Washington telegraph., 1920-02-13

I cIoudIoss night. brilliant under a
full moon, when a far-away sound
came TO disturb their purpose
fuI silence. Trevor Strengthened In his
chair and leaned forward, his whole
bodv tense in the effort Of listening,
/ II came again, a ghost Of a sound that
gradually assumed substance ana
rbvtEmic form until after five long
minutes It was recognizable as the
cadrnced rumble Of an African river
chantey.
Instantly Trevor was on his feet He
issued orders to Bathtub, who imme-
dmtely began 10 clear the table and
eliminate every item Of furniture that
would Indicate a dual occupancy Of the
white portion Of the camp. They had
dressed that night for dinner, not as
celebration or any special event, but
because they were both bored with
TOO much time on their hands. Trevor
now excused himself to Andrea and
withdrew to his room. In few min
utes he rcappeared garbed in his
toughest khaki shirt and trousers. His
face was grave as he advanced on
Andrea with nod toward her hut.
"NIacCloster will be here in half an
hour" he stated. 81 ask you TO 90 to
YOUR room, close ana bar both doors
and stay there until | call you"
Without waiting for her comment,
he turned and left her. She sat on,
with narrowed eyes, until she had fin
ished her cigarette, and then, with
glance around to see If Trevor were
watching she arose and walked slowly
across the open court Of the craal. In
her breast was a great rebellion at
the curt manner in which he had made
his request, but she had to admit to
herself that no other form Of address,
coming from him, could have impressed
her so deeply, moved her so quickly.
She went 20 her room, closed the
front door, but did not bar it, chose a
book and sat down to make a pretense
Of reading. The sound Of the chnntey
rumhled near and then wavered afar
according to the bends of the river, but
i'm spite Of this variation the sum OF
it's volume swelled steadily in an
ominous approach until it died quite
suddenly at the boat landing.
There was a distant rattle Of a
dozen punting-poles dropped across
the thwarts, a spoken word or two
that carried marvelously across the
stin night, and then a long silence sud
denly shattered by a believing voice {:
"Ship ahoy! Show your port and star
= board lights, d you. How In the
: Ii d'you think III make the chan
nelT
e Andrea rose quickly and laid her
e ear to a crack IN the door. Her pulse
D was beating fast, but she was smiling.
e She heard Trevor come out and pres
l. emily she heard him speak. His voice
d was almost unrecognlzable, it was so
o cold and so inclsive, Ike sharpened
= steel. In strange incongruity, the
words he let fail were like drops of
u molten metal.
'Hello, MacCloster, you dirty, drunk.
! en- brutel What's your price to 90
" away from here tonight? | can offer
, N'h a NtlHf VI AlblH anu Nll lllt hNllll
N dogs in the craal to see you off"
S The words and their manner as.
founded Andrea; for a moment IL
seemed to her that these two men
< must be joking. Then she felt the i'm,
d pact Of an undercurrent Of malevolence
such as she had never in her life i'm
,. agined, much less encountered. She
~ quivered to the thought that here was
1t Trevor absolutely without gloves al
last every word an Intentionally naked
II blow.
Vi Trevor" said MacCloster In en- oily
, voice that was strangely softenod and
IL indescribably aggravatng, 81 like you
can't help likin' you; you're so d
re- unbiblical. Not a whisper about &
le sanguinary fatted calf. You 20 rlghN
- to my heart with a case Of gin. I ac
IT, cept; bring Il out"
e. NO said Trevor, 'Tll send It IN
l, I'll have it waiting for you by The tim,
~ you get back If you don't rot and fail
20 apart on the way
W There you 60" said MacClostcr
W pleasantly, always cheerful warn
- welcome on your tongue" Then, will
+ a change that was like ;hunder.cIap
y, "Send it up, you duughln bantam
VI Why the h haven't you sent my
II music box2"
~ Andrea pressed her hands, her fac,
B" and her whole body against the door
She was trembling slightly, but sh,
70 was not frightened; her intelllgenc,
'G was too busy. 1t had lcaped to an un
VI derstandlng Of Trevor's part in wha
~ was going on outside. She forgot tha
3 she had ever thought 1t a mere battI,
Z OF tongues. She could imagine thi,
u man, MacCloster, as mountain o.
's Drawn and sinew against which Ire
u vor was deliberately opposing all IN,
.e moral weight Of the old fighting slo
L gan, Bully bullyw
= More than that; she could now fee
u that the suppressed hatred she ho,
Y guessed at their words had come bold
ly into the open and that It was in ,
" sense labored and forced only becaus,