The Spectator., 1915-01-29

fidences to exchange; nor did he offer | to become the repository of other | mems pasts. But he would share his bread and his rupees, when he had | them, with any who asked Many | tried to dig into his past, but he was as unresponsive as granite. It takes a woman to find out what a man is and has been, and Warrington went about women in wide circle. In way he was the most bafiiing kind of mystery to those who knew him; he frequented the haunts of men, took ! friendly drink, played cards for small sums, laughed and tested like | any other anchorless man. In the East men are given curious names. They become known by phrases, such as, The Man Who Talks, MT Once | Upon Time, The One-Rupee Man, and the like As Warrington never | received any mail, as he never entered hotel, nor spoke of the past, he be- came The Man Who Never Talked of Home.
 l going up and down this bally old river. We'll go on to Rangoon tonight, if we can find berth.
 Yes. sahib; this business very pifile." replied the Eurasian without turning his head. Two things he dearly loved to acQuire-a bit of American slang and a bit of English 1 c;I ;oh bon oiy rupees into shillings. and Warrington could not convince him that he was always losing in the transaction.
 They tramped on through the dust. The sun dropped. A sudden chill be- gan to penetrate the haze. The white man puffed his cheroot, it's wrapper dangling; the servant hummed an Urdu lullaby; the parrot complained unceasingly.
 Warrington laughed and shook the dust from his beard It's a great world. James, great. wonderful world. I've just two rupees myself. In other words we are busted"
 Two rupees!" James paused and turned. Why, sahib, you have three hundred thousand rupees in your pocket"
 But not worth an anna until l get to Rangoon Didn't those duffers give you anything for handling their lug gage the other day?"
 Not a pice, sahib.'
 Rioters, It takes an Englishman to turn a small trick like that. We'll. well; there were extenuating circum- stances. They had sore heads. No man likes to pay three hundred thou sand for something he could have bought for ten thousand. And l made them come to me, James. to me. l made them come to this god-forsaken hole, just because it pleased my fancy. believe I'm heaven born, after all. The Lord hates quitter, and so do l. l nearly quit myself. once; eh. Rajah. old top? But I made them come to me. That's the milk in the cocoanut. the curry on the rice. They almost had me. Two rupees! It truly is a great world"
 "Jah, jah, jah! h-jah-jah- ja.a-a-h!" screamed the parrot Cha loo!"
 Go on, That's the ticket. If were praying man this would be the time for it. Three hundred thousand rupees!" The man looked at the far horizon as if he would force his gaze beyond. into the delectable land, the Eden out of which he had been driven, James, owe you three hundred ru- pees, and l am going to add seven l hundred more. We've been fighting this old top for six years together, and you've been good servant and good friend; and I'll take you with me as far as this fortune will go. if you say l the word
 "Ah sahib, l am much sorry. But Delhi calls. and go. A thousand ru- pees will make much business for me in the Chandney Chowk." Presently they became purple shades | in brown world.