The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-01-07

| itlN cNeS SlltlliuS.
Andrea watched him Shrcwdly.
"rcil me, White Man." she concluded
what IS the one rcaSon?'
| She saw doubt and then u sudden
! decision come into his face. "All
right" ne said. "Ill tell you tonight"
They reached the home craal at the
! setting of the sun. In rapid succession
came tea, Il hot bath, fresh clothes
and dinner. With the first puT at her
cigarette Andrea settled back in her
chair and said "Now."
The man did not pretend TO be at a
loss for her meaning. He nodded. lit
his cigar and sat down. "All right"
Q he said, "Ill trust you. Here's the
ca' out Of the bag. Pm not the
only "ntc man in this bit of co,m-
try. There's another who came In
across the wilderness and has his camp
about forty milcs up the river. His
business and mine have one thing and
one thing only, thank God, in common.
They are both clandeStine. AS 1t hap
pens, | don't think he knows or cares
what I'm up to, but [ know all about
him, because on those rare occasions
invariably roaring drunk. His tongue
never stops"
Does lc--cver?' asked Andrea.
"Y0u mean does he stop hcre?"
She nodded.
eyes, he does" said M'sungO. II
wish he didn't, but he always does"
"And what had you Intended to do
with me on his first visitI' she asked.
"Wcll," said Msungo, his brows
puclerin:-, 'Ive had in mind to tell
you MI about II just as Tyi doing, and
trust you. But If il hadn't come to
That, I was going to gag you and lock
you up"
"Oh we're you?" said Andrea, her
eyas narrowing. "L"t me tell you at
once That | do not consider myself un-
der parole. don't mean by that that
I'm going to sit on The river bnnl; wait
Ing for this man 10 come along. but
when he comes ] would be Il fool to
miss r1lc chance OF telling him just
Wha' my situation Is. Kia might not
be able to gct mo out, but at least |
would no longer be totally tn your
power. IF 10y disappearance should
be completed there would be Il cred
iblc witness 10 The Incredible fact that
I had really been here"
a dark flush spread over MsilngO's
face. at the risk OF further arouSing
your curiosity" he said, oct mo as.
sure YOU that you are y thousand
times safer in my sole power than in
that Of one or Il dozen MncCiOStcrS."
IS I, 10, nftf
asked Andrea coldly.
M'sungo nodded.
And what is his reprchensible bus.
iness?"
II can't conceive why should tell
you. One can't spread that sort OF
thing without harming ones self"
$50 you don't trust me, after ALL"
said Andrea.
"It isn't n question Of trusting" re-
piled MsungO. "Its a question of
whether it ever pays to tell tales out
Of school,"
"And you don't think you are justl-
fled in telling me this mans business
just as warning?"
"You mean," said Msungo. $50 that
you can believe me when I tell you 1t
would be disaster should he catch
glimpse Of your In other words, you
want to be persuaded that I'm telling
the. truth"
mot at nll," said Andrea. you're
fishing for trouble. menn-just
warning"
"Well. If you mean just that" said
M'sung0, "it Is quite unnecessary, for
hn to Il IL, ,t.,.- nnlx
him before he sees you and I won't
have to gag goa, won't have to lock
you up. I may, however, have to put
the tracker on your trail into the
BUSH"
"You think there Is a man living
would run from?" said Andrea. "You
don't know me-"
1 Perhaps you wouldn't" said
M'sungo, shut In the case OF NacClOs-
ter, it would be because you couldn't
on account Of jelly in the knees"
"Oh!" cried Andrea. "Now you have
done 1t. Now want to see him."
| "Andrea PellOr," said M'sungo quiet.
ly. please believe me when tell you
that you don't. I'm hoping the old
devil won't go on tear while you're
/ here, but IL he does and If he comes,
just remember what tell you. Rather
than have Manchester see you and
touch you, I would gladly cut your
throat"
"Why mine?" asked Andrea. at
would have Impressed me Il lot more
If you'd said your own. Perhaps you
realized that couldn't quite believe
that
uNoyv yo,l'rn tryiup tO uu0rrpI - soid