Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-27

ana l thought discovered delicate flush
tnging her cheek. Evidently she was EN-.
parrassed at having been detected In the
nct OF staring at a lesser creature, 1
thought
DO you find the study of the lower or.
GERS interestingly" I asked, laughing.
She looked UP again with nervous but
| relieved little laugh.
oh, very" she said. Especially when
they have such excellent profles"
1t was my turn to flush, but did not
| l felt that she was poking fun at me, and
l admired brave heart that could look for
numor on the road to death, and so
| laughed with her
DO you know where we are going7" she
asked In a low voice, fixing her gaze upon
me,
ITO solve the mystery of the eternal
hereafter, l imagine" 1 replied
Il am going to worse fate than that"
| she said with a little shudder
What do YOU mean7"
II can only guess" she replied, "since
no thern damsel of all the millions that
have been stolen away by black pirates
| during the ages they have raided our
domains has ever returned to narrate her
| experiences among them. That they never
take man prisoner lends strength to the
belief that the fate Of the girls they steal
| is worse than death"
"Is It not just retributionY" could not
| help but ask
What do you meant"
"Do not the therns themselves do like
wise with the poor creatures who take the
| voluntary pilgrimage down the River of
Mystery7 Was not Thuvia for is years
a playthlng and a slave? Is It less than
| just that you should suffer as you have
caused others to suffer?"
You do not understand" she replied.
| I'VE therns are holy race. It Is an
| honor to O lesser creature to be slave
n NNtn mi npn an
q few Of the lower orders that float down
| an unknown river to an unknown end, all
| would become the prey of the plant men
and the apes"
But do you not by every means en-
| courage the superstition among these of the
outside world2" 1 argued THAT is the
| wfckedest of your deeds, Can you tell me
why you foster the cruel deception
"All life on Barsoom," she said, us ere
| ated solely for the support Of the race OF
| therns How else could we live did the
| outer world not furnish our labor and our
| food? Think you that thern would de-
| mean himself by labor7"
/ was disguised, and I imagine that
| showed 1t.
You are an unbellever now" she con.
| tinued gently, but should we be fortunate
| enough to escape the clutches of the black
| pirates and come again to the court OF
| Natal Shang think that we shall find ar
argument to convince you of the error OF
| your ways. And"--she hesitated-'perhaps
we shall find way to keep you as--as--
| one of u.s."
Again her eyes dropped to the floor and a
| faint color suffuse6 her cheek.
| could not understand her meaning, nor
did 1 for u long time Dejnh Thoris was
wont to say that in some things 1 was a
veritable simpleton, and 1 guess that she
was right.
"I fear that / would Ill requite your
| fathers hospitality" answered, ''since the
| first thing that should do were / their
wonld be to set an armed guard at the
mouth Of the River Tss to escort the poor
deluded voyagers back to the outer world
| Also should l devote my life to the exter-
mination of the hideous plant men and thell
horrible companions, the great white apes
She looked at me really horro-struck'
NO, no." she cried, you must not say
| such terribly sacrileglous things you must
| not even think them. Should they ever
guess that you entertained such frightful
thoughts, should we chance to regain the