The Tomahawk., 1920-03-18
murmured. 'SOmething under three

murmured. 'Something under three
pounds, suppose"
Undoubtedly hit but also ignored
by Trevor, whose mind was intent on
far more weighty affairs. He
shrugged his shoulders and pointed to
her but with his chin, an expressive
but most reprehensible adoption Of ma
tive habit. She took the hint, never
theless, and as she started he said.
"Please remember. Please don't show
yourself this time, will you" The
tone of his voice was great improve
ment on all that had gone before. She
threw him a smile over her shoulder
and proceeded to cross to her hut on
exaggerated tiptOe.
Trevor did not bother to awake his
guests; he went straight to his room
and gave himself up to long-drawn-
out orgy Of tea; hot bath, sharp razor
and clean clothes; to say nothing OF
the cleansing, amounting and bandag-
ing of his many burns and wounds.
When, hours later, he had completed
the complex operation to the best of
his ability if not entirely to the Salts
faction Of his vanity he opened his
door q crack and looked out. The
three guests were awake and reading.
They seemed quite comfortable as we'll
as quite at home, bottle and three
glasses having magically accrued to
the table in their midst. 1t seemed
oh 10 81,
ticular moment and Trevor decided not
to. He closed the door, barred 1t, dis
connected the alarm gong and left his
room by the covered way.
It Is a matter of record that While
this same inclosed alley was certainly
not over thirty PAGES in length ana
could have been traversed in half as
many seconds, it took him exactly
thirty minutes to get from his end OF
the passage to Andrea's door-and
knock. She opened to him at once
and the sight Of her made him tremble.
Never%before had she seemed so al
together adequate to every demand Of
life. He looked upon her lovely tum-
bled hair that was still laughing from
it's bath; on her deep blue eyes, each
cuddling q devil of mischief; on her
adorable nose, always shifting for trou-
| BILE: on her red lips, ready to call
man on; and on her hard fists, backed
by sturdy youth, still more ready to
keep him off, and felt the bones OF his
determination turning to water. she
stood with her feet slightly straddled'
her hands stuffed in the side pockets
| of her khaki jacket-a pose often as
,sumed BY professional fighters. He
| glanced nervously about her room and
deciding that he would feel more at
home and perhaps more secure In his
own, asked her to precede him there.
She consented and upon arrival MADE
naturally for the couch.
II think" said Trevor hastily, you
had better sit here-for CHANGE he
drew out q straightforward chair by
the table. She cast him an inquirtng
glance but sat down without remark.
Trevor did not sit he paced up and
down before her till she could stand 1t
| no longer; then she said brightly,
"Now know how our old cat used to
feel, watching the canary swing on
his trapeze."
"Extraordinary inverted coinci'
dence," remarked Trevor. II feel like
the canary"
Both pondered on this rejoinder for
some moments; there was something
about it that reminded Andrea OF
FIRST blood" Finally she realized that
it was her turn to speak. It'll let that
20 for the present." she said with
dignity. "Suppose you say what you've
got to say"
The man stood squarely before her.
"All right" he said. For second he
hung on the verge Of further speech
as though he were counting lone, two,
three-go;" then he plunged: "WM
Cou marry me?"
Here was a game that Andrea knew
from its Infancy to its old age. The
first move on its checker board was
as fixed as it was easy. "No," she
said promptly and automatically and
glanced up with half-bored look that
said: "Your turn to play"
That look was destined to die sud-
den death. "Thank. God y said Trevor,
fervently, apparently looking into
space, but in reality taking in her gal
vanized start through the corner OF
one eye. "You see," he continued. "1've
come to my senses and begun to get
your point Of view. It's still true
that you asked me to bring you, but
it's no less true that you thought you
were just going up for a morning
breeze, while I knew that once you
were in that flying machine it was
good-by to a world. If I'd told you that,
Of course you wouldn't have come"
"Of course" said Andrea, family.
Her heart was aching and inside OF
her it's pulse was drumming an old ia
miliar childish refrain Of helpless rage.
HE didn't play fair! he didn't play