Part 7 (1/2)

Her face lit up with pleasure ”It is kind of you And you will not find o mad if I were left alone here, for Niabon has always been such a friend to me Whenever my husband ay, she came and stayed with me”

This allusion to her husband, I could see, pained her, and therefore, although I knew that several parties were out in search of him, I did not mention his name to her

”Mr Sherry,” she said presently, ”I have a suggestion toto this station was lost, as you know, not long ago, but there is another, a large one, which was sold to some natives Would you like me to send for her, and if you like it better than your own, I think we could buy it back”

I knew the boat well enough by sight She was half-decked, and although not a beauty to look at, was certainly a e I decided to inspect her, and e where the boat was then lying with aher to Taritai I told Mrs Krause that if the boat was seaworthy she would certainly be far preferable to my own, and that I would buy it froainstwith her husband's property when she left the island

”That is one subject upon which I want your advice Will you look at his account-books, and tell ?”

Krause had kept his books very oods that were still unsold, and counting his cash, I was able to tell her pretty exactly how he stood There was about 200 due to hiether

”What would you advise me to do?” she asked

”As far as the house and all that is in it is concerned, you can do nothing but leave it under the care of the head men of Taritai They will undertake the responsibility, and hand the station over to the first German shi+p that calls”

”There will be a man-o'-war here soon, the _Elizabeth_ At least, we heard that she was likely to co wisely if she reot the man-of-war captain to settle up Krause's affairs; but she shuddered and looked atthat as her husband had left no will--at least, as far as she knew--I feared she would have trouble in getting the amount due to hio to Sydney, where there was a branch of the fir for

”I don't want the 200,” she said vehemently ”I have a little money of my own--about twenty dollars--and one cannot well starve anywhere in the South Seas I a Pana else to do”

CHAPTER VII

”Twenty dollars is not ravely, as I looked at her now ani there is very expensive--as I know to my sorrow--and unless you have friends at either place, you would have to go to an hotel in the first place”

”I a about the hat-

All of my mother's family were very expert at it, and quite often I have seen as much as twenty-five or thirty Mexican dollars paid for one of our hats We could have sold ten times the number had we been able to have made more”

”Where was this?” I asked, with interest

”At Agana, in the Marianas My father lived there for le to get along with such a large family So we all had to help hilishman naoon I do not remember exactly what it was, but think he was connected with maritime matters, for I reo away frequently in the Governapore I can scarcely reest of the family, was about six years old But I think she was of Dutch-Javanese parentage, for soes, and I re very dark Soon after she died, my father--as always of a restless disposition I suppose--either gave up, or lost his e us with hi to do with cattle But we did not re about fro at Saipan, soana, in Guam At this last place--which I love dearly--ere very happy, although ere so poor”

She stopped somewhat abruptly, and added that it was at this place she had met Krause, who came to the Marianas froe establishment at the latter city

”I should like to see the Marianas--or the Ladrones, as we traders call the at San Anlaccio in Guam----”

”What is his name?” she asked quickly

”Jose Otano He was mate of a New Bedford whaler”

”I know him, I know him,” she cried excitedly, ”he and his mother, and his two sisters--Nicolacoa and Maria Oh, how I should love to see the to San Anlaccio withthere for two or threecattle for _tasajo_, and we lived with the Otano fairls used to ride together on the water buffaloes, and one day their brother Jose, who I remember was a sailor, had to coreat swamp between Punta de los Amantes and the stone cross of Padre Sanvitores”

”Those are the people,” I said, feeling pleasurably excited myself that we should have mutual friends ”I have often heard him speak of his ed me to pay him a visit, and settle doith him He says that I should not want to leave the Marianas once I could see what a beautiful country it is”

”No, indeed! Ah, Mr Sherry, 'tis indeed a beautiful country I wonder if I shall ever see it again! My father, two brothers, and three of my sisters died of fever just before I married Krause, and there are but two of us left now--myself and another sister who is ana Oh, shall I ever see her face again?”

Her eyes sparkled, and her pale face flushed as she bent towards ht of it ain”