The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-05-01

, n1gmer imam tme nOAOkaES uOOmSt
q In black water
animal, able to drive across the sur
face of the sea like thing pos
sessed, knocking the swells into
spume; but it seemed to Dick now
that she wallowed like slug, get
ting no place. His whole soul was
trying to jerk the Holokai out Of the
cling of the sea. He would have liked
to lift her and throw her through
space, and bring her against the
beach of Alakoa like the thrust OF a
knife.
He was standing there, watching
what seemed to him the slug-like
process Of the straining Holokai,
when Karen came to his side.
"I'm sorry" Karen said. "Tm
terribly sorry. Dick, this has been
a thing such as I have never seen."
Dick said in muffled way, "You
don't know what you're saying. How
would you know"
"Dick," Karen said, 81 should new
er have come into the Pacific-above
all, should never have come to
Alakoa. / bring nobody anything
but sorrow, and trouble, and death.
eyes," said Dick bruta1ly.
81 think" Karen said, ''if it hadn't
been for this mongrel girl, it would
have been all right. We're an aw-
fully long way apart, / guess; but
except for her-I think you and
would have got together, in the
end"
Dick Wayne's elbows rested on the
rail. The Holokai was throwing ev-.
erything she had into kicking the
sea behind her, and the white boil
of her wake stretched into a path
that failed only with night vision;
but Tonga Dick was looking at some
thing beyond its utmost reach. He
spoke thickly, with an unaccustomed
incoherence.
sThat girl knew what it was to
love something" he said.
It required a conscious effort Of
Karen's mind to know what girl he
meant; but when she had done that
she was ready for what he said
next, even before he said it. with
out demanding anything, without
ever any questions, or any terms.
None of this everlasting doubt, and
wavering, and indecision. Once and
for all, she gave everything she had,
and asked for nothing"
II suppose you mean," Karen
said, ''that this half caste girl, this
cousin Of mine, as you say"
SIT matters lot to you, doesn't
it," Dick said bitterly, EXACTLY who
this girl is? I would rather ask q
woman what she thinks and feels,
than who she is"
''And so," Karen said, with some
thing like tone Of despair, "if a
brown woman, or a black woman,
can let herself go, more fully than
can, your answer is-?"
Karen" Dick said, ''f ever any
woman has to ask herself If she
loves man, the answer is No.
The stubborn silence that fell be-
tween them then was broken-very
gratefully for them both-by the
impetuous projection Of Inyashi be-
tween them. 1t always seemed that
whatever Inyashi did was high-pres-
sured, and sudden.
Captain Dick, vessel is coming
in; she's three points off the quar-
ter, now. ! think it may be the boat
you look for. Hard to tell yet, from
just the lights" 4E
The two at the taffrail, swinging
their eyes to the left, could now see
on the horizon speck Of light that
showed winking in the rise and fall
Of the seattle high running lights
Of ship quartering in from beyond.
IAN right" Dick said. when
we've anchored, I'll 60 out and pilot
her in"
When Inyashi had moved away.
Dick and Karen stood silent for q
little while. When Karen spoke 1t
was apparent that she was steadier,
better poised than he.
"Can't you be fair to mel" she
said. "Can't you be honest? II you
and ! can't be frank and honest
with each other. who in the world
cam"
'sHonest?''
"You haven't always been honest
with me, Dick. II you had told me
at the first that Garrett Waterson
was alive"
''More honest. / think. than you
with me-"
II can't imagine what you mean"
you've played your hand alone
or else with John Colt; never with
me. I've protected you in situations
that you tried to conceal from me
altogether"