Show rte o s > f i l I e t f y i r11A > > lON CRAwrODD AUTHR OF JRRACJNfc5PA llRETflUJIlElrETt 1 rRATIOfi 1o s 7 WEt CNT 907 13 F MARON CRWFORD SYNOPSIS girl became enamored a Tnrtllr slrnnger who Wile bearded TC5 1n 7r sllldln Herbs In the 6rm nrniLf In central Asln and tot I to her him home atilt locution tho Rtrnngcr of n would mine i nprtptrt for her disclosure In rttllrl1 I to tho cnvc by thu tollowell bluckedcnp the ro esowho blockcl up tho en a dreW ort the wnter cousin nd dr to ie 13arukae cous n he betrothed couplo nttell1tl to climb r t H lOin tlut oorlookln > stranger was rUff hlnkltTho Irraettot hlll1 rho strnnBor was shot tier water gourd Sand car from V5ut of the tunnel and his w aY J1 and currying deicrtlni the girl Barakn atherlt Un the rubles curry and started In pur could Donne Margarita di argnrel donna become Rn primp I a famous London to Konstnntln Lo I a In Mend wealth was Countess Loven Her 1 inlv Maud whose husband Kl St Peters kIlled by a bomb In L Lady Mauds most Intimate E d liufua Van Torp nn Ainerl al tutus of richest I had become one O tho richest fhe world Van Torp Lndon love lrMet t and rushed to London ns Ph heard of her betrothal HP he dy Maud 5000000 + for her pet > lf she would aid him In winning lr from Logothetl Uprnku np er at1CVersaillesawith fliBothetl nt Versailles with i i He presented a ruby to eell yacltyand B Van Torp bought a yacht and Co Venice Ito was visited by fin male attire She gave him n Irr the Atncrlenn had told her of cr the ltniteduStates Ween In the tnlted States n man le the description of tho one she g le American followed Margarot liyrcutli Parsifal festival Mark Mar-k a liking to Van Torp who pro i Kr with the ruby Uarnkn hat Tm Count Krallnsky a Russian fet Daireuth Van Tarp believed e the ono Uaraka was pursuing was arrested In London on the If stealing from Plnney a Jew Truly she had sold to Lady bniters were the thieves Lady JlleWd that Losothetl assocla th Baraka were open to lIuspl Id so Informed Margaret Vat leved that Krallnsky was theo the-o had known In his young man tosothetl secured narukas reid re-id then with her as his guest sea on his yacht Krlnna liaraku her plans for revenge on tho in had deserted her and loft her ogothetl succeeds In moderating Lady Maud arrived In Bay itargaret arid Vn Torp entered igreement lot a tremendous luse In New 1 III i The thief who I ruby from Mr Plnney was nr I New York and the stone re Lady Maud confided to Van fet she believed Krallnsky to be land she had believed dead Van mused his help to unravel the APTER Xlll Continued I er Margaret nor Mrs Rush Id ever seen Leven and they 1 the least Idea of what was jolng on under their eyes They t that Lady Maud was making set t at the count and If Mark Mar-k jcndercd whether she had mis her friends character the el j had no doubt as to what was ng ngear dear child she said to Mar ik our friend Is goIng to console s Widows of that ago general by dear I myself could never t and how one could marry 1 i should always feel that dear ul hmore was In the room It hlq akes me blush to think of It au undeniable fact that many 1 widows marry again Mark jit Margaret your friend Is i console herself before long C i j not this one It will bo an 5Iy dear I am quite positive rlct that the sun went down that oven yacht had passed Otranto and ie and her course had been to head her for Capo Spartl a jnd the Straits of Messina done In 24 hours as much as oth e Italian mall steamers do In nearly half as much again as jnna could have done at her a speed As Mr Van Torp had d I his engines had warmed d were beating their own The gale made by tho vessels stronger than a woman could s with any regard to her an but as the weather contln be calm It was from dead nd there was plenty of shel he Promenade deck abaft the use > on condition of not going toe rail dinner Krallnsky and Mrs I re Balked a little as on tho evening and Lady Maud sat rgaret and Van Torp But I e two walkers went off to sit the quiet corner they had awrday Lady Maud rose p 11 way aft and deliberately ersel where they were obliged Close to her at each turn LlS hand leaning against tho OaK O ICb hue side of the engine sky was as high as the wheel out 3 self and broke In aft whore AT ntlIating fans were situated a square corner inward I lot I COd 1 4t rki there and as It was not Ml k In v it wt jVtho car starlight Kra IIiM av In jl passing that she fol lofU t I lace with her eyes turning to I look lit him when ho washer toftords was-her and tttrnliiB it elf back again liS ho clime 110u wtntby It nuns Impossible i Dare i I s Il clearly tar invitation of n his pnllrp be Was a companion and join tar 1 + the last man In the lsunderstlltHI H u rt nuslunoft LsSr saw It too and r6ottt tonsldercll hllll a lion and Into entitled to have his own dne etrouigl easy for him na6Ii COunt Bh si she a fiatp said blnndly I ow t4 r g had lonlly Mmul twice > I ro enough now and If t oink II1lso to