The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-05-29

"Au right, all right, DICK SAID.
myself" Waterson insisted.
On the bay of Alakoa the three
factors of the John Colt-Dick Wayne
Karen Waterson triangle-each of
them established in lonely and fool
ish grandeur on his own boat-were
suspended in a deadlock which only
could be broken, apparently, by Ell
Their Garrett Waterson's recovery or
his demise.
Dick saw to it that the Sarah
was provided with everything that
Karen or DR.. Shinazu wanted, but
he hardly ever went aboard her
himself. When he did 60 aboard,
Karen Waterson avoided him; and
when this was not possible she still
managed to disregard him so COM
pletely that he was left with a Curl
GUS feeling Of not being in existence
any more. Reports on Garrett Wa
terson's condition were encourage
ing, but Dick found that they did not
interest him much.
Dick Wayne was rapidly drifting
into a state of mind where nothing
interested him at all. Honolulu was
Fostering him to come there for the
reading Of James Wayne's will, and
there was nothing to prevent his
going; but he stayed where he was.
for no more reason than that it
seemed too much trouble to 60 any,
where else. Ernest Wayne tried to
talk to him from Honolulu on the
wireless phone, but Dick did not go
ashore to. take the call. He let his
days drag out in morose inactivi-
ty, chiefly filled in with innumera-
BILE games of solitaire in the cabin.
Yet at night he was unable to sleep.
For day or two he drank heav-
lily, in the hopes that it would make
him sleepy, but it did not; and when
the Holokai's liquor ran out he did
not bother to have it replenished.
He stayed away from Karen Water
son, trying to accustom himself to
the idea of world in which, for
him, she did not exist; for he knew
what was the matter with him well
enough.
Ramey came to see him in the
middle Of the week, driven by a
need of supplies. Now that it was
apparent that the return of the Seal
to Alakoa had resulted in length
ening of John Colts charter, the
Seals one-eyed skipper seemed to
hold no grudge.
''I'n send you your engine OIL"
Dick said, 'if you'll tell me one
thing"
Like what?" Ramey asked du-
biously.
''I'd kind Of like to know" Dick
said, where Colt and Miss Water
son were going, and what for, the
night I had to come out and fetch
you back"
''Oh, is that all?" Ramey grunt-
ed. '.Why, they was going to Homo
lulu to get married"
$50 that was it." He managed a
faint, sardonic grin. "She certainly
had a busy evening""
''Huh?"
'sLet it CO." Dick went back to
his solitaire.
When the week had stretched on
into ten days it was known that
Garrett Waterson, definitely, was go
ing to live. The tremendous vitality
of the old man had asserted itself
once more. When this was conclu-
sively evident, even to the unbe-
lieving Shimazu, Dick knew that
Karen would not be at Alakoa much
longer.
He knew that he ought to try to
interest himself in something-any-
thing, to overcome the lethargy
upon which he was stranded; but it
took the departure Of John Colt to
get him into half-hearted action.
The Seal moved out Of the bay Of
Alakoa unostentatiously one morn
ing at daybreak. She Numbered her
way through the shoals by means
of the curious luck which seemed to
follow Ramey no matter what folly
he committed, and eased of around
the east point of the island roughly
in the direction Of Honolulu. No
body on the Holokai knew the mean
ing of this at first. II was hours
before they knew definitely that Colt
had gone back to Honolulu on the
Seal-but that Karen Waterson was
still aboard the Sarah.
Dicks curiosity was sufficiently
aroused by this to cause him to row
all the way over to the Sarah-a dis
lance of some two hundred yards
for visit with the convalescent old
man. He tried to conceal from HIM
self his reason for wishing to talk to
Waterson. but he could not. He was