Show wag SERIAL L STORY Z the pool fool of flame ria e t 4 I 1 ck BY LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE 11 by ellsworth it copyright I 1 19 ty br luls joseph vance CHAPTER 1 I A till still ana sultry dusk dunk bad faller closing an oppressive oppre selvo wearing day onte info of those day days whose whoso sole function booms to reside in rendering ua us iret tably bably conscious of our too close cna can tags of too solid nosh whose humid and inert atmosphere sodden with tepid moisture clings palpably to the body causing men to feel an it if they crawled halfern hal feun located at the bot hot torn tom of a sea COA of rarefied water ater tue the hour na iia baat been eight it may hivo have been not quito that but it was almost dark rho windows were weare oblongs ob longs binck black aa an night in the yellow elihw walla walls of at os es bedchamber in tho the hotel doricent dOrl dOri monte firlo I 1 bavo havo the honor to wake known to you the ORo urko or castle ORo in tho the county of at galway ireland othor wiBo and more widely known aa as colonel terence ORo urko A chevalier of the legion of honor of brunco ranco sometime an officer in to the foreign legion in Alg alglenn Al glern lerp a wander er spendthrift free freo lance cosmopolite a gentleman adventurer boa hes been termed no was dressing for dinner the 14 wie of half balf a dozen electric bulbs die dis 1 covered yered Ye red him all but ready for public ippe ppe aperance ranee rance pot inot ho however weier quite ready la 1 hi shirt cleaves he faced a it cheval blus clus pluckily y it with ith the haggard ere of exasperation endeavoring to outmaneuver a it demon of inanimate perversity which had bad entered into bla his drese dress tie inciting it to refuse to as sume for all bla his coaxing and his ebrat agema that effect of nonchalant per ho u much bought sought after so seldom achieved patently was the thing possessed by a devil ORo urko made no manner of doubt of thai that though for minutes rol nutce at a time be tumbled fumed it was without avail lili room itself was in a state of disorder something due mainly to es characteristic ef et forts torts to find just what he hap pen to desire ut at an given time with ith out troubling to think where it ought properly property to be I 1 t something of this confusion mtr mir bored in the glass was as likewise re ro in ea es eyes what time he fie paused for breath and aulty faith tie Us worse than a daws das nest the place he admitted scandalized how ever did iono lone roan man do ill all that will P e be telling me he lung out two helpless ss baffled bands hands and let them fall after 0 meditative pauso pause ho he added damn dawn that alfa alra with reference to his latest and least competent valet who had bu but recently been discharged with a k flea idea in bis his ear and omd a months unearned wago wage in his pocket for knowing so one ways sighed OKo urke there was nover never ancone the like of danny for as many as three viveon livelong g days this men man bad been reduced to the ne no cassity of dressing himself with his own fair bands and that at least thrice dally daily who did nothing by halves and somehow mysteriously bla his discarded garments bad had for the most part where here be he had thrown them despite the earnest efforts of tito tho de chambre to re artore something resembling order from froin thia this man made chaos for all well the Ollo urko an provi 1 14 deni dent soni soul that ho he was as freehanded 4 q to a fault faull you are invited jo a picture to your self as loarl abl he was in la one of hia his not lot infrequent bal eer transient to phases balles of affluence blat Is a very magnificent figure indeed standing landing a bit over six cej deep of cheat and lean loan of flank wita bis his long straight legs ho he looked what bat be he bad had been meant to be a man of arms and action his head was shapely its dark hair curling tho the leat least in the world and incredibly stalked elat ned a transparent parent brown his tesi features tures were ere lean k eager and rendered very attractive P by quick boyish eyes in whose warm blue gray depths humor twinkled more often than not though taise samo same ebes were not seldom thoughtful a trace perhaps with the look of one who recalls dear memories old friends and sweetheart sweethearts coved ed and lost loal for be he bed bild begun to live early ir life and bad had a much to look back upon though for all thai that its doubtful if it he were arc than thirty at too the timo ho h became in evolved in tho the of the pool of flamo for tho the rest of him barring th the e ro re frac tory tie tho the man was strikingly wall groomed while allo his surroundings spoke for comfortable on the authority of the and re grafted danny who sho had long carved tho the Ollo OHo urko in tho the intimate capaci ties tics of ody jody servant confidant and chancellor of tho the exchequer thie this laet last of course whenever who never there happened to bo be any exchequer to require a chan collor editor there wae was i ver abono at all who could spend thoney or wear clothes liko like himself meaning tto master and at this time Ollo OHo urko urke was ostensibly in funds md consequently ae an tho the baying saying rune runs cutting a wide swath heaven fiven and