The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, April 08, 1915, Image 7
i A *
I Parrot |
| & Co. I
II Harold MacGratli |
V ??Will "IBM! ..JU .11 . il.UUJ,? | |
I Author of |
I 'TheCnrpet rVoxti naadad," l|
I The Plu.ce of Honey moouo," B 5
I Ktc# \ \
k 1 v..it. .iuxmstw*
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTKR 1?Warrington, nn American
adventurer, and Juint s, hla servant, with
a caged parrot, the trio known up and
down tho Irrawaddy ua Parrot St Co.,
travel along tho road to tho landing,
bound for Rangoon to cash a draft for
8W.OOO rupees.
CHAPTER IT?Klsn Chetwood, rich
American girl tourist, sees Warrington
coma aboard the boat at tlies landing and,
amused at his likeness to her (lanco,
t Arthur Ellison, asks the purser to liitro>
ouce her. Conservative English passeng*
ers are shocked at her breach of the conVonflnnallM..a
CHAPTER III ? The purser tells Elsa
that Warrington, tins outcast adventurer,
has beaten a syndicate and sold his oil
Clo'ms for ?20,000. Warrington puts
Rajah, the parrot, through Ids tricks for
Elsa and warns her against acquaintance
with unknown adventurers?himself, in
fact.
CHAPTER IV?Warrington and Elsa
pass two golden days together on the
river. Martha, Tulsa's companion, warns
her thak there Is gossip.
CHAPTER V?Tn Rangoon Warrington
banks his draft, pays old debts, and while
Beftling tvith James in ids old lodgings
overhears and interferes in a row over
cards in the next room.
i CHAPTER VI? vVirrington finds that
^ the row in the next room is caused by an
enemy, imowcM Craig. and threatens to
shoot him unless he leaves town. Elsa
goes for a walk with Martha. Is annoyed
by Craig and stahs him with a hatpin.
Warrington bids Rlsa good-by. She does
not tell him that she Is to sail on the
same ship for Singapore.
CHAPTER VII?Martha writes to Arthur
Ellison of the rapidly growing
friendship between Rlsa and the outcast
American adventurer. Warrington dis
covers Rlsa on the Singapore steamer and
. realizes his hopeless love and his duty to
1 protect her against himself. Rlsa tells
him of her engagement.
CHAPTER VIII ? Warrington avoids
Rlsa. who thinks he may be ill and makes
Inquiries, regardless of the misinterpretation
of her concern. Crulg is aboard, is
warned by Warrington, and calls him
. Paul, so letting bhn know that his chivi
nlry and loyally of ten years before have
lV gone for nothing.
CHAPTER JX-Warrington ceases to
avoid Rlsa.. Craig stirs up evil gossip.
' Rlsa tells Warrington of the hatpin inci:
dent and he hunts up Craig, on murder
J bent, only to find him stretched out drunk
/ on deck.
U CHAPTER X?Warilngton turns tho
11 hos<> on Craig. lie toils Rlsa that he is
J) a man under a cloud and to i < avoided,
r hut Rlsa refuses. She gets the cut direct
from society passengers.
^
CHAPTER XT?At Penang Mallow, who
drove Warrington from his plantation
when he learned his story, comes aboard
Warrington tells Rlsa that Maloiw and
' Craig both will tell that he spent money
that did not belong to him over the gam'
bling table to Craig, and asks her not to
sneak in Hl?ii i^'iin
? * vv
CHAPTER XT T?Mallow baits Craig,
^ who keeps Ills temper. At Singapore Elsa
k calls on her fat bar's old friend the American
consul general. Mallow also rails
and relates the steamer gossip about Elsa.
CHAPTER XTTT?Wnrrlngton calls on
the consul general atid sends a cable to
the Andes Construetion company, offering
to restore the stolen money if they will
lift the ban. Elsa defends Warrington to i
the consul general, who is dubious.
Y CHAPTER XTV?Elsa dines at the jonf
sul general's and meets the old English
colonel who cut her on the ship. He apol- i
ogizos, talks with her ahout conventional
society rules and tells her that WnrringI
ton's real name is Paul Ellison.
