The Lamar register., 1919-10-22

OF unconscious gentleman.
Andrea stopped several PAGES away
and gazed at him. Her eyes filled sud-
denly with tears and her heart swelled
in the quick answer of the generous
TO the thoughtful She drew near and
said in voice that rrembled slightly,
"You are considerate In all-little
things"
She raised both hands to her throat.
unlocked her cloak and let II slip
from her shoulders. For an instant
his eyes were those of man OF her
own world. They swept over her as
though they took the measure OF her
loveliness for the first time. They
Travelled with a fin shing gaze from her
soft hair to her flushed cheeks. down
over her are neck and into the faery
meshes of her filmy frock. and there
they stopped with jerk as though
even in that moment he remembered
that very short skirts and truncated
silk stocking might leave serious
gap In the all-too-frall defenses Of
modern modesty.
Then he came back in one swift up
ward sweep and met her own gnze,
squarely, steadily. She drew deep
| breath. Something sustaining had
come into the white mans gray-blus
eyes. something you could lean upon
He was suddenly not Of her old world.
81 am afraid the soup Is little
cold" he said as he stepped around
to draw her chair for her.
The dinner was good beyond the
-. ..T
1t was served with rapidity and
smoOthness that would have done
credit to the oldest of the Pellor but
lers.
"Your servants are well trained"
said Andrea.
Each has little to do" said the
man "He must do It well. That, In
cidentally. Is the secret Of getting
| satisfactory work out Of an African
"Is it1" said Andrea absently. I've
always heard they were shiftless
lot and that a white man could do the
work of ten niggers."
$50 he can. ordinarily" answered
the man. almost as absently, "but
there are times when ten boys picked
boys" He 2opped as If he were
lost in some far "reminiscences.
A silence fell to the end of the meal.
which coincided 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 II slightly to one side.
Then, from the nearby hut. they
brought out two cushioned wicker
chairs. homemade but comfortable
Asdrea sank into hers with a peculiar
feeling OF well-being mixed with sus-
pense. The man sat down opposite
her the table within easy reach Of both
but not between them. Something
swayed with q Jerk above their heads.
Andrea. startled. looked up just In time
to see an enormous white disk unroll
from its edges. letting fall In n circle
around them n 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
were spared the glare.
The man poured coffee and liqueurs,
lit Andrea's cigarette. chose 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 u cup OF peace and
stiffness and comfort"
His words were half II question and
il was so that Andrea understood them.
She drew deep sigh. shrugged her
bare shoulders and turned squarely to
her companion. .'It Is too bad she
said. repeating his words with bitter
emphasis. that l can't forget that on
this night | lose everything that mat
ters-too bad cant brush catastrophe
and ruin aside for the sake OF fool
moon and cigarette"
As she spoke. the man braced him
self Everything that matters" he
repeated. Ruin. What have you lost
that matters? Wherein have you been
ruinedI"
The girl stared al him, open-eyed.