The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 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. 1t takes
woman to find out what a man Is
and has been, and Warrington went
about women in a wide circle. In a
way he was the most battling kind
Of mystery to those who knew him;
he frequented the haunts of men, took
a 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. Mr.. Once
Upon Time, The One-Rupee Man,
and the like. AS Warrington never
received any mail, as he never entered
a hotel, nor spoke of the past, he be-
came The Man Who Never Talked Of
Home.
Il say, James, old sport, no more
going up and down this bally old river.
Wen go on to Rangoon tonight. II
we can find BERTH"
Eyes. sahib; this business very
piffie." replied the Eurasian without
turning his head. Two things he
dearly loved to acQuire-a bit Of
American slang and bit of English
silver. He was invariably changing
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 pulled his cheroot, its wrapper
dangling; the servant hummed an
Urdu lullaby; the parrot complained
increasingly.
Warrington laughed and shook the
dust from his beard. tits great
world, James, a great, wonderful
world. I've just two rupees myself. In
other words we are busted"
1.-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 buffers give
you anything for handling their lug
gage the other day."
mot pice, sahib."
RIOTERS! 1t takes an Englishman
to turn small trick like that. Well.
we'll; 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 made
them come to me, James, to me.
made them come to this god-forsaken
hole, just because it pleased my fancy.
l believe Pm heaven born, after all.
The Lord hates gutter, and so do
/. | nearly quit myself, once; Ell.
Rajah, old top? But l 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! Jah-jah-jah-
ja-a-a-h!" screamed the parrot. cha
loot"
go on! That's the ticket. If I
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, I owe you three hundred I'll.
PEGS, and I am going to add seven
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, IL you say
the word"
"Ah, sahib, am much sorry. But
Delhi calls, and l go. A thousand ru.
PEGS will make much business for me
in the Chandney Chowk."
Presently they became purple shades
in a brown world.