iinlsh your walk I 1 wnca ttH go and sit With taro y Ho left her with Margaret and Van lorp and went back to Lady Maud who moved ns he S T came up to her Ulade two steps K beside ± ° him and then suddenly 1 slipped i Into the recess Where the fanhouso joined tho engine skylight She stood still and he In stantly ranged himself beside her They were quite out of sight of the others nnd of the In bridge and even If It had been daylight they could not have been seen except by some one coming from aft I want to speak to you she said In a low steady voice Please listen quite quietly for some of them may begin to walk again Krallnsky bent his head twice and then Inclined it towards her to hear better what she was going to say It has pleased you to keep up this comedy < for 24 hours she began Ho made a slight movement which was natural under tho circumstances I do not understand he said In his oily voice What coined I real ly have no Dont go on sho answered interrupting Inter-rupting him sharply Listen to what 1 am going to tell you and then decide de-cide what you will do I dont think your decision will make very much difference to me but It will make a difference to the world and to yourself your-self I saw you from a window when you brought Mr Van Tarp to the hotel In Bayreuth and I recognized you at once Since this afternoon I have no doubt left I never saw you till last night said Krnllnsky with some little surprise sur-prise In his tone and with perfect assurance as-surance Do you really think you can deceive de-ceive me any longer she asked I told you this afternoon that If you could como back from the dead and know the truth we should probably forgive each other though we had many differences Shall we Sho paused a moment and by his quick chango of position she saw that he wns much moved I dont mean that we should ever go back to the old life for we were not suited to each other from the first you and I You wanted to marry me because I was pretty and smart and I married you because I wanted to be married and you were better looking than most men and seemed to have what I thought was necessaryfortune and a decent position No dont Interrupt me We soon found out that we did not care for each other You went your way and I went mine I dont mean to reproach you for when I say you were beginning to be tired of me I did nothing to keep you I myself my-self was tired of It already But whatever what-ever you may have thought I was a faithful wife Mr Van Torp hall given mo a great deal of money for my charity and does still I can account ac-count for It I never used a penny of It for myself and never shall and he never was and never will be anymore any-more than a trusted friend I dont know why you chose to disappear when the man who had your pocketbook pocket-book was killed and you were said to be dead Its not my business and if you choose to go on living under another an-other name now that you arc rich again I shall not betray you and few people will recognize you at least In England so long as you wear that beard But you had It when we were married and I knew you at once and when I heard you were to be of the party here I made up my mind nt once that I would accept the Invitation Invita-tion nnd como too and speak to you as Im speaking now When I believed be-lieved you were dead I forgave you everything though I was glad you not wish were gone frankly I did you alive again but since you are God forbid that I should wish you dead You owe mo two things In exchange ex-change for my forgiveness First yours If I treated you ungenerously or unkindly nnd secondly you ought to take back every w rend you ever said to me about Mr Van Torp for there was not a shadow of truth In what you thought Will you do that I ask nothing else Indeed I will my dear Maud said Count Krallnsky In a voice full of emotion Lady Maud drew a long breath that trembled a little ns it left her heated lips again She had done what she believed most firmly to be right and had not It had not been easy She been surprised by his patient silence while sho had been talking for she had folt that It was hers to speak and his to listen I shall Thank you sho said now said never go back to what I havo allude to need over and neither of us this trip It old times again during will not last long for I shall probabl go homo by land from the first poll likely that we we touch and It is not shall over meet again If we do 1 Count If wero shall behave as you Krallnsky whom I have met abroad I suppose you neither more nor less 7 enough not to will have conscience Perhaps If I thought another marry depended on It I womans happiness would consent to divorce you but you shall never divorce me make mo wish to II could Krallnsky No power answered still deeply those d S Mauat I was 1 WRS besldo mad myself In between my debts and my entanglements with women not nt to touch your shoes Ive seen It nil since That Is tho chief reason why 1 choso to