Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1915-03-24
CHAPTER %.
A Man With a Past.

II was without refreshment; II became
labor and not an exhilaration &c
breathe It, A pail of suffocating dust
rolled above and about the lrrawaddy
fotilla boat which. buffeted by the
strong, irregular current. strained al
its cables, now at the bow. now at the
stern, not dissimilar to the last rock
ing of q deserted swing. This sensa'
ton was quite perceptible to the girl
who leaned over the bow rail. her
handkerchief pressed to her nose, and
gazed interestedly at the steep bank.
up and down which the sweating COO
lies swarmed like Gargantuan rats. A
dozen torches were stuck into the
ground above the crumbling ledge;
she saw the flames as one sees a
burning match cupped in smokers
hands. shedding light upon nothing
save that which stands Immediately
behind 1t.
She choked little Her eyes smart
ed. Her lips were slightly cracked.
and cold-cream seemed only to provide
surer resting place for the impalpa-
BILE dust 1t had penetrated through
wool and linen and silk, intimately, In.
til three baths a day had become a
! welcome routine, providing 1t was pos
sible to obtain water. Water. Her
tongue ran across her lips. Oh. for
drink from the old cold pure spring at
home! Tea, coffee. and bottled soda;
nothing that ever touched the thirsty
spots in he throat.
She looked up at the stars and they
looked down upon her. but what she
asked they could not. would not. an.
swer. Night after night she had
asked, and night after night they had
only twinkled as of old She had trav-
eled now for four months, and still the
doubt beset Ter. 1t was to be a leap
In the dark. with no one to tell her
what was on the other side. But why
this insistent doubt? Why could she
not AXE the leap gladly. as a woman
should who had given the affirmative
to man? With him she was certain
that she loved him, away from him she
did not know what sentiment really
abided in her heart She was wise
enough to realize that something was
wrong: and there were but three
months between her and the Inevitable |
decision. Never before had she known
other than momentary indecision; and
1t irked her to find that her clarity of
vision was fallible and human like the |
rest of her. The truth was. she didn't I
know her mind She shrugged. and |
the movement stirred the dust that |
had gathered upon her shoulders
"A rare old lot of dust; eh, Miss
Chetwood? I wish we could travel by |
night. but you can't trust this bloom
ing old Irrawaddy after shutdown.
Charts are so much waste-paper."
Il never cease wondering how those
poor coolies can carry those heavy
rice bags" she replied to the purse-.
"Oh. they are used to it," carelessly.
The great gray stack Of paddy-bags
seemed. in the eyes of the girl. fairly
to melt away.
"By Jove!" exclaimed the purser.
There's Parrot & Col" He laughed
and pointed toward one Of the torche,.
Parrot & Co.? do not under.
stand"
That big blond chap behind the
fourth torch. Yes, there. Sometime
III tell you about him. Picturesque
1uffer."
She could have shrieked aloud. but
Ill she did was to draw in her breath
with a gasp that went so deep it gave
Ter heart twinge Her fingers tight
sned upon the teak rail. Suddenly she
know, and was ashamed of her weak
less. 1t was simply remarkable
LIKENESS, nothing more than that; 1t
Gould not possibly be anytime. more.
still, ghost could not have startled
Ter as this living man had done.
who is he?"
"A chap named Warrington. But
yer here that signifies nothing;
night just as well be Jones or Smith
r Brown. We call him Parrot & Co.
les always carrying that Rajputana
arrot. You've seen the kind around
he palaces and forts; saber-like
rings. long tail-feathers. green and
lue and scarlet, and the ugliest little
ascals going. This one Is trained to
O tricks"
But the mani" impatiently.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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