Show c k old BY BEATRICE illustrations by irwin myers copyright by aughta mangle a co Sery los THE STORY 0 on n a pleasure plea sur trip in eastern w waters ai er philip amory english world W rid war veteran now a trader on the island of papua new guinea plunges overboard to save bave the life of a musical comedy actress known us gln gin sling amory b becomes I 1 interested forested res in pla laurier member of a wealthy new south wales family he tells her of his knowledge of a w wonderful 0 cold field beld on the laland 1 d gln gin sling tells him pla Ven Is engaged to sir richard fan thaw ails HI holiday ended amory arrives back at al daru H he meets an englishman spicer there on development bu business sines tor for it syndicate of which fanshaw Is 1 head fanshawe Fan ran shaws name recalls to amory a long forgot for cot ton ten incident in which he witnessed the escape of fanshaw from a leper colony he tells tella his friend bassett about it and decides to inform laurier Laur ler lie he goes BOOS to thursday island to send the message amory hears fanshaw dictate a message which indicates that the secret of the ffoyd 0 d field Is known amory meets with an a accident ident that lays him up tor for ahr three ce weeks I 1 CHAPTER V continued 11 1 I think youre very good indeed I 1 lied promptly dismay was the emotion that in truth had bad possession of me I 1 wondered how many people knew or would know and how soon they would be on the track of the unique amazing place known as tata tata I 1 swore to myself that doctors or no DO doctors I 1 was off tomorrow ro I 1 v s something om ething of this I 1 said gln gin sling eyed me with a satisfaction that I 1 found almost puzzling right get off and beat him to it the way my lad drink hearty soon be dead was her entirely jonnean comment what way will you go she asked presently way oh by darn I 1 suppose she seemed to like that and I 1 realized with some astonishment that ezied the e map a p ot of papua was no blank to her well she said 1 I must be going or the t b e cats will begin to mew call and say goodby good by to me before you yon go tm pro out of a shop now so I 1 dare say ill make back to little sydney again youve no DO idea what a lamb you look in those pink pajamas cuddly boyl boy see you again soon her yellow stockings Bloc kings gleamed as she walked down the long veranda just not dancing out through the doorway into the smiting sun un f next day I 1 left the hospital I 1 called on n many jinny as a matter of course and was rather surprised to find that she had sailed the previous night the hotel people seem to be sure what boat she had bad 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 bad lain concealed beneath the light surfaces tur faces ot of our talk 0 0 0 0 0 I 1 had to go to port moresby it turned out because there was no one at daru aru to take charge of my store the man on whom I 1 counted having suddenly cud deuly denly left I 1 remember I 1 wai was worried at having ha vine to go but consoled myself by remembering that sir richard and his lot could not possibly get away before me since they had still to do their recruiting ond end mine was as good as done I 1 had only to whistle and get as 88 many boys as I 1 wanted but they would have to toem employ lloy a recruiter cru iter and probably overcome a good many difficulties before they collected boys enough to carry for a large party of strange barange white men inell As to pla pin she w was as safe in the fast east so feeling like myself again at last 1 I sailed once more in the merry sun and wind beading my cutter tor for port moresby never since then have I 1 believed in presentiments pre sentiments in warnings or shadows that fall before events there was no warning for me singing I 1 wert straight to the dark day of my life the day that has colored and 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 darn direct and was alone it was vas when I 1 sighted paga hill with a nasty squall coming up I 1 i 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 leave leeto to land very likely they give me that evening I 1 should have to sleep on board the tiny cutter again just when I 1 needed a good rest the sight bight of fisherman island loom oom ing up to starboard decided me I 1 would run in there spend the night at the empty quarantine station and get off early next day for the port nobody would knon the island was uninhabited inhabited save by the old crazy solomon island inland caretaker who had beon ben there tor for over thirty ye years ars and tell tales even if lie would perhaps I 1 wits was breaking quarantine laws I 1 know and did not much care I 1 knew that the two houses were comfortable it if one could get into them and I 1 reckoned I 1 could manage that I 1 found the two little houses stand ing up stark and pate pale against the velvet sky I 1 bled into one and cautiously flashed my torch well was my astonished comment somebody had certainly been preparing the