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Show THE DARK STAR 1 By ROBERT W. CHAMBERS. jj PREFACE. CHIDRIiX Of" THE STAR. Not the dark companion of Sinus, brightest of all stars not our own chill and spectral planet rushing toward Vesa in the constellation of Lyra presided at the birth of millions born to corroborate a bloody horoscope. But a Dark- Star, speeding unseen through space, known to the ancients, by them called Erlilt. after the Prince of Darkness, ruled at the birth of those mvriad souls destined to be enculfed in the earthquake of the ages, or flung by it out of the ordered pathway of their lives into strausc byaya, stranger highways high-ways into deeps and deserts ne er dreamed of. Also one of the do'.cn odd temporary stars on record biased up on that day. flared for a month or two. dwindled to a cinder and -went out. But-the Dark Star Erllk. terribly immortal, im-mortal, sped on through space to com- plete a two-hundred-ihousand-yoar circuit cir-cuit of the heavens, and begin anew an Immemorial journey by the -will of the Most High. What spectroscope is to horoscope, des-tiriv des-tiriv is to chance. The black star Erlik rushed through interstellar darkness un-se. un-se. o: those born under its violent augury squalled in their cradles, or. thumb in mouth, slumbered the dreamless slumber of the newly born. Ore of these, a tiny girl baby, fussed and fidgeted in her mother's arms, tortured tor-tured iiv prickly host when the hot winds blew through Trobizond. Overhead vultures circled; a stein-adler, cleaving the blue., looked down where the surf made a thin white line along the coast, then set his lofty course for China. ' Thousands of miles to the westward, a little bov of eight gazed out across the ruffled waters of the mill pond at Nee-land's Nee-land's Mills, and wondered -whether the ocean might not look that way. i .-,... .rloe- with the salt sea cf- eloso to you that time. You'll have to be j careful. I've noticed you here before, i It won't do: vou'l! have to keep out of range of those bushes, because when j we're inside we can't sec exactly v.ncrc we're firing." The child said nothing. She looked up at the bov. smiled shyly, then, with much composure, began her retreat, not neglecting neg-lecting any tempting blackberry on Uie wav. The sun hung low over the hazy Gay-field Gay-field hills: the beeches and oaks of Mohaw k county burned brown and crimson; crim-son; silver birches supported their delicate deli-cate canopies of burnt gold: and imperial white pines clothed hill and vale in a stately robe of green. Jim Xeeland forgot the child or remembered re-membered her only to exercise caution in tile Brookhollow covert. The little girl Ruhannah, who had once fidgeted with prickly heat in her mother's arms outside the walls of Trebizond. did not forget this easily smiling, tall young fellow a grown man to her who had come across the pasture pas-ture lot to warn her. But It was many a day before they met again, though these two also had been born under the invisible shadow or the Dark Star. But the shadow- of Brlik is alwavs passing like swift lightning across the Phantom Planet which has fled the other way since Time was born. Allahou Kkber. r Tchlngulz Khagan. A native Mongol missionary said to Ruhannah's father: "As the chronicles of the Eig'.iurs have it long ago there fell metal from the Black Racer of the skies: the first dagger dag-ger as niado of it. and the first image of the Prince of Darkness. These pass from Kurd to Cossack by theft, by gift, bv loss; they pass from nation to nation bv accident, which is Divine design. '"And where they remain, war is. And lasts until image and dagger are carried to another land where war shall bo. But where there is war. only the predestined suffer those bom under tr- ferv-escence working in his inland-born b"dv. he fitted a cork to his fishing line and" flung the baited hook far out across the stone bridge and -naked for monsters of the deep to come. nd again, off Seraglio Point, men were rowing in a boat: and a corded sack lay in the stern, horridly and limpiy heavy. There was also a bo lying hi the boat, oddly bound and clamped with metal which glistened like silver under the eastern stars when the waves of the Bosphorus dashed high, and the flying scud rained - down on box and sack and red-capped rowers. . ... In Petrograd a little girl of twelve was learning to eat other things than sour milk and cheese; learning to rids otherwise than like a demon on a Cos-tack Cos-tack saddle; learning deportment, too, ard languages, and social graces and the fine arts. And. most thoroughly of all, the little girl was learning how deathless death-less 6hould be her hatred for the Turkish empire and all its works: and how only less perfect than our "Lord in - Paradise was the czar on his throne amid that earthly paradise known as "all the Russians." Rus-sians." Her little brother was learning these things, too. in the corps of officers. Also he vas already proficient on the balalaika. bala-laika. And again, in the mountains of a con- i,Pr r.rnvlnee the little daughter of lik children ot tne vn r. on . "I thought," said the Rev. TSilbour Carew. "that my brother had confessed Christ."