Show I 1 ajl IVA IL KA 4 SYNOPSIS naraka baraka a tartar girl became beame enamored a golden bolden bearded stranger who was wa 1 P 11 and 1 studying diw h arbs orbs in the vicinity I 1 ot of her home in central asia and pealed revea ltd to him the location ot of a min e ot t rubles rubies hoping that the stranger would woul d ato glicr ier in fit return for tier her disclosure they wore were followed to the lave cave by the girls a relatives who blocked up the entrance and drew oft off the water waltr supply leaving the couple to die 11 barakas cousin her ber betrothed attempted to climb aw lown trieve B c ler I 1 rt overlooking t the mine ine but tile the traveler shot him the stran stranger r was revive ii from foin a water gourd band carried dup dug hla file way out of the tunnel slid and departed deserting the girl and carrying 41 bag of rubles baraka gathered all the gems she bho could carry arid ami started in pursuit margaret donna don margartta margarita da cordova a famous prima donna became engaged in london to lo 10 I 1 an fn 0 cheti a wealthy greek nn antler I 1 er ter her intimate I 1 irn ate friend was wag countess leven known know n as lady maud whose husband auw had been een killed by a bomb in st petersburg and lady maud a most intimate friend was wag 1 fus van torp an american who had become be onto one of the richest men in the world van torp was waa in love witt with margaret and rushed to london L adon as soon aown as aa he hoard heard of lier her betrothal ile he offered lady maud 5 wow for her pet charity ch rit if she would aid him in winning winn ret ng the singer anger from baraka ap ali preached at vr versailles ailles with rubles to sell nell ite ile presented a ruby to margaret van torp bought a yacht and ent it to venice lie he was vis visited itel b by y baraka in male attire she gave him a ruby after the american had told tier her of having seen geen in the united states a man answering the description of the one ona she loved the american followed margaret to the bayreuth Par festival margaret took a liking to van torp who prevented presented her ter with the rubi rub baraka had given him count Krall a russian arrived fit it barr nay bayreuth reuth van torp believed in him im to be the 0 one ne baraka was pursuing baraka bar a ka was arres arrested t ed in london on the the charge of stealing from pinney a gw jeweler the lie ruby she lad had sold gold to t kogot Logo lnell if two M strangers 15 t rail g e r s were the thieves thi e vea lady maud believed belle v d that logotheti s associations ti 0 ax with baraka were open to suspicion 0 on and so informed margaret van torp believed that Kr alinsky was the cowboy lie had known in his young man hood secured baraka Bar alias s r release and then with her ns as his guest gues t went to sea aea on his yacht erinna baraka explains her plans tor for revenge on the ills mun man who had deserted tier her and left her to d die e 1 gutheti 0 succeeds in moderating her rage lady maud arrived in ilay hay reuth margaret and van torp entered into an agreement agri ement to build a tremendous opera lioums tit lit new york the thief who stole the ruby rubi front from mr pinney was waa ar r ested in fit new york I 1 aik oik and the stone recovered e red lady jady maud confided to t 0 van torp that tha t she ahe believed liel levei Krall to be the husband she had believed acad van vail torp prom promised liva lill lili help to unravel the mystery the rho party gathered bothered on van torp B yacht and lady mind maud discovered that krolinsky Kroll Is her husband I 1 lie to offered to orjin tr JIn and bs be true to her she ted t ed 1 0 4 otheal took ashore ashbro at t capies i to 0 procure her a proper outfit CHAPTER XIV continued A 4 tk ile ila was alive this morning logo thed answered anil and ho be la s a at strong rong man nut but the strong die sometimes suddenly by accident it f not of oe a fevers fever e er 7 it la Is emptiness said bardan still looking at him lie ile will not die be fore I 1 see him allah forbid 1 dut but it such a thing happened should you lou wish to go back to your own people or would you bearg to speak the frank and live in europe it he were dead which may allah avert baraka answered calmly 1 I think I 1 would ask you to find me a husland husband ahl could not repress the little exclamation ot of surprise yes YB it is a shame for a woman not to be married am I 1 an evil sight light or poor that I 1 should go down to the grave childless or is there any reproach upon me therefore etore I 1 would ask you for foi a husband because I 1 have no other but only you among the Ferin ghis his hut but it if you would not I 1 would go to constantinople Const antl again and to the persian mer iner chants house and I 1 would say sai to his wife get me a husband for foi I 1 am not a cripple nor a monster nor is there any reproach up upon n me and why should I 1 be childless moreover I 1 would say to the merchants wife behold I 1 have great wealth and I 1 will have a rich ilch husband hus bind arid ami one who Is young ond and pleasing to me and who will not take taho another wife and it if you bring me such a man for whatsoever his riches may be I 1 will pay you five per cent having made this remarkable statement of her intentions naraka baraka was silent