PARROT
'(
CHAPTER I.
East la East
It began somewhere In the middle
of the world, at a forlorn landing on
the west bank of the muddy, turbu-
lent Irrawaddy, remembered by man
only ao often as it was necessary for
the flotilla boat to call for paddy, a
visiting commissioner anxious to get
way, or a family homeward bound
Oa the east side of the river, over
there, was a semblance of civilization
That is to say, men wore white linen,
avoided murder, and frequently paid
their gambling debts. But on this
west side stood wilderness, not the
kind one reads about as being eventu
ally conquered by white men; no, the
real grim desolation, where the ax
eats but leaves no blaze, where the
pioneer disappears and few or none
follow. It was not the wilderness of
the desert, of the jungle; rather the
tragic, hopeless state of a settlement
that neither progressed, retarded nor
stood still.
Between the landing and the settle
ment itself there stretched a winding
road, arid and treeless, perhaps two
miles In length. It announced dell
nltely that its end was futility. The
dust hung like a fog above It, not only
for this day, but for all days between
the big rains. When the gods, or the
elements, or Providence, arranged the
world as a fit habitation for man, In
dia and Burma were made the dust
bins. And as water finds its levels,
so will dust, earthly and human, the
quick and the dead.
Along the road walked two -men,
phantomlike. One saw their heads
dimly and still more dimly their bodies
to the knees; of legs there was noth
ing visible. Occasionally they stepped
aside to permit some bullock cart to
pass. One of them swore, not with
any evidence of temper, not viciously,
bnt in a kind of mechanical protest,
which, from long usage, had become a
habit He directed these epithets
never at anything be could by mental
or physical contest overcome. He
swore at the dust, at the beat, at the
wind, at the sun.
The other wayfarer, with the Inher
ent patience of his blood, said nothing
and waited, setting down the heavy
kit bag and the canvas valise (his
own). When the way was free again
he would sling the kit bag and the
valise over his shoulder and step back
Into the road. His turban, once white,
was brown with dust and sweat. His
khaki uniform was rent and the rag
ged canvas shoes spurted little spirals
of dnst as he walked. James Hooghly
was Eurasian; half European, half In
dian, having his place twixt heaven
and bell, which Is to say, nowhere. He
was faithful, willing and strong; and
u a carrier of burdens took unmur
muringly bis place beside the tireless
bollock and the elephant He was a
Methodist; why, no one could find lu-1
eld answer. By dint of inquiry his
master had learned that James looked
anon his baptism and conversion in
Methodism as a corporal would have
looked upon the acquisition of a V. C.
Twice, during fever and plague, he
bad saved bis master's life. With the
gallelessness of the Oriental he con
sidered himself responsible for his
master in all future times. :. Instead of
paying off a debt he had acquired one.
Treated as he was, kindly but always
firmly, he would have surrendered his
life cheerfully at the beck of the white
, Warrington was an American, He
was also one of those men who never
teld misfortune In contempt, whose
outlook wherever it roamed was tol
erant He had patience for the weak,
resolution for the strong and a fear
less amiability toward all. . He was
like the St Bernard dog, very diffi
cult to arouse. It is rather the way
with all men who are strong mentally
and physically. He was tall and broad
and deep. Under the battered pith
helmet his face was as dark as the
Eurasian's; but the eyes were blue,
bright and small pu piled, as they are
with men who live out of doors, who
are compelled of necessity to note
things moving at distances. The nose,
was . large and well .defined. . All
framed in a tangle of blond beard and
mustache which, if anything, added
to the general manliness of his ap
pearance. He, too, wore khaki, but
with the addition of tan riding leg
gings, which had seen anything but
rockinghorse service. The man was
yellow from the top of his helmet to
the soles of his shoes outside. For
the rest he was a mystery, to James,
to all who thought they knew him, and
most of all to himself. A pariah, an
outcast fugitive from the bloodless
hand of the law; a gentleman born,
once upon a time a clubman, college
bred; a contradiction, a puzzle for
which there was not any solution, not
oven in the hidden corners of the
miss's heart His name wasnt War
rl ";oa; and he had rubbed elbows
wl.i V o dregs of humanity, and still
lx ; 1 you straight In the eye because
la I 1 come through infarno without
1 " ' j any of tie foZl'.zg s'.'.JX
I i f :e ta t'T.e be p'jsei to re-
r . i ' r j ct T"' t
Copyrif M hr the Bobbs-sIsrriU Company
the tang of the smoke on his tongue;
was noi 10 do ueniea.
