The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-03-09

Been advantageous 70 MantuSen
quite apart from his present ex-
trenity. It was well known that
Mantasen's political fences needed
repairing in Saremba. and that
he was suffering great disadvan-
tage through being immured in
this distant river. The sultan, too,
should be glad Of the white mans
guarantees.
When Lundok ha d padded
away across the dark water, /
asked Clyde if he was not afraid
that Mantusen would accept the
proposition as he gave it; but my
uncle refused to admit the posi-
bility. He was, he declared, still
talking for time; the reasonable
ness and detail of his offer was
Intended merely to sustain Man.
tusen's interest.
No White Woman
THEN he told me, unhappily,
Il that he was supposed to go
back aboard the Avon. He had
promised Christine that if Lundok
appeared again he would let her
know what message he had con-
Guided to send to Mantusen-
81 ought to be over there now,
| suppose."
you may jut as well tell her"
/ suggested, ''that you've made up
your mind.
yes" he said slowly, Il know
that. Paul. / dread that worse than
anything I've run into yet"
Dread it? But she wants you
to accept"
His words were no longer un-
certain He spoke with an entire
inality. Il have to tell her that
can't do it.
/ was taken unawares; I had
fooled myself completely about
him. I've watched you al day." I
objected, hauling windward to a
point where you could talk your
self into this thingI"
I've looked at il from every
angle / can he admitted. 81 even
admit that the thing might be
done. But this thing is not for me.
It's too big-way too big. This
isn't job for one year, or five. It's
a job that would take I'D the rest
OF a mans life"
"What If it would? II you think
il would succeed, what more do
you want2 You'd certainly never
get hold Of 50 much money, nor
power either. IN any other way"
He ives prowling like an ufi-
happy tom cat, weary but unable
10 rest. What can you do with
money il you have to live In Bal
ingong7 Not one white mar in 10
could even stay alive in It long
and no white woman"
stared al him, but | was re-
membering now what | some
times forgot. The truth was that
under all his hard-bitten vitality
my uncle was, and always had
been. a desperately homesick man.
James Clyde was wen cited for
the island trade. His copper-bot-
toned constitution withsto d
stubbornly the tropic diseases
which neither he nor anybody else
could entirely escape in those
seas. Malaria kept him lean. but
II could not keep down his elastic
energy.
And he was helped, too, by a
very exceptional sineleness Of
purpose. 50 direct and 50 constant
that few people were ever able
to understand him. He was said
TO be penurious. unprincipled, IN.
scrupulous-none Of which was
true. And he was not well liked,
which is unusual / think, in q man
who laughed as much as my uncle.
Most people never suspected
what ms handspring was. He
never talked about it. But IL was
80 simple that when once you had
seen Il you could notice evidences
Of Il in many little WAYS every
day. All that Clyde wanted from
the tropics was 70 get out Of them.
Every plan he laid, every ven
ture be attempted. was designed
with the single purpose Of some
day getting him back 20 The little
Massachusetts, town where he had
been born.
Sometimes. in discouragement,
he must have wanted 70 turn and
so back on any terms; but that
queer quirk which viii not per-
nit a certain type Of man 20 re-
turn empty-handed would not let
Clyde 60 home Over and over,
you win ind men Ike that, who
consign themselves % some far
iIl-conditioned place IN search OF
fortune. and thereafter refuse %
turn back without IL