The Mena weekly star., 1920-01-22
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 aANas she as ugly as all that?"
 "Dh, no. She's about the prettiest Noman I ever knew. but she was just like him inside. Try to head him off some time."
 s.rhe best way to head off woman" n1used Andrea. Ifs to marry her"
 sFrhat's so," agreed M'sungo prompt v, ''but friendship has limits"
 They were necessarily walking in single file on the narrow path and Andrea was- behind him. She looked 1utzzically at his back and wished she could see his face instead. But her affention was soon drawn to other things. They had come to the fringe pf 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 thai shone straw-gold under the morn Ing sun.
 Al the first of the heaps Msungo stopped. "This," he said, kicking at the silky coils lis the greatest sub stIfute for hemp and sisal that the world has yet produced. The war has made 1t worth--well, not quite it's weight in gold, unless you measure 1t 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 in this region. prepared by hand on process of my own"
 Andrea looked at the endless piles Of fiber, tons and tons of 1t, stretch Ing away like the posts in a prairie fence. And you say this Is secret?" she asked incredulously.
 He smiled. 'It is so far" he an aWered. But if you knew all the facts you wouldn't find 1t so wonderful. In inc first place this spot is cut off on nearly all sides by waterless wilder ness. In the only direction that isn't true, which Is straight down the river, there is a wild zone that in four hun dred years has never been pacified by the European dominance of the prov ince. Those unsubdued tribes have been my friends in times past and are my allies today. No white man but my self, has ever crossed their boundaries and lived; consequently they can tell no tales to my harm. Do you begin to see?"
 Andrea nodded.
 Then at the coast" he continued. Bust within the mouth of the river.
 have blind in the way of a sisal Plantation. That gives the excuse for q steamer with machinery, say, to come in without arousing suspicion"
 "So you are profiteer on the way fo making war fortune" commented Andrea
 He flushed more deeply than she had yet seen him. If you stay here long enough" he said stoutly, you may Understand"
 He turned from her and plunged at light angles into the forest. She fol- lowed him into the chill air under the great trees. All too soon Andrea came out with him into a wide clearing which, simultaneously with their ar rIval, began to ring to the blows of many axes Through all it's length it swarmed with blacks at work some felling trees, some stripping them of bark, others gathering it, and still afhers stacking the barred wood and cieaning up the general litter accord Ing to the most approved rules of mod ern forestry.
 They walked up the wide swath of the clearing slowly, with many stops on the part of Msungo to encourage, direct or criticize. They passed be- yond the ringing of the axes into a region pungent with the smell of burn Ing greenwood Along one side. the side away from the fringe of the for est, was lcng line or smoke spirais.
 He waved at them. ID you see what fhey're doing? Our axes ran out. so here we're felling in the old' native way with q ring of fire at the foot of tach doomed tree"
 By eight o'clock the sun was at it's Full strength and Andrea was thankful indeed for her pth helmet; by ten she was thinking that noontime would never come. Msungo was too en- grossed with his work to notice her. She kept on. riding her nerve, until she felt that III another moment she must topple over: then she laid quivering hand on his arm. He turned quickly, looked at her face gone white In spite 2 of the heat and cursed himself aloud. & He led her through the fringe of the H forest to the deep shade at its open I edge, made her lie down and showed her that a helmet, right side up on the ground, makes an excellent pillow. I'm of. Promise you won't be lonely, for 1t will be hours before l get back"
 Andrea's lower lip trembled. Aren't you coming for lunch7' He looked down at her and shook his head. "There may come days of picnics, youngster. but they're long way off."
 Please come back" she insisted.
 He met her eyes with hardened gaze. "There's not a woman living" he said slowly, that will let man work when she's around---if she can help it."
 You're thinking of people in love" said Andrea to start an argument and