Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-06-02
PARROT & co.
By Harold MacGrath.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE THREE

! that her sailorman had been negi-
| gently married all the way from Yoke |
hama to Colombo. She was free of (
| him.
Warrington spread out five-pound
note and laid ten sovereigns upon 1t. |
There we are" he said genially; call
| paid up to date"
"You go 'way?" the smile leaving
her pretty moon-face. "You like?'
with a gesture which indicated the
| parlor and it's contents. "Be boss?
Half an half?"
He shook his head soberly. She
picked up the money and jingled it
in her hand.
"Goo-by!" softly.
"Oh, I'm not going until next Thurs
day"
The smile returned to her face, and
her body bent in kind of kotow. He
was so big, and his beard glistened
like the gold leaf on the Shwe Dagon
pagoda. She understood. The white
to the white and the brown to the
brown; it was the law.
Warrington went UP to his room. He
was welcomed by a screech from the
parrot and a dignifed salaam from
James, who was trimming the wick Of
the oil lamp. For the last year and
half this room had served as head
quarters. Many a financial puzzle had
been pieced together within these dull,
drab walls; many a dream had gone
up to the ceiling, only to sink and dis
sipate like smoke There were no pic
lures on the walls, no photographs.
In one corner on the floor, was stack
Of dilapidated books. These were
; mostly old novels and tones dealing
with geological and mathematical mat
ters; laughter and tears and adven-
ture, sandwiched in between the dry
positiveness Of straight lines and
: squares and circles and numerals with
out end; D'Artagnan hobnobbing with
Euclid! Warrington was an educated
man, but he was in no sense a scholar.
James applied a match to the wick,
and the general poverty of the room
: was instantly made manifest.
: well, old sober-top, suppose we
square up and part like good friends ?"
] 81 am always the sahib's good
4 friend"
e Right as rain!" Warrington emp
r tied his pockets upon the table; silver
; and gold and paper. "Eh? That's the
stuff. Without it the worlds not worth
a tinker's dam. Count out seventy
v pounds, James"
Calmly James took sovereign after
:. sovereign until he had withdrawn the
. required sum. Gold is heavy, sahib,"
he commented. "You go back homer"
! eyes. Something like home. I am
q going to Paris, where good people go
when they die. I am going to drink
vintage wines, eat truffies and mush"
! rooms and caviar and kiss the pretty
girls in Maxim's. I've been in prison
for ten years. l am free, free!" War
- ringtOn flung out his arms. "Good-by,
jungles, deserts, hell heat and thirsty
winds! Good-by, crusts and rags and
hunger! l am going to live"
II 1.-THE sahib has fever observed the
unima ginative Eurasian.
r ''That's the word; fever. I am burn
ing up. Here; go to the Strand and
IS get a bottle of champagne, and bring
some ice. Buy box Of the best CT
gars, and hurry back. Then put this
. junk in the trunk. And d-n the
smell Of kerosene"
James raised his hand warningly.
From the adjoining room came the
y sound of a quarrel.
Rupees one hundred and forty, and
a I want it now, you sneak!"
But told you I couldn't square UP
n until the first of the month
"You had no business to play poker
. then, if you knew you couldn't settle.'
Who asked me to play?" shrilled
the other. "You did. Well, l haven't
u got the money"
you miserable little we1cher! The
st ring is worth hundred and forty"
re You'll never get your dirty fingers
inside Of that"
m ooh, I shan't, eh?"
.. Warrington heard a scuf1ing, which
was presently followed by a low, chok
tn ing sob. He rushed fearlessly into thu
IN other roonfM Pinned to the wall wa:
young man with a weak, pale face
r. The other man presented nothing
Vn more than the back Of his broad, mus
cular shoulders. The disparity Il
re weight and height was sufficient t.
h rouse Warringtons sense of fair play
k. Besides, he was in rough mood him
a self.
J. Here, that1l do" he cried, seizin
to the heavier man by the collar. 81
isn't worth while to kill a man for
IN handful of rupees. Let go, you fool!
" ~ He used his strength. The man an
his victim swung in half-circle IN
crashed to the floor.
at With snarl and an oath the gan
ay bier sprang to his feet and starte
10 toward Warrington. He stopped shor
Good Cod" he murmured; and I,
- treated until he touched the footboal
IT Of the bed