Under his arm he carried a small
iron cage, patterned something like
a rat trap. It contained a Rajputana
parrakeet, not much larger than a
robin, but possessor of a soul as fierce
as that of Palladln, minus, however.
the smoothing Influence of chivalry,
He had been born under the eaves of
the scarlet palace in Jaipur (so his
history ran); but the proximity of In
dian princes bad left him untouched;
he had neither chivalry, politeness,
nor diplomacy. He was, in fact, thor
oughly and consistently bad. Round
and round he went, over and over,
top side, down side, restlessly. For
at this moment he was hearing those
familiar evening sounds which no bo-
man ear can discern the mutterings
of the day birds about to seek cover
for the night In the field at the right
of the road stood a lonely tree. It
was covered with brilliant scarlet
leaves and blossoms, and Justly the
natives call it the Flame of the
Jungle. A flock of small birds were
gyrating above it
"Jah, Jah. jah! Jah Jah Ja-a-a-h!"
cried the parrot, Imitating the Bur
mese bell gong that calls to prayer.
Instantly he followed the call with a
shriek so piercing as to sting the ear
of the man who was carrying blm.
"You little son of a gun!" he
laughed; "where do yon pack away all
that noise?"
There was a strange bond between
the big yellow man and this little
green bird. The bird did not suspect
it, but the man knew. The pluck, the
pugnacity and the individuality of the
feathered comrade had been an object
lesson to the man, at a time when he
had been on the point of throwing up
the fight
"Jah, Jah, jah! Jah Jah ja-a-a-h P
The bird began Its interminable som
ersaults, pausing only to reach for the
tantalizing finger of the man, who
laughed again as he withdrew the
digit in time.
For six years he had carried the
bird with him, through India and Bur
ma and Malacca, and not yet had he
won a sign of surrender. There were
many scars on his forefingers. It was
amazing. With one pressure of his
hand he could have crushed out the
life of the bird, but over its brave, un
conquerable spirit he bad no power.
And that is why he loved it
Far away in the past they had met
He remembered the day distinctly
and bitterly. He had been on the
brink of self-destruction. Fever and
poverty and terrible loneliness- had
battered and beaten him flat into the
dust, from which this time he had no
wish to rise. He had walked out to
the railway station at Jaipur to wit
ness the arrival of the tourist train
from Ahmadabad.' The natives surged
about the train, with brassware, an
tique articles of warfare, tiger bunt
ing knives (accompanied by perennial
fairy tales), skins and silks. There
were beggars, boly men, guides and
fakirs.
Squatted in the dust before the door
of a first-class carriage was a solemn,
brown man, In turban and clout, exhib
iting performing parrots. It was Ra
jah's turn. He fired a cannon, turned
somersaults through a little steel
hoop, opened a tiny chest, took out a
four-anna piece, carried it to bis mas
ter, and in exchange received some
seed. Thereupon he waddled resent
fully back to the Iron cage, opened
the door, closed It behind him, and
began to mutter belligerently: War
rington haggled for two straight hours.
When he returned to his sordid, evil
Smelling lodgings that night he pos
sessed the. parrot and four rupees, and
sat up the greater part of the night
trying to make the bird perform hjs
tricks. The idea of suicide no longer
bothered him; trifling though it was,
he bad found an interest In life. And
on the morrow came the Eurasian,
who trustfully loaned Warrington ev
ery coin that he could scrape together.
Often, in the dreary heart-achy days
that followed, when weeks passed ere
he saw the face of a white man, when
he had to combat opium and bhang
and laziness In the natives under him,
the bird and. his funny tricks had
saved him from whisky, or worse. In
camp he gave Rajah much freedom.
Its wlsgs being clipped; and nothing
pleased the little rebel so much as
to claw his way up to his master's
shoulder, , sit there and watch the
progress of the razor, with Intermit
tent "Jawing" at his own reflection In
the cracked hand mirror.