\ CHAPTER XV?Bribed by Mallow and
Craig. a Chinaman robs Wnrrlngton of
his letter of credit at the hotel.
/ CHAPTER XVT?Awake and brooding
/ over the astounding knowledge that Paul
Ellison is her flaneo's brother, Elsa bears
the struggle in Warrington's room and. .
y going into the hall, finds the letter of |
r credit where the thief in his flight has j
l> dropped it.
'' CHAPTER XVTT?Warrington, or EUIeon,
is cabled that lie can come home, lie
I looks up Mallow and Craig and soundly
whips them both.
1 CHAPTER XV1TT?Flsa writes a letter
to her fiance, telling him what she lias
f discovered, and one to Ellison, calling him
to her, but finds that ho has gone uwuy.
She goes in search ot him.
CHAPTER XIX? Paul Ellison wanders,
back to New York, is re-engaged as construction
engineer by the Andes Construction
company, and goes homo to his mother
and brcP
"Hut," Mallow went on, "if you're
wanting a little argument that doesn't
require pencils or voices, why, you're
/ on. You don't object to my friend
Craig coming along?"
"On the contrary, he'll make a good
witness of what happens."
i "The chit, boy!" Mallow paid the
reckoning. "Now, then, come on. Three
L rickshaws!" he culled.
The barren plot of ground back of
I' thft d r>c If woo itnanrfnS I
? ? w ^wv?? Tl MU VCUl M' ?l I
1 jumped from his rickshaw and divested
himself of his coat and flung his
hat beside it. Gleefully as a boy Malj
low did likewise. Warrington then
bade the coolies to move back to the
(road.
"Rounds?" inquired Mallow.
"You filthy scoundrel, you know
tf very well there won't be any rules to
i this game. Don't you think I know
you?" Warrington rolled up his
sleeves and was pleased to note the
dull color of Mallow's face. He wanted
to rouse the brute in the man, then
he would have him at his mercy. "I
i swore four years ago that I'd make
you pay for that night."
"You scum!" roared Mallow*, "you'll
never be a whole man when they
carry you away from here."
"Wait and see."
Ob the way to the dock Warrington !
had mapped out his campaign. Fair
play from either of thesdrmen was not
to be entertained for a moment. One
waft naturaliv a brute and the other
I'" " ' ;
tat? at any means to defeat him. And :
he kuew what defeat would mean at ]
their hands--disfigurement. probably.
"Will you take a shilling for your
ifty quid?" jeered Craig. Ho was goins
to enjoy this, for he had not the
least doubt as to the outcome. Mallow
was without superior in a rough
and tumble light.
Warrington did not reply. 'He
walked cautiously toward APallow.
This ^maneuver brought Craig within
reach. It was not a fair blow, but
Warrington delivered it without tho
least compunction. It struck Craig
squarely on tho jaw. Lightly as a cat
Warrington jumped back. Craig's
knees doubled under him and he
toppled forward 011 his face.
"Now, Mallow, you and I alone, with
no 0110 to jump 011 my back when I'm
looking elsewhere!"
Mallow,, appreciating the trick,
swore foully, and rushed. Warrington
jabbed with li!s left and sidestepped.
One thing ho must do and that was to
keep Mallow frpm getting into close
quarters. Tho copra grower was moro
than lifs match in the knowledge of
thoso ori< ntal devices that usually
crlnplo a man for life. He must wear
him down scientifically; ho must do
pond upon his ring generalship. In
his youth Warrington had been a skillful
boxer. He could now back this
skill with rugged health and a blow
that had a hundred and eighty pounds
behind it.
Prom ordinary rage Mallow fell into
a frenzy; and frenzy never won a ring
battle. Time after time he endeavored
to grapple, but always that left
stopped him. Warrington played for
his face, and to each jab he added a
:aunt. "That for the little Singalese!"
'Count that one for Wheedon's broken
knees!" "And wouldn't San admire
that? Kemember her? The little Japanese
girl whose thumbs you broke?"
"Uoi'o'ti nti? f/ii- mnl" If nr....