himself jonir knew tho limits of bis his resources but his manner a monto criso might bavo have aped to advantage ills play was a wonder of tho the casino for fortso the matter of that hb his highhanded d and extras gant waye ways bad had made the entire prin of monaco conscious coue cloua of his presence in the land and you fall in tho the least to understand the nature of the man if it you think for a moment that it irked him to be admired point cd ed out courted pursued he ile was in deed teed n never so splendid as when aware hat that he occupied tho the public eye in abort he was just an irishman so then its nothing wonder ful that ho he should seem a thought ciril cal about the set of his tie now as he stood scowling ling at hie his imuro and wishing from the bottom of bis his heart he had never nevor beon been tool enough to let danny leave him and calling fervent blessings dovan upon tho head of the lend fiend who first design cd ed modern evening dress dreas for men henhe he found himself suddenly with a mind dive dI vestol of any caro care whatever bat ever und at bentive alone to a bound sound which hibb came to him faintly borne epou the heavy wings of tho the sluggish evening air it was nothing more nor less than a woman singing softly to herself hum ming 1 would probably bo be the more ac curate term and it was merely the tuno tuna that caught his big fancy a bit hit of on an old song he himself had once been wont to sing upon a time when be he bad had been a happier man it seem cd ed strange to hear bear it 11 there stranger still that the womans voice indistinct as it was waa should have such a familiar ring in his memory ho lie frowned in wonder and shook bis his head bead the age of miracles Is past he muttered atwould never bo be herself hersell ive had bad mo me chance and forfeited it IL twill not come to me a second time the biasing singing ceased of a sudden swore sore with needless heat beat and plucking away the offending tie cast it savagely from him the div vie fly away with yel yet he be bald said Is it bent oa an driving mo mad ye are aret id give me we fortune to have D donny anny back me fortune faltha he be laugh ed the word to bitter scorn beselt that never had the least of any thing like that without feminine with a mis 1 tacked onto the front trout of and he strode away to the window to cool coo on it was 1 11 ako him to forget his amm of an co oa t atlon in the twinkles per aled him by Ir ml entirely 1 I the hu he froidl hilti hl hanh nH roo MO that elet 11 luet lutr tho iho vague the men taril was clo cloern d docu awu upon aced gar terraced terr of fairy liko like panorama arna his 8 den done and isu bullen llev when FW FO that to beck back thoughts had ot of whom that fragment dear woman oman and ond of had put him lo 10 mind heart and h of ho be was as sighing and blell lit ut ber her with longing for he the fix the touch of her hand cven as ho he vint watched ched stark night fell beneath a black as a pocket out far par toua tous pall of cloud upon the smelling aw oiling bosom of the mod rl am lights betrayed itt itar anchan a cluster r a stealthy coasting C ste steamer anler making west westward vard foffe cr in the bar bor a fleet of pleasure craft ark eark tido tide wae as still at anchor on the like revealed in many shapes of gray all studded with el low stars ashore endless festoons of colored lampa lamps draped the gloom of the terraces the facade of the casino stood out lurid against the darkness tho the hotels shone with reflected arii alance tho the palace of the prince de monaco loomed high upon the sula its elevations picked out with lines of soft ire fire the OHo urke shook hia his bead con damning it all beautiful ho he said faith yes cesi I 1 tie all of that but im thinking tir b too beautiful to bo be good for one like ilke sonie women omen le known in me time not good for terence sure the going stagg and soft with all this easy living thing me ate all that ha ai q mere than many another to liv live e for and tope for and nod strive aorl and im lingering hero here in the very lap of luxury stu stuffing fling with rare fand befuddling medolf with alth rarer wines mo me that has hns fought a day and a night and a half hall a day atop of that on nothing and a glass of muddy water risking me money as if there was no end to it throwing it away aay in scandalous tip UPI like an in drunken and all for the scant satisfaction of behaving ig like a fool of an irishman sickening dis gusting naught less I 1 im m thinking this night ends it though come the morning ill be culling up stakes and striking out tor for a healthier simpler place where here theres something afoot a man can take an interest in without losing his self respect ill do just that 1 will 1111 this bo he meant firmly m aly and was as glad ct it with a heart immeasurably lightened by the strength of hia his fod res he ile began to hura hum the old it caught his breath stunned tune that tho the unknown woman womans S colw had bad set buzzing in his brain and broke off to snap his fingers de blant ly IY at the casino that for yel be he flouted it sitting there with your painted smile emile and your cold eyes like tho the brazen huzzy ye are goddess of chance indeed 1 thinking ye have hae but to bide your timo for all men to come and rendar up