Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1941-03-20
CHAPTER XIV-Continued


Is
Then George spoke her name be-
hind them, and she turned in quick
guilty dismay; and George saw her
confusion and his cheek paled. She
went toward him, forced herself to
speak casually.
well, they're gone, almost out of
sight now -
George nodded. 81 think I'll go
below" He seemed hoarse. "I'n
try to take a nap"
He turned away. Mary, after a
moments doubt, went with him.
He did not protest when she fol-
lowed him; but neither did he look
around. He walked rapidly aft to
the companion, descended before
she overlook him. At the foot of
the companionway she found that he
had stopped to wait for her; and
when she faced him he asked flat
question.
MARY, what were you and Rich
ard talking about?"
He cried wretchedly: ooh, I'm
sorry, Mary! I don't want to be
this way! But I've seen you so often
lately talking to him, and if come
near you, you stop. I try not to
notice. l try as hard as can. But
I can't help it, Mary
Desperate to reassure him, and
to stop his questions, she remem-
bered the pearls. Richards wor-
ried," she said. "There were some
pearls in packet in his desk, and
they've been stolen"
"Pearls? Where did Richard get
them?"
"They were mine" Once begun,
she must tell him everything; but
at her word, his hand frightened on
her arm.
"Where did you get them, Mary?"
"Jarambo gave them to me the
day we left Gilead."
"Jarambo?" His eyes cleared
with relief. 81 suppose he'd had
them for years. Probably dove for
them himself. Was that it?"
NO." she said. 81 think / know
what happened" She told him the
truth, or her best guess at what the
truth might be; she related now at
last the massacre at the island, and
the burning of the ship.
"They had killed Aulgur, you
know" she reminded him. 81 sup
pose these were his pearls, and they
got them, and Jarambo found them
on their schooner"
He sat down, shaken by what he
heard, fumbling for solid ground
again. Our islanders slaughtered
those menu"
"YesE' She said. "But they did it
because they loved you, George"
After moment he cried in sud-
den strength: "Mary, I'm glad they
did! The worlds better without
them"
eyes"
"Mary, why didn't you tell me
all this before?"
"You were so ILL.,"
"Did Cap'n Corr know about the
massacre?"
eyes"
"Does anyone else aboard know"
"Corkran knew, of course. He's
probably told everyone. And they
all saw the smoke from the burning
schooner before they reached the is
land
He nodded briefly, said in slow
scorn of himself: Everyone knew
but me, but no one told me-"
II knew how unhappy it would
make YOU"
He laughed shortly. 81 know now
where stand with you all. You
think me weak woman of a man,
who has to be guarded and cajoled
and shielded, protected from the
truth"
''Please, George"
He shook his head. ooh, 1 sup
pose I'll be all right when I've
thought it over; but it's pretty hard
to find yourself so contemplate in
the eyes of other men!" He went
to his own cabin and shut the door
behind him, shutting her out.
When he appeared for supper, he
seemed to be himself once more.
They were all cheerful at the sup
per table. Peter did most of the
talking, as he was apt to do. Since
that day when he killed the whale
which had broken Richards arm,
he was exuberantly sure of himself,
inclined to condescend.
At dark that night, the weather
changed; the wind came more
southerly, and it stiffened, and was
cold. Richard shortened sail a lit
tie, stayed on deck most of the night
watching his ship, using as much
wind as he wisely could, extract
ing from the half gale all it would
safely give. The weather got no
worse next day, but it got no bet
ter; and Richard drove her care
fully that day and the days that
followed.