Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-13
IRISH

tnlIlS OF the rickshaW. She might
easily have slipped over the back Of
tho vehicle. but the idea never &C.
Cured to her until too late to serve.
1t was now half after three, and
the Ajax sailed at four! Still she
sat there motionless, staring stupidity
at the broad. yellow, heaving back Of
the Chinaman. Scarcer grew the
houses and bungalows: they were
leaving the town behind. Once she
saw a Sikh policeman; but she never
thought to raise her arms to attract
his attention.
About half an hour later the boy
stopped in front Of what appeared to
be a low native tavern. 1t stood back
from the road in the shade Of some
bamboos. Both Malays and Chinese
were grouped about on the veranda,
some smoking and others drinking
tea.
She jumped from the rickshaw and
attempted to run. but her legs were
too numb. The rickshaw boy laugh
ed silently. gasped her by the arms,
and propelled her irresistibly into the
tavern, where he calmly locked her
up in room whose walls were lined
with tousled hunks, beside which
stood small stands Uttered with the
paraphernalia of the opium smoker.
sound. coming from far off, clear
ed the stupor out of her head. 1t
was the bassoon-like whistle Of the
Ajax. She was being left behind! She
ran to the door. shook the knob. beat
upon the panels until her knuckles
hopan IN hlaa1 All hah
did it mean? What could it mean?
The rickshaw boy had not taken her
handbag or purse. He had simply
run away with her and locked her
up. The motive was not robbery. She
CROPPED into a thousand channels for
some clue to this amazing adventure,
but there was no solution anywhere.
She was being left behind. and al
most penniless. 1t was maddening!
Some time after sunset they came
for her. huge Chinaman and a slim.
1.-the Malay. They robbed her Of her
handbag and purse. The Chinaman
thrust his hand down her neck and
tore loose the chamois bag. They
then proceeded to bind her hands be-
hind her back Cloths were tied over
her eyes and mouth. She submitted
passively: she had sense enough to
appreciate the utter folly Of strug-
Cling. The Chinaman swung her over
his shoulder and trotted downstairs.
Presently she knew that she was be-
ing put into a closed carriage.
She was In peculiar state Of mind.
She dared not think; she must let her.
self drift. drift; that, or go mad with
anxiety. She even tried to convince
herself that she was acting in a NOV
ing picture drama Of some kind. She
forced these pictures into her
thoughts. and others; she called up
reserve after reserve. but they were
not strong enough for the onslaughts
of terror. What were they going to
do with her? Where were they TAX
ing her? What did 1t all mean?
The ride took something moro than
an hour. There was at no time any
indication that her captors were in
hurry The horse logged along.
When the carriage came to the final
halt there was wait OF four or Ave
minutes Then she felt the muscular
arms of the Chinaman again. She
was being carried into a house. The
was StioHS WIFI tHc SldIo SHlOkc
OF Turkish cigarettes.
Take her up to room twelve" 1t
was woman's voice. "l'll send Saki
San up with food later"
A few minutes after Ruth was set
down and the knots at her wrists
We're loosened. A door closed and q
key turned in the lock. She dragged
her hands free and tore off the band
ages. 1t was dark. but she knew
that she was in bedroom.
There were two windows. rear and
side. The one in the rear overlooked
small back yard in the center OF
which stood kind of clubhouse. A
Chinaman was lounging in the door
way, smoking his little metal pipe.
Behind him other Chinese moved in
Aim of blue vapor.
The side window was less than six
feet from the next house. She stared
into the velvet blackness of the win
dow opposite. Even as she gazed .
match flared. Soon a candle fickered
and revealed woman in low
necked dress. A dead cigarette hung
pendant from her lips. shadow
passed between her and the light.
The shadow was "A man. The woman
drew the shade.
Ruth leaned against the casing OF
her window; she was sick with hor-
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