The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-02-14
CHAPTER K.

so rapid that its daily transitions were
marvels of his boyhOod. An old man
had said to him one dawn, Hear the
corn growing, sonny" and he laughed.
whereupon the granddad had taken
him by one ear and marched him To
the nearest furrOw. "Pick out a stalk
and watch it, you little egg-sucker."
he commanded. See it grow, if you
can't hear"
Andrea was like that she was I'M
furling as though in the morning OF Il
new youth. Never had her eyes been
brighter. never her cheeks so quick
to play with fire. Incidentally, she was
full of a devil of mischievOus remin-
iScent innuendo.
IT'S all a great joke now, young
lady" Trevor would defend himself,
"but if you'd seen what | have of per-
niciOus malaria, you'd keep grave for
a year. I've seen three Swahilis that
had nOurished mosquitoes from their
youth up. fall like dogs. one after an
other, within mile and half of an
infected camp and the best of them
went stone blind for Il month
did you nurse them, White Man ?
Did you see them thrOughT
These were the questions that drove
him nearest to desperation, but the
| CLEAN in the eyes above the demure
mouth from which they issued inva-
riably warned him of the trap in time.
lie was on his guard he knew that
there were things between him and
| Andrea that speech would turn into
| CHASTITY skeletons walking by day and
which only consistent silence could
entomb. But so deep had grown hi,
sympathies that even i'm this he under
stood her. 1t was not that she was
perverse, but that her pride demanded
a constant test of his loyalty TO hel
other self-that internal self that haC
lain barred, revealed and helpless IL
his arms.
About those things which might have
aroused a legitimate curiosity, sh'
asked few questions. Without a wore
of inquiry she saw him despatch twelve
picked men on some mysterious mis-
sion whose intricacies and importance
necessitated a preliminary palaver o
an hours duration. Equally silent, sh
watched his detailed preparations o
well-appointed safari. Tents wer
brushed and set TO air: cots and mat
tresses put out for sun-bath; prov
sions of all sorts packed in one-loa
cases: water boiled, filtered and hun
i'm canvas coolers. Only a few day
before. Just such signs as these ha
made her heart heavy with unanswel
able questionings, but her illness ha
changed all that. The successive me
ments of the throbbing present eac
in its turn filled her whole horizon.
She knew instinctively that he ha
something big up his sleeve. and tha
! he would shake it out on the slightes
, proyocation. She also had a long men
{ ory, and had no difficulty in recallin
, his exact boast as TO what he woul
I do when she was well. He was goin
to take her in free fight. She was we
now, she reflected; she had never fe
! better in her life, and if there was or
| thing she hungered for more than al
other, it was the promised combat.
\ There is no telling how long Al
| drea's innate stubbornness would hay
\ held out, nor at what point Trevor
III ri
for their wordless contest was int
rupted by an event which he had bot
\ foreseen and feared. They were sittir
\ mt a table after dinner on
| cloudless night, brilliant under
\ full moon, when far-away soul
came to disturb their purpos
Y full silence. Trevor Strengthened in h
chair and leaned forward, his who
body tense in the effort of listenin
! IL came again. a ghost of sound tn
4 gradually assumed substance al
4 rhythmic form until after five lol
q minutes IL Vas recognizable as &
4 cadenced rumble of an African riv
L chantey.
ii Instantly Trevor was on his feet.
NJ issued orders to Bathtub, who INN
diately began to clear the table al
eliminate every item of furniture tn
\ would indicate a dual occupancy of I
white portion of the camp. They h
dressed that night for dinner, not as
celebration or any special event. y
because they were both bored wi
!. to< much time on their hands. TreV
II now excused himself to Andrea a
I withdrew to his room. In few m
utes he reappeared CARRIED in
toughest khaki shirt and trousers. /
face was grave as he advanced
Andrea with a nod toward her II
rs "MacCIoster will he here in half
~ hour" he stated. 81 ask you TO go
NJ vour room. close and bar both do
~ and stay there until call you
Without waiting for her CONNIE
he turned and left her. She sat
No with narrowed eyes, until she had
&C ished her cigarette. and then. Will
al glance around to see If Trevor W
or watching. she arose and walked slOV
NJ across the open court of the craal.
nm her breast was a great rebellion
ne the curt manner In which he had nli
sh his request, but she had TO admit
or herself that no other form of addr'
ke coming from him. could have impress
her so deeply, moved her so quickly
a., Che wont to her ROOM closed