Show black au cheeps ev dim S gold BY BEATRICE illustrations by irwin myers copyright tr by blizil aco THE STORY on a pleasure trip in eastern waters phill philip p amory en glish world war veteran now a trader on the island aland of papua new ou guinea I 1 non plunge overboard to nave mave the life of a musical comedy actress known an 1 amory become interested in pla laurer or of a wealthy now new south wales family efm lie tells her of hla his knowledge of ft a wonderful guld gold field ion the ithe island nd oln gin suns sling tells him pla la engaged tai W sir richard Ill chard van pan thaw shaw his holiday ended amory arrive Ap back at datu daru he meets an englishman spicer there ther on development business bu alnesa 10 for r syndicate of which pan haw ir head furi haws name recalls to amory a long ten incident in fri which hi he witnessed the escape of Pan ganshaw shaw fro from m a leper colony lie he tells trim leab bassett his friend rid bassett about it and decides to inform laurier Laur ler ve he goes to Thu island to mend the mess mes message ga amory hears iran fanshaw dictate X message which indicates that the secret of tho the gold cold field to Is known amory meets with an accident that lays him up tor for three weeks CHAPTER V continued 11 1 I think youre very good indeed 1 lied promptly dismay was the emotion that jn ID truth had possession of me I 1 wondered how hov many people know or would know and how soon they would be on the track irack of the unique amit amazing zing place known as tata tata tata I 1 dwore swore to myself ihal that doctors or no doctors doctora I 1 waw off tomorrow something or of this I 1 said gln gin sling eyed me with a satisfaction that I 1 found almoas puzzling right night get off and beat him to it the wa way y my lad iad drin drink k fi hearty eartY soon be dead ill I 1 was waa her entirely dinnean comment what way will you go she asked presently way oh by daru I 1 suppose she seemed to like that and I 1 realized with some borne astonishment that the map of papua was no blank to her well she said 1 I must be bolg or the cats will begin to mew call and say goodby good by to 0 o roe me before you yon go im out of a shop now so I 1 daro dare say ill make back to little sydney again youve no ider idea what a lamb iamb yau you look in those pink pajamas cuddly boyl boy I 1 see you again saon soon tier her yellow stocking gleamed as she walked down the long veranda just not dancing out through the doorway into the smiting mull un auxt day I 1 left the hosp hospital tal I 1 called tn jinny as a matter of course and was rather surprised to ind that she had sailed the previous night the hotel people seem to be sure what boat she had taken or where she had gone and the truth was that I 1 had too much to do to puzzle over the matter for more than a little while nor did 1 I for even an instance suspect what matters of grave import had lain concealed beneath the light surf surfaces sui faces nees of our talk 0 0 0 0 I 1 had to go to port moresby it turned out cut because there was no ona at daru to take charge of my store the man on whom I 1 counted having suddenly left I 1 remember I 1 was worried at having to go but consoled myself by remembering that sir richard aud and his lot could not possibly get away before me since they had still to do fiela recruiting and mine was kis aa good as aa done I 1 had only to whistle and get as many boys boa as aa I 1 wanted but they aey would have to employ a recruiter cru iter lter and probably over overcame edme a good many difficulties before they collected boys bos enough to carry for a large party of strange white men As to pla pin she was safe in the past cast so feeling like myself again at last I 1 sailed once more in the merry sun and wind heading my cutter tor for port moresby never since then have I 1 believed in presentiments pre sentiments in warnings or thadows that fall fal before events there was no warning for mv me singing I 1 weal straight to the dark day of my life the day that has colored and wilt will color every following hour until that time when hours and days shall mean nothing more to me CHAPTER VI I 1 made port moresby on the evening of the third day my boy was not with me I 1 had sent him back to daru direct and was alone it was when I 1 sighted paga hill with a nasty squall coming up I 1 thought with disgust of the trouble of seeing the doctor and the customs and getting all to be gone through before I 1 could have leavo to land very likely they give i me that evening I 1 should havo have to sleep on board the tiny cutter again just when I 1 needed a good rest the sight of fisherman lila herman island looming up to starboard decided me I 1 would run in there spend me ahw night j nt at the empty quarantine dt alton and set et ott oft early next day for the port nobody would kno inov the island was unit uninhabited habited by the old crazy solomon island bland cu who lud had ben there for over thirty years and am tell tales even if he be would Pei persapa haps I 1 was breaking quarantine laws lawai I know and did not much care 1 I knew that the two houses were comfortable if one could get into them and I 1 reckoned d I 1 could manage that thal I 1 found the two little houses standing op stark and pale against the th velvet sky I 1 scrambled into one and cautiously flashed my torch well I 1 was wa ray my astonished comment 1 somebody had certainly been preparing the place for a stay there was a comfortable lied hed a couple of planter cli clealis alis a box that I 1 I 1 1 11 I 1 know knew that tall tight wellsey wall Well set Sel figure that thai bearded head contained linen and oddments of various kinds I 1 peered into the tha cookhouse stores cooking utensils lla be coming clong tomorrow I 1 thought and reflected that I 1 was luckier than I 1 