San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-07

! bad an wicked come to such place?
| What you come after, your"
He regarded her. and, by the
solemn logic of drink, it seemed to
him that she meant a legitimate ques-
| ton. She was SO very pretty-so
| troubled and fearful for him, but
brave and true, too. So like any right
| kind of girl to whom man can and
should tell these matters.
For the third time within his TWEEN
| ty-four hours, the explorer through
strange foreign parts explained him
self in all good faith.
well, / tell you," he said, sway
ing: "y'know7AI wanted TO buy some
little things TO take home with me.
| wanted some little presents for my
my mother and sisters, y'know.
Kimonas' or shawls or things. And
! thought thought. wouldn't it be
great if / could only get the right
colors? Colors, good colOrs-I love
'em, and wanted-the true color of
the East to bring back. That's all.
But of course" he added mournfully,
showing the wallet, Il can't do it
now"
Then it was the turn of the half
caste girl to look into his face and
his eyes-the rather remarkable eyes
of Camberwell-and she looked, long
and deep, from her agony of despair
and life-weariness.
/" 'Mother?' she breathed. Sis
tcrs'-you ave? An you can speak
of them 'ere?" He nodded. unvex-
ed. "Boy." she said. with some-
thing like sob. "You-you boy
from far away! You have the clean
heart-the sweet hearth" She caught
him closer. ado not remember me
never, never think of me again. But
-now-will you on-lee kiss me once
bifOr' you go?"
Well she looked the sort of girl
one kisses. And, besides, having ask
cd
He drew the back of his hand across
his mouth. Her own was quite close,
quite tempting. They were standing
by the window. But in the long mo-
ment while she chung TO him and
their lips met. she swung him round, :
SO that she leaned among the cur
tains herself.
A laundering assault fell upon the
door, and at the same time she thrust
him away from her so violently that
he staggered toward the far corner
and almost fell. literally, down the
we'll of the rear staircase that guided
him to the street.
There the second officer met him.
wandering in the Improbable dawn,
and picked him w with a great roar
of relief.
I've been looking all about for you.
You gave me fright. I can tell you.
was feared you might be over i'll
here in this here gambling-hole on
the next block. A tough place.. The
police raided it last night. and it
seems they caught little numbering
yellow rat of Macao Portugee-"
Camberwell stopped him. 80
"Never mind any of that. / don't
care. The only thing I want to know
is when the ship sails"
"On the tide, sir-half-an-hour."
"Come along then. won't you?"
"Why sir?" was Davison's query.
"Have you had enough of this queer
port and these queer peoDle?"
| yes" said the student of local
color. "Yes; I've had enough. Let's
CO."
/ As they started along the water
front he rubbed his lips surreptiti-
ously. as a man will do. on the back
of his hand. And when he looked,
| there was a red smear. Red That
was the final discovery of CamberweIfl
i'm the Far East. Red. The color of
life, every here the same. Just COM
mon red. In sudden brusGue ges-j
ture of distate and disillusion, bel
scrubbed it off with his handkerchief.
For he thought, and he went onI
| thinking and he always would think