- ' . -I am but repeating to you what m father believed: and Temujin before him. replied the native convert, his remote gaze lost in reflection. , His eves were quite little and colored like a "lion's: and sometimes. In deep reverie, the corners of his upper Hp twitched. . This happened when Ruhannah ia fretting in her mother's arms, and the hot wind blew on Trebizond. Under the Dark Star, too, a boy grew up in Minotta Tjane. not less combative than other ragged boys about him. but be was inclined to arrange and superintend superin-tend fist fights rather than to participate partici-pate in battle, excent with his wits. His name was Eddie Brandes: his first fortune of three dollars was amassed at craps: he became a hanger-on in ward politics, at race tracks. stable. club, squared ring, vaudeville, burlesque. Lon Acre- attracted him but always th gambling end of the operation. . Which predilection, with its years of ups and downs, landed him one day In western Canada v. Ith an "Unknown to match against an Athabasca blacksmith, black-smith, and a training camp as the prospect pros-pect for the next six -neeks. There lived there, gradually dying, one Alhrerht Dumont, lately head game keeper to nobility in tne a Lost Province, and wearing the Iron Cros of IS?" on the ruins of a gigantic and" bony chest, now as hollow as a Gothic ruin. ... ... And if like a thousand fellow patriots, he had been ordered to the western world to watch and report to his government the trend and tendency of that western. English-spewing world, only his government govern-ment and bis daughter knew It a dull of the Dark .Star now grown to early womanhood, with a voice like a hermit thrush and the skill of a sorceress with anvthing that sped a bullet. Before the Unknown was nulte ready to meet the Athabasca blacksmith. Al-brecht Al-brecht Dumont. dying faiter now. signed bis las' report to the government at Berlin, which his daughter Use had written writ-ten for him something about Canadian can? Is and stupid Yankees and their greed. Indifference, cowaroif-e, and sloth. Dumont s mind v.andered: "After the well-born llei' Gott relieves m at my post." he whispered, "do tnou pi-k up' my burden and stand guurd. l.Uie Use." "Yes. father." "Thy Eaered promise'."' 'My promise." The next day Dumont fe!t better than he had felt for a year. "Use, who is the sho-t ar.d broaflL-constructed broaflL-constructed American who comes now already every day to sec thee and to hear thee sing?" a gamekeeper to nobility was preparing to emigrate with her father to a new home in the western world, where she would learn to perform miracles with rifle and revolver, and where the beauty of the hermit thrush's song would startle her into comparing it to the beauty of her own untried voice. But to her father. si.(l to her. the most beautiful thing in all the worid w-as love of fatherland. Over these, and millions of others. Vrooded the spell of the Dark Star. Even the world Itself lay under it. vaguely un-. un-. ca3y, sometimes startled to momentary seismic panic. Then, ere mundane pelf-control pelf-control restored terresirial equilibrium, a few. mountains exploded, an island or two lay shattered by earthquake, boiling boil-ing mud and purnicc olotted out one city: earthshock and fire another; a tidal wae a third. But the world settled down and balanced bal-anced itself once more on the edge of ike perpetual abyss Into which it must fail some day: the invisible shadow of the Dark Star swept it at intervals when some far and nameless sun blazed out unseen: days dawned; the sun of the oolar system rose furtively each day and hung around the heavens until that dusky huntress. Night.- chased him once more bevond the earth's horizon. the shadow of tht Dark Star was al-w al-w .ys there, though none saw it in Bun-shine Bun-shine or in moonlight, or in the slivery lu3tre of the planets. A boy. born under it. stood outEido the fringe of willow and alder. through hich moved two English setters followed and controlled by the boy's father. "Mark!" called the father. Out of the willows like a feathered bomb burst a big grouse, and the green foliage that barred its flight seemed to explode as the strong bird sheered out - into the sunshine. The boy's gun. slanting upward at thirty degrees, g'.lttered in the sun an Instant, then the left barrel spoke: and the grouse, as though struck by lightning in midair, stopped v. ith a jerk, then slanted swiftly and struck the ground. "Dead:" cried the boy. as a setter appeared, ap-peared, leading on straight to the heavy mass of feathers lying 011 the pasture grass. "Clean work, .Tim." said his father, strolling out of the willows. "But wasn't tt a bit risky, considering the little girl yonder?" "Father:" exclaimed the boy. very red. "f never even saw her. I'm ashamed." They stood looking acroja the pasture, where a little girl in a pink gingham H-e--:-' lingered watching them. e. idenily (;-r;,t aho Aude. U All. 