Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-11-08
SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I,-Andrsa Psllor. handsome
daughter OF Lord Pellor inpecuntoua
aiisiocrat. is doomed to marry an Hit;
crate but wealthy middle-sSed diamond
, mine owner. She dlsconsoletely wandera
covers an aviator about to fy from the
! beach. Impuls.vely, of course imagining
that the tr.p will be merely a pleasant
sSSssSs Of and Ssr opSnr Tesa
riage. she eegs to be taken for a night.
eltnough she does not know him. He
somewhat unwill.ngly agrees. and they
start.
But what puzzled her were the Al
ricans themselves. A flying machine
had dropped In their midst and dis
charged two fair II not exceptional
specimens OF a white ard dominant
race, yet the blacks continued their
various occupations and disoccupa'
lions apparently unperturhed. What
ever their occupation they made no
sudden move Of variation; even their
tongues kept still.
In the shade Of one Of the vast
acscias there was veritable con-
course Of men. They sat for the most
pert on their heels smoking white.
slow-burning cheroets. Two only
could be said to be working. They
were very Old and sat with their backs
against the trunk of the tree, their
legs stretched straight out before
them ard at their sides neat bundles
OF stripped palm leaves. They were
weaving baskets. The men at least
we're not tongue-tied. They seemed 70
be going through some oral ceremony.
First one and then another would
take the cheroot from his lips and
make a single remark; then the rest
would eli srunt In unison and with
a deep-chested expelling Of all the
breath In their bodies that gave al
most the effect of an explosion.
It annoyed Andrea that her com.
panion seemed to share the stole calm
OF the natives In what to her mind
ought TO have been an occasion OF
much excitement and chatter. 1t never
occurred to her that he YVES unmoved
because he could understand what the
men were saying and was merely
bored. --.-
At the moment the wheels o. the
flying machine had struck the ground
the apparently intermiuaSle and. to
Andrea, meaningless chant had been
started by the native chief. wizened
figure distinguished in dress from his
companions only by the ebony-biack
ring Of polished wax that he wore Ike
halo of darkness on his close
cropped and grizZled head.
The white man threw up bis head
and clapped his hands once. The
chief grunted; silence fell. He spat
to one side and spoke deliberately.
LET us arise to greet the master"
They came forward and stood in q
long file. The chief took Que step In
advance, raised his right hand and
fastened his gaze on the white mans
face. His own seemed to be working
in. a sudden excitement "Bai-ye-te!"
he roared, and there followed, 60
quickly that it seemed but another syl-
lGDtS VI thC iiiShty
from the depths Of thirty chests,
"Huhr
In moment the whole scene under
went a startling transformation. The
file broke and became garrulous. Chill
dren stopped their play and ran to
join in the rabble. The men dropped
their work and crowded Into COM
pact group from which came suddenly
O cry that startled Andrea and jerked
her around to face it as though she
had been yanked by q string.
The cry was shrill, high, continuous,
It was produced by rounding the
open mouth and working the tongue
laterally In vibration as rapid as
that Of q serpent's. 1t was ghastly to
watch, incredible In the rapidly Of the
ululaton, but once heard, unforget'
able. It lasted much longer than
Andrea could have held her breath, let
alone used 1t, and ceased as suddenly
as 1t had begun.
"An very interesting" said Andrea
turning to her companion, "but why
didn't they do 1t before7"
He, looked at her absently. There
Is a ceremonial" he said, "a dignity,
about tho African that Ii absurd till
| you've known 1t for years"
'For years." repeated Andrea. ut
| Is this your homer" ..es
He shook his head. "No, AfricG-
! this sort Of thing--is never home to
| white man. It's O place where he
goes to. forget his sins. I've been
using it-wherever life has given me
chance-es a sun bath for the SOUL
Andrea stared at him, q puzzled
frown On her brow. She wondered
why his bluntness did not offend her
wondered If It would ever fall to hel
lot to hear him say a senseless thing
CO laugh aloud. While s1e still won
dered he turned from her and began
calling out meaningless words: "Shil
lingi Fivei Tin haiti Bsthtub
Overcoatl"
At each name, for names they were
Z native stepped forward. They wert
| all bright-faced youngsters, fourteen