. ^ u . .... ?w? ...v^. 11 11 ?a uui Ui&- |
nificd, but Warrington stubbornly refused
to look back upon this day
either with shame or regret. Jab-jab.
cut and slash! went the left. There
was no more mercy in the mind back
of it than might be found in the sleek
felines who stalk-. <1 the jungles north.
Doggedly Mallow fought on, hoping
for his chance. He tried every trick
he knew, but ho could only get so
near. The ring was as wide as the
world; there were no corners to make
grappling a possibility.
Some of his desperate blows got
through. The bezel of his ring laid
open Warrington's forehead. He was
brave enough, but he began' to realize
that this was not the same man he
had turned out into the night four
years ago. And the pain and ignominy
he had forced upon others was
now being returned to him. Warrington
would have prolonged the battle
had he not seen Craig getting dizzily
to h?s feet. It was time to end it. He
feinted swiftly. Mallow, expecting a
body blow, dropped his guard. Warrington,
as he struck, felt the bones
in his hand crack. Mallow went over
upon his back, fairly lifted off his feet.
He was tough; an ordinary man would
have died.
"I believe that squares accounts,"
said Warrington, speaking to Craig.
"If you hear of me in America, in Europe,
anywhere, keep away from the
places where I'm likely to go. Tell
vm fMf
.
He Remained Dumb.
him," with an indifferent jerk of his
head toward the insensible Mallow,
? ? * ~ 1 1 Ui JL.1. T , , .. .
tuii mm inaL i give mm tnat nrty
pounds with the greatest good pleasure.
Sorry I can't wait."
He trotted back to his rickshaw,
wiped the blood from his face, put on
his hat and coat, and ordered the respectful
coolie to hurry back to town.
He never saw Mallow or Craig again.
The battle itself became a hazy incident.
In life affairs of this order generally
have abrupt endings.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Two Letters.
And all that day Elsa had been
waiting patiently to hear sounds of
Warrington in the next room. Never
could she recall such long, weary
hours. Time and again she changed
a piece of ribbon, a bit of lace, and
twice she changed her dress, all for
f nn?M\AOA AP ? 1'1^? L ?- ??
viivj |nu i;uoo ui iiianillg lUO IIUUI'H pHbH
more quickly. Whenever Martha approached
Elsa told her that she
v.anted nothing, that she was headncliy,
and wanted to be left alone.
Discreetly Martha vanished.
To prevent the possibility of missing
him, Elsa had engaged the room
boy to loiter about downstairs and to
? Vf
report to her the moment Warrington
arrived. The boy came pattering up
at a quarter to six.
"llo come. He downside. 1 go, he
come topside?"
"No. That will be all."
The following ten minutes tested
her patience to the utmost. Presently
the heard the banging of a trunk lid.
Ho was thero. What was she going
to say to him? The trembling that
struck at her knees was wholly a new
sensation. Presently the tremor died
away, but It left her weak. She stepped
toward his door and knocked gently
on the jamb.
She heard something click as it
struck the floor. (It was Warrington's
cutty, which he had carried for
seven years, now in smithereens.)
She saw a hand, raw knuckled and
bleeding slightly, catch at the curtain I
and ?wlng it back upon its rings.
"Miss Chctwood?" he said.
"Yes . . . Oh, you've been hurt!"
lie exclaimed, noting the gash upon
his forehead. A strip of tissue paper
(in lieu of court plaster) lay soaking
upon that wound- a trick learned in
the old days when razors grew dull
overnk ht.
"Ilurt? Oh, I ran against something
when i wasn't looking," he explained
lamely. Then he added eagerly: "i
did not know that you were 0:1 this
gallery? First time I've put up at a
hotel in years." It did l.ot serve.
"You have been fighting! Your
hand.'"
He looked at the hand dumbly. Ilow
keen her eyes were.
"Was it . . . Mallow? Did you
. . . whip him?"
"I . . . did," imitating her tone
and hcsitance. It was the wisest
thing be could have done, for it relaxed
the nerves of both of them.
H'.sa smiled, smiled and forgot the
substance of all her rehearsals, forgot
the letter of credit, warm with the
heat of her heart. "I am a pagan,"
she confessed.
"And I am a barbarian. T ought to
be horribly ashamed of myself."
"Tint you are not?"
