The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-04-08
CHAPTER XIV.

having gone out to break camp at
dawn for safari. The bishop and his
companions were ~northward bound,
Andrea and her man headed for the
south and the coast. In the cold mist
of the morning they parted with tight
handclasps and earnestly murmured
"God-bless-yOu's.'
Incidents, following rapidly one after
the other, kept Andrea'S mind off the
coming encounter with her old world
until she was actually on its verge.
Late one afternoon they came upon
the bay and Trevor waited expectantly
for her to recognize the scene of her
ravlshment. He was disappointed, for
the thin, insignificant strip OF yellow
sand tucked under the red cliff dimin-
ished by distance to the proportion of
a railway embankment, meant nothing
to her inexperienced eyes.
At last he pointed IL out to her. "Be-
hold" he said, "the beginning and the
end OF all things"
"Why," exclaimed Andrea. "Is II
really the beach-our beach? How It's
shrunk !"
at has," said Trevor solemnly. "The
erosion on this bit of coast is q foot
for every hundred years. We'd better
hurry If we want to make q landing"
He chartered two sailing boats from
n Greek fisherman and In an hour the
beach had broadened, the cliff had
risen TO almost imposing heights;
while they were still we'll off the shore
they shot into its shadow. The boat
man chose a landing at the foot Of the
Cliff road, a quarter of a mile away
from the steep path by which Andrea
had made her descent. AS the safari
began to form on the beach Trevor
turned to Andrea. "We're going to
your old hotel, you know. It's really
the only one. If YOU prefer. l can send
for a motor-car for you and myself;
but we'd have 10 wait half an hour
Andrea caught her breath as she
realized that ii was only minutes
before she would be In collision with
a world. Her eyes ran down the line
Of their marching column already on
the edge of an homogeneous Setting. but
still impressing with that subtle digni-
ty which the free and half-naked black
takes with him everywhere and which
Is born of his absolute indifference to
standards not his own.
"Let us go down at the head Of our
men," she answered.
'You are right" said Trevor.
pleased at her shrewd judgment. "We
mortals," he added, don't always rec
ognize the Importance OF fighting an
atmosphere with an atmosphere. To
go In as cock of our own walk Is a
thousand times better than a motor
car and the back door,"
Andrea nodded. II felt IL but / could
not put 1t in words like that"
AS Trevor. the white head Of a
quarter-mile-long and glistening black
serpent of humanity. swung In be-
tween the gateposts of the hotels Inn
posing portals. the ever-opportune
Marguerite stretched his neck, raised
his barrel-head and brayed. Above
that raucous cry sounded the sponta-
and uncomfortable peal Of An
drea's silver laughter.
The groups of men and women
all but one-on the hotel veranda stop
ped In their various occupations as
though paralyzed; drinks paused half
way to thirsty lips, cigarettes burned
unconscious fingers, knitting needles
poised instantaneously-al but one
pair. The manipulation OF the excep-
ton was a dear but very proper old
lady wearing a cap Of filmy lace on
her plentiful white hair and enough
filmy lace On her person to make the
porth chair, In which she sat, look
like a stall at a Red Cross bazaar.
She was knitting a vast kh~aki-colored
sweater and at the sound of Andrea's
laughter she gave no sign beyond purs-
ing her ~ithered lips while she meth
odieally ;inlshed off the stitch upon
which she had been engaged.
That done, she raised a pair OF
heady black eyes 70 ~wcs.srrfulsy alive
that 1t senmed impossible they be-
longnd to her wrinkled face and flash
cu Ouc iOOh at <ahuTtd anu One Ut Ire
vor. swell, my dear" she said calmly,
presumably to the former. "it's a re-
lief to have you back apparently alive
and WELL"
No sooner were the words out of
her mouth tlan she was swept into
Andrea's In petuous embrace. "Oh,
Aunty Gwen Oh, you old dear!"
The lady defended herself with on
siderable energy and was heard to
grumble that even kissing had de-
generated Int. a rough pastime. Hav-
Ing rescued herself from. Andrea's
arms. she said. snow that that Is over
you will please go to your room and
change from that outiandish circus
costume. you'll lind everything as you
left 1t except fof a new lock on the
door,"
Andrea glanced at Trevor and lean
ed over 70 whisper imploringly In her
aunt's ear.
"Your husband7" enunciated the
old lady clearly. "W sll. that's a relief,
too; but / prefer 4. meet him else
where AID after YOU have presented
documentary evidence. By the way