Show fl F 1 r fr COPYRIGHT Oy y SAX ROHMER ROMMER SERVICE CHAPTER VI Continued VI Continued 9 9 When bewilderingly came cime the tlc swish of ot a silken shawl shawl shawl-a a patter o feet feet feet-a a soft terrified cry and Eileen's sweet arms were about his neck I Billy Billy dear Oh my G G-d G dl I youre you're covered ered with blood What Is It What That Is It Hi My ly dear I I ho bo said saM Its Its nothing rm Fin safe safe and and no one must know know- She was staring Into his hla face eagerly her own raised In a sort sorto o of or agony of ot apprehension Halg Haig began to tremble Gone was every resolution he so 50 recently had made f useless useless hopeless c. c He Ue held helt her so 50 close that she thought lie ilL will VIll break breal me In lit half bait und and exulted lie He kissed her until she was breathless helpless Oh my darling he lie whispered lIe He had so little to otTer offer this wonder wonder won der girl Irl locked happy In his arms so so much to tell her so her so much to Yet Vet somehow all he could ic j over o and over u again al was Oh Oh my ray darling A 4 few moments after the Wallaroo Walla Walla- roo 00 dropped her anchor oft off Port Portal Said al the British consul came aboard There was a conference In the Ule captains captain's cabin v nal Haig ha had deliberately failed foiled to reveal the fact that there was a n aman aman man overboard o The first news was given giren by a n steward enterIng the missing mans man's roon room In the morning The conclusion was come to that the thc morose Chinese passenger had committed suicide during the night t by y jumping overboard O Now In the closed close cabin of ot the commander Dawson revealed the truth to to toC C Captain Peterson and the British consul I take full Cull responsibility he said you ou can see for tor yourselves rhe he sort ort of or gang I have to deal cleal with FIrst the LImehouse outrage and now this murderous attack on me I 1 got off oft lightly with a cut scalp and a torn sleeve The commander scratched d his grizzled head hend What do O you rou wIsh me to do In In- the consul asked In In n my opinion the persons whom you suspect of ot being associated with the missing assassin should be bo de de- de- de tamed D Dawson flaig stood up grinning 5 savagely and shaking slinking his head r Upon what evidence he ho de do- mon I assure you o l that lint except for tor a scrap of ot paper providentially discovered by Miss Kearney theres there's nothing to associate Doctor for tor Instance with any conspiracy directed n against me And Anel even that Is far Car from conclusive I mean he could explain It In all sorts of wa ways s 's lie He doesn't appear to be bo acquainted acquainted ac no- either with Miss Valerie Ednam or with Mr Chow n and nd certainly thinly not with the German Hartog on the lower deck An And what have I a against these three people which would Justify detention I assure you you lie he shook his head emphatically absolutely absolutely nothing L A Then what are arc we to do said the consul Of Or course I could detain de do- tam tain them here bere for a n time time time- No no Nothing was Halg's Haigs reply With the coming of or daylight ht the babel of or the thc curious port rose to full tun blast Sellers of ot all nil kinds of ot carpets carpets lace Jewelry Bi r ham antiques anti and the rest rest rest- set up their shops on ou deck turning the ship Into a miniature bazaar Dawson lIal Halg very ery reluctantly had agreed ed to aU allow ow Eileen to pursue pursue pur pur- sue her Inquiries In her own way wa but be didn't realize that she site had actually left the ship until she sIte had been gone some time lie He Heas was as watching Len Chow who who having collected his ba baggage was now nOV folT following fol- fol T lowing a 0 p porter toward the lad ladder er Hartog had bad quietly gone u an on hour before Just before Mr Chow reached the gangway ganway he lie passed n fortune fortuneteller fortuneteller teller an evilly handsome Cell fellow ow wearing shabby European clothes ond and a tarbush not tarbush not an E Egyptian determined but hut possibly a Greek Creek or an Armenian i Some words were exchanged rapIdly rap- rap Idly lly although was too far faraway faraway away to overhear r them The China Chinn man mait pointed shoreward Uni looked and saw a n native boat In this boat sat Eileen Elleen with two women passengers the tho party being belDo betag be be- tag ing escorted b by Doctor and the ships ship's surgeon I Dawson became acutely un un- un comfortable The girl had played ed her admirably even to the part extent ex- ex tent of oC striking up u it friendship with Miss Ednam But lInt neither from Crom th the th woman nor from the tie AustrIan Austrian Aus Aus- trian ph physician had she site gleaned Anything n In In lii the tue nature of oC a clue the be was convinced con and had hall assured Halg Haig of oC the fact that they knew she was ns watching them Hurr Hurrying ln down clown the ladder the dark eyed fortune fortuno teller was pulled away In a boat which waited Len Chow followed In another r. r There was nothing to show that the pair were associated But why had the Chinaman pointed out Eileen's party Halg Haig stood there watching and trying to make up his mind which of ot severn several I courses