Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-05-14


she informed him. "Insufferably
rude"
at seems have no choice" return
ed the stranger CURLY. Judging by
the way you treat your servants, II
seems that politeness gets nowhere
with you. Just now listened to your
courier, patiently and politely warn
ing YOU of an undeniable danger. You
struck him for his pains"
Anne, for the first time in her we'll
ordered life, felt trifle bewildered.
That mouth set beneath close-trim-
med black mustache, was so dreadful
Nv harsh and masterful. She subcon-
sciously wondered where he had got
the long white scar that obliquely
traversed his jaw.
Her cheeks flaming in indignation
as words failed her completely, she
attempted to brush by into the for
hidden SIOUX. Quite gently, but none
the less firmly, that amazing man of
bronze restrained her. Once more
her sunshade whirled up, but the
Americans hand shot out and picked
it from her fingers in an instant. mo
you DON'T" he murmured. "Save that
for people who dare not oppose you."
From behind came low laugh.
Anne wheeled to be further enraged
by the sight of a colossal black man
laughing heartily. The negro was al
so in a cast-of shooting coat and rag
ged shorts; he appeared to be a SER
want of the grey-eyed mans.
Anne remained frozen in astonish-
ment. Never in her life had she be-
held a more brutal or savage counte-
nance. The Senegalese's teeth, reveal
ed by his grin of amusement, had been
4 filed to innumerable sharp points,
giving his mouth ferocious, canine
expression. On his shiny black fore
head was triple row of tribal scars,
set like an inverted sergeant's chew
rons above the bridge of very broad,
flat nose. In this singular characters
right ear tinkled and glittered no less
than three small golden earrings, one
set above the other. In the left ear
was fixed the brass case of an empty
.45-caliber cartridge, and above the
negroes close-cropped kinky hair was
perched the vivid chechie of an ortho-
dox Mohammedan.
With ne little effort, Anne Cleeves
was able to resume her composure,
furious at the mirth of the black man.
"By what right" she demanded of
the impressive figure before her, "do
you take it upon yourself to tell me
where l should and should not go?
I've always done what l wanted
where. l wanted-and how wanted
and do not propose to have you make
an exception to that rule
. unfortunately, there's very good
, and sufficient reason" he informed
her, and deliberately folded his arms
, gazing down at her with mirthless
smile. "Down the SIOUX you so un
reasonably wish to go, lie the brothels
the gambling bells and the hangout:
. of the worst characters in this par
of Africa. If you had gone dow
+ there, it's positive fact you'd never
have come out except in a condition
+ you'd not face white people,"
. In spite of the evident truth of his
, statement, Anne stood glaring petu
: lantly at him, waiting for the inevi
table reaction her beauty would sure
! ly precipitate. But to her dismay
9 the big stranger continued his warn
ing in a level, deep voice which wa
e without a trace of emotion of an.
4 kind.
"You see, if you did persist in goin,
down there-it would be my painful
4 duty to so inform the French authori
ties. The troops would be ordere
, into the SIOUX and there'd be som
q nasty fighting in which valuabl
: French lives would be lost. YOU
4 agree that's a pretty high price
v pay to crafty a whim?"
With sunlit whirl of her short flu
% skirt, she stepped quite close to hir
II and raised her face until the sunligE
n. revealed it's perfection to the last d.
n -blue-veined eyelids, long, cur
ing eyelashes and the temptation
n. her alluring curved lips, bidding fl
ID homage. Never since she was a Ii
,e tie spindle-legged girl had she faile
ir to charm all men to her capriciol
,e will. Confidently, she expected tt
i not unhandsome stranger to numb
an awkward apology, with perhaps
h. offer to escort her wherever she lis
he ed to go. She felt his eyes studyiI
be her. A little smile of prematu
, ., triunnnh curvad har Inns