Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-06-23

about seeing nothing, hearing moth
ing; and it was long past midnight
when he sought his room, restless and
weary but wide awake. He called for
a stiff peg. drank it, and tumbled in
to bed. He was whirled away into
broken dreams. Now he was running
down the gridiron, with the old thrill
in his blood. With that sudden in
conceivable twist of dreams, he saw
the black pit Of the tramp-steamer
and felt the hell-heat in his face.
Again, he was in the Andes, toiling
with his girderS over unSpeakable
chasms A shifting glance at the old
billiard-room in the club, the letter,
and his subsequent wild night of in
toxication, the one time in his life
when he had drunk hard and long.
Back to the Indian desert and jungles.
And he heard the shrek Of parrots
The Shrek of parrots. He sat up
Even in his dream he recognized that
cry. Night or day, Rajah always
shrieked when some one entered the
room. Warrington silently slid out of
bed and dashed to the door which led
to the gallery. A body thudded
against his. The body was nude to
the waist and smelled evilly Of sweat
and fish-oil. Something whip-like
struck him across the face. 1t was
queue.
Warrington struck out but missed:
Instantly a pair of powerful arms
wound about him, bearing and bend
ing him backward. His right arm lay
parallel with the invaders chest. He
brought up the heel of his palm vici
ously against the Chinaman's chin.
1t was sufficient to break the hold.
remained nightmarish to Warrington.
Hither and thither across the room.
miraculously avoiding chairs, tables
and bed, they surged. He heard a
ring of steel upon the cement floor,
and breathed easier to learn that the
thief had dropped his knife. War
rington never thought to call out for
help The old fear Of bringing peo-
pie about him had become habit.
Once, in the whirl Of things, his hand
came into contact with q belt which
hung about the others middle. He
caught at it and heaved. 1t broke,
and the subsequent tinkling over the
floor advised him of the fact that it
was his own gold. The broken belt,
however, brought the fight to an alb
rupt end. The oily body suddenly
slipped away. Warrington beheld a
shadow in the doorway; it loomed
there a second against the skyline,
and vanished. He ran to the gallery
railing, but it was too dark below to
discern anything.
He returned to his room, breathing
hard. the obnoxious odor Of sweat and
fish-oil in his nose. He turned on the
lights and without waiting to investi-
gate. went into the shower-room and
stood under the tepid deluge. Even
after a thorough rundown the taint
was in the air. The bird was mutter
ing and turning somersaults.
Thanks, Rajah, old sport! He'd
have got me but for you. Let's see
the damage"
He picked up the belt. The paper
money was intact. and what gold had
fallen he could easily find He then
took up his vest-and dropped it,
stunned. The letter of credit for half
his fortune was gone. He sank back
upon the bed and stared miserably at
the fallen garment. Gone! Fifty
thousand dollars. Some one knew!
Presently he stood up and tugged at
his beard After all, why should he
worry? A cable to Rangoon would
stop payments. a new letter could be
issued. 1t would take time, but he
had plenty Of that.
Idly he reached for the broken ci-
gar that lay at the foot Of the bed.
He would have tossed it aside as one
of his own had not the carnelian
band attracted his attention. He
hadn't smoked that quality Of cigar
in years. He turned it over and over,
and it grew more and more familiar
Mallow'S!
ITO be COntipued)