place for a stay there was a comfortable lile lied hed a couple of planter chairs a box that 1 guessed I 1 1 1 J is 1 V tit if I 1 4 I 1 knew that tall tight well weli set figure that bearded head contained linen and oddments of various kinds I 1 peered into the cookhouse stores cooking utensils be coming adiong tomorrow I 1 thought and reflected that I 1 was luckier than I 1 deserved e d it was very cool out there I 1 remember far cooler than it would have been in little iron rooms beneath the stifling roofs of town I 1 had a bite of something from the locker of my boat flung my bedding on the unknown persons bedstead and slept magnificently dawn came with a wild crying of Sea seabirds 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 second sto to slip on and tie my shoes I 1 never heard a sound but when I 1 looked up there was haq some one in the doorway my 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 second sent the blood 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 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 bo be doing there I 1 could hardly answer him at first never till that moment had bad it occurred to me that thal however well he was as known to me I 1 was so tar far quite unknown to him except by repute I 1 answered him briefly 1 I did not cot know anyone had the place I 1 got in late and camped the h I 1 you did answered fanshaw roughly dont you know you have to get leave to land there was a squall coming squall be hanged better clear out of this and be 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 e arth but a cushion sir richard had been carrying it wrapped up op in paper while lie he was talking to me he laid it down on a table and the paper being insufficiently insun fastened burst open I 1 saw the thing a pretty trifle of white satin and embroidered flowery flowers crying wedding present to in every stitch and thread I 1 saw somebody some bodyl card fastened to it IL and I 1 knew what it was for whom it bad been intended and the world for one reeling recline Ins instant tantI vanished behind veils of red I 1 came out of that moments mad ness calm and cold as once or twice in the war I 1 had bad found myself before the doing of some deed that brought a medal after it you are sir richard Fans fanshaw baw I 1 stated he fie looked at me curiously I 1 thought he be was beginning to guess it may interest you to know I 1 went on that I 1 am philip amory now he be turned scarlet the curious honey boney colored eyes flashed crescent moons of white above and below like the eyes of a dangerous horse it seems he said restraining him self that I 1 owe you a great deal ol of kindly interest in what I 1 had supposed were my affairs I 1 let the gibe pass I 1 had one thin thing only in my mind and like a charging bull I 1 drove straight for it where Is I 1 miss under Laur ler I 1 asked I 1 expect him to answer but he ha replied at once coolly about forty five miles out at sea on moranda she has come back to marry you exactly youre fixing fi up this place tor for her ue ile did not reply to that he looked at me watchfully as one boxer eyes eye another in the ring well I 1 want to tell you I 1 said that you wont marry her as longas long as im above ground again he was silent again I 1 charged like ilke a bull but this time it was as a bull charges frantically and uselessly upon the barrier about the tha ring you were the man who got away from iota island youre an escaped leper he just laughed a little seemed to be waiting tor for me to have done I 1 had bad not anticipated this ile he lust just stood there not admitting not denying if I 1 was strong he be with his weight of added years and honors boners his money and his celebrity to back him up was stronger I 1 could feel all that as he be meant that I 1 should feel it almost visibly upholding and supporting him as vie ve stood there in the windy quarantine house honse with the 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 I 1 had bad done and then spoke your boat la is outside you can get away as quick as you like it I 1 do I 1 warred him ill 1 11 sail bill straight to port and stop your d d marriage just as you yon choose be said he took the white cushion out of its ita paper smoothed it laid it carefully on the back of one of the planter chairs set down some small parcels he had in his pockets and walked out of the house he did not seem 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 Fan shaws enormous personality his superior mental forces yet determined as ever one had been in 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 lor for a thousand miles a speed launch capable of doing thirty miles an hour which had lain for some good while in port ansa saleable salvable leable because she simply ate fuel I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 thought I 1 knew who had bought her now who count a tin fin or two of benzine when he happened to be in a hurry TO BE BB CONTINUED |