Up and down the Irrawaddy, at the
resthouses, on the boats, to those of
a Jocmlar turn of mind the three were
known as "Parrot It Co." Warring
ton's amiability often misled the vari
ous scoundrels with whom he was at
times forced to associate. A man
who smiled most of the time and
talked Hindustani to a parrot was not
to be accorded much courtesy; until
one day Warrington had settled all
distinctions, finally and primordlaliy,
with the square of his flats. - After
teat be wer.t ca fci$ way unmolested,
t-jvlnj soun.ry to!??ieed one of t s
tv-'-t I.".: i l.i t" j t ak tlH.Lr
J! i tt I s.
I 1 1 ' 1 t f ' ; 1 s t ' 1 1 c "
by
HAROLD MACGRATH
' AUTHOR OF" . " .. .
"THE CARPET FROM '
BAGDAD' "THE PLACE OF
HONEYMOONS," ETC. 1
fldences to exchange; nor did he offer
to become the repository, of other
men's pasts. But he would share his
bread and his rupees, when he had
them, with any who asked. , Many
tried to dig Into his past but he was
as unresponsive as granite. It takes
a woman to find out what a man is
and has been, and Warrington went
about women in a wide circle. In a
way he was the most baffling kind
of a mystery to those who knew him;
he frequented the haunts of men, took
a friendly drink, played cards for
small sums, laughed and jested like
any other anchorless man. In the
East men are given curious names.
They become known by phrases, such
as. The Man Who Talks, Mr. Once
Upon a Time, The One-Rupee Man,
and the like. As Warrington never
received any mail, as he never entered
a hotel, nor spoke of the past, he be
came The Man Who Never Talked of
Home. - ':
"I say, James, old sport, no more
going up and down this bally old river.
We'll go on to Rangoon tonight If
we can find a berth."
"Yes, sahib; this business very
piffle," replied the Eurasian without
turning his head. Two things he
dearly loved to acquire a bit of
American slang and a bit of English
silver. He was Invariably changing
rupees into shillings, and Warrington
could not convince him that he was
always losing in the transaction.
They tramped on through the dust
The sun dropped. A sudden chill be
gan to penetrate the haze. - The white
man puffed his cheroot, its , wrapper
dangling; the servant bummed an
Urdu lullaby; the parrot' complained
unceasingly. '
Warrington laughed arid shdok the
dust from his beard. "It's a great
world, James, a great, wonderful
world. I've Just two rupees myself. In
other words we are busted." - -
"Two rupees!" James paused and
turned. "Why, sahib, you have three
hundred thousand rupees in .- your
pocket"
"But not worth an anna until I get
to Rangoon. Didn't those duffers give
you anything for handling their lug
gage the other day?' ;J
"Not a pice, sahib." " ' ::
"Rotters I It takes an Englishman
to turn a small trick like that Well,
well; there were extenuating circum
stances. They bad sore heads. No
man likes to pay three hundred thou
sand for something he could have
bought for ten thousand. And I made
them come to me, James, to ma. I
made them come to this, god forsaken
hole, just because it pleased my fancy.
I believe I'm beaven born, after all.
The Lord hates a quitter, and so do
L I nearly quit myself, once;' eh,
Rajah, old top? But I made them
come to me. Thafs the milk In the
cocoanut, the curry on the rice. They
almost had me. Two rupees! t It
truly is a great world."
"Jah, Jah, jah! Jah Jah Jab
ja-a-a-h!" screamed the parrot "Cha-
loo!" .
"Go on! That's the ticket If I
were a praying man this would be the
time for it Three hundred thousand
rupees!" The man looked at the far
horizon, as If he would force his gaze
beyond, Into the delectable land, the
Eden out of which he had been driven.
"James, I owe you three hundred ru
pees, and I am going to add seven
hundred more. ' We've been fighting
this old top for six years together, and
you've been a good servant and a good
friend; and I'll take you with me as
far as this fortune will go, If you say
the word." V :v V- M1'-'
"Ah, sahib, I am much sorry. But
Delhi calls, and I go. A thousand ru
pees will make much business for me
in the Chandney Chowk."
