Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1915-07-08
CHAPTER xll-Continued.

CHAPTER xlI-continued.
Elsa Strengthened her lips with some
difficulty. She possessed the enviable
faculty of instantly forming in her
mind pictures of coming events. The
little swelling veins in the colonePs
nose were as plain to her minds eye
as if he really stood before her. Have
him take me in to dinner" she sug-
gested.
Just what was thinking Of" de-
clared the unsuspecting man. 'If any
one can draw out the colonel, 1t will be !
you"
"I'll do my best" Elsa's mind was
full of rollicking malice.
Contempatively he said: so you've
been doing the Orient alone? You are
like your father in that way. He was
never afraid of anything. Your men
tai makeup, too. I'll wager is like his,
Finest man in the world"
Wasn't he? How wish he could
have always been with me! But why
is it, everyone seems appalled, that
should travel over here without male
escort?"
THE answer lies in your mirror
Elsa. Your old nurse Martha is no
real protection"
"Are men so bad, them"
"They are less restrained. The heat,
the tremendous distances, the lack OF
amusements, are perhaps responsible
BY the way, here's packet of letters
for you"
~ Thanks" Elsa played with the
packet, somberly eying the superscrip-
lions. The old disorder came back in
to her mind. Three of the letters
were from Arthur. She dreaded to
open them. 81 must be going, then.
I'm not sure of my tickets to Hong
kong"
go straight to the German Lloyd
office. I'll have my boy show you the
way. Chong!" he called. A bright
eyed young Chinese came in quickly
"Show lady German Lloyd Office. All
same quick"
In the outer office she paused for a
moment or so to look at the maya
zines and weeklies from home. The
Chinese boy, grinning pleasantly,
peered curiously at Elsa's beautiful
hands. She heard someone enter, and
quite naturally glanced up. The new
conner was Mallow. He stared at her,
smiled Familiarity and lifted his helmet.
Elsa, with cold untiickering eyes, Of
fered his greeting no recognition what
ever. The man felt that she was look
ing through him, inside of him, search
ing out all the dark corners Of his
soul. He dropped his gaze, confused.
Then Elsa calmly turned to the boy.
Come, Chong."
There was something in the manner
of her exit that infinitely puzzled him
It was the insolence of the well-bred
but he did not know it. To offset his
chagrin and confusion, he put on his
helmet and passed into the private Of
flee. She was out of his range of un
derstanding.
Mallow was an American by birth
but had grown up in the Orient, hard
ily. In his youth he had been beaten
and trampled upon, and now that he
had become rich in copra (the dried
kernels of cocoanuts from which OF
is made), he in his turn beat anf
trampled. 1t was the only law hi
knew. Ordinarily, when in Penang anC
Singapore, he behaved himself, dranl
circumspectly and Stunned promiscu
Gus companions. But when he die
drink heartily, he was man to be
ware of.
He hailed the consul general cordial
" and offered him one Of his reall.
choice cigars, which was accepted.
81 say, who was that young womal
who just vent out?"
The consul general laid down tn
cigar. The question itself was harm
less enough; it was Mallow's way o
clothing it he resented. Why" b
asked.
She's a sumner. Just curious
you knew her, that's all We cam
down on the same boat. Hanged if
shouldn't like to meet her. Do 20
know herr" eagerly.
81 do. More than that, have a
ways known her. She is the daughte
of the late General Chetwood. one G
the greatest civil engineers OF GU
time. When he died he left her se'
eraI millions. She is a remarkabl
young woman, a famous beauty, know
savornhlv In European courts, and