The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-03-12


full moon, when a far-away sound
came to disturb their purpose
FIJI silence. Trevor Strengthened In his
chair and leaned forward, his whole
body tense In the effort Of listening.
1t came again, ghost Of sound that
gradually assumed substance and
rhythmic form until after five long
minutes 1t was recognizable as the
cadenced rumble of an African river
chantey.
Instantly Trevor was on his feet. He
issued orders to Bathtub, who imme
dlately began to clear the table and
eliminate every item Of furniture that
would indicate dual occupancy of the
white portion of the camp. They bad
dressed that night for dinner, not as a
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 reappeared CARRIED in his
toughest khaki shirt and trousers. His
face was grave as he advanced on
Andrea with nod toward her hut.
Manchester will be here In half an
hour" he stated. II ask you to go to
your room, close and 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 a
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 to her room, closed the
front door, but did not bar 1t, chose a
book and sat down to make pretense
of reading. The sound of the chantey
rumbled near and then wavered afar
according to the bends Of the river, but
in spite of this variation the sum of
its volume swelled steadily In an
ominous approach until 1t died quite
suddenly at the boat landing.
There was a distant rattle of
dozen punting-poles dropped across
NE thwarts, a spoken word or two
that carried marvelously across the
still night. and then long silence sud-
denly shattered by believing voice:
"Ship ahoy Show your port and star
board lights, d you. How in the
h d'you think I'll make the chan
nelf
Andrea rose quickly and laid her
ear to crack in the door. Her pulse
was beating fast, but she was smiling.
She heard Trevor come out and pres
emily she heard him speak. His voice
was almost unacceptable, 1t was so
cold and so incisive, like sharpened
steel. In strange incongruity, the
words he let fall were like drops Of
molten metal.
"Hello, Manchester you dirty, drunk
en- brutel What's your price to go
away from here tonight? l can offer
you a case of Bols and all the kaflir
dogs in the craal to see you off"
The words and their manner as
founded Andrea; for q moment it
seemed to her that these two men
must be joking. Then she felt the I'M
pact Of an undercurrent Of malevolence
such as she had never in her life Inn
agined, much less encountered. She
quivered to the thought that here was
Trevor absolutely without gloves at
last, every word an Intentionally naked
blow.
Trevor" said Manchester in an oily
voice that was strangely softened and
indescribably aggravating, 81 like you.
| can't help likln' you; you're so d
unbiblical. Not a whisper about a
sanguinary fatted calf. You go right
to my heart with a case of gin. l &C
cept; bring 1t out"
"No," said Trevor, "T1l send It up.
I'll have 1t waiting for you by the time
you get back If you don't rot and fall
apart on the way"
"There you CO." said Manchester,
pleasantly, ALWAYS cheerful, warm
welcome on your tongue" Then, with
change that was like thunder-clap:
"Send 1t up, you dunghill bantam
Why the h haven't you sent my
music box?"
Andrea pressed her hands, her face
and her whole body against the door.
She was trembling slightly, but she
was not frightened; her intelligence
was too busy. II had leaped to an I'm.
Outstanding of Trevor's part In what
was going on outside. She forgot that
she had ever thought 1t mere battle
Of tongues. She could imagine this
man, Manchester. as a mountain Of
Drawn and slnew against which Ire
v0r was deliberately opposing all the
moral weight of the old fighting slo-
gan, "Bully bully"
More than that; she could now feel
that the suppressed hatred she had
guessed at their words had come bold
ly into the open and that 1t was In a
sense labored and forced only because
its intensity was beyond actual ex-
preston. These men were stripped