Evening star., 1923-07-22


woman-a big Amazonian person with
a masculine stride. Her face was red
from a, scornful defiance to the trop-
ical sun and a wholesome contempt
for powder or cold cream. yet her
dress was gi-l.sh and Summery. and
in her arms nestled the fuzziest of lit
tie white poodles. Her voice. too
and il sounded strangely out of place
when coming from such huge. pow
erful body-was as sweet and honey
ed as that of a. sixteen-year-old fap-
per.
CHE was Mrs. Rooney, she said, and
she came from nowhere in par
ticular. Ever since Rooney died-it
seems he had an athletic heart from
wrestling and boxing and putting the
shot and throwing the discus and one
thing or another-she had simply wan
dered about the world, spending
Rooney's money, seeking new expert
ences and new sensations.
She herself. she explained. was ath-
letic. She slept always in the open
air. walked Ave miles every morning
before breakfast and just dotted upon
calisthenics; to prove the latter state
ment she began 20 stride up and
down the deck, exercising her ham
like arms to the count OF "one, two
one. two"
But you should have seen Rooney
she told me. MY. but there was a
man for you! Six feet three in his
socks and strong as an OK, Rooney
could pick me up in one hand and
shake me till I begged for mercy. I
couldn't have loved any man that
couldn't do that"
Even Sniffies, her poodle. was ath-
letic. Not now. of course. for Sniffles
was growing old. But in his prime,
that was a dog! My. what dog! He
could chase cats and kill mice and
bark at burglars just like any other
Somehow. Mrs. Rooney made me feel
insignificant, probably because I'm
only FIVE feet six In my shoes and
even less in my socks. But the poet
admired her vastly.
Fine big woman" he said. Fine
big woman
The captains invitation to occupy
first-class cabin did not include first
class meals. but we purchased cocoa
nuts and bananas at ports along the
river. and, finally. at the end of
long, hot day. the poet and l retired
to our berths prepared to enjoy
really comfortable nights rest.
1t was a hetic night. The sight of
the poet. sleeping contentedly In his
own bunk and snoring the snores of
the just. undisturbed by the mos
quitoes, which were infuriating me,
added to my annoyance.
i began to wonder whether 1 might
go insane. But there was one thing
that saved me. 1t was a beetle-a
large black beetle. with long horns
which had somehow found its way
into the berth. My first impulse was
to kill him; then 1t occurred to me
that he also might be after the mos
quitoes.
-A
A ND finally, at the end Of several
hours, the beetle and had slain
every mosquito under the net. The
beetle ecrawled upon the pillow beside
me. 1 sighed contentedly.
Just then. from the deck outside.
there sounded scream-a shriIl.
blood-curdling feminine scream.
Help"
1 leaped out of bed and into nv
trousers and out OF the stateroom.
all in one movement.
There stood Mrs. Rooney, struggling
In the arms of the captain and three
French passengers! She was drag
ging the four men toward the rail. IL
seemed with the intention of leaping
overheard. They threw her upon the
deck, and she rose again, breaking
Tree from them, only to be tackled and
thrown once more.
For as I rushed to join the strus-
gle, she suddenly ceased her efforts.
and collapsing upon my shoulder,
commenced to sob.
On she cried, 'the fish will eat
him! The fish will eat him! What
Snail ever do without my little pet?,
Snif1es. it appears, had waddIed to
the rail- and fallen overheard.
. The steamer was bound for Pnom
PENN, the capital Of the kingdom of
Indo-China is divided into five adj
m1nistratfve divisions-Cochin-C China.
Tongking. AMMAN. Laos and Cam
oodia. theoretically AMMAN and
Cambodia are native Kingdoms under
a French protectorate. and the native
Kings exercise unlimited authority
over their subjects-provided they ex-
ercise 1t as the French government
directs. ~
We anchored off Prom PENN at
noon of the succeeding day.
The jungle upon the shore gave
way to a strange tumble OF nipa-
thatched huts and stucco shops, and
above them rose a cluster of golden
rooted pagodas and gilded spires that
CLEANED in the sunlight as though in
laid with pearls, the temples and pal
aces Of the king, magnificently bar
barrie, delightfully."- heathenish - the
sort of temples and palaces which one
vaguely recalls having seen in the
of fairy tales. At last
we had reached the interesting part
of Indo-China. A sampan carried us
ashore.
y X y
WE had but one day in town, since
" the poet was to return down
river to Saigon upon the following