The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-11-06

money. Wong's the man to 90 to-
Want a schooner rugged out for Illicit
shell hunting? Want man shang-
haied? Want him written down miss,
ing? Go to Wong"
See here, Maliow; | don't mind his
being beaten up; but what you say
doesn't sound good
You fool, | don't want him out of
the way. Why should /? But there's
that thousand for you ard worry for
| him All aboard"
You don't love Parrot 4 Co. any
more than do"
No. Id sleep better O. nights if |
knew he was broken for keeps. Too
much red tape to put the United
States after him. How'd you rig h.m?'
Faro and roulette. They never
| tumble didn't have anything against
him until he ran into me at Rangoon
But he's stepped in too many times
! since. Is this straight?'
About lifting his belt? Easy as
| falling Off a log. Leave it to me His
! room is on the first gallery. facing
southwest. You can chalk it up as re
venge. I'll take it on as a bit of good
sport Wong will fix us out Now look
alive. It's after nine, and I'd like a
little fun first"
The two left the cafe veranda and
engaged pair of rickshaws. AS they
logged down the road, Warrington
stepped out from behind the palms
and modify watched them until the
night swallowed them up. He had not
overheard their interesting cOnversa-
ton, nor had he known they we're
about until they came down the steps
together. He ached to follow them.
He was in fine mood for blows. That
there were two of them did not trouble
him. OF one thing he was assured:
Somewhere in the dim past an ances-
tor of his had died in a Berserk rage
He had been watching Elsa. 1t dis
turbed but did not mystify him to see
her talking to the colonel Table
chance had brought them together,
and perhaps to a better understand
ing. How pale she was! From tina
TO time he caught the flash of her
eyes as she turned to this or that
guest Once she smiled, but the smile
did not Tighten up her face He was
very wretched and miserable. She had
taken him at his word. and he should
have been glad. He had seen her but
once again on board, but she had
looked away. 1t was best so. Yet, it
was as if fate had reached down into
his heart and snapped the strings
which made life tuneful.
And tomorrow! What would tomor-
row bring? Would they refuse? Would
they demand the full penalty? Eight
thousand with interest was a small
sum to such a corporation He had
often wondered if they had searched
for him. Ten years. In the midst Of
these cogitations he saw the group at
the table rise and break up Elsa en-
tered the hotel. Warrington turned
away and walked aimlessly toward
town. For hours he wandered about, |
seeing nothing, hearing nothing; and
1t was long past midnight when he
sought his room. restless and weary
but wide awake. He called for stiff |
peg. drank it, and tumbled into bed
He was whirled away into broken |
dreams. He was in the Andes, toiling |
with his Orders over unspeakable |
chasms. A shifting glance at the old |
billiard room in the club, the letter.
and his subsequent wild night Of in !
toxlcation, the one time in his life |
when he had drunk hard and long. |
Back to the Indian deserts 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 someone entered the
room. Warrington silently slid out Of
bed and dashed to the door which led
to the gallery. A body thudded
against his. He caught hold. The
body was nude to the waist and
evilly of sweat and fish OIL
Something whiplike struck him across
the face. 1t was a queue.
Warrington struck out, but missed
Instantly 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
against the Chinaman's chin.
1t was sufficient to break the hold.
Then followed a struggle that always
remained nightmarish to Warrington.
Hither and thither across the room,
avoiding chairs, tables
md bed, they surged. He heard ring
Of steel upon the cement floor, and
oreathed easier to learn that the thief
lad dropped his knife. Warrington
no,.or thauuht n coll out for holm Tho