For a moment their eyes drew. Hers
were like dark whirlpools, and he felt
himself drifting helplessly, irresistibly.
iJ*% drooped his hands upon the
railing and gripped; the illusion of
fighting a current was almost real to
nim. Every fiber in his body erled out
against the struggle.
"No, not in the least," be said, looking
toward the suiu-ot. "Fighting is
riff-raff business, and I'm only a riffraffer
at best."
"Rather, aren't yon Paul Ellison,
brother, twin brother, of the man I
said I was going home to marry?"
How far away her voice seemed!
The throb in bis forehead and the dull
ache ov< r his heart, where some ol
the sledge hammer blows had gone
home, he no longer felt
"Don't deny it. It would be useless.
!\ nnwinp vnnr hrntlior u a I who
could doubt it?"
He remained dumb.
"I couldn't understand, just simply
couldn't. They never told me; in all
the years I have known them, in all
the years I have partly made their
home my own, there was nothing. Not
a trinket. Once I saw a camera picture.
1 know now why Arthur snatched
it from my hand. It was you. You
were bonding over an engineer's tripod.
Even now I shoujd have doubted
had I not recalled what you said one
day on board, that you had built
bridges. Arthur couldn't build anything
stronger then an artist's easel.
You are Paul Ellison."
"I am sorry you found out." j
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to be no more
than an incident in your life, just
Parrot & Co."
"Parrot & Co.!" !
It was like a caress; but be was too
dull to sense it, and she was unconscious
of the inflection. The burning
sunshine gave to his hair and beard
the glistening of ruddy gold. Her
imagination, full of unsuspected poetry
at this moment, clothed him in the
metals of a viking. There were other ,
whirlpools besides those in her eyes, j
but Elsa did not sense the drifting as j
he had done, it was insidious.
"An incident," she repeated.
"Could I be more?" with sudden
fierceness. "Could I be any more in 1
any woman's life? I take myself for
what I am, but the world will always 1
take me for what I have done. Yes, j
I am Paul Ellison, forgotten, 1 hope,
by all those who knew me. Why did |
you seek me that night? Why did ,
you come into my life to make bitterness
become despair? The blackest j
kind of despair. Elsa Chetwood, |
Elsa! . . . Well, the consul is
right. I am a strong man. I can go I
out of your life, at least physically, j
I can say that I love you, and 1 can
add to that good-by!"
He wheeled abruptly and went
quickly down the gallery, bareheaded,
without any destination in his mind,
with only one thought, to leave her
before he lost the last shreds of his
self-control.
It was then that Elsa knew her
heart. She had spoken truly. She
>wih a pagan?ror, nad he turned and
held out his hands, she would have
gone to him, gone with him, anywhere
in the world, lawfully or unlawfully.
Elsa sang. When Martha came to
help her dress for dinner she still
sang. It was a wordless song, a melody
that every human heart contains
and which finds expression but once.
Elsa loved.
Doubt, that arch-enemy of love and
faith and hope, doubt had spread its
dark pinions and flown away into yesterdays.
Khe felt the zest and exhilaration
of a bird just given its freedom.
Once she slipped from Martha's
cunning hands and ran out upon the
gallery.
"Elea, your waist!"
Klsa laughed sud held out her bar**
ami8 to the faded sky where, but a
little while since, the sun had burned
a pathway down the world. All in an
hour, one small trifling space of time,
this wonderful, magical thing had
happened. He lovt d her. There had
been hunger for her in his voice, in
his blue eyes. Presently she was going
to make him feel very sorry that
he had not taken her in his arms, I
then and there.
"Elsa, what In mercy's name possesses
you?"
"I am mad, Martha, mad as a March
hare, whatever that is!" She loved, t
"People will think so, if they happen
to come along and see that waist.
Please come instantly and let me finish
hooking it. You act like you did
when you were ten. You never would
stand still."
"Yes, and I remember how you used
to yank my pigtails. I haven't really |
foifeivun you yet."
"1 believe it's going home that's the
matter with you. Well, 1 for one shall
bo glad to leave this horrid country.
