The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-01-10

enlgnatlcally.
Andrea paused in her thoughts: then
came wide awake and looked at him
narrowly.
white Man. didn't a woman make
up that trunk?"
NO, there are few women living
/ that could. Think it out. That trunk
was all bone. muscle and sinew-with
an after-dnner cigarette at the bot
tom. Why, the last time saw Maisie
she had two small moving vans and Il
wicker house she thought she was
going To bring with her. I'd fixed ii
with quartermaSter to drop the lot
overheard in the night and at the last
moment. She never even heard of this
! trunk"
During his long speech the color had
been rising in Andrea'S cheeks. Il
don't think | like you rs much as
did, she said slowly. Somehow you
were getting too good to be true. You
bought and packed all those things
Yourself"
Ai' mt ltNi SdLt ION L.
he whispered, don't let's be old"
"All right" said Andrea with Il quick
Shrug of one shoulder. But you've
known lots of women, haven't yOu?"
You eXaggerate," he answered, smil-
ing. I've met lots of women"
"Pshaw!" said Andrea. That's an
other old crock of a shibbOleth. Some
men know lots about wOmen-a jolly
sight too much"
That's different from knowing WON
en- said M'sungo quietly. ITS no
shibboleth, that old belief. Woman,
to man, is an eternal voyage of dis
covery-a land of valleys and peaks
of lights and shadows, of storm and
aching peace. Continents and oceans
are lost in her untraveled heart, and
when she throws wide her arms. the
way is open to Heaven and He'll"
I'm going to bed" murmured An
drea, and stole away.
1t was just as well for Andrea that
she had gone early to bed, for at five
O'Clock of the next morning Il rock
was hurled at her door that almost
burst ii in.
Didn't that get herr" yelled MSun,
COS voice from half across the kraal
mo, Master" answered Bathtub
"MiSsis sleep plenty hard, same like
pickanin."
She slipped on her bathrObe. opened
the door and put out her head. "Were
you calling me?' she asked with early
morning dignity.
Not exactly" answered the white
man in the same tone. breakfast in
twenty minutes; bath when you come
home" He turned to give orders to
group of his captains.
Andrea was Instant, thrilled ito the
new adventure. She called to Bathtub
to bring her washstand and water and
rubbed one bare foot against the other
i'm impotence until he was out of the
way; then she dressed feverishly and
ran out.
In ten minutes they had breakfasted
in five more they were off. a long line
of blacks preceded them, behind came
Msungo's gunbearer, water boys. Bath
tub, carrier or two, and an ancient
donkey half hidden under an enormous
cowboy saddle.
"What funny looking old donkey ~
remarked Andrea. whats he for?"
For you. when you get tired" an
swered Msungo.
Really! For me?" said Andrea.
whats his name?"
M'sungO threw back his head and
laughed softly. 'Why," he said, 81
never thought I'd have to tell any one
when named him. We call him Mar
guerite. / named him after friend
of mine"
"Was she as ugly as all that?"
"Oh, no. She's about the prettiest
woman / ever knew, but she was just
like him inside. Try to head him off
some time"
THE best way to head off woman, -
unused Andrea, sis to marry her."
That's So" agreed M'sungo prompt
ly. "but friendship has limits"
They were necessarily walking in
single file on the narrow path and
Andrea was behind him. She looked
quiZZically at his back and wished she
could see his face instead. But her
attention was soon drawn. to other
things. They had come To the fringe
of the forest. Spaced from two to
three hundred yards apart and set well
out from the shadow of the trees were
mysterious piles of something or other
that shone straw-gOld under the morn
ing sun.
AT the first of the heaps M'SungO
stopped. This" he said. kicking ut
the silky coils. lis the greatest sub
stitute for hemp and Sisal THAI the
world has yet produced. The war has
made it wOrth-well. not quite its
weight in gold. unless you measure it
by sheer profits on the cost of pro-
duction. 1t is nothing but the bark
of the temba trees which make up the
bulk of all the forests Ia this region.
prepared by hand on process of. my
own
Andrea looked at the endless piles
of fiber, tons and tons of it. stretch
ing away like the posts in a prairie
fence. "And you say this is secret p
she asked incredulously.
He smiled. 1T is SO far" he an