The Tomahawk., 1920-03-11

to be persuaded TO love me, Will you
please tell me where I get off? What
are you good for, anyway? Do you
realize that I gave up case OF gin
for you and that case Of gin in these
troubled times is worth all Of three
pounds sterling?"
Andrea WINGED. $50 I'm really not
worth three pounds" she said half to
herself.
Manchester heard and took quick
pity on the usefulness in her voice.
"Well," he said, comfortingly, Il
wouldn't say that. Where it was a
question Of sentiment or a matter OF
having something pretty around the
house a man might 60 further. Why,
even among the blacks"
He paused, looked calculatingly at
her and then went on: "Old-timers will
tell you that there are two qualities
that don't exist in Africa at all !; one is
gratitude and the other is affection. /
think they're right about the first. but
about the second, know better. There
are cases where black likes partic-
ular woman, and when that happens
his face is marked by a peculiar look.
I know it and every time catch sight
of it I'm two extra pounds in pocket"
"Why?" asked Andrea. "What do
you mean?"
"Why, my dear? Don't you know?
Didn't Trevor tell you that Tm-Im
in trader"
"He said," answered Andrea, shat
you were engaged in some horrible
business. but that he couldn't conceive
of any reason why he should tell me
what it was. WAS very curious then,
but now I really don't care"
"Finicking, growing prude" e1-
claimed Manchester, his mind on Ire
vor. "Why, it's the most legitimate
hundred per cent little business that
ever crawled out of a big brain. If 1t
wasn't for me this whole back coun'
try would run short of wives"
"You mean you buy and sell wom-
emf" asked Andrea.
mo, not exactly" answered Mac
Closter. II raise them. I'm the legal
possessor of q hundred and eighty-two,
or five, or six, wives. Can't just re-
member"
"Oh!" gasped Andrea. ctsuching still
farther into her corner.
"There you CO." said Manchester,
calmly. "Don't let your imagination
run away with you, my dear. I said
I'm the legal possessor and I mean
just that. But what's the use Of talk
ing. You'll see."
All through the night and well into
the next day the boat travelled stead
lily upstream. Manchester yawned pro-
digiously three or four times, but
never gave up the tiller to "boy."
In the early morning they entered
long reach of the stream f1anked on
both sides by fiat plains. Manchester
stood erect and his eyes made the cir
cult of the horizon. s'Nothing," he
said. IF he could have beaten us to
this our name would have been Den
mis-. He's given up his favorite little
spotted hen. Flap your wings and say
good-by."
Andrea's heart, already low, sank
lot lower. Not once through the night
had she closed her eyes and she knew
now that she had been hoping and
praying that the first CLEAN Of morn
ing would find Trevor, the avenger, on
the bank. She could not know, as did
Manchester, that an impossible forest
of unbroken thorn stretched for miles
between the two camps. There was
lust one open road to cCloster's-
the river-and on that no other boat
could equal the speed of his own.
"Say," said Manchester, moved by
sudden thought, "is there anyone that
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.
deIc yOu We UOCA "A(AOuS SVSAA
thinking Of that id old trick. Stop
it," he roared suddenly. "Stop it or
I'll mash your head in"
81 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 1istening?"
EYES," gasped Andrea.
"Well," said Manchester. "You've
been a 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 if 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
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