expecting to say bay something what struck him was wai not the concluding sentence for foi asiatic match matchmakers makers and peace makers are generally paid on some such basis and the slim tartar girl had bad proved long ago that she was a woman of business what impressed logotheti much more wits was what seemed the cool cynicism of her point of view it was evidently not a romantic passion for Krall Kr alinsky that hid had brought her from beyond turkestan Turk estan to london and parts paris her view had been simpler and more practical she had seen the man who suited her sho she had told him so and had ghen him the secret of great wealth and in return she expected him to marry tier her it if site she found him film alive out but it if not she would immediately take steps to obtain another to fill hla his place and be tier her husband and she was willing to pay a high price pi ice to any one who could ind one for her had half expected some such thing but was not prepared tor for her extreme directness still less had he thought of becoming the matri mabrl confal agent who was to find a match worthy of he be hand and fortune she was sitting beside him in a little ready made french dress open at tho the throat anil and only a bit of veil twisted round tier lier iligir as any european voi mot an wight i ight wear it possibly it was wai at PT r caress gnat made what she said t sound strangely in his bis ears cars though it would have struck him as natural enough if she had beer been muffled in a yashmak and fe rajeh on the deck of a ferry boat lie ile said nothing in answer and sat thinking the matter over 1 1 I could not otter to pay you five per cent she said after a time because you are a king but I 1 could give you one of the fine rubles I 1 have lett felt and you would look at it sometimes and rejoice because you had found baraka a good husband logotheti laughed low she amused him exceedingly and there were moments when he felt a new charm he had never known before why do you laugh baraka asked blittle a little disturbed 1 I would give you abood a good ruby A king may rec receive elvee aa a good goo d uby ruby r as a gift and not despise it why do you laugh at me mea there came two german merchants to me in paris to see my rubles and when they had looked they bought a good one but not better than the one I 1 would give you and spiro heard them say to each other in their own language that it was for their king for spiro understands all tongues then do you think that their king would riot not have been glad it I 1 had given him the ruby as a gift you cannot mock haraka baraka baraka knows what rubles are worth and has some still 1 I do not mock you logotheti answered with perfect gravity 1 I laugh at my own thoughts I 1 said in my heart tt if baraka asks me for a husband what will she say if 11 I 1 answer behold ne hold I 1 am the man if you are satisfied I 1 this was my thought 0 she was appeased at once for she saw nothing extraordinary in his suggestion she looked at him quietly and smiled for she bhe saw her chance it Is emptiness she said 1 I will have a man who has no other wife precisely Logo thed answered ed smiling 1 I never had one now you are indeed mocking met mel all ohp said bald bending her sharp drawn eyebrows I 1 no every one knows it who knows me in europe men do not always marry very young it Is not a fled fixed custom 1 I 1 have heard so BO naraka baraka an her anger subsiding but it is very strange it if it be so and it if all things should happen as we said which allah avert and it if you desired tile me for your wife I 1 would marr marry Y you without doubt you are a great man and rich and you are good to look at is as sand saad was also you iou are kind but saad would probably have beaten me for ho beat every one every day and I 1 should have gone back to my fathers house truly she added in a thoughtful tone you would make a desirable husband for naraka baraka but the man I 1 seek must marry me it if I 1 find him alive for I 1 gave him the riches of the earth and he gave me nothing and departed leaving me ine to die I 1 have lave told you and you ou understand therefore let MS its not jest about these things any more what will be will be and it he must die it Is his portion and mine also though it Is a pity thereupon the noble little beati features 11 res became very grave and she leaned back in her chair and folded tier her hands in her lap looking out at the violet light on oil the distant volcano after that at dinner and in the evening they talked pleasantly she told hint him tales of tier her own land and of her childhood with legends of the altai alta I 1 of genii and enchanted princesses and lie he in return told her about tile the great world in which he lived but of the two she talked the more no doubt because lie he was wag not I 1 n g ills own language yet there was a bond of sympathy between them thein more natural and instinctive than any that had ever drawn him and margaret together when the sun was up the next rooming morning and came on deck to drink its his coffee alone he saw the magle magic straits not many miles ahead in an opalescent haze that sent up a vapor of pure gold to the pale blue enamel of the sky ile ho had been just where he was now more than once before and few sights of nature had