Presently they became purple shades
in a brown world. "
CHAPTER II. , ; ;',
M A Man With a Past
The oriental night air was stiiiess.
It was without refreshment; it became
a labor and not an exhilaration to
breathe It A pall of suffocating dust
rolled above and about the Irrawaddy
flotilla boat which, buffeted by the
strong, Irregular current, strained at
its cables, now at the bow, now at the
stern, not dissimilar to the test rock
ing of a deserted swing. This sensa
tion was quite perceptible to the girl
who leaned over the bow rail, her
handkerchief pressed to her nose, and
gazed interestedly at the steep bank,
up and down which the sweating coo
lies swarmed like Gargantuan rats. A
dozen torches were stuck Into, the
ground above the crumbling ledge;
she saw the flames as one sees a
burning match cupped in a smoker's
hands, shedding light upon nothing
save that which stands Immediately
behind It
She choked a little. Her eyes snort
ed. Her lips were slightly cracked,
and cold-cream seemed only to provila
a surer resting place for the tar v
ble dust It had penetrated thr. i
wool end i:no s"l s"X !:! 'r, ; 1
t'.l t" ree t-' a a C y 1 -1 l
v ' a r t :"
r ' ' t) ' ,
drink from the old cold pure spring at
home! Tea, so (fee, and bottled soda;
nothing that ever touched the thirsty
spots In her throat -
She looked up at the stars and they
looked down upon her, but what she
asked 4hey could not. would not an
swer. Night ' after night . she bad
asked, and night after night they had
only twinkled as of old. She had trav
eled now for four months, and still the
doubt beset Mr. It was to bo a leap
in the dark, with no one to tell, her
what wat on the other side. But why
this insistent doubt?! Why could she
not Lake the leap gladly, aa a woman
should who had given the affirmative
to a man? With him she was certain
that she loved him, away from hip she
did not know what sentiment really
abided In her heart She was wise
enough to realize that something was
wrong; and there were but three
months between ber and the Inevitable
decision. Never before had she known
other than momentary indecision; and
it Irked her to find that her clarity of
vision was fallible and human like the
rest of her.- The truth was, she didn't
know her mind. She shrugged, and
the movement stirred the dust that
had gathered opon her shoulders.
"A rare old lot of dust; eh. Miss
Chetwood? I wish we could travel by
night, but you can't trust this bloom
ing old . Irrawaddy after sundown.
Charts are so much waste-paper."
"I never cease wondering how those
poor coolies can carry those heavy
rice bags," she replied to the .purser.
"Oh, they are used to It" carelessly.
The great gray stack of paddy-bags
seemed, In the eyes of the girl, fairly
to melt away.
"By Jove!" exclaimed the purser.
"There's Parrot ft Co.!" He laughed
and pointed toward one of the torches.
"Parrot ft Co.? I do not under
stand." "That big blond chap behind the
fourth torch. Yes, there. Sometime
I'll tell you about blm. Picturesque
duffer."
She could have shrieked aloud, but
all she did was to draw In ber breath
with a gasp that went so deep It gave
'Two Rupeesl" James Paused and
Turned.
her heart a twinge. Her fingers tight
ened upon the teak rail. Suddenly she
knew, and was ashamed of her weak
ness. It was simply a remarkable
likeness, nothing more than that; It
could not possibly be anything more.
Still, a ghost could not have startled
her as this living man had done.
"Who is he?" .
"A chap named Warrington. But
over here that signifies nothing;
might just as well be Jones or Smith
or Brown. , We call him Parrot ft Co.
He's always carrying that Rajputana
parrot ' You've seen the kind around
the palaces and forts; saber-like
wings, long tall-feathers, green and
blue and scarlet and the ugliest little
rascals going. This one is trained to
do tricks." ,
"But the man!" Impatiently.- , .
(TO BE CONTINUED.) v ,'t
FOUR PERIODS OF TRANSITION
George's Looks, Front the Introduction
to Adored One to the End of
v the Honeymoon.;
"'He is a remarkably plain young
man,' she wrote In her diary the first
day she met him. 'He has rather an ln
terestlng face,' she said to ber mamma
a month later as she decked ber apricot-colored
tea gown with the William-Allen-Rlchardsons
that he bad just
sent her. "J':.,."'':'.' '';.;'v"'
"When she wrote to her best friend
to give the news of her engagement
she expressed herself thus: ' 'He has
not the regular featured dollish, good
looks I have always hated In men. He
has a, strong, characterful face and
magnificent eyes.'