Chinsivion pvnwwlioro tn
v, ^ vt v, in j viii i 4 v; \ 11111
at your table, und< r your feet. And in
the streets, Chinamen and .Malays and
Hindus, and 1 don't know what ether
outlandish races and tribes. \\ ny,
what's all this?" cri. d Martha, beiulj
ins to the iloor.
Elsa ran back to the room. She
pave a little gasp when she saw what
it was that Martha was holding out
for her Inspection. It was Warrington's
letter of credit. She had totally
forgotten its existence. Martha could
not hell) seeing it. Elsa explained
frankly what it was and how it had
come into her possession. Martha
was horrified. 1
"Elsa, they might have entered
your room; and your jewels lying
about everywhere! llow could you bo
so careless?"
"Hut they didn't. I'll return this to
Mr. Warrington in the morning; perhaps
tonight, if 1 see him at dinner."
"lie was in the next room, and we
never knew it!" The tinal hock
snapped in place. "Well, Wednesday
our boat leaves;" as it' this i:ut a
period to all further discussion anent
Mr. Par*ot & Co. Nothing very sor!
ous could happen helween that tin:**
and now.
"Wednesday night." TOlsa hcran to
sin:' again, but not so joyously. Tito
petty things of every-day life were
j lifting their heads once more, and of
i lit c< ssity she must recognize tin m
! She sat at the consul general's table,
informally. There was gay inconsequential
chatter, an exchange of recollections
and comparisons of cities
and countries they had visited at sopj
urate times; but. neither she nor he
mentioned tlie chief subject of their
i thoughts. She retrained because of a
strange yet natui:. 1 shyness of a
S woman who has found h< rsclf; and
ho, because from 1:is angle of vision
it was host that Warrington should
! pass out of her life as suddenly and
1 mysteriously as he had entered it.
Had he spoken frankly he would have
saved Hlsa many a hitter heartache,
? many a weary day.
Warrington was absent, and so were
his enemies. If there was any truth
in reincarnation Elsa was confident
i that in the splendid days of Home she
had beaten her pink palms in applause
of the gladiators. Pagan; she
was all of that; for she knew that she
could have looked upon Mallow's face
i with more than ordinary interest.
Nevermore would her cheeks burn at
the recollection of the man's look.
In her room, later, she wrote two
j letters. The one to Arthur covered
several pages; the other consisted of
a single line. She went down to the
cflice, mailed Arthur's letter and left
| the note in Warrington's kev box U
was not an intentionally cruel letter
tflie had written to tiio man in America;
but it' siie bad striven toward
that effect she could not have achieved
it more successfully. She cried out
a {rain st the way he had treated his
brother; the false pride that had hidden
all knowledge of him from her.
Where were the charity and mercy
of which he had so often preached?
Pages of burning reproaches which
seared the soul of the man who read
them. She did not confide the state of
her heart. It was not necessary. The
arraignment of the one and the defense
of the other were sufficiently
illuminating.
Soundly the happy sleep. She did
not hear the removal of Warring- ]
ton's luggage at midnight, for it was
stealthily done. Neither did she hear
the fretful mutter of the bird as his |
master disturbed his slumbers. Nothing
warned her that he intended to
spend the night on board; that, having
paid his bill early in the evening,
her note might have lain in the key
box until the crack of doom, so far as
he was likely to know of its existence.
No angel of pity whispered to her,
Awake! No dream magic people tell
about drew for her the picture of the
man she loved, pacing up and down
the cramped deck of the packet boat,!
fighting a battle compared to which
that of the .afternoon was play. Elsa
slept on, dreamless.
When she awoke in the morning she I
ran to the mirror?all this fresh j
beauty she was going to give to him, j
without condition, without reserva-'
tion, absolutely. She dressed quickly,
singing lowly. Fate makes us the happiest
when she is about to crush us.
Usually she had her breakfast
served in the joom, but this morning
she was determined to go downstairs.
She was excited; she brimmed with
exuberance; she wanted Romance to
begin at once.
"Good morning," she greeted the j
consul general, who was breakfasting !
alone.
"Well, you're an early bird!" he re-1
t IHfll
plied. By the way. our romantic Parrot
& t o. have gone."
"Con??" Klsa stared at him.
