Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-02

In trader
HE said" answered Audrea, ''that
you were engaged In Some horrible
business, but that he couldn't conceive
of any reason why he should tell me
what II was. I was very curious then.
but now really don't care"
"Finickine, Growing prudel" ex'
claimed Manchester his mind on IRE
vor. why, It's the most legitimate
hundred per cent little business that
ever crawled out OF big brain. II II
wasn't for mo this whole back coun'
try would run short Of Wives"
"You mean you buy and sell wo1n-
emf" asked Andrea.
mo, not exactly" answered Mac
Closter. II raise them. I'm the legal
possessor Of hundred and eighty.two,
or five, or six, wives. Can't Just re-
member"
"Ohw' gasped Andrea. crouching still
farther into her corner.
There you CO." said Manchester,
calmly. "Don't let your imagination
run away with you, my dear. ! said
I'm the legal possessor and I mean
just that. But what's the Use Of talk.
Ing. You'll see."
All through the night and well into
the next day the boat Travelled stead.
!ly upstream. Manchester yawned pro
digiously three or four times, but
never gave up the tiller T. boy"
In the early morning they entered O
long reach of the stream flanked on
both sides by mt plains. Manchester
stood erect and his eyes made the cir
cult Of the horizon. Nothing" he
said. "If he could have beaten US te
this our name would have been Den.
mis-. He's given up his favorlte little
spotted hen. Flap your wings and say
good.by."
Andrea's heart, already low. sank Q
lot lower. Not once through the night
had she closed her eyes and she knew
now that she had been hoping and
praying that the first CLEAN Of morn
ing would find Trevor. the avenger, on
the bank. She could not know, as die
Manchester. that an impossible forest
or unbroken thorn stretched for miles
between the two camps. There was
just one open road to MacCloster's-
the river-and on that no other boat
could equal the speed Of his own.
Say" said Manchester, moved by Q
sudden thought, "is there anyone that
would give lot Of money for ycu?"
Andrca's brows drew together iI
honest valuation of what vas left OF
her old self. Il don't know" she sale
meeiIy. Perhaps not now
what would he give for youi" Mac.
Closter asked, jerking his beard over
his shoulder.
He said he wouldn't give three
pounds answered Andrea in . still,
small voice. She began to cry.
MacC!oster's eyes grew round with
fright. ''Oh. come now" he protested.
"aere you've been hours without even
thinking Of that do old trick. Stop
I'll" he roared suddenly. ''Stoo /: o.
III mash your head In" ..
~ wish you would" sobbed Andrea
and cried harder than ever.
Manchester rolled his eyes heaven
ward as though he impiored aid. 'Lis-
ten" he said, talking into the sky.
Listen and I'll tell you what III do.
Are you listening?'
YES" yasped Andrea.
'Well." said Manchester. 'You'Te
been lot OF trouble to me and big
|, loss. You can't expect dry man 70
forget g whole case CT echnapps. Now
IN going to let You write him note
and If yen can get him to give three
cases of gin fer you. why he can have
.oy, d--n him.
Andrea stopped crying. sat up
straight and dahbed her eyes with her
very dirty fingers, bu: there was a
strange, set look in her face that MADE
Manchester doubt her sudden cure.
"Wil you do 1T" ne asked.
Never" suid Andrea.
you're queer, like az, Of them" he
commented musing7y. 'But somehow
the suggestion stopped you crying"
What on earth Is thatT asked An
drea, her eyes fixed far ahead on an
enormous palc-yellow dome that
looked as If all the haystacks In the
world had been gathered into one.
"That," said Manchester. his vast
chest swelling In equally immeasur-
able pride, us my Gaia, my hut"
II think there is something the mat.
ter with my eyes, said Andrea.
what I see isn't possible"
"Ch, yes It Isl said Manchester.
That's my hut; eighty feet high, one
hundred and twenty feet across and
NEST hundred yards dash around"
But how did you build itT' asked
Andrea, absorbed in spite OF her
misery.
"Well," replied Manchester, "Tm
modest. don't mind admitting that
God did the building; I just came
along and put on the roof. Trevor
ever show you any mafuta trees"
"Yes, they are wonderful" said An
drea, understanding beginning to dawn
In her eyes.
"That hut Of mlne," said MacClos.
ter, us nothing but the biggest, round
est, widest mafu.a tree in the world,
| trimmed bit and matched over"
Half an hour later they made a
landing. "Want me to carry you
again." asked Manchester with leer,
"or will you walk?'
"Iu walk" said, Andrea, going sud.
denly white with sickening recollec'
ton.
! On