Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-07-14
PARROT & co.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE THREE
By Harold MacGrath.

sees you. Good gracious what a beau
tiful woman you've turned out to be!
Sit down, sit down." He pushed her
into a chair. well, we'll! When
saw you last you were nineteen
What frightful memory you have!
And was going to my first ball. You
used the same adjective"
els there better one? I'll use it if
there is. You've arrived just in time.
/ am giving a little dinner to the con-
suls and their wives tonight. You see,
I've an old friend from India in town
today, and I've asked him, too. Your
appearance evens up matters"
ooh; then I'm just filler-in!"
Heavens, no! You're the most i'm
portant person of the lot, though Colo
mel KnoWlton -
Colonel Knowlton!" exclaimed
Elsa.
''That's so, by George! Stupid of
me. You came down ON the same boat.
Fine! You know each other"
Elsa Strengthened her lips with some
difficulty. She possessed the enviabIe
faculty of instantly forming in her
mind pictures of coming events. The
little swelling veins in the colonel's
nose were as plain to her minds eye
as if he really stood before her "Have
him take me in to dinner" she sug.
gested.
"Just what I was thinking Of" de-
clared the unsuspecting man. eff any.
one can draw out the colonel, it will be
you"
"I'll do my best" Elsa's mind was
full Of rollicking malice.
Contemplatively he said: $50 you've
been doing the Orient alone? You are
like your father in that way. He was
never afraid of anything. Your men
tai makeup, too, I'll wager is like his.
Finest man in the world
Wasn't he? How | wish he could
have always been with me! But why
is it, everyone seems appalled, that I
should travel over here without male
escOrt?"
"The answer lies in your mirror,
Elsa. Your old nurse Martha is no
real protection"
Are men so bad, them"
"They are less restrained. The hest,
the tremendous distances, the lack Of
amusements, are perhaps responsible.
By the way, here's a packet of letters
for you"
Thanks" Elsa played with the
packet, somberly eying the superscrip-
tons. The old disorder came back in
to her mind Three of the letters
were from Arthur. She dreaded to
open them. Il must be going, then.
I'm not sure of my tickets to Hong
kong"
GO straight to the German Lloyd
Office. I'll have my boy show you the
way. Chong!" he called. A bright
eyed young Chinese came in quickly
"Show lady German Lloyd Office. All
same quick"
In the outer Office she paused for a
moment or so to look at the maya
zines and weeklies from home. The
Chinese boy, grinning pleasantly,
peered curiously at Elsa's beautiful
hands. She heard someone enter, and
quite naturally glanced up. The new
conner was MalloW. He stared at her,
smiled Familiarity and lifted his helmet.
Elsa, with cold unfickering eyes, Of
fered his greeting no recognition what
ever. The man felt that she was look
ing through him, inside Of him, search
ing out all the dark corners of his
soul. He dropped his gaze, confused
Then Elsa calmly turned to the boy.
Come, ChOng."
IN
Of her exit that infinitely puzzled him
1t was the insolence of the well-bred
but he did not know it. To offset his
chagrin and confusion, he put on hif
helmet and passed into the private of
fee. She was out of his range of un
Outstanding.
Mallow was an American by brit
but had grown up in the Orient, hard
lily. In his youth he had been heater
and trampled upon, and now that h
had become rich in oopra (the drie.
kernels of cocoanuts from which OF
is made), he in his turn beat an,
trampled. 1t was the only law h
knew. Ordinarily, when in Penang an
Singapore, he behaved himself, dranl
circumspectly and Stunned promiscu
GUS companions. But when he di
drink heartily, be was a map to be
ware Of. s'a9s @sv~ -,->o~
He hailed the consul general oordia
ly and offered him one Of his reall
choice cigars, which was accepted
81 say, who was that young woma
who just went out?''
The consul general laid down tn
cigar. The question itself was harm
less enough; it was Mallow's way {
clothing it he resented. "Why?" b
asked.
She's a sumner. Just curious
you knew her, that's all We cam
down on the same boat. Hanged if
shouldn't like to meet her. Do 70
know herr" eagerly.