ArthurremainedatthegatewhileRuthclimbedMaria'-writer, andwhenMartinletherin, ; butbeforeshecouldbroachthesubjectMartinplungedintotheonewithwhichhewasfull.

"Here, letmereadyouthis," hecried, separatingthecarboncopiesandrunningthepagesofmanuscriptintoshape."It'smylatest, anddifferentfromanythingI', andyetI''sanHawaiianstory.I'vecalledit 'Wikiwiki.'"

Hisfacewasbrightwiththecreativeglow, , andthoughhefromtimetotimehadseenonlydisapprobationinherface, atthecloseheasked:-

"Frankly, whatdoyouthinkofit?"

"I—Idon'tknow," she, answered."Willit—doyouthinkitwillsell?"

"I'mafraidnot," wastheconfession."It''strue, onmywordit'strue."

"Butwhydoyoupersistinwritingsuchthingswhenyouknowtheywon'tsell?" shewentoninexorably."Thereasonforyourwritingistomakealiving, isn'tit?"

"Yes, that'sright; '."

"Butthatcharacter, thatWiki-Wiki, whydoyoumakehimtalksoroughly? Surelyitwilloffendyourreaders, andsurelythatiswhytheeditorsarejustifiedinrefusingyourwork."

"BecausetherealWiki-Wikiwouldhavetalkedthatway."

"Butitisnotgoodtaste."

"Itislife," herepliedbluntly."."

Shemadenoanswer, , andshecouldnotunderstandhimbecausehewassolargethathebulkedbeyondherhorizon.

"Well, I'vecollectedfromtheTranscontinental," , ashehadlastseenthem, mulctedoffourdollarsandninetycentsandaferryticket, madehimchuckle.

"Thenyou'llcome!" shecriedjoyously."ThatwaswhatIcametofindout."

"Come?" hemutteredabsently."Where?"

"Why, 'drecoveryoursuitifyougotthatmoney."