disappear from society when I had tho chance and become some ono else I swear to you on my mothers soul In heaven that J thought of nomine but that to set you free nail begin lire over again as another man No thought of marrying has ever crossed my mind I Do you think I could be as bad ns that nut Im not defending myself how could 11 Vll tho right Is on your side und all tho wrong on mlno Ana nowI would give heaven and earth to undo It all and to como buck to you Lady Maud drew ns far ns she could Into the corner where tho fanhouso Joined the engine skylight She had not expected this It was too much re pentance j It was too like a real at tempt to win her nsaln Ho had not seen hor for more than three months she know she was very beautiful his Heeling passion had come to life again as he had Hut her old repulsion repul-sion for him was ten times stronger than when they had parted and she shrank back as far as she could without with-out speaking From far below tho noiseless engines sent a quick vibra lion up to the Ironwork of the sky light Sho felt It but could harily tell It from the beatings of her own heart lie saw her shrinking from him and was wise Dont be afraid of me he cried In a low and pleading tone Not that Oh please not that I will not come nearer I will not put out my hand to touch yours I swear It to you Hut I love you as I never loved you before be-fore I never knew how beautiful you were till 1 had lost you and now that I havo found you again you are a thousand times more beautiful than In my dreams No I ask nothing I have no right to ask for wha I have thrown away You do not even pity me I think Why should you You wore free when you tuuwght me dead and I have como back to be a burden and a weight on your life Forgive me forgive me my lost darling for the sake of all that might have been but dont fear me Pity mo If you can but dont be afraid of mol Say that you pity mo a little and I shall be satisfied sat-isfied and grateful too Lady Maud was silent for a few seconds sec-onds while he stood turned towards her his hands clasped In a dramatic gesture as if still Imploring her commiseration com-miseration she said at last I do pity you quite steadily for just then she did not fear that he would try to touch oven her hand I pity you If you are really In love with mo again I pity you still more If this Is a passing thing that has taken hold of you merely became you still think me handsome nut i will never take OU back to bo my husband again Never you That Is finished for good and all Ah Maud listen to me But sho had already slipped out of the corner and was walking slowly from him not towards tho oth away her > but aft so that ho might Join eP quietly before going back to them He of tho world and undor us a man stood her and did what was expected of him Almost as soon as ho wns beside be-side her sho turned to go forward with her leisurely careless grace Weve been standing a long tlmo she said ns if tho conversation had been rbout tho weather I want to sit down I nm In earnest ho Bald very low So am I answered Lady Maui They went on towards tho wheelhouse wheel-house sldo by side without haste nnd not very near together like two ordinary or-dinary acquaintances CHAPTER XIV While the Lancashire Lass was racing ra-cing down to the Straits of Messina tho Krlmm was heading for the same point fioin the opposltu direction no longer dawdling along at half speed but going her full 16 knots after coalIng coal-Ing at Naples and any navigator who know the positions and respective speeds of the two yachts could havo calculated with approximate precision tho point at which they would probably prob-ably sight each other Logothctl had given up the Idea of taking Dnraka to Paris It ho had over really entertained It at all Ho assured as-sured her that Naples was a great city too nnd that thorn was a first class French dressmaking establishment establish-ment there and that the Vlllo do Lyon would turn her out almost as smartly as the Rue do la Palx Itself I I 1 A u o fi 6 0 I toy to-y ir C o 4 r b I n I I J n 1 11 1111111 II s J t I I I OJ I I rl I 1 N Then Suddenly Slipped Into the Recess f n I i II o w I h y I 44 He Sent Another Man to Walt Till Midnight at the Office Ho took Baraka ashore and placed her for half a day In the hands of Mmi Anna who undertook to do all that money could do In about a fortnight fort-night He had tho effrontery to say that Baraka was a niece of his from Constantinople whose mother was onboard on-board the yacht but had unfortunately unfortunate-ly sprained her ankle In falling down tho companion during a gale and could therefore not accompany her daughter on shore The young lady he said spoko only Turkish Mme Anna grave and magnificently calm under all circumstances had a vague recollection of having soon tho handsome hand-some oriental gentleman already with 11 irtrr Ljj M1t UIa 6 another niece who spoke only Trench but that was none of her