The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-02-25
CONTINUED
CHAPTER M.
The Weak Link.

The Weak Link.
The day began white and chill. for
February nights and mornings are not
particularly comfortable on the Ir-
rawaddy. The boat sped down the
river. smoothly and noiselessly. For
all that the sun shone. the shore-lines
were still black. There were hum
dred or more natives squatting in
groups ON the deck. They were
wrapped in ragged shawls, cotton rugs
of many colors, and woolen blankets.
and their turbans were as bright and
colorful as a Holland tulip-bed. Some
of them were smoking long pipes and
using their fists as mouthpieces; 9TH
ers were scrubbing their teeth with
short sticks Of fibrous wood: and still
others We're eating rice and curry out
of little brown copper pots. There were
very few Burmese among them.
They were Hindus from central and
southern India. with a scattering of
Cingalese. Whenever Hindu gets
together few rupees, he travels. The
past is the past, tomorrow is tomor
row, but today is today: he lives and
works and travels. prisoner to this
creed.
Elsa never strolled among them. She
was dainty. She stood framed in the
doorway, a picture rare indeed to the
dark eyes that sped their frank glances
in her direction.
Upon bench. backed against the
partition. almost within touch of kei
hand, sat the man Warrington and his
servant, arguing over their accounts
The formers battered helmet was
tilted at a comfortable angle and ar
ancient Guilty hung pendent from hi.
teeth, an idle wisp of smoke lowering
over the blackened bowl
Elsa quietly returned to her chair in
the bow and tried to become interested
in novel. BY and by the book slipped
from her fingers to her lap, and hel
eyes closed. But not for long. She
heard the rasp of a campstool being
drawn toward her.
Shouldn't have disturbed you," sale
the purser, apologetically, but your
orders were that whenever | had an
interesting story about the life over
here, | was to tell it to you instantly
And this one is just rippin'"
Begin" said Elsa She sat up and
threw back her cloak, for it was now
growing warm. Its about Parrot &
Co., I'm sure"
Its better than any story you'll
read in month of Sundays Our man
has just turned the trick, as you Amer.
leans say, for twenty thousand
pounds"
Why. that is fortune!"
For some of us. yes. You see.
whatever he was in the past, it was
something worth while, l fancy. En-.
gineering, possibly. Knew his geology
and all that Been wondering for
months what kept him hanging around
this bally old river Seems he found
oil, borrowed the savings of his serv
ant and bought up some land on the
line of the new discoveries, Then he
waited for the syndicate to buy. They
ignored him. They didn't send any
one even to investigate his claim.
Stupid, rather After a while he went
to them. at Prone. at Rangoon They
thought they knew his kind Ten
thousand rupees was all be asked.
They laughed The next time he
wanted a hundred thousand They
laughed again. Then he left for the
teak forests. He had to live He
came back in four months In the
meantime they had secretly investi-
gated. They offered him fifty thou
sand He laughed He wanted two
hundred thousand They advised him
to raise cocoanuts What do you sup.
pose he did them?"
Got some other persons interested
"Right-o! Some Americans in
Rangoon said they'd take it over for
two hundred thousand Something
about the deal got into the newspapers
The American oil men sent over a
representative. That settled the syn
dicate, What they could have origi
nally purchased for ten thousand they
paid three hundred thousand"
Splendid" cried Elsa, clapping her
hands. She could see it all, the quiet
determination of the man, the penury
of the lean years, his belief in himself
apd in xuhof ba bad found and tho die
interested loyalty Of the servant
Sometimes l wish l were man and
could do things like that
"Recollect that landing last night"
Elsas gesture signified that she was
glad to be miles to the south Of it,
Well. he wasn't above having his
revenge. He made the syndicate
come up there. They wired asking
why he couldn't come on to Rangoon
And very frankly he gave his reasons
They came up on one boat and left on
another. They weren't very pleasant
but they bought his oil lands. He
came aboard last night with check
for twenty thousand pounds and two
rupees in his pocket. The two rupees
were all he had in this world at the
time they wrote him the check
Arabian night; what?"
Il am glad. 1 like pluck; like en-
durance; like to see the lone man
win against odds. Tell me, is he go
ing back to American"
"Ah, there's the weak part in the
chain" The purser looked difidently
at the deck floor. 1t would have beer
easy enough to discuss the Warning
ton of yesterday, but the Warrington