The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-03-06

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seen 1t, but they swear It's as big as
a ship"
''Kai-Ale-Ale is here again." Lilua
said; land there's another thing.
The red mullet are running, Dick.
Ever since the Islands first came out
Of the sea, when the red mullet have
run king has died."
"You'd better 60 on to bed now,
Lilu'," Dick said.
"You won't want me any more
tonight"
''No; we have everything wen
need, think"
Lilua stood motionless n moment
more. care you sure?"
eyes, yes, Of coursel"
When Lilua was gone Tonga Dick
Wayne sat looking into the fire, say
ing nothing; and Karen found her
self unwilling either to look at him
or to speak.
''Do all your servants call you by
your first manner" Karen asked at
last.
Dick frowned a little. 'She isn't
exactly q servant. Her people were
q very proud people-masters Of this
island before any haole ever saw
it. And she--she's lived here all
her life, and I've known her all her
life."
II don't believe" Karen offered,
"that that girl has had her eyes off
Of you one moment since you've
been in this house."
Dick Wayne looked startled.
''Huh?"
''You don't mean to tell me that
you didn't notice that?"
For moment Dick looked wor-
ried. Bunch Of nonsense" he said.
"Can it be possible" Karen asked,
"that she believes all that-that
stuff"
"Of course. Different races have
different ways Of talking about the
factors that make things happen.
''Well-" Dick hesitated, and Wis
IDLY shifted ground. "Well, it seems
to me extremely remarkable that
you and ! are sitting here tonight,
together by this fire."
SIT is through no wish Of mine,"
Karen said.
'I'm sorry. / still can't under
stand why you're not interested. For
one thing, this might very well have
been the house in which you were
born. The room you are to sleep in
tonight might have been the very
ROOM"
81 thought Of that"
"There's q lot Of history in this
old house," Dick went on. "Of
course the most interesting part Of
it, or at least the most highly col
ored, goes back to your grandpa
theirs day, before you were born at
all-before the Waynes came in. In
his day the house was never silent
and empty, as it is now"
"You Waynes have certainly
turned it into tomb"
"I'm sorry, sometimes" he said,
"that those old days are gone. There
are things that are rigid, and dull
too, about the Wayne regime"
She looked at him and the shared
moment broke up. ''How do you
know all this?"
"The Waynes were very close
friends of Garrett Waterson."
"To the profit Of the Waynes,"
Karen said with repressed bitter
ness.
Tonga Dick shook his head, not in
denial, but in objection. "Your
grandfather ended up utterly broke.
You see, he was the last Of the
great old catch-as-catch-can traders.
Island trading was a tough game
after the sandalwood gave out, but
Garrett Waterson had a tremendous
robust energy, and he made himself
two or three fortunes. But all that
was over a good many years be-
fore he sold Alakoa. ! doubt II he
had made a cent for at least q
decade. He had no business judg-
ment; even his ownership Of this
island was an accident. He won
Alakoa in poker game with the
native king--and even that was part
" by mistake. because he thought
he was gambling for just the fish,
ing rights. He was actually astound-
ed when he found out he had won
it ALL"
II suppose it amuses you," Karen
said, Ito make out that my grand
father was q great fool"
"You shouldn't mind" Dick
smiled. "You and John Colt are
trying to establish that he was an
imbecile."
Karen bit ner lip; she was silent
for q full minute, and when she
spoke she took an entirely new tone.