Show SYNOPSIS george mcausland was 38 years old he sailed from america to under take his post as a missionary in the fiji islands A crime he had committed lii a bt of excitement had shattered all his confidence in himself he felt forced to avoid pretty mary doncaster who boarded the ship at honolulu she was en route to visit her parents who were missionaries on galead island mary awas attracted by georges attempts to her one day george accidentally tell overboard mary unhesitatingly dove into the sea to rescue george now george had to talk to her his ears were realized when he began to all in love with her CHAPTER 11 continued 3 there arent any houses anywhere in sight george said in among the trees in the shade mary told him people keep out of the sun down here A taint trouble showed in her eyes 1 I dont know why no canoes come off they must have seen us long ago but a moment later she cried re 1 alved oh there they cornel captain keen and the others joined them in the bow and mary borrowed the captains glass to look or her father and mother theres Ja rambo she said she gave the glass to george look the said that old man in the first canoe he worships my father goes everywhere with him like a dog captain keen spoke to the mate she was close hauled the wind light he said quietly your ore and main yards mr chase smartly now the mate shouted orders men swarmed to their tasks and presently the cable slid out through the hawse men standing by mary moved back to the waist while the old man in the canoe drew alongside and she was white now with formless fears she called something to carambo in his own tongue but instead of answering be dropped his eyes there was something terrifying in his silence A moment later still without speech be swung himself aboard carambo produced a folded bit of paper and offered it to mary she took it she looked at jaram bo imploringly then her dry eyes raced along the lines and the color drained out of her cheeks old john gale came quick beside her and she gave him the bit of paper shaking her head wretchedly he read it aloud slowly my dear daughter 1 I thought I 1 could wait tor you but since your mother died I 1 am lonely and tired I 1 cannot wait any longer I 1 have nothing more to do except leave you my love and my blessing and draw up my feet like good old jacob and go home your father ephraim doncaster john gale read the letter and george mcausland said not understanding gone home he know mary was coming john gale said yes gone home ephraim Is dead I 1 CHAPTER III alter she had read her fathers letter mary turned to mrs gale and clung to the older woman and was suddenly like a child weeping at a hurt it cannot understand mrs gale led her below george wished to follow them an overpowering sympathy and tenderness filled him mary in her sudden bitter grief seemed small and defenseless and in need and he felt himself strong and wished to strengthen her but john gale watching him said let her weep george shell be better then he suggested you and I 1 might go ashore see the island george agreed george mcausland looked around him at the clustering crowd which welcomed them as loving children welcome a returning father and he thought with a sort of reverence this is what the first missionaries found these are the heathen yet even in that first moment a doubtful reprobation filled him carambo leading them they moved away along a broad beaten path while men and women and children of every age trooped happily about them mcausland said uneasily marys father taught them to wear many clothes ephraim was a trouble to the board in some ways john gale admitted he refused to teach all the things they thought important yet he accomplished more than most missionaries do he worked less by precept than by example ive heard bis house Is a model of what island houses should be neat secure clean im anxious to see it perhaps to get some ideas to improve my own they moved on many following and a little way beyond a pool they came to the house in which marys father and mother had lived mcausland saw the house with a quick pride in his race it was built of stones set on a sort of platform of basalt blocks five or six feet high with a wide thatch shaded veranda all around A fence of poles bound together with vines enclosed a neatly tended garden in front and when they went indoors george saw everywhere ery where evidences of proud and care john gale said understandingly stan these people have kept it like a temple since ephraim died carambo Ja rambo began to give an account of his stewardship and since he and john gale spoke in the island tongue which george did not understand the young man turned aside he saw a wide doorway opening at the rear of the main central room and stepped out and found himself in what might have been a pulpit with a lectern of stone facing a rising slope of ground like a small amphitheater under the palms then john gale beside him said quietly ephraem Ephr alm preached to them here had he no church he thought it suitable to worship out of doors that night on the ship a grave question was discussed mrs gale and the old minister george me ausland and joseph Ne argood and captain keen talked over the replacing of ephraem in the cabin after supper mary sat with them aut she was very quiet and she seemed small as though grief had gone out of her and left her empty john gale stated the problem to captain keen someone ought to stay here he said Ja rambo tells me that a schooner lay in the lagoon across he island for a while and the na ives aboard her dived for shell till bad weather drove the schooner away bull judge they found pearls A fine island and fine people reverence and that means come back this year or next or the year afterward ephraums Ephr alms people need someone captain keen nodded well let the board know I 1 cant put back to honolulu but well speak the first sail we sight send word mrs gale suggested another problem what is mary to do go on with us no one answered then joseph Ne argood without emphasis began to tell them some things he had heard from carambo Ja rambo he spoke of marys father and mother and of their work