"'You loveliest one!' she sighed, aa
she poured out bis tea at the third
breakfast of the honeymoon. 1 could
sit and look at you forever.'
"Six months later, she observed ta
ber husband: I don't know whether
you're aware of It George, but your
hair's getting most frightfully thin on
the top, and you're Just about the last
man In the universe that can afford to
go bald.'
"A man's looks must not be judged
by appearances." From "Stories
Without Tears," by Carry Pain. ;
. Knew His Buslnrns.'
"George," she asked, as tbsy round
ed the bend, "is your watch correct?"
"Yes," replied Georga, with a merry
lausb," "It Is kefr'r.g tetter time
e'-ce I tut ycr r -s t "a V
c " "CXy"'i 2" ' '1 I ir.'l
: It;?1 j i j , i ' s I
- ' s 1 : c I
HOW TO STOP DANDFIUFF m'
j AtaUOSS OF HAIR
Here Is a simple, inexpensive treat
ment that will almost, always stop
dandruff and scalp Itching, and keep
the hair thick, live and lustrous: At
night, spread the hair apart and rub a
little realnol ointment into the scalp
gently, with the tip of the finger. Re
peat this until the whole scalp has
been treated. ' Next morning,' shampoo
thoroughly with reslnol soap and hot
water. Work the creamy-reslnol lather
well into the scalp. Rinse with grad
ually cooler water, the last water be
ing cold. Reslnol ointment and reslnol
soap 'are sold by all druggists. Adv..
" 'Thumb-Print Fantasia.
"You seem very much Interested In
those thumb-print records," commenc
ed the man at police headquarters,
"Yes," answered the visitor. "I
can't help feeling the greatest curi
osity about how one of those things
would sound' if you put it on a phono
graph and played It"
Defined.
"Harold says he worships me."
"A mere Idol remark." Baltimore
American.
c
' t" ""0
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AwtfttaMe Preparation for As
similatirrg rheFoodandRefiula
ttng the Stomach and Boweb of
Promotes Digelion,Cheerful
nessandRest.Contains neither
Opium.Morphine nor Mineral
Not Narc otic.
Arjw tTOU DrSAMVUffTttEX
i
frJMfr f
-1
Anprfrri Remedv forConstloa
lion . Sour Stomach,Diarrh6ea,
WoirW.Convulsions.Feverisn
mss and Loss OF Sleep.
facsimile SigTiaturt o
'f The Centaur CompahtV
NEW YORK,
Exact Copy of Wrapper.
c
His Tour.
"That man never seems to stay
long at any one place. . What Is he do
ing, anyway?"
"He is helping to take a census of
the birds." :
"Oh, that accounts for his being con
stantly on the wing." ' r
ONLY A FEW. PIMPLES
But Many More May; Come If You
Neglect Them. Try Cutieura Free.
" Cutieura Soap and , Ointment are
most effective In clearing the skin of
pimples, blackheads, redness, rough
ness, Itching and irritation as well as
freeing the scalp of dandruff, dryness
and itching, besides satisfying every
want of the toilet and, nursery.
Sample each free by mail with Book.
Address postcard, Cutieura, Dept. Y,
Boston. Sold everywhere. Adv. v
: Unlesa a man can see a slight Im
provement in himself k if a impossible
to make him believe the world ; is
growing better. : ' ':' : .
: Every man is capable of doing' his
best and he should always do It ;
Pity is akin to love, but a girl Is nev
er willing to accept It as a substitute.
11! CALOMEL DIESIOU M:
Jusf Once! v Try "Dodson's Liver Tone" When Eiiicus, Const!
. pated, Headachy Don't Lose a Day's Work. -
Ltven up your sluggish liver! Feel
fine and cheerful; make your work a
pleasure; be vigorous and full of am
bition. But take no nasty, danger
jus calomel, becaussi it makes yon
tick and you may lose a day's work.
