The Washington times., 1938-03-14

parents. He had liked Burma; the
! golden brown natives in their
sarongs, the medieval rusticity of
the country-terraced rice fields,
millet patches and gardens of
yams. There were thrills in Burma
for a small boy.
The missionary bishop, whom
they were visiting, told Of great
bison that roamed the fields, of
wild elephants that destroyed the
crops, Of man-eating tigers.
And that afternoon, urged on by
q small boys love of adventure,
Peter had wandered away from the
Mission House, growing bolder and
braver with every minute. He did
not think once Of danger Wntil the
sound of a low moan, more Of
pleading than Of pain, stopped him
short in his tracks. He had been
instantly terrified and yet he had
; tipped quietly-curiously-through
the tangled vines. He had come
upon a scene then that he was
never to forget.
MEMORIES
A white man In his early twen-
ties, who was also a guest at the
Mission House, stood over a small
Chinese boy who lay bent, as If
in prayer, his ccpperc colored body
glistening with sweat, his muscles
tense. Over the bare back q lash
hung like q poised snake, then
rose and fell with sickening
thrd, heavily, the tip crawling
along the spine and leaving a
hideous red cord in its stinging
wake.
The boys head lifted, his eyes
pleaded, but the white face above
only smiled through narrowed
eyes. like a gourmand who licks
, his lips before a feast. Peter had
covered his face with his hands.
He could not look; and he was
too little to interfere. He heard
the terrible means, the swift,
brutal cracking of the whip
faster and faster now. drowning
out the anguished cries.
Then the white man left, whis-
ting softly, and Peter hurried to
the boy-to that small, bruised
mound Of bleeding meat. And
that night Peter had sat in the
bishops dining room and had
stared at the white man across
the table. He had listened to the
man wondering aloud why his
Number One boy had run away
from him.
Peter had wanted to cry out
into that room what he had seen;
to describe the brutal beating and
the cruel glow of satisfaction he
had seen on the mans face. How
ever, he didn't.
But in his child's heart Peter
Kent had said, Solemnly, passion
ately:
zone of these days I'll be grown.
thing would be t. chloroform her"
Tears sprang into Gloria's eyes,
her chin trembled. She turned to
the door and Peter, after a few
Sonewhere-Some time-I'N see
Baron Hans Won DreyfuSs again
and I'll show him how it feels to
be lashed"
CHAPTER ~
The starch-coated veterinarian
said: "It's brain conclusion. A
clot has formed. There isn't
anything I can do. The kindest
more words with the veterinarian,
followed her out into the street.
He said coldly: "Dreyfuss would
probably be delighted If he knew
Lena was going to die"
"Oh-h, mol" said Gloria quickly.
"He couldn't, Peter. He didn't
mean to kick her that hard"
"No," said Peter evenly,
guess not" But the line Of his jaw
was working again and his gray
eyes were narrowed.
l Peter dropped Gloria off at the
hotel. AS she stepped out and
stood there under the porte-coch-
ere, a small lovely girl in a blue
tweed suit that matched her eyes,
she asked gravely; How is Mrs.
Matthews, Peter? Any sign Of the
baby yet?"
Peter said: I'm on my way
there. ordered quinine and
castor oil. Thingsll be happen
ing today, I'm sure. That little
cuss, tenacious as he is, couldn't
resist that dose!"
And with a grin Peter was gone
on his way of mercy. Gloria stood
there watching him, a little puz-
zled. She suddenly remembered
that he had not mentioned Rod
ney, and yet he knew now that
she was going to marry Rodney.
She thought: "The play that ISa-
bel made for Rodney has made
Peter dislike him" She thought,
too that as time went on she'd
have to think Of something to
} bring friendship between the man
she loved and the man who was
her friend.
TOMMY WORRIED
Gloria glanced at Tommy as she
hurried to her stand to relieve the
bellboy who opened and closed her