ever given him keener delight on the tha left the beautiful outline of the hills descended softly into the still sea on the right the mountains of bf sicily reared their lofty crests and far above them all twice as high as the highest and nobler in form than the greatest etna towered to the very sky and a vast cloud of smoke rose from the summit that streamed westward as far as the eyo eye could reach leach let her go half speed ca captain etain said logotheti as ills salli sailing ng master came up to bid him good morning 1 I should like my guest to see the straits very good sir mr we shall not go through very fast in any case for the tide is just turning against us never mind answered the slower the better today to tg day till we have etna well astern CHAPTER XV it was eight in the morning when hen the lancashire lass lasa steamed slowly into alonsina and dropped dro an Z I 1 C 9 A captain brown got information about the erinna hor chor out in the middle mid die of the harbor c to wait while capt brown got information about the erinna if there were any to bo be had at the harbor masters 0 office it would have been folly to run lun out of the straits without nt at least looking in to see it if she were there lying quietly moored behind the fortress 0 of f san salvatore Saha tore and the very high 1110 mole le she was not there and had not been heard epard of but a paris herald was procured pio cured in which it was stated that the erinna bad arrived la naples owner and party on board well said mr van vail torp lets ge set t to naples quick how flow lung long will it take captain about eight hours sir counting our getting under weigh and out of tills this crowded water which wont take long for the tide will soon turn go ahead said mr air van torp capt brovan hi own prepared to get under tinder weigh again as quickly as possible the entrance to messina harbor Is narrow and it was natural that as lie he was in a hurry a huge italian man irian of war should enter the harbor at that very moment with the solemn and safe deliberation which the movements of kinf lanc of battle ships require when going in and out of port there w was a a nothing to be done but to wait patiently till the fairway was clear it was not more than a quarter of an hour but capt brown was in it a hurry a and nd as there was a fresh morning breeze blowing across the harbor ho could not even get his anchor up with r safety before lie he was ready to start the tha result of all these delays was that at about nine ho be saw the erb erinna right ahead bows on and only halt half it a mile away just between scylla and paro faro where the whirlpool la Is still a dinger danger to sailing vessels rind and slow steamers and just as the tide was turning against her and in ills his own owl favor lie ho did not like to leave the bridge even for a moment and sent the second mate with willi tin an urgent message requesting mr mi van torp to come up tit as soon goon as lie he could five minutes earlier the owner had sat down to breakfast opposite lady maud who was very pale and had dark shadows under tier eyes for the first time since ho he had known her As soon as the tha steward left them alone she bhe spoke it Is leven she said eald and he bo wants me to take him back mr air van torp set down his tea un tin tasted and stared at her ile he was not often completely taken by sui surprise prise but for or once lie he was almost speech less ills lips did not even move sl si bently j 1 I was sure it was he lady maud matra sa said d but I 1 did not expect that well said mr van torp finding hla his voice hf he shant all no I 1 told him so it I 1 I 1 had been dressed I 1 would have asked you to put me ashore at messina I 1 thought you were going to stop there the stewardess told me where we were but she knew nothing else aud and now were off again I 1 cant help it maud said van torp almost in a whisper 1 I dont believe it I 1 dont believe in impo impossibilities sst bili ties like that beard of his it may sound ridiculous in tho the face of your recognizing your own husband bit but t its a solid fact and you cant can t get over it I 1 wish v leh I 1 could catch the erin na and show him to that tartar girl shed know in a minute ile he cant be her man and loven leven too theros theres only one thing to be done that I 1 can call see what asked lady maud sadly and incredulously tell him take him back on condition that hell shave mr van torp who was in dead earnest had just given hla his host bost friend this piece of sound bound practical advice when the door opened though he had not rung and tile tho steward announced an that hat tile the second mate had a message for mr van torp ile iia was admitted and he delivered it the owner sprang to his feet dy by thunder weve caught deml lie he cr cried ed as tie he rushed out of the dock deck saloon lady maud leaned back and stared at his empty chair wondering what I 1 was going to happen next this was what happened the lancashire lass reversed her starboard engine with full speed astern put her helm belin hard over to port and turned back towards the straits in the smallest space possible for tier her passing less than a cables length from ali tile scylla rock and nearly running dow down n halt half a dozen fishing boats that pulled like mad to get |