The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-01-10

| Didn't Trevor tell you TINT Tm-Im
In trader
"He said" answered Andrea, that
you were engaged In some horrible
business. but TINT he couldn't conceive
Of any reason why he should tell me
what II was. was very curious then,
but now I really don't care"
"Tfinicklng. Growing pruder Ell
claimed Manchester, his mind on Ire
vor. "Why. It's the most Legitimate
| hundred per cent little business that
ever crawled out of n big brniD. If II
wasn't for me this whole back coup-
try would run short Of wives"
you mean you buy and sell wom-
enf' asked Andrea
mo. not exactly" answered Mac
Closter. II raise them. I'm the legal
possessor of hundred and eighty-two,
or FIVE. or six. wives. Can't just re-
member"
ooh r. gasped Andrea, ~y"',ching still
farther into her corner.
There you CO." said Manchester,
calmly. Don't let your imagination
run AWAY with you. my dear. ! said
I'm the legal possessor and ] mean
lust that But what's the use of talk
ing. Youll see"
All through the night and well Into
the next day the boat Travelled stead-
! lily upstream. Manchester ypwned ptn-
| dgiousiy three or four times, hut
never gave up the tller to hoy
In the early morning they entered n
long reach of the stream flnnked ON
both sides by fiat plains. Manchester
stood erect and his eyes made The cir
cult of the horizon. Nothing he
said. eff he could have beaten US To
this our name would have been Den
mis-. He's given NJ his favorite little
spotted hen. Flap your wings and shy
goodhy."
Andrea's heart already low, sank u
lot lower. Not once through The night
had she closed her eyes and she knew
praying that the first CLEAN Of morn
| ing would find Trevor the Bvenger, on
the bank. She could not know. IA did
Manchester. that an impossible forest
| Of unhroken thorn stretched for miles
between the two camps There WAS
Just one open road tn MacCloster's-
the river-and on that no other boat
could equal the speed of his own.
Say" said Manchester. moved by a
sudden thought. sis there anyone TINT
would give lot Of money for your
Andrea's brows drew together In
honest valuation Of what was left Of
her old self. II don't know" she said
meekly. Perhaps not now"
what would he give for your" Mac
Closter asked. Jerking his beard over
his shoulder.
He said he wouldn't give three
pounds" answered Andrea in a still.
small voice. She began to cry.
MacCloster's eyes grew round with
fright. "Oh. come now," he protested.
Here you've been hours without even
thinking of that Did old trick. stop
I'll" he roared suddenly. stop II or
I'll mash your head In"
II wish you would sobbed Andrea
and cried harder than ever.
| Manchester rolled his eyes heaven
ward as though he implored aid. LIS
ten." he said. talking Into the sky.
Listen and I'll tell you what I'll do.
Are you listening7"
"Yes," gasped Andrea.
WELL" said Manchester. you've
been lot of trouble to me and big
loss. You can't expect dry man to
forget whole case Of schnapps. Now
I'm going to let you write him note
and II you can get him to give three
cases Of gin for you. why he can have
you. d--n him"
Andrea stopped crying. sat up
straight and dabbed her eyes with her
very dirty fingers. but there was a
strange, set look In her fnce that made
Manchester doubt her sudden cure.
"will you do til" he asked.
Never" said Andrea.
you're queer. like all Of them" he
commented muslpgly. But somehow
the suggestion stopped you crying"
what on earth is that7' asked An
drea. her eyes fixed far ahead on nm
enormous pale-yellow dome that
looked as If all the haystncks in the
world had been gathered into one.
"That," said Manchester his vast
chest swelling In equally immeasur-
able pride. ''is my Gaia. my hut"
Il think there is something the mat
ter with my eyes" said Andrea.
what | see isn't possible
"Oh. yes It is said Manchester.
That's my hut; eighty feet high. one
hundred and twenty feet across and
most a hundred yards dash around"
But how did you build TT" asked
Andrea. absorbed in spite of her
misery.
well" replied Manchester, I'm
modest. don't mind ndmi ting that
God did the building: I just came
along and put on the roof Trevor
ever show you any mafuta trees7"
ayes. they are wonderful" said An
tlrea, understanding beginning to dawn
/ In her eyes.
"That hut of NINE" said MacClos.
fer "is nothing but the biggest round
est. widest mafuia tree In the world
trimmed bit and matched over"
| Half an hour later they mnde a
landing. "want me to carry you
again." asked Manchester with leer