"Yes. Sailed fcr Saigon at dawn,
and I am rather glad to see hi in ;;o.
1 was afraid ho might interest you too
much. Good heavens. Klsa, wbat is
the matter?"
"No. no! Don't touch me. I'm not
tlie fainting kind. Did you know las*,
night that lie was gojng ."
"Yes."
"I shall never forgive you. Never,
never! You knew and did not tell
me. Do you know who Paul Kllison
is? He is the brother of the man
at home. You knew he was stealing
away and did not U 11 me."
She could not have made (lie truth
any plainer to him. Ho sat back in
his chair, stunned, voiceless.
"I am going to my room," she said. I
"Do not follow. Please net as if nothing
had happened."
He saw her walk bravely the length
of the dining-room, out into the office.
What a misfortune! Argument was
out of the quest ion. F.'sa was n * ;w
child, to be reasoned with. She. was a
woman, and she had come to a woman's
understanding of her heart. To
place before her the true angles of
the case, the heartless banishment
from the world she knew, the re-ret
which would bo hers later, no matter
bow much she loved the man. ... 1
He pushed back his chair, leaving his
coffee untasted.
He possessed the deep understanding
of the kindly heart, and his one I
thought was Elsa's future happim^s.
Could he save her from the day when
she would learn Romance had come
from within? No. All he could do (
was to help find the man.
j He sent five cablegrams to Saigon,
to the consulate, to the principal hotels?the
most difficult composition he
had ever attacked. Hut because he
had forgotten to send the sixth to
meet the packet boat, against the possibility
of Warrington chancing his
mind and not land'ng, his labor was
thrown to the winds.
Meantime Rlsu stopped at the office
desk. "1 left a note for Mr. Warrington
v lu> has gone to Saigon. 1 see
it. in his key box. Will yon please return
it me ?"
The clerk did o<>t liwitn?n <-?.>
- " \ V OH 111*
Btant. Ho gYavely returned the note
ro her, marveling at her paleness.
Elsa crutdicd I lie note in her hand and
moved toward the stairs, wondering
if she could reach her room before she
broke down utterly, lie had gone Ho
had gone without knowing that all
he wanted In life was his for the talcing.
in her room she opened the ne'e
and through blurred vision read what
she had so happily inscribed the
night before "Paul?I love you. Coiuo
to me. Hlsa." She had written it,
unashamed.
She fiimg herself upon the bed and
there Martha found her.
"Idsa. child, what is It?" Martha
cried, kneeling beside the bed. "Child,
what, lias happened?"
Klaa oat up, seined Martha by tho
shoulders and stared into the faithful
eyes. "Well, 1 love this man Warrington
and he loves me. But he has
gone. Can't yon see? Don't you understand?
Have you been as blind as
1? He is Paul Hllison, Arthur's
brother, his twin brother. And they
obliterated him. It is Arthur who is,I
the ghost. Martha, the phantom. All.
I have caused ycu a good deal of
worry, and 1 am going to cause you
trnf ? '-v T 1 A ^ *
invjitT. i uui going 10 saigon; up
and down the world, east and west,
until 1 find him. Shall I go alone,
or will you go with me?"
Then Martha did what ever after en- j
den red her to the heart of the stricken
girl?she mothered her. " 101 sa, my ,
baby! Of course I shall go with you,
always For you could not love any i
man if he was not worthy."
Then followed the strangest quest 1
doubtless ever made by a woman, j
From Singapore to Saigon, up to j
Bangkok, down to Singapore again;!
to Bate via, over to Hongkong, Shang- j
hai, Pekin, Manila, Hongkong again. |
then Yokohama. Patient and hopeful, l
Elsa followed the bewildering trail
She left behind her many puzzled ho
tol managers and booking agents; foi
it was not usual for a beautiful young
woman to go about the world, inquiring
for a blond man with a parrot
Sometimes she was only a day late
Many cablegrams she sent, but upon
her arrival in each port she found
1 that these had not been called for.
I Over these heart-breaking disappointments
she uttered no complaint. The
world was big and wide; be it never
1 so big and wide, 10 Is a knew that some
1 day she would find him.