business When would tho young lady try on the things On nny day Mine Anna choso to namo but In the meantime mean-time her unclo would take hor down to Sicily as the weather was so wonderfully won-derfully flue and It was still so hot Mine Anna therefore named a day and promised moreover to See the best llncndrapcrs nnd seamstresses herself and to provide the young lady with ns complete nn outfit as If site were going to bo married She should havo nil things visible and Invisible In tho shortest possible time Logo thctl who considered himself a stranger stran-ger Insisted on putting down a thousand thou-sand franc note merely as a guarantee of good faith The dressmaker protested pro-tested almost furiously and took tho money still protesting So that was settled and Barakn was to bo outwardly out-wardly changed Into a beautiful For lughl lady without delay To tell tho truth tho establishment Is really n smart ono and she was favorably impressed Im-pressed by tho many pretty frocks nnd gowns that were tried on several pretty young woman In order that she hLL might nmko liner choice Baraka would have liked n blue satin skirt with a yellow train and a bright green silk body but In her travels sho had noticed that tho tasto of Forlnghl ladles was for very sober or gentle colors compared with the fashionable standards of Samarkand finis and Constantinople and she meekly acquiesced to everything every-thing that Logothotl und Mme Anna proposed after putting their heads togo to-go tIlC I Logothott seemed to know a great deal about It It nearly when time naphtha naph-tha launch took them out to tho yacht i which lay under the mole where the big English and German passenger steamers and the men ofwar are moored Logothctl hud at last received Mar garets telegram asking him to meet her nt once It had failed to reach him in Gibraltar and had been tele graphed on thence to Naples nm when ha read it he was considerably disturbed lie wrote a long message of explanations and excuses and sent It to the prima donna at Bayrcuth tripling the number of words she had prepaid for his answer But no reply came for Margaret was herself at sea and nothing could reach her He sent one of his own men from tho yacht to spend the day at tho telegraph tele-graph office with Instructions for finding him If any message came Tho man found him three times and brought three telegrams and each time as he tore open the llttlu folded brown paper he felt more uncomfortable uncomfor-table but ho was relieved to find each tlmo that tho message was only a business one from London or Paris giving him the latest confidential news about n government can In which he was largely Interested When ho reached the yacht ho sent another man to wait till midnight at the olllce The diva was angry ho thought that was clear and perhaps sho had some right to be Tho tone of her I telegram hnd been peremptory In the extreme and now that he had answered an-swered It after a delay of several days Him refused to take any notice of him It was not possible that such a personage as she was should have left Hayreuth without leaving clear Instructions In-structions for sending on any telegrams tele-grams that might come after slue left At this time of year us ho knew she was beset with offers of engagements to sing amid they had to be answered From 1 eight oclock In the morning to midnight there were 16 hours ample time for n retransmitted message to reach her anywhere In Europe and to be answered Logothetl felt a sensation sensa-tion of deep relief when the man came aboard at a quarterpast midnight and reported himself empty handed j but he resolved to wait till the following evening before definitely leaving Naples for the ten days which must elapse before Uaraka could try on her beautiful Ferlnghl clothes Ho told her anything he liked and she belloved him or was Indifferent for the Idea that she must be as well dressed as any European woman when sho mot the man she was seeking seek-ing had appealed strongly to her and the sight of the pretty things at Mme Annas hnd mnda her ashamed of her simple little readymade serges and blouses Logothetl assured her that Krallnsky was within easy reach and showed no Inclination to travel far There was news of him In tho telegrams tele-grams received that day the Greek mid Spies were about him and were watching him for her and so far he had shown no inclination to admire any Ferlnghl beauty Baiaka accepted all these inventions Inven-tions without doubting their veracity In her eyes Logothetl was a great man something like a king and vastly vast-ly more than a Tartar chloftaln Ho could send men to tho ends of the earth If he chose Now that ho was sure of where Krallnsky was he could no doubt have him seized secretly and brought to her If she desired It earnestly earn-estly of him But she did not wish to see the man froo or a prisoner till she had her beautiful new clothes Then he should look upon her and judge