The Spectator., 1915-02-05
CHAPTER III.
The Weak Link,

February nights and mornings are not particularly comfortable on the IT, rawaddy. The boat sped down the river, smoothly and noiselessly. For all that the sun shone, the shore-lines were still black. There were a hun- 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; oth- CTS were scrubbing their teeth with short sticks of fibrous wood; and still others were eating rice and curry out of little brown copper pots. There were very few Burmese among th1m. They were Hindus from central and southern India, with scattering of Cingalese. Whenever a 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 a bench, backed against the partition, almost within touch of her hand. sat the man Warrington and his servant, arguing over their accounts. | The formers battered helmet was l tilted at a comfortable angle and an ancient cutty hung pendent from his teeth, an idle wisp of smoke lowering over the backened bowl
 Elsa quietly returned to her chair in l the bow and tried to become interested in novel. By and by the book slipped from her fingers to her lap. and her | eyes closed. But not for long. She heard the rasp of campstool being drawn toward her
 Shouldn't have disturbed you" said the purser, apologetically. but your orders were that whenever l had an interesting story about tEe life over here. l 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 x 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 jeans say. for twenty thousand pounds"
 Why, that is a fortunei"
 For some of us, yes. You see, whatever he was in the past, it was something worth while, 1 fancy. En. gineering, possibly. Knew his geology and all that. Been wondering for months what kept him hanging around 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 he asked. They laughed. The next time he wanted 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 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 and in what he had found. and the dis interested loyalty of the servant. could do things like that"
 "Recollect that landing last night"
 Elsa's gesture signified that she was glad to be miles to the south of 1t.
 (TO BE CONTINUED1