deserved it was very cool out there I 1 remember far cooler than it t would have been tn in little iron rooms beneath the stifling roofs of town I 1 had bad a bite of something from the locker of my boat fiting duns my bidding bodding on on the unknown persons bedstead and slept magnificently dawn came with a wild crying of seabirds sen sea birds and a sudden wind that burst in the door it waked me and I 1 slid to earth looking for my shoes for now it was full time I 1 got away I 1 suppose I 1 took a few seconds to SUP slip on and tie my shoes I 1 never heard a sound but when I 1 looked up there was some one in the doorway my aly first thought for you could not see the mans face so blackly was he silhouetted against the pale rose and primrose of the sky was caught maybe its the doctor inspecting my aly second sent the blood froni from heart to fingertips like leaping flame I 1 knew that tall tight well set figure that bearded head I 1 had seen it four times once on the island of decay and death once on the great liner in the sea once nt at the hotel on thursday and now here fanshaw had seen me he came across the floor in a couple of strides and asked me with profane additions what on earth I 1 might be doing there I 1 could hardly answer him at first never till that moment had and it occurred to me that however well he was known to me I 1 was so far quite unknown to him except by repute I 1 answered him bim briefly 1 I 1 did not know anyone had haa the toe place I 1 got in late and camped the h I 1 you did answered fanshaw roughly dout dont you know you have to get leave to lendl there was a squall coming squall 1 aall be hanged better cl clear c ar out of this and ke 1 thankful it if I 1 dont report you I 1 might have gone knowing myself to be in the wrong and not wishing to enlighten fanshaw more than was necessary about myself I 1 might have gone and changed the course of four lives that day had not the merest trifle intervened nothing on earth but a cushion sir richard had been carrying it U wrapped up in paper while he be was talking to me tie he laid it down on a table and the paper being insufficiently fa fastened burst open I 1 saw aw the thing a pretty trifle of white satin and embroidered flowers owera fl crying wedding present in every stitch and thread I 1 card fastened to it and immediately I 1 knew what it was for whom it had been intended and the world for one reeling instant vanished behind yells vella of redl red I 1 came out of that moments mad imad ness calm and cold as once or twice in the war I 1 had found myself before i the doing of some deed that brought a medal after it you are ara sir richard fanshaw I 1 stated lie he looked ai at me curiously I 1 thought he was beginning to guess it may interest you to know 1 I went on that I 1 am P philip amory now tie he turned scarlet the curlo curious s honey colored eyes flashed crescent moons of white above and below like the eyes of a dangerous horse horm it seems he said restraining him self that I 1 owe you a great deal ot of kindly interest in what I 1 had supposed were my afra affairs irs 11 I 1 let the gibe pass I 1 had one thing only in my mind and like a charging bull I 1 drove straight for it whore where Is miss lauriell Laur Lau ler I 1 asked I 1 expect him to answer but ho he replied at once coolly about forty five miles out ont a at t sea on morinda 11 she has come back toi marry you yon exactly youre fixing firing up this place for her he did not reply t to 0 that he looked at me watchfully as one boxer edep another in the ring well I 1 want to tell you yon I 1 said that you wont marry her as longas im above ground 4 again he was silent again I 1 charged like a bull but this time it was as a bull charges frantically and uselessly upon the barrier about the ring you yon were the man who got away from iota island youre an escaped leper he just laughed a little seemed to be waiting for me to 0 have done I 1 had not anticipated this ile eie just stood there not admitting not denying if I 1 was strong he with hl hla weight of added years and honors honora his money and his bis celebrity to back him up was stronger I 1 could feet feel all that as he meant that I 1 should feel it almost visibly upholding and supporting him as we stood there in the windy qu quarantine house with the sen sea birds crying on the sands outside fanshaw and I 1 one and one with a shadowy third the eternal triangle yet again fanshaw was entirely self possessed ile he waited till it seemed dear clear that j I 1 had done and theu thea spoke your boat Is outside you can get away as quick as you like if I 1 do I 1 warned him ill sall sail straight to port and stop your d d marria marriage e 1 just as you choose he said D be e took the white cushlen out of its paper smoothed 1 4 laid it carefully on the hack back of one of the planter chairs set down some small parcels he had in his pockets and walked out of the house lie ile did not see seem m to be paying any attention at all to me one used to fight in the great war sometimes when one was almost three parts asleep drunk with the want of rest long continued with the never relaxing strain so I 1 fought then drunk drugged by fanshawe Pan Fan shaws enormous personality his superior mental forces yet determined alever as ever one had been I 1 in n the trenches not to give in while life was life and I 1 was 1 I we went down to the beach almost together there was my cutter rocking on the tide there long and black and slim was what I 1 knew to be the fastest thing afloat for a thousand miles a speed launch capable of doing thirty miles an hour which had lain tor for some good vaille in port un sa leable because she simply ate fuel I 1 thought I 1 knew who hud bought her now who count ft a tin or two of benzine when he happened to be in a hurry TO DIS BB CONTINUED |