here and of their deaths the cabin grew quiet while they listened when he was done mary aid thank you joseph she smiled in a faint fashion almost apologetic 1 I think im beginning to be all right again she decided 1 I was scared at first like a child she spoke to the but joseph you make me see that father is more alive than ever now hes alive in all their hearts on the island she said steadily 1 I shall never think of him or of mother as dead again captain keen cleared his throat then joseph Ne argood said to old john gale 1 I have thought till someone better can come I 1 might stay here with these people they discussed this suggestion for a while but george only listened mcausland was the first to leave the cabin he went on deck stood alone by the after rail with stars close above his head in the velvet blackness of the tropic night was he fit to take up the work old eph balm doncaster had laid down was he brave enough to undertake the task which joseph Ne argood was brave enough to face so humbly this was a very lonely man this george mcausland he had been lonely all his life tonight that loneliness was bitter on him for the first time be understood der stood that he was untested it was one thing to be lonely it was another to be able to stand alone he went below at last to lie in torment all that night to rise with burning eyes sick for the sleep that had refused to come at the cabin table for their midday meal mary doncaster told them she had decided her personal problem 1 I asked carambo Ja rambo she said he gays the touche dhere yet she explained to captain keen ashes a whaler and my uncle tom hanline Is mate aboard her and my cousin tommy Is cabin boy when they sailed from new bedford uncle tom promised put in here on the way home so ill wait here tor them go home with him she added after a mo menti 1 I might even stay on here after that but at least I 1 want to stay a while in my fathers house with the people who were mine when I 1 was a little girl ill stay with joseph she said joseph can help them and I 1 can live in our house and perhaps help him a little too 1 I dont like that business of shell in the lagoon captain keen reminded them if those men found pearls be back and pearl ers are a hard crew im not afraid mary insisted no one could find me unless I 1 chose remember I 1 was a child here I 1 know all the hidden trails joseph protect you john gale pointed out they respect him he looked at the apologetically you understand my son I 1 hold you high but they would not the nodded simply george mcausland felt his hands clench on his knees there was burning in him now something reckless of all reason to think that mary was to be left here alone with a brown skinned man for her krotec tor filled him with a passion beyond controlling his nails bit his palms and he rose abruptly stalked toward the companion and went on deck he went forward stood by the rail staring oft across the water toward the shores so incredibly green that rose steeply to the tips of the mountains shimmering in the sun there was a thumping in his throat that would not be still corkran spoke at his shoulder A fine island and fine people reverence ha said no onee spoiled em the young ladys father the missionary that was here he must have been a sensible lot george spoke without thought ashes going to stay here now if I 1 was in the missionary line myself reverence the sailor remarked and if I 1 was looking for some heathen to convert id ask nothing better myself than to tackle this lot here with the young lady to help he glanced at the man beside him saw the jaw muscles knotted saw george swallow hard yes reverence he declared id say to myself no work for a brown skinned man this so ill stay the heathen need me so they do 1 I want to corkran he said miserably 1 I want to but I 1 dont know whether I 1 could do the work alone corkran nodded if it was me id be thinking a wife would make it easier he agreed id be thinking of marrying someone he added calmly the young lady say we certainly stay here alone together without being married george reflected half to himself george looked along the deck joseph Ne argood and mrs gale were together aft captain keen and john gale and the mate were in the waist close by george turned abruptly to ask john gale where Is mary in the cabin george went toward the companion and descended mary was sitting at the cabin table with paper before her a pen to her hand writing she looked up at him when he appeared her eyes stopped him for a moment he stood unsteadily and when the ship lifted beneath them tilting into the trough sliding down he came forward carefully to sit facing her with the table between them mary doncaster waited her eyes were serene and calm but on her cheek color played faintly like heat lightning from a distant storm he tried to tad the word he wished to say and his dry alps moved a little without sound it was she who spoke first she asked what Is it george he tried to explain as much to himself as to her 1 I know I 1 ought to stay here and take your fathers place I 1 want to and yet im afraid to im afraid of failing he said more quickly 1 I understand what it would be like till I 1 went ashore yesterday I 1 thought being a missionary meant being brave and strong and firm and stern but I 1 can see now its more than that I 1 want to do the work but I 1 cant do it without you mary I 1 want to stay here with you to help me she asked carefully grave you want me to be sort of an assistant Is that it well id have to have someone I 1 cant even speak their language why dont you let yourself go george she urged tell me what you really want he did not speak and she saw that he could not her eyes deep and still she asked at last you want to stay here and try to fill my fathers place Is tha all really yes tell me if you could do it alone if you were sure you could bouli you still want me or would you let me go on with the ship honestly Ho his face suddenly was convulsed nol he cried 1 I never want to let you gol he was crimson as 11 be bad confessed something of which to be ashamed he said awkwardly we stay alone here U we married TO BE CONTINUED |