Calomel is mercury or quicksilver,
which causes necrosis of the bones.
Calomel crashes into sour bile like
dynamite, breaking it up. ' That's
when you teal that awful nausea and
crarrp&g. , ;; .,
Listen to nre! If you want to enjoy
the nicest, gentlest liver and bowel
clo&riB'ns you ever experienced Just
t ' a a f;3cr.rl cf taralefi Dodson's
i:--'T T;"i. Tf r "'.-!et or CstX-.t
i 'j jii a tJ c t to:...s cf EoZioz'i
I'. ?7, n ' ;r;i r: li;:
Answer (1:3 Mzrzil
A bad back makes a day's work twics
as bard. Backache usually cornea from
weak kidneys, and if headaches, dizzi
neat or urinary diaorderi are added,
don't wait get help before dropsy,
gravel or Bright's diaeaM est ia. Doan'f
Kidney Pills have brought new life and
new. strength to thousands of working
men and women. Used and recommend
ed the world over. (
A South Carolina Case
TwnrttnUh
I VT.' Garrison,
U10 bV Main fit. An
daraon, S. C, says:
"1 was . in terrible
shape with kidney
complaint Often tlx
pain seised ma in my
iiuo
back and down ' I
would go, having to
be helped up. The
I d n e r secretions
were scanty and
filled with sediment
: .; and I had awful dls-
v atMlls. T h 9 A
Jf boxes of Doan's Kld
Vl nnr Pills cured me
and I
haven't suffered since."
Cat Dhi'i sI Aa Star. BO Bee
DOAN'SV.OT
rOSTCR4ULBURN CO. BUFFALO, N.Y.
W. N. U, CHARLOTTE, NO. 14-1915-
mm
,nnn
' ill!
For Infanta and CM13rea.
L.olbrs Knov; That
Bsnulna Castoria
Always
Bears the
Signature
wmiM eeemurr, snwnwrn
3
. . Crooked Dipper 8aves Ufe.
Charles Glse, a building contractor
of Tork, Pa., resorted to a novel
method to save himself from shoking
to death when a piece of meat lodged
in his throat Realizing that be would
choke before a physician could ar
rive, Olese grasped a dipper with- a
curved handle and dislodged the im
pediment, but, lacerated his - throat
considerably. 1 -' . -
NOTHING 80 EFFECTIVE AS ELIXOI
BABEK For Malaria, Chills Ferer.
Chief of Police, i. W. Reynolds, Newport
News, Va., aays : It la a pleasure to recommend
Babe a; for Chills and Ferer. BaTensedltwhen
neceaaarjr for SO jears and hare found no remedy
aeeffeetlTe." Itllxtr 1 belt 50 cents, all druK
fista, or by Parcel Post, prepaid, from Ktocsew
aid Co., 'Washington. D. 0.
A Oood More UabekEJver Pills. - -M
pills - SS oantai
What a great and glorious thing It
would be if some enterprising man
would get busy and corner the trou
ble market '
If, as reported, the cost of living
has increased 50 per cent in ten years,
a dead man ought to be In a position .
to save a lot of money.
Nightly eoughing and .torturing throat
tickle quicklf relieved by Dean's Mentho
lated Cough Drops 6c at all Druggists.
. A self-made man Is often the only
one Satisfied with the job. - '
back guarantee that each, spoonful
will clean your sluggish liver better
than a dose of nasty calomel and that
it won't make you sick. . '
Dodson's Liver Tone Is real liver
medicine. You'll know It next mom-'
ing, because you will wake up feel
ing fine, your liver will be workln",
your headache and dizziness got.
your stomach will be sweet and yr ?
bowe'a regular. p'V ,: '
Do'joo's Liver . Tone is r '
ves-ir-.tle,- therefore) here.: t 1
caanct atUvateV- CIve it t j; ? tL3
Cm. i:i"Jons of pi-:') rj filing
I : i's Liver V. I : cf can---.:-,:
cJomU . r . r Ca::;'ct
v :i t .!! yea t" -1 ' " tf Ci!waJ '
li i.. t i tere.
mm
v J
of ttjjy
f ForOvor
Thirty Years
THt