'he Fourth Caliph, .mii.ill-coinpaiilolt of Mahomet the I roph.-t. Hut. O tougt. hi, b" thy , nan"- N.117. and thy surname K.il f"r I T'nn. e l.rilk speeds on his Dark Mar. . and beiifiith the end of tin argument b.--Iv.t.n thot-c two k."l sur. I-. ors burnt-out v orlj-h.-hold: Th.- sworu. (To be continued tomorrow.! I "His name Is K'lde Brandes. "He is of the fight gescllschaf t. not. "He should gain much money by the fight. A theater in Chicago may be willingly control, in which light opera shall be given." , "Is it for tiiat he hears to willingly tn voice?" , , "It is for thai M"1 'r,vc- t "And what of Herr Mai Vci-.cm. who has askd of me thy liU.c hand In mar-riatre mar-riatre ?" The girl was siient. "Thou dost not lo-. e l.:m?' Toward sunset, Dumont. lying by the window, opened hl-t cyc-3 of a dying Lammcrgeier: "Jlv Use." Father?" "What has thou to thin man naifl . "That I will be engaged to h.m if thou approve." "He has gained the f'ght . 'Toda" And manv thousand dollars. ""Tii'e ilieatcr In Chicago is his whf-li he (jesircs. Iti.-li'-'. leisure, fii-poitunltv fii-poitunltv to study tor a career upon .tjred by her curio-iity from t.-.c old houc at the crossroads lust beyond. Jim NeelamJ. still red with mortification, mortifica-tion, took trie big cock-grouse from the dog which brought it a tender-mouthed, beautifully trained Beiton, who stood with his feathered offering in his jaws, very serious, very proud, awaiting praise from tiie Neelands. father and son. Xeeland senior "drew" tiie bird and distributed the sacrifice impartially between be-tween both dogs it being the custom of the country. Xeeland junior broke his gun. replaced c-.e exploded sheil, content indeed with his one hundred per cent performance. "Delter run over and sprak to the little girl. Jim." sUKge-cd old flic; N'ee-iar.d. N'ee-iar.d. as he motioned the dogs into covert again. .So Jirn ran hg.it a-roi'i the stony, c!o-er-set ground to where the little girl roamed along the old snake, fence, picking berries sometimes, sometime! watching the Lpommcn out of shy, golden-grey eyes. "Little girl." he said, "I'm afraid the shot from my gun came rattiing rather his stage, are mine ir I oc-iis. "Dost thou desire this, little He. "And the man Vcncm who has followed , thee so long?" "I cannot be what he -would have me a Hausfrau to mend hia linen for my board and lodging." "And the fatherland which placed me here on outpost?" "I take thy placo when Cod relieves th"3o int's rccht: . . . Crus Gott II -;e " mong the German r.elilere ;.. five-pie. e brass band had been organized the year b "1 marehf d at Ihe funcrnl of Albrceht Dumont, lately bead gamekeeper to no-I no-I billty In the mountains of a long-lost province. Three montha later Use Dumont arrived ar-rived In Chicago to marry F.ddie Brandon. Out Uenjamln .-Hull v an best man. '' hers present lm-lnded "Captain" Quint. Doc Curfoot. "Parson" Smaw-Iey. Abe. Cordon Cor-don friends of the bridegroom. Invited by the bride, among other, were Theodor Weiiil.elm. the Hon. Charles Wilson. M . I'., and llerr jonann Kt-tner. a wealthy gentleman from Leip-ile seeking safe, and promising In-vf.-;lin..nts in Canatla and Ilic Lnited State:'. vejjr lete;- F'e Dumont I .is rifle-;, a-sin. peg th- ting" name of Minna M ini I. san" the role of Bellini In " I lie JI..H-colte," JI..H-colte," at the lirand'H theater in Chicago. Chi-cago. I A vear later, when she. created tho part of I-.athl in "1 be White Horse." Max Vcncm sent word to her that she would ll"e 'to see her busoaiid lying In tho gutter under bis heel. Which mado the girl unhappy In her triumph. I;ut Vcncm hunted up Alio Grlllbfeld l and told 1.1 m very coolly that, ho meant l.j ruin lirandes. And within a month Ihe lale.-.t public ' favorite. Minna Mlntl. sat In b'-r di-.-cdug room, wfl-e'-td. enraged, will, the r-i r-i ports' f.f Venem'f. private del eel Ive.-i looked 1" lb" dm .or or l.r dic-.-.Ing . ii.pl.. .. nrl lb" lUlialn walilng .-oi.iple v,-;n bp nlreu'lv bee.m.lng to Hit;;.- fw union,-! Ihe I..HII-H 1 hll.lr.n - the Dark Liar I irlik - to e-.erv ... Iron, the child ll.i. I frilled In lis moth-.- iiniil under the hot wind near Trehlzond. it, ;, d-poet-d tiullaii. covveilriK behind the Ivntv s. i t "tl In his 7.. mini. w eeping tears llm' lolled like ml over his lat Jowl to which mil adhered the powdered sulfar f.f r Turklnh .- .v.'-fl inert t , Ai;ahou l.kbcr. Khodja, Uod la Kirat. |