The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-12-20

| IouI servants are wei lIalIPt'
said Andrea.
Each has little to do" said the
man. 'Ile must do it well. That, in
cidcntally, is the secret of getting
satisfactory work out of an African"
rs it," said Andrea absently. I've
! always heard they We're shiftleSS
lot and that white man could do the
work of ten niggers."
so he can, ordinarily" answered
the man, almost as abSently. "hut
there are times when ten boys picked
boys" He stopped as if he were
lost in some far "reminiscences.
A silence fell To the end of the meal,
which coincidpd with the sudden end
of the tropic day.
The man spoke to the servants for
the first time. They cleared the
table, set ii again with glasses and
liqueurS, cigars. cigarettes and coffee,
and moved il slightly To one side.
Then, from the nearby hut, they
brought out two cushioned wicker
chairs. homemade but comfortable.
Andrea sank into hers with Il peculiar
feeling of wcIl-bcing mixed with suS-
pcnSc. The man sat down opposite
her, the table within easy reach of both
but not between them. Something
swaycd with jerk above their heads.
Andrea, startled, looked up just in time
TO see an enormous white disk unrOll
from its edges, letting fall in a circle
around them snowy mesh of bob
binet.
They. and all they needed for COM
fort, became enclosed in an insect
proof cage that swayed softly to the
evening stir of air. The servants
weighted down its edges with fiat
stones and then lit two acetylene
lamps that stood outside on stands
placed at right angles to the couple
within the net so that the eyes of both
We're spared the glare.
The man poured coffee and liqueurs,
lit Andrea's cigarette. chose a cigar
for himself and sat down. During the
coffee they eyed each other in silence,
; taking each others measure. 1T is too
bad" he said finally, that we can't
take this hour for itself alone and
drink together cup of peace and
, stiffness and comfort"
His words were half a question and
it was so that Andrea understood them.
; She drew deep sigh, shrugged her
| bare shoulders and turned Squarely to
har {. l.,
. said. repeating his words with bitter
emphasis, that l can't forget that on
this night | lose everything that mat
, ters-tOo bad | can't brush catastrophe
[ and ruin aside for the sake of a fool
r moon and a cigarette"
: AS she spoke, the man braced him
r self. Everything that matters" he
Y repeated. Ruin! What have you lost
r that matters? Wherein have you been
, ruined?"
= The girl stared at him. open-eyed
o You know who | am, what | stand
h for in my world, and how that world
4 will make Il chasm that | can never
recross after this night and you can
] sit there and say it doesn't matter and
ask where's the ruin?"
\ The man looked away from her tense
face. The things that matter" he
said quietly, "are health-firSt of body
and then of sOul-hOnOr that can stand
\ alone, and the flame of an inner lamp
There is nothing else that really counts
and you've lost none of these As fOr
N mi ~ L.,
her and in them was a CLEAN of quiz
2 Zical challenge. "Shall | define ruin
! for your"
please do" said Andrea. unsmiling
Ruin" said the man. "is burial
Whether it's POmpeii or an entire civ.
ilization lying under strata of ter
+ thousand years stride of time-or an
individual rotting under the sod OF
conventions it's all one and the same
thing. Routine is tomb. and when
4 you go So deep in its foul air that YOU
4 can't keep burning the flame of that
j inner lamp | mentioned. why YOUR,
4 dead To every intent and every pur.
| pose. That Andrea Pellor. is ruin"
! He used her name without prefix
hut without familiarity: simply as Il
corollary To his stark frankmcSS. She
realized this almost SubconSciousIy
Her thoughts fingered on the SuhStanc,
of what he had said. hut when she
spoke she proved herself woman
Speaking of names. what is yours: z"
| she asked.
milne! Ny name?" said the man.
startled out 0f his role. He stared
ahsent!y through ana beyond her
, why, ] haven't anyhow. Not that
amounts To anything" His eyes came
back 10 her. Call me Mr.. White Man
as you have bcgun-juSt White Man
when YOU feel genial If you ever dor
Well. Mr.. White Man" said Andrea,
with emphasis. what you said about
: ruin didn't pass quite over my head.
| believe you spoke with genuine sins
certify and that, as you doubtless re-
member, Is conversational bad taste.
Somehow it didn't bore me. but do You
really think that women are persuaded
by words?"
The man dropped his eyes. "No.p
he said listlessly. 81 don't | know.
but l had forgotten. that women are
persuaded by love alone"
What" cried Andrea.
women" said the man. know no
conversion except through love-"
Il have no interest whatever in your