I Tn the daytime th^re was tlie quest;
but, ah! the nights, the interminable
hours of inaction, the spaces of time
in which she could only lie back and
think. Up and down the coasts, across
islands, over seas, the journey took
her, until one day in July she found
herself upon the pillared veranda of
the house in which her mother liad
been born.
I ________
CHAPTER XIX.
The Two Brothers.
From port to port, sometimes not
stepping off the boat at all, moody,
restless and irritable, Warrington
wended his way borne. There was
nothing surprising in the fact that
ne never inquired for mall. Who was
there to write? besides, he sought
only tho obsouro hotels, where he
was not likely to meet any of his erstwhile
fellow passengers. Tho mockery
and uselessness of his home-going
became more and more apparent as
the days slipped by. Often he longed
to fly back to the jungles, to James,
and leave matters as they were. Here
and there, along the way, he had tried
a bit of luxury; but the years of econ
.oiny and frugality had robbed him of
the nullity to enjoy it. lie was going
heme ... to what? Surely there
v/cuifj bo no welcome for him at his
Jpurnoy'a end. He would return arter
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"I A?n Coi:.g to My Room"
the manner ef pr digals in general,
not scriptural, to find that lie was not
want'(1. Of 1 i: own free will he had
gone out of tin ir lives.
He fought grimly against the
thought of Elsn; but he was not
strong enough to vanquish the longings
from his heart and mind. Always
when alone she war :n frney with him,
now smiling amusedly h.Uo his face,
now peering down, at the phosphorescence
sri thing am; ..side, now standing
with her chin uplifted, her eyes
half shut, letting the strong wind3
stnke her full in the face. Many a
good-night" he rent over the seas.
An ok Went; that would be all.
His tirst day .n New York left him
with nothing :a.re than a feeling of
foreboding and oop-v-sH >n. The expet
ted e-.'nilnruti n < f returning to the
city of his birth did no?. materialize.
iSo uwd co open i .mos was he, to dis
tarmes and I ho < ir- of horizons, that
ho know lie no h. ? v belonged to tho
city with its ti n. . i; at gorges and
canyons, whoso tc rents wore human
beings and whos .:huiers were thtSf
hearts dr tnes'G. A ivm toheiiness
bore dovn on him For months he
had been drawing familiar pictures,
and to find none of these was like coming
home to an ei .. 'y house. The old
, life was indeed gone; there were no
j threads to resume. A hotel stood
where his oiub had been; the house in
which ho had spent his youth was no
more, lie wanted to have the city;
and I he desire was v itii ditiiculty ovcrcome.
Karly the second morning ho started
downtown to the i ) m-s ol' the Andes
Construction company. I-le was cxtraoj'dinarilv
in v . c. Cold sweat continually
moistt rmd kin palms. Change,
change, everywhere change; Trinity
was iilce an old friend. When the ta>:?
cab driver threw off the power and
indicated with a jerk of his head a
firi'iiiif snr.n iiu\t soareu up into tho
blue, Warrington asked: "What p. ice
is this?"
"The Aiuirs building, sir The construction
company occupies the top
floor."
"Very pood." replied Warrington,
paving itnc) discharging the man.
From a reliquary of the Thilch, an
affair of red brick, four stories high, x
this monolith bad sprung. With a sigh
Warrington entered the cavernous
doorway and stepped inio.an "express
elevator." When the car arrived at
the twenty-second story, Warrington
was alone, lie pa. -.ed before the door
of tl;e vice-president, lie recalled tho
"old man," thln-llpi c d, blue eyed, cropM
W vss
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ti mm wi feif:
i ^ r t i '' i
"A Man Like You Wasn't Made for
Idleness."
tive. Tt was all very strange, this request
to make the restitution in person.
Well ho would soon learn why.
He drew the certified check from
his wallet and scrutinized it carofully.
Twelve thousand, eight hundred dollars.
He replaced it, opened tho door,
and walked in. A boy mot him at tho
railing and briskly inquired his business.
"1 have an appointment with Mr.
Elmore. Tell him that Mr. Ellison is
here."
The boy returned promptly and*Bignlflcd
that Mr. Elmore was at liberty.
But It was not the "old man" who
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