The Mena weekly star., 1920-01-08


 five in the morning. ana twelve hours thereafter To the latter meal Andrea was invariably and formally invited.
 At each successive invitation she hesitated little longer before accept ing, and on the seventh night she re fused. Any woman can easily under stand why, but the surprising thing was that the man seemed to know just what was happening to her spirit. No stomach living can stand pigeon four teen days in succession, nor is there a maid that can put on the same iden- tical clothes for half that time without feeling demeaned. She knew he knew, for twice during the week he had told her bluntly to hand her lingerie to Bathtub at night, and she had found if at her door in the morning, miracu- lously washed, dried and more or less irOned.
 There was nothing in the dawn of the eighth morning to indicate that it was ushering in a day of days, nor did Andrea more than turn her head when shortly after noon two bearers stag. gered into camp with 2 steamer trunA slung on pole between them. There was no reason in the world why sfie should connect that trunk in any way with herself, even when. an hour after It's arrival, she beheld approaching the magnificent and unforgettable speci- men of black manhood she had last seen on the morning of her ravish- ment
 The newcomer dismissed the two bearers, making them take the pole and it's lashings with them. They de parted after one long, disconsolate look. He then seated himself beside the trunk and never moved until, late in the afternoon, the white man ap- peared, when he arose, saluted and then made solemn gesture toward the load others had carried.
 The white mans eyes lighted up he seemed more cheerful than he had been In days.
 He spoke to the black in dialect. whereupon he grasped single handle of the trunk, and with one smootl movement passed 1t over his shouldeE right side up to the crown of his head He then marched with it into Andrea, caia.
 She sprang up. "Whyl" she ex- claimed and then added, her heart sinking within her, You don't think that's one of mine, do you? Because 1t isn't.'
 She watched to see his face fall, but it didn't. From his pocket he took a bunch of keys. quickly slipped one from the ring and handed 1t to her. Please open the trunk. It's certainly yours. as Is all that 1t contains" He turned from her and added, By the way, I'm dining in khaki tonight"
 AS Andrea walked slowly to her room, clutching the key tightly, she confessed to herself that she was being eaten alive by curiosity. If only" she breathed, there should happen to be one whole pair of stockings P
 Half an hour later, when every last thing the trunk had contained was piled upon her cot, she went to the door and closed it softly; then re- turned to drop on her knees, throw her arms wide across the accumula- tion, bury her hot face against one article after another and kiss each in turn
 There is every reason to enumerate that pile of dry goods if only to put on record for the benefit of the sport ing world in general list that it took many years to compile; two to decide what was necessary; eight to deter mine what of that wasn't. To begin at the bottom, there were two pairs of stout, brown, high, laced walking boots; then, in rapid succession, six pairs of lisle thread stockings to match; one pair of boys pig-skin put tees; six dainty but sensible one-piece undies of softest and whitest woven cotton three pairs of khaki brooches (youth's sizel three khaki skirts. knee length, buif0ned pltn real 6uffons and buttonholes all the way up the srant and all the way up the back; four suits of pajamas, white madras, with silk frogs and knobs six khaki shirts (two breast pockets each); one belt; three brown ties one khaki-colored woolen sweater; one macintosh. with hood !; two khaki jackets (enormous pockets) {; two black hair ribbons and one nut brown tam-O' '-shanter
 There were also q few assorted pack ages. one or two of which even this frank chronicle refuses to open. but no harm can attach to the mention of a well-stocked housewife, an equally com plete toilet case. bathrobe, a pair of bedroom slippers, and long. flat cardboard box that had been at the bottom of the trunk, and which An- drea had as yet refrained from explor- ing On it was written in a strangely masculine hand: ''The Return of the Native"
 (To be continued.)
 IF WOMEN ONLY KNEW.