Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-03-05


about the room. So this was where he
had lived and worked during many.
months 1t was bachelors room.
arranged at once for comfort, utility
and slotb. On one side was his cot,
permanently inclosed in mosquito net
ing and having at its head lantern
for reading in bed. Next to it, came
high draughtsman's desk roughly
made of packing cases. On each end
OF 1t, guttering candles, still lighted,
rose from mysterious pedestals, empty
bottles, disguised under cascades of
molten wax.
In the shadow of the high desk stood
the one utterly incongruous bit Of fur
niture, glistening mahogany phono-
graph. Andreas eyes passed it and
then went back TO linger for an in
slant in vague wonder. Why had
M'sungo never brought it out? Never
played it? She was not interested
enough to ask aloud.
Andrea's eyes finished their slow
circuit of the room and came back to
not moved and she herself had lain
very still, more through languor than
by volition. She had been in that state
Of subdued consciousness which
sweeps troubled humanity back to the
borderland Of childhood, but now her
mind awoke. A deep flush stained her
neck and crept up through-her cheeks,
! carrying with it to her eyes q look Of
sudden age. Her hand, imprisoned
under the mans cheek, doubled and
contracted into a hard little fist. He
looked up quickly and saw the transit
give in to it." he said, throwing one
arm across her knees. 'sDon't give in
to age. Do you think l al SO blind
that don't know where found you?
Why do you think | am on my knees :.
It's in reverence before the glimpse
that's ! caught of the girlhood of An
drea Pellor. My arms are trembling
because they have dared to carry her
clean youth. soft and warm as it was
before the touch of the world and
years, and my heart is aching with a
memory that will never die"
White Man, said Andrea, her face
unsoftened, would you pay three
pounds for me?"
He stared at her, leaped to his feet
and started pacing up and down be-
side the couch, look of thunder on
his brow. NO" he said, II wouldn't. !"
Without looking at her he went to the
bookcase and, after moment, drew
out worn. volume; then he placed q
chair close to the couch so that the
light Of the lantern would fall over his
shoulder, sat down and began to read
aloud.
Very gradually the hardened and
cheapened look in Andrea's eyes died
out. They grew wide again and dwelt
dreamily on the mans slim figure. She
saw many things about, him she had
never noted before. His hair was
crisp and touched with premature
gray at the temples; his shoulders
were broad and his hips very narrow.
He had a good boot Leg" but his feet
were small enough to preserve bal
ance even there In spite of his height,
he was well-knit by grace of the life
he had led.
He is very strong" thought Andrea
as she remembered how lightly he had
swung her into his arms Then she
began to think of other things about
him. He never was too tired to shave
before the evening meal. He had
shown an almost uncanny tact in fore
seeing and preventing the embarrass-
ing situations that one would have
thought inevitable under the circum-
stances of their life together. He never
forgot. He had called her my dear
girl once and she had shown that she
hated it. 1t was enough
How old are you, White Man?" she
asked
"Thirty-four. normally" ne an
swered instantly, and went on witn his
absorbing reading almost without
break.
Andrea fell silent. even her thoughts
stopped talking. Gradually the flow
ing voice possessed her, picked her up
lightly. bore her away and away. In
other words, she slept as children
sleep when put to bed in the good old
way.
When she awoke. hours later, the
room was heavy with the acrid smell
of lanterns burned too low, but to
make up for that. the rain had ceased
and sunlight poured in through the
open door. M'sungo was sitting as he
had sat, reading as he had been read
ing. The flow of his voice was ex-
actly the same as though he himself
had been caught in a current that
would not let him stop.
Andrea drew a quivering breath.
She saw instinctiyely the workings of
his mind. He wished her to awake
without awaking-to come to the new
day with the selfsame smile in her
heart that had been there when she
slept He called upon her to play the
game through and she decided to do
1t. She stretched her bare arms
yawned. rubbed her eyes with doubled