The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-02-21

He said" answered Andrea, that
you were engaged in some horribIe
business. but that he couldn't conceive
of any reason why he should tell me ;
what it was. was very curious then,
but now really don't care.
"Finicking growing prude!" eX-
ciaimed Manchester, his mind on Ire Z
vor. why. its the most legitimate
hundred per cent little business that
ever crawled out of a big brain. II II
wasn't for me this whole back coun-
try would run short of wives
You mean you buy and sell wom-
en?" asked Andrea.
NO, not exactly" answered Mac
Closter. Il raise them. I'm the legal
possessor of a hundred and eighty-two,
or five. or six. wives. Can't just re-
member"
oh" gasped Andrea, cr"uching still
/ farther into her corner.
There you CO. said Manchester.
calmly. Don't let your imagination .
! run away with you. my dear. | SAID .
/ I'm the legal possessor and | 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 fianked on
both sides by fiat plains. Manchester
stood erect and his eyes made the cir
cult of the horizon. Nothing. he
said. IF he could have beaten US 10
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
i, 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
: Just one open road to MacClosters-
3 the river-and on that no other boat
o could equal the speed of his own.
Say" said Manchester, moved by n
sudden thought. ais 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
10 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
hounds" answered Andrea in a still
:. small voice. She began TO cry.
MacCloster's eyes grew round witt
y. fright. "Oh, come now" he protested
Here you've been hours without ever
~ thinking of that id old trick. Stol
an itr" he roared suddenly. stop II
I'll mash your head in"
49, 81 wish you would" sobbed Andres
-, and cried harder than ever.
- Manchester rolled his eyes heaven
- ward as though he implOred aid. Ills
-, ten" he said. talking into the SKY
~ sIisten and I'll tell you what I'll d.
SO are you listeningT
40 YES" gasped Andrea.
"Well," said Manchester. "You'y
ot been lot of trouble to me ana Di
20 loss. You can't expect dry man
forget a whole case of schnapps. NO
n, I'm going 10 let you write him a moi
90 and If YOU can get him to give thrt
az cases of gin for you. why he can nav
Won. d-n him."
. Andrea stopped crying. sat
e straight and dabbed her eyes with n
e very dirty fingers, but there was
q strange. set look in her face that mat
. Manchester doubt her sudden cure.
"A "Will you do it," he asked.
Never" said Andrea.
"You're queer. like all of them"
commented musingly. "But someh0
s. the suggestion stopped you crying
nj "What on earth is that?" asked A
M drea. her eyes fixed far ahead on
!, enormous pale-yellow dome tn
4 looked as if all the haystacks in Z
y world had been gathered into one.
- THAT" said Manchester, his va
~ chest swelling in. equally immeasl
III able pride, sis my Gaia, my hut"
~ 81 think, there is something the mi
MN fer with my eyes" said Andre
M .sWhat see isn't possible"
~ "Oh, yes it is" said MacClost
= That's my hut; eighty feet high. o
. hundred and twenty feet across
most a hundred yards dash around
Il "But how did you build it?' ask
Andrea. absorbed in spite OF
misery.
We'll" replied Manchester 81
modest. | don't mind admitting Il
Cod did the building; l just ca
Il along and put on the roof. Ire,
ever show you any mafuta treesF
. Eyes. they are wonderful" said .
- drea. understanding beginning to da
in her eyes.
THAT hut of NINE" said Mace
for sis n,thing hut the biggest. rou
: esr widest mafu'a tree in the wo
trimmed 4 biz and matched over
Half an hour later they made
landing. want me to carry
again." asked Manchester with Il
So cor will you walk?'
w .TlI walk" said Andrea, going S
denly white with sickening recol
Y at ton