will see your beautiful face, Mrs. Kennedy."

Ella was weeping as she said: "Tomorrow you will see."

Kennedy kissed her and said: "Tomorrow there will be no darkness."

The breeze blew, stirring the fronds of the palm, and the bell sang for them the anthem of hope.

..."Honer" was still on hot coals, waiting for Kixon with the black pearl. "Honer" knew that Kixon was a swindler born and bred, and that he would not easily manage to settle his account with him. When Kixon returned, Honer asked him roughly: "Where is it? Did you get it?"

Kixon took it in his hands, baring his teeth in a grin, then sat down and poured himself a glass of liquor.

Honer asked him: How are we to cut up this pearl?

Kixon answered him: That is very easy. I have found a buyer in Papeete, and I will send you your share after I arrive.

Kixon was lying, and Honer knew he was lying, but he pretended to believe him and asked:

And what is the sum you think we shall get, Kixon?

— Ten thousand riyals; we may get more, or a little less. I will tell you everything, and I will stake my own share from this moment and give you a draft for five thousand...

...Honer had to hold himself in hard before bursting into laughter... This swindler would give him a draft for five thousand riyals... a worthless draft... And Honer was turning over in his

mind a plot to wrest the pearl from Kixon.

— Six thousand, Kixon, and let the pearl be yours...

Kixon took out his book of drafts and wrote a draft for six thousand riyals...

Honer slipped the draft into his pocket calmly and quietly, with every sign of satisfaction on his face; and when Kixon asked him how he was to get off the island without a stir, Honer answered: "I have arranged everything." You will leave this place before dawn; you have six miles ahead of you... it is the only road of escape.

— A walk of six miles... to where, Honer?

— You cross the island, by way of an unknown plantation, to the northern shore. There a fishing boat will pick you up and carry you to Rider Island...

Kixon scowled... Was he to walk a distance of six miles through the forest alone?...

— And it may happen that I lose the way. Honer answered him: You will not lose it, my friend; I will show it to you myself.

Dawn had begun to break when the two men set out on their road. In "Honer's" pocket, a ridiculous, worthless draft and a bottle of liquor; in Kixon's pocket, a pre-cious black pearl. Honer walked ahead of Kixon, since he knew the way, and it mattered to him that his companion should know that in his bulging pocket there was a revolver... They pushed deep into the forest, the forest growing ever denser, the path stretching on through it as they wound this way and that around the trunks of the trees; and the ringing of the

bell still reached their ears, fainter and fainter...

Kixon said angrily: "You said six miles, but I see it is a hundred miles..."

Honer corrected him: Take it easy; so far we have covered only two miles.

They went on walking until they reached the northern shore, and on that shore there was no sign of life but the sea birds wheeling overhead...

Anxiety showed on Kixon, and he asked: "Where is the boat?"

— "It will not arrive before sunset. Let us go into this house and rest a little."

• This world is woman's world!... A man is born, and people ask: "How is the mother?" When he grows up and marries, they say: "How beautiful the bride is." Then he dies, and they say: "I wonder how much he left his wife?"

• The best medicine for a broken heart is to have it broken a second time...

• A lady asked "Somerset Maugham" how she could decide whether she loved a certain man or not. He said to her: "If you do not shrink from using his toothbrush, then you truly love him."

• Kisses may not spread microbes, but with-out a doubt they weaken the resistance.