to adopt Eileen I At all costs he lIe must keep Eileen In sight He ne was up against a closely and cleverly erly organized group he alone holding boldIng all aU available a threads s In his hands bands Eileen had some shopping to do doat doat doat at Simon Arzt and so to this store the party made their way Doctor It appeared had purchases to make male also The ships ship's surgeon Heatherley 1 went along Dawson I Halg who had been In Port Said twice previously and oddly ly enough upon the same business which saw him there now having satisfied himself that this was the destination destination destina destIna- tion of ot the party part became Interested Interested Interest Interest- ed in t the e mo movements of ot Mr Len Chow This gentleman dep depositing his baggage age at lit the Eastern exchange hn had strolled out like a man with nothing better to do o than kill time The fortune teller had entered a shop nearly opposite Dawson Danson wearing the tinted glasses of Mr Smith sat down at some distance from the door and or ordered ered a cool drink He lie was was doing some hard thinking At about this time Eileen had completed her purchases tier Her companions com corn excluding Doctor Heatherley Heath e erley erley le had allowed themselves es to tobe tobe tobe be lured lured by won wonderful shawls an and other pitfalls which await unwary travelers In Eastern shops Doctor was Inspecting a ahan han handsome some casket of ot Inlaid woo wood Eileen covertly was watching him That this man was an on associate of or criminals murderers she could coul not doubt yet he lie was a most entertaining entertaining enter enter- taming companion and In s spite of ot othis his marked ugliness possessed the rare quality of oC soothing without boring Eileen was enjoying that sense of ot martyr martyrdom om so 50 dear to womans woman's nature Her spirit was seeking Dawson Halg Balg all the time Where was he lie Was he safe Dl Did he lie appreciate ap op predate what she was doing With It all alJ she was so happy that she site was trl frightened Doctor had stepped to the open doorway to examine the casket by daylight nn and My gentleman said a soft sort voice The doctor stared through h his glasses at the speaker It was the Armenian n fortune teller tener I 1 do not wish to buy any anything thin ha said the doctor goo good humored humored- Iy ly I 1 do not wish my palm to be hc read no read no And I do not wish to know m my future Is It so soT It Is s not so so ray my gentleman the soft sort voice continued It Is that I know where there ore are boxes such as ns this thus but ever so 50 much better better- and cheaper You know this ha this ha 7 said Doctor Doc Dec tor smiling at nt Eileen You think p perhaps I dont don't know this I 1 think ha you ha ha OU you may I sn say I Ido Ido Ido do not nol wish to buy even CVen such Buch a aHI box bor HI I make with you a bargain the theman theman theman man went on earnestly I charge you nothing unless nothing nothing ln unless you buy from the lie shop I take iou you to This Is la my bargain nID Eileen be began nn to laugh My Iy lady lau laughs hs said the Armenian earnest earnest- ly b 04 But ut I will show her He took her hand as itS Doctor returned re re- turned and placed the casket on the counter from Crom which he had hail taken It The doctor rejoined them It If I 1 tell this la lady y true said the man still holding Eileen's hand something I cannot I know now except from the palm will you conic come with Ith me to the shop I show you Eileen agreed But nut hell he'll fall fail down on It and expect half crown all the Ule same sante We Ve shall shah see see see-hn ha 7 Proceed my good fellow You belong elong said the man starIng starIng staring star- star Ing Into her hand not to England not not I 1 think to Europe but to some sonic country far west of or Europe Europe- perhaps It Is America Detected my m accent was Eileen's EIleen's Elleen's Ei El- leens leen's mental comment You come not to Egypt hut but to farther to farther to India I think And In India some one Is waiting for tor you you someone some one you love lo and who loves you No Nol I I He lie stared closer It Is not so Yet there Is some one who waits There Is some someone someone someone one I have spoken of who of-who who Is now on his way to India or to some someplace someplace someplace place very near to India An And there he will meet you 00 Ah Alt but still stillI I am not right He rho Is here this one one here here In Port Said Sald Eileen betrayed herself by a sudden sud den start For Tor him there are many dangers dangers dangers dan dan- gers and for you too lady I r rend read ad It In your our palm But Hut you will be married and be vcr very happy There will be be- be enough said Mid Eileen startled by the mans man's reading Then we must stick to our bargain bar bar- gain yes gain yes said Doctor The man smiled triumphantly Please follow my lad lady my gentleman gentleman gentle gentle- man he said It Is not far Please follow fonow Eileen Elleen was conscious of ot a sudden sud udden ud- ud den vague uneasiness It was very dIm difficult cult to appreciate the thc fact that she was In the company of a criminal crim inal thaI but It remained a fact tact nevertheless never never- a fact that the mans man's stran strange e charm of ot