Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-06-29

"Will you Gomez" repeated the

will you Gomez" repeated the
man.
Andrea followed him only to stop
again when she reached the veranda.
1t was carpeted with a long grass mat
of vivid colors and on the mat stood
chairs n a table. On the table was
a handsewing-machine n from cor
ner-to-corner-post sWung a hammock.
She had to stoop very ow to enter the
hut itself and once within had to wait
a long time for her sun-flled eyes to
accustom themselves to the kindly
gloom. The man grew impatient and
struck a match. The room was cir
cular and unceiled SO hat one could
look up n up into the very depths
of its tapering peak. From that
height dangled a wire and IN Its end
hung a lantern. The nan lit it and
showed her how it could be carried to
any desired point on the circumfer-
enc of the room and hooked there.
j Even with the lantern lit, the room
was still dimly illumined but the soft
light was enough to disclose that The
mud floor had been first covered With
grass mats and then with the warm
pelts Of a dozen different kinds of
game. On one side stood a cot al
ready made up: beside it, a small
camp chair. On the other side was a
long hammock chair, looking almost
as comfortable as 1t really was, and
close to it stood a carved tabouret
piled high with books. Over a small
table hung a foolish little mirror. The
walls were. wainscotted with a woven
mat Of golden reeds. The place
smelled clean. was clean.
Andrea had come into the room oh
ses,ed by a single idea and that was
to determine the why and wherefore
Of the covered passage leadin,, to tho
next hut. She failed to discover its en-
trance until her companion drew her
attention to a door,, wainscotted like
the walls but crossed by q sturdJ tar
rIvoted at one END, the other sinking
into a deep socket.
1t occurred to me-" said The man,
that perhaps you would be afeuid at
night unless yoE were sure Of help.
Listen He raise'l the bar ash as he
did 81 the hidden door few open and
a Iunr sounded iii the next hut. The
oar not be lifted from my side, OF
%tuurse:" he added.
Then he led her out through the
vtra:.da into her private gard IN and
Your bath and washroom." lie said.
"Ycu must have no water in tive HIT
YOU live in, not only because It's hocr
is of mud but principally on account
of the mosquitoes"
"Live?" said Andrea. my dear
White Man, you are mad. I'm rot go
ing to live here no matter how horri-
bly, I'm tempted BY all this thought
~fulness Of yours and-cares"
He looked q~uestioningly at her
face. Twill you dine with me-" he
ventured, "at half past ave? It's the
best hour on account Of daylight and
only two meals a day. Will you?
After that we'll talk 1t out"
Andrea nodded n dismissed him
with. It'll half after five, then"
But as she sat down in the COM
Portable hammock-chair and reached
for q book she realized that she was
by no means as calm as her words
Rad indicated. She tossed the nook
aside before she had read it's title,
drew her feet up. Rugged her knees
and with chin resting on them, stared
before her.
Things had moved so fast through
the. day that she had had no time to
mark more than their general course.
Now she settled down to a deliberate
survey. She went back in hr mind to
Aunty Gwen, to her brothers and to
the public at large as represented by
the colony dance. She imagined their
CONSERVATION at her disappearance,
vtsualized the efforts that even at this
moment were being made to trace her
and felt the full force OF their in
evitable futility.
The %aeroplane had made its start at
low water; the rising tide would have
rapidly obliterated its tracks. The
searchera would have nothing-noth-
Ing to go on. There was only one
chance as far as she knew and that
was q slim one. In the general ex-
citement the native whom the white
man had left behind might chatter
his way into sufficient prominence to
get himself called an q witness. But
she set small hope On such a solution
for the last few hours had taught her
that the author Of all her troubles
was moro than White Man to those
under him-he was master.
Then her thoughts turned to the
man she was to have married. She
smiled ruefully at the tense she used
to herself, was to have married." OF
course and whatever happened from
now on, thAt--deal-waS of. She
'Lveksre4 her brow, pushed that auah