their souls to yel yet heres once ie e lose madam after thia this night im done with ith ye not a cou tau ot at mine will ever eer again cross your tit bles ill hare have ye to understand the es a reformed character from the morning he lie laughbo laug hd softly in high leather nith ith bis big conceit and thinking cheer fully tully of the day days of movement and thai that ere to follow tb b c ange in his hi he heart ort ried cb bcd itself to in word words lit ti alb 11 UPS lips it 1 I in IM child ad whack ballyhack Pally Vally hack buck I 1 roni hot not long aco ago tut turned ned 0 at grand attack or or sac mck k iane one than I 1 aall prove bolder ider ol ilia olce was ris by way of 0 being a tenor of tolerable quality and volume but untrained nothing wonderful it was just the way vay ho he trolled out the rollicking stanza that rendered it in irresistible for A 5 ho a PatAO fl the voice ot of tho the woman chrit had lind reminded him of the song capped the erse neatly neally an hin we w set the tho rout V id a shout hew they ld id a rady mady rig right ht about goes bo bould ild soldier boyt boyl Ono urke caught his breath star tied fled stunned it cant bo be be he whispered for if at farst her voice subdued in distance h had ad stirred his 1 medory mei ory with a touch as vague and thrilling a the caress of a womans hand in n darkness now that he heard tho the full astren strength rth of hat soprano bell clear and he was sure bo knew the singer ho tie told himself that there bo be no two women in the world with voices jut juat like that not another than her be knew could bavo baie rendered the words with so 0 o true a spirit so rare 0 11 brogue tinged A ne a that had been with ith the faintest quaintest exotic Inflect inflection lon able nut but eho she bad had stopped with that verso verse half halt sung hie ills pulses quickening leaned forth from the window and carried curried it on i 0 tie thin the ladled air fair in despair ra their bairt but 11 div dufalo to a bit I 1 careo care cries the bould boyl the fell a pause he lie listened with his heart in bis his mouth but beard heard nothing and it seemed impossible to surmise whence hence from which one of all the rooms with ith windows opening upon that side of the hotel had come the voice of the woman oman she might as well have been above as below him or on either bide he could not guess hut but he was determined now there was beneath bis his window a balcony with ith a floor of wood and a rail rall of iron filigree a long balcony extending from one comer corner of oi the hotel to the other at intervals it was splashed with light from the windows of chambers still occupied by guests belated or busy like himself with the task of dressing for tho the ev evening erting the window to his left was alight might that on bis his right dark with half his body on he the balcony his legs dangling within the room ORo urko watched the opening on his left with jealous breathless expectancy not a sound camo he hesitated if it that erent her room id hear bear somebody moving about be lie reasoned frightened she Is not suspect in antis ats me but how do I 1 know herself hersel fP faith 1 could me ears deceive me with that ho he took heart of hope and broke manfully into the chorus singing directly to the lighted window singing the first line with ardor and tenor with confidence and with hope singing persuasively pleadingly anxiously insistently tor ro th the 6 all 11 betor bet beto or ore us ho he sang and then paused he heard bear no echo and agal agali i be he essayed with that in ili his tone to melt a heart of ice tor the la is all bafo ore ua us and now he be triumphed and aia lifted out of himself with sheer delight for from the adjoining room came tho the next line and landladies land ladle ado ore us unable to contain himself be chimed in and in duet they sang it out to the reusing finals finale they neer to eco ore ue us hut but chalk us up wid ld joy we taste tier tap we tear her cap 0 0 the chap for me cries ehe she Whir col he the darlina dar lint the bould soldier boy I 1 As the last note rang out and died the next window was darkened the woman oman had switched off the lights he heard a faint rustle of silken ruffles tia herself he be d blared in an agony of anticipation herself and nono otherl and im thinking shell be coming to the window now was right abruptly be he discovered her by the reflected glow from the illumination behind him bial he ile was conscious of the pallid oval ov I 1 ot of her face of a sleek white sheen ot of arma and shoulders rhoul ders of a dark mass of hair but more than all else of the glamour of eyes that shone into his like limpid poola pools of darkness touched by dim dlin starlight inflamed bo be leaned toward her whist darll darlin ngi gill he be stammered nahl Ms is terence nce but she aas as gone A low stifled lugh nas mas dl his answer that pud oud the silken whisper of bor her skirts as eh she Deur ried from the window he flushed crimson crim soll walord an instant tuen then flung discretion to the wi tiLls and found himself scrambling out upon tau balcony only 7 I 1 lengths the man ond h not the slam ilott of a deor b standing sho abe hd left u her so ehe one thought arx to cahlin lie ile anre to betwee escape ec with nt ha excitement and nod tumbled |