manner manne Invariably made mache her for forget et Perhaps the others would woul like to come comei she site sug suggested ested Doctor Oester nodded d returned to the shop and presently came back The ladles ladies are still absorbed with silk wear he said smiling silk un ha les-hn les ha i So I have left Doctor Doctor Doc Doe tor Heatherley to take toke C care re of them and I arrange that we shall meet at nt the Eastern exchange In halt half an nn Ii hour ou r. r The Armenian led them Into the native e quarter Eileen's brain began working rapidly The question repeated repeated re rc re- re Itself over over- and over again Should I go Should I go Perhaps even at the last moment she would have conjured up some som excuse But nut suddenly she site saw a sight which reassured her her made her heart sing Dawson Halg flaig had followed Len Chow when the Chinaman Chinaman China China- man apparently aimlessly had set setout setout setout out and ha had temporarily lost sight of or him at nt a corner Almost at the same moment he had seen reen Eileen Elleen- alone with Doctor Oes er accompanied by the fortune teller tener And so Eileen glancing back apprehensively ap ap- ap- ap along the narrow street recognized the glitter of Mr u THE STORY FROM THE BEGINNING Matt Kearney Cearney young American living hiving in London says good by good by to his sister on board the tho Wallaroo The ship la Is conveying convoying In Ingold Ingold ingold gold to Australia On his way home homo Kearney meets Inspector Dawson I Halg Haig of or Scotland Yard very vety much In love with witt Eileen Halg Is on the trail I of or opium which he Is convinced Is concealed In Jo To Lungs Lung's warehouse I Called to other duty Halg delegates Kearney with Detective Norwich to I visit the place pl and find and out what ho he can While White In tho the warehouse Kearney picks s up and carries away a notebook which he turns over to Halg Yuan lice Hee See Sec leader of a 11 band of or International thieves Is at Jo Lungs He Ho sends two of or his followers after aCter Norwich and Kearney one of or whom he realizes must have picked up tho the notebook Hall Halg Is puzzled over cryptic notes In the lie book referring to the Wallaroo Soon after atter leaving Kearney Kearncy Norwich Is murdered but Kearney Is not overtaken While Halg Is porIng poring por por- ing over the book a monstrous creature enters seizes it and escapes At Cairo Yuan confers with his lieutenant Pasha over a mysterious mysterious mys mys- coup the they are aro planning Halg Haig boards the Wallaroo at Marseilles disguised From radio messages ho decodes he realizes that members of or gang are on board and that they have recognized him A Chinaman Chinaman Chinaman China China- man tries to throw Halg overboard but goes over himself In a desperate Smiths Smith's' smoked glasses Dawson Halg Haig followed twenty paces behind I Doctor was talking to the palmist guide and could not possibly have noticed her backward glance On they went Into several streets Presently In a n street native from end to end they paused d. A dingy little tUe shop on the left leet was evidently evi evl dently their objective Eileen glanced back ck Dawson Dasson Halg Haig was still only twenty twenty twenty ty paces behind I IThe The shop was purely Arab In ap ap- They went wont down two steps Into the Interior and from froma a dim corner the proprietor whom the guide ad addressed re as Mohammed appeared red Mohammed bowed low opened a adoor adoor adoor door hidden In the dark recess which he had emerged emerge and anel stood aside Eileen glanced glance back In Inthe Inthe Inthe the direction of the street Dawson was outside Confidently now she sIte stepped through h Into a n big room room to to pause brea breathless bless with a astonish astonishment mont The fhe fortune teller had not exaggerated d. This was was Indeed a n wonder house honse a n treasury of beautiful things I And Aud there were other rooms he beyond on You see my lady said the lie palmist palm 1st sorn softly what I tell you yon true It was Indeed true since this antI anil not the lie establishment In Stam Stain boul was the principal warehouse of ot that great rent and mysterious Industry Indus try controlled by hy Yuan Yunn Hoe Bee See Here nere to Port Said Sal came the choicest pieces to be he distributed for saIl salo Some even en found their bu buyers erB In Turkey some In France and some sonic In En England Eileen experienced a n sense of ot bewilderment be be- wilderment It was amazing In fact terrifying opening aa us It did dIll out of or that tawdry little shop what shop what did It jt t mean menn What could It mean menn She looked around thi that t Aladdin's cave e and slowly the realization came callie to her that only a n Rockefeller could have ha bid for the contents CHAPTER VII DAWSON HAIG HAlO pulled up before the lie shop of Mohammed Further consideration had convinced con con- vinced him that his earlier fears fear for Eileen were groundless o His own life lire hung upon a n thread This he recognized And he be scrupulously avoided fi overhanging windows and watched warily an anyone one who walked too closely behind him But nut he had no Intention of ot leaving Eileen alone In the company of or Doctor Ho lIo entered the shop and looked about him The |