Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-07-25
SNeA SERVICE Ihc..qas.

A Chinaman wearing enormous
horn-rimmed spectacles, sat at the
far end Of a big table before what
to be the inverted halves
OF cocoanut SHELLS. Whenever these
were lifted, there arose repetl-
ton or the dIscordant babel she
had heard as they approached. All
along both sides, orlentals Of ev-
cry class and distinction thronged
the rocking forms. Every now and
then man rose, seemingly emo
tionless, and left the table.
Monica, the novelty OF this
strange scene holding her enthral-
led, allowed her gaze to wander
round the room. Presently it fell
fell upon the form of an oriental
in suit of greasy blue whose face
seemed peculiarly familiar. Every
time a payer from the top vacated
his seat, this enthusiastic gambler
moved INTO it, in this manner get
ting gradually nearer to the man
with the horn trimmed spectacles
who manipulated the shells. Pres
entity he looked up at the swinging
oil lamp-and Monica uttered a lit
tie cry. In spite of the elaborate
disguise, there was something in
the set of the mobile mouth, some
thing in, the poise of the shoulders
that betrayed him. She found her
lips forming the words-'Chinese
Pennington"
A moment later and he had
reached the apparent zenith of his
desire. His elbow touched the
sleeve of the man who presided,
but his eyes were staring straight
before him at an enormous China
man who sat opposite, both hands
resting on the table, the fingers
slightly closed.
For some reason that she could
not quite define, a mental picture
began forming in her mind; a pic
ture that the vividness Of Penning-
toms description had impressed on
her memory. She saw a glade in
the night-shrouded jungle wastes,
a huddled form with a long knife
protruding from between hunched-
up shoulder blades-and che who
sees in the dark" struggling for
dear life in the matted under
growth.
Her vivid imagination had al
ready established the identity of
the man who now faced the hero Of
her romance. BEHIND her she heard
Dawson strike a match and puff
strenuously at his pipe, And then,
through the nebulous smoke haze,
the three principal figures at the
top end of the long label stood out
in bold relief from the surging
background of negligible.
In a moment of time the thing
happened. The man opposite Pen
nington slid a yellow hand toward
the Chinaman in the horn specta-
cles, as if trying to pass him the
something over which the powerful
fingers were closed. Like a flash
Pennington arm shot out, sending
coins climbing to the dusty boards,
scattering little heaps of paper
money like autumn leaves in a sud
den gust, Swift as the movement
had been, the action of the listless
oriental who presided was quicker.
The mysterious package-wrapped
in broad green leaf secured by
strands of twisted bamboo-van-
ished into some hidden pocket be-
meath the wide-sleeved jacket. A
score Of swarthy forms leaped to
their feet-and Pennington was
lost to view in a writing, swaying
circle above which flashed a forest
of naked blades.
WED better get out of this,
said Dawson at Monica's elbow.
AS his arm slipped through hers
she cast one last glance into the
seething den. The circle dissolved
into the form of an Irregular horse
shoe She saw the central figure
stagger back, the horn spectacles
slipping from his face, saw the long
arm of the powerful-built oriental
outstretched, the index-finger elo.
quent of a hoarse denuneiation that
was lost in the tumult of voices
and caught the CLINT of the blue
barrel Of an automatic. Penning
ton swung completely round on one
heel, his pistol sending his antagon