw
her slender arms towards the ceiling
Then she found herself seized and
her arms. falling. fell on Georges
shoulders.
Sarah" he was saying sternly
Enough Of this nonsense! I've just
been left $1,000 by an aunt who isn't
dead yet and we are going to be mar.
ried at once White helmets and Vic.
toria crosses indeed Tell me you dc
love met"
SO Sarah told him she did love him
What she did not tell him was that
any girl knows when her lover has
something on his mind and intuition
plus some guess work win soon helr
- T.