The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-03-18

cfoudless night. brilliant under q
came to DISTURB their purpose
full silence. Trevor Strengthened In his
chair and leaned forward, his whole
body tense In the effort Of listening.
1t came again, a ghost of a sound that
gradually assumed substance and
rhythmic form until after five long
minutes 1t was recognizable as the
cadenced rumble Of an African river
chantey.
Instantly Trevor was on his feet. He
issued orders to Bathtub, who imme-
diately began to clear the table and
eliminate every item of furniture that
would indicate a dual occupancy of the
| white portion Of the camp. They had
dressed that night for dinner. not a. a
celebration or any special event, but
because they were both bored with
too much time ON their hands. Trevor
withdrew 10 his room In a few min
utes he r%eappeared CARRIED in his
toughest khaki shirt and trousers. His
face was grave as he advanced on
Andrea with a nod toward her hut.
Manchester will be here in half an
hour" he stated. 81 ask you to go to,
your room, close and bar both doors
and stay there until l call you"
Without waiting for her com,nent,
he turned and left her. She sat on,
with narrowed eyes, until she had fin
ished her cigarette, and then, with a
glance around to see II Trevor were
watching, she arose and walked slowly
acros the open court Of the craal. In
her breast was q great rebellion at
the curt manner in which he had made
his request, but she had to admit to
herself that no other form of address,
coming from him, could have impressed
her so deeply, moved her so quickly.
She went to her room. closed the
front door, but did not bar 1t, chose a
book and sat down to make a pretense
Of reading. The sound of the chantey
rumbled neal and then wavered affair
according to the bends of the river, but
in spite of this variation the sum Of
its volume sweiled steadily in an
ominous approach until 1t died quite
suddenly at the boat landing.
There was q distant rattle of a
dozen punting-poles dropped across
the thwarts, a spoken word or two
that carried marvelously across the
still night. and hen a long silence sud
denly shattered by a believing voice:
"Ship ahOy! Show your port and star
board lights, d you. How In the
h d'you think I'll make the chan
nel?'
Andrea rose quickly and laid her
ear to a crack In the door. Her pulse
was beating fast. but she was smiling.
She heard Trevor come out and pres
emily she heard him speak. His voice
was almost unacceptable, 1t was so
cold and SO incisive, like sharpened
steel. In strange incongruity. the
words he let fall were like drops of
molten metal.
Hello, Manchester, you dirty, drunk
en- brute! What's your price to go
away from here tonight? / can offer
you a case of Bols and all the kaffir
dogs in the craal to see you off,"
The words and their manner as
founded Andrea; for a moment 1t
seemed to her that these two men
must be joking. Then she felt the inn
pact Of an undercurrent of ~maleyolence
such as she had never In her life I'M
agined, much less encountered. She
quivered to the thought that here was
Trevor absolutely without gloves at
last, every word an Intentionally naked
blow.
Trevor" said Manchester In an oily
voice that was strangely softened and
indescribably a%ggravating, II like you.
can't help likin' you; you're so d
unbiblical. Not a whisper about a
s%anguinary fatted calf. You go right
to my heart with a case Of gin. I ac-
rept; bring 1t out"
mo" said Trevor, "Ill send 1t up.
III have 1t waiting for you by the time
you get back If You don't rot and fall
apart on the way
There you GO" said Manchester.
pleasantly, "always cheerful. warm
welcome on your tongue" Then, with
a change that was like a thunder-clap:
Semi 1t up, you dunghill bantam !!
Why the h haven't you sent my
music box?"
Andrea pressed her hands. her face
and her whole body against the door.
| She was trembling slightly. but she
a not frightened; her intelligence
was too busy. 1t had leaped to an I'm.
Outstanding of Trevor's part In what
was going on outside. She forgot that
she had ever thought 1t a mere battle
Of tongues. She could imagine this
inaii, Manchester. as a mountain of
Drawn and sinew against which IRE
vor was deliberately opposing all the
moral weight of the old fighting slo-
gan, "Bully a buliyl"
More than that she could now feel
that the suppressed hatred she had
guessed ut their words had come bold
ly into the open and that 1t was In a
sense labored and forced only because
its intensity was beyond actual ex-
preston. These men were stripped
to almost unbelievable nakedness-