whether ho had dono woll to Icsplso her love month to leave her to p be clone to death by hor own people and her body left to the vulture that If i md waited so long on n jutting point 4 of rock over her head three years ngo VI It was a dreamy and sense compell 1 k Ing lIfo that sho led on tho yacht surrounded sur-rounded with every luxury she had f i I over heard of and constantly waited f A m by tho only clover mnn she had l over really talked with excepting the l I old Persian merchant n Stamboul The vision of tho Koldonbcnrdcd giant I > K t who had loft her to hor fate after II treating her with stony Indifference 1 f was still before her but the reality JU f t was nearer In tho shape of a visible f 1 grcatman who could do anything ho choso who caused her to be treated like a queen nnd who was undeniably un-deniably handsome t She wondercA whether ho had a wife Judging marriage from her I r point of view there probably had 1 been ono put nway In that beautiful 4 house In Paris Ho was an oriental tP sho told herself and ho would not parade his wlfo as tho Forlnghls did But she wns one too and she consid crcd that It would bo nn Insult to ask him about such things Spiro know no doubt but she could not demean herself to Inquire of n servant Por e haps Gula had found out already for tho girl had u way of finding out + whatever she wanted to know apparently ap-parently by explaining things to the + second mate Possibly Gula could be made to tell what she bad learned without being directly questioned But after all Imrnka decided that It t did not matter since she meant to marry the fairbeard as soon ns she I y ti had her pretty clothes Yet sho became be-came conscious that If he had not ex t s Isled she would think It very satisfactory satis-factory to marry the great man a r who could do anything he liked + though If he had a wlfo already na ho probably had sho would refuse to os bo the second In his house Tho Koran allowed a man four it was said but the Idea was hateful to her t + s nnd moreover the Persian merchants t wife had told her that It was old fashioned fash-ioned to have more than ono mainly I because living hnd grown so expensive a expen-sive 1 f Logothetl sat beside her for hours under tho awnings talking or not as sho choso and always reading whon t ° BUG was silent though ho often looked up to see If she wanted anything He tr told her when they loft Naples that xr 3J ho would show her beautiful Islands i i nnd other sights and the great fire mountains of the south Etna and I Stromboll which she had heard of on J her voyage to Marseilles but had not seen because the steamer hnd passed i lf them at night The flromountnln at Naples hud been quiet only Bonding I out thin wreaths of smoke which Ha raka insisted came from fires made by shepherds Moreover she said as they i watched Vesuvius receding when they tt t loft Naples your mountains are not 1 mountains hut anthills and I do not care for them But yol sea has tho colors of many sherbets roseleaf and violet mind lemon and orange and 1 H sometimes oven of palo yellow peach Bit t sherbet which Is good Lot mo always al-ways see the sea till the tine dressea a 1 nro ready to bu tried on I This sea answered Logothetl Is I always rape beautiful near land and k f amongst Islands and tho big fire mountain of Sicily looks as tall as Kasbek because It rises from tho waters wa-ters edge to the sky r Then take mo to It nnd I will tell you for my eyes have looked on limo t Altai and I wish to see a real moun J tin again After that we will go back Y und get tho fine dresses Will Gula l e know how to fasten the fine dresses at the back do you think n 1 You shall have a woman who does I t and who can talk with Gum and tho + II + + I two will fasten the fine dresses for h you Logothetl Spoke with becoming gravity Yes llurnka answered Spend ip money for mo that I may bo good to 1 see Also I wish to have many servants serv-ants My father has a hundred per 1 + + haps a thousand but now I have only l two Gula and Splio The man I seek will I think I am poor and that will bon bo-n shame Whllo I was searching for lv him It different was and besides you are teaching me how the rich Franks I live In their world It Is not like ours t I You know for you are more like us i 1 I though you are a king here Sho spoke slowly and lazily pans Ing between her phrases and turning 1I her eyes to him now and then without 1 moving her head and her talk amused him much more than that of European t c women though It waS so very simple q 1 like that of a gifted child brought suddenly to a now country or to see J st a a fairy pantomime Tell me he said after a time It It were the portion of Krnllnsky to bt gathered to his fathers before yoq saw him what would yon do dn Baraka now turned not only hef eyes to him but her face 4t Why do you ask me this Is It because be-cause ho Is dead and you are afraid 1 t + to toll me v P1 s t I 1 r TO DE CONTINUED 1 |