Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-05-08

Y
and often the editions de luxe were
swindles. But in between the batter
ed covers and the exquisite Florentine
hand-tooling there ranged a row OF
medioric books; and it was among
these that Elsa found that her in
stinct was not wholly infallible, as
will be seen.
Today she was facing the first
problem Of her young life, epochal
She was, as it were, to stop and be.
gin life anew. And she didn't know
she wasn't sure.
There were few passengers aboard
There were three fussy old English
, maidens under the protection Of g
still fussier old colonel, who dis.
agreed with everybody because his
liver disagreed with him. Twenty
years Of active service in Upper In
dia had seriously damaged that ply
siological function, and "pegs" nc
longer mellowed him. The quartet
greatly amused Elsa Their mods were
| abrupt, and they spoke in the most
formal manner. She was under grave
suspicion; in the first place, she was
travelling alone, in the second place,
she was an American. At table there
was generally a desultory converse
ton, and many a barb Of malice Elsa
shot from her bow. Figuratively. the
colonel walked about like a porcu-
pine, bristled with arrow instead OF
quills. Elsa could have shouted al
times, for the old wardog was per-
fectly oblivious. There was. besides
the inevitable German tourist. who
shelled with questions every man who
wore brass-buttons, until there was
some serious talk of dropping him
astern some day. He had shelled the
colonel, but that gentleman was snug
ly encased in the finest and most
impenetrable Bessemer, compile cency
Upon these Irrawaddy boats the
purser is usually the master Of cere-
monies in the dining saloon. The
captain and his officers rarely con-
descended. Perhaps it was too much
trouble to dress; perhaps tourists had
disgusted them with life; at any rate
they remained in obscurity.
Elsa usually sat at the purser's
right, and tonight she found the
stranger sitting quietly at her side
The chair had been vacant since the
departure from Mandalay. Evident
ly the purser had decided to be
thorough in regard to her wishes. II
would look less conspicuous to make
the introduction in this manner. And
she wanted to meet this man who had
almost made her cry out in astonish'
ment.
Miss Chetwood. Mr.. Warrington.
This was as far as the purser would
unbend.
The coloners eyes popped; the
hands of the three maidens fiuttered
Warrington bowed awkwardly, fol
he was decidedly confused.
"Han doomed the German. "Vat
do you tink uff-"
ton eluded. lodged, stepped under and
ran around the fusillade of questions
Elsa laughed softly. There was
breathing spells. to be sure. Under
the cover of this verbal bombardment
she found time to inspect the
stranger The likeness, so close al
hand, started a ringing in her ears
and a flutter in her throat. 1t was
almost unbelievable. He was bigger
/ broader, his eyes were keener, but
there was only one real difference:
this man was rugged, whereas Ar
thur was elegant. 1t was as If nature
had taken two forms from the same
mold, and had finished but one OF
them. His voice was not unpleasant
but there were little sharp points OF
harshness in it, due quite possibly to
the dust.
II am much interested in that lit
tie parrot of yours. 1 have heard
about him."
"Oh, 1 suppose you've heard what
they call us?" His eyes looked straight
into hers. smilingly.
Parrot & Co. Yes. Will you show
him off tomorrow"
"I shall be very happy to-
But all the while he was puzzled
over the purser's unaccountable ac-
tion in deliberately introducing him
to this brown-eyed, golden-skinned
young woman. Never before had such
a thing occurred upon these boats
True, he had occasionally been
spoken to; an idle question flung
at him, like a bare bone to q
dog. If flung by an Englishman, he
answered it courteously, and subsid-
ed. He had been snubbed too many
times not to have learned this les.
son. 1t never entered his head that
the introduction might have beer
brought about by the girls interest
He was too mortally shy of women
to conceive of such a possibility. sc
his gratitude was extended to the
purser. who, on his side, regretted
his good-natured recommendations OF
the previous hour.
| When Elsa learned that the man al
her side was to proceed to Rangoon
she ceased to ask him any more ques.
tions. She preferred to read hel
books slowly. Once. while he wa:
engaging the purser. her glance rar
over his clothes. She instantly be-
rated her impulsive criticism as a bi
Of downright caddiness. The lapel!
of his coat were shiny, the sleeve.
were short, there was puckel
across the shoulders; the winged
collar gave evidence of having gone
to the native laundry once too often
the studs in the shirt bosom were o.
the cheapest mother pearl, and th'
cuff buttons, ordinary rupee silver
The ensemble suggested that since
the purchase Of these habiliments o.
civilization the man had grown, ex
|