Show t11fw PLJPiMP = h ii 4 NCRAwroRD Oe AUTHOR OF I1RACIIEc5fAJ jRETIIUJAElr 1 LItYTRATIOeMY s 7 WEL ova I CUT S9O7 OY fflAflOft PflAWFana O SYNOPSIS I Biraka a Tartar girl became enamored e fa golden bearded stranger who was prospecting and studyIng herbs In the Ciolnity ot her home In central Aelu and revealed to him the location of a millet of rubles hoping that the stranger would Inv her in return for her disclosure TTlwrenfollowed tortheecaveeby the girl s relatives who blocked up the entrance en-trance and drew off the water supply france the couple to die Barakas cousin Baad her betrothed attempted to climb down a cliff overlooking the mine but the traveler ehot him The utranger was revived from a water rourd Sand carried car-ried duff his way out of the tunnel and departed de ortnir the girl and carrying jebaglof ruble Baraka gathered all the gem she could carry and started In pur iuit Margaret Donne Margarita da Cordova a famoua prIma donna became enraged In london to Konstantln Lo rothetl a wealthy Greek financier Her Intimate friend was Countess Leven known as Lady Maud whose husband had been killed by a bomb In St Peters burr and Lady Mauds moat Intimate friend was nufus Van Torp an American Ameri-can who had become one ot the richest men In the world Van Torp was In love with Mai caret and herdbetr London a s loon as he heard of her betrothal He offered Lady Maud 5000000 for her pet charity If she would aid him In winning till singer from Logothetl Baraka approached ap-proached LoKothetl at Versailles with rubles to aVan Ho presented a ruby to MargaretaVan Torppbought yacht and Margaret Van Torp bought a yacht and sent It to Venice He was visited by Baraka In male attire She gave him a ruby after the American had told her of paving seen In the United States a man tniwerlnK the description of the one she I end The American followed Margaret to the Uayreuth Parsifal festival Margaret Mar-garet took a liking to Van Torp who pre ented her with the ruby Baraka had given him CHAPTER VContlnued q never heard such an amusing set of stories ns you are telling mo today to-day she said That particular one Is Logothetls be answered and ho can probably tell you much more about the girl Is sho really very pretty Margaret Marga-ret asked Well said Van Torp quoting a laying of his favorite great man for No nol Mr Van Torp was actu ally blushing i mean his formor I i her form Oh her figure You merely guessed I it was a girl In boys clothes Certainly Yes Only you see be had a kind of fitthe boy didand I thought he was going to faint so I Picked him up and carried him to n sofa andwell you understand Miss Donne i knew I hadnt got a boy In my arms thats all I should think sol assented tho Englishwoman Im sure 1 should When you found out she was a girl how did she strike you Vary attractive I should say very attractive ho repeated with more emphasis People who admire brunettes bru-nettes might think her quite fasclnat Ing She has really extraordinary eyes to begin with those long fruity eastern eyes you know that can look so far to the right and left through their eyelashes Do you know what I mean 7 Perfectly You make It very clear Go on please Her eyesyes Mr Van Torp appeared ap-peared to be thinking again Well there was her complexion too Its flrstrato for a dark girl Ever been In a firstclass dairy Do you know the color of Alderney cream when Its I ready to be skimmed Her complexIons complex-Ions Just like that and when she s angry Its as If you squeezed the julc of about one red currant Into tho whole pan of cream Not more than one I should think See what I I mean Yes She must be awfully pretty Tell me more His she nice hair Even teeth I should think she had answered an-swered Mr Van Torp with even more I I f r s t i I I 4 > 1 l I I ui 6 I i I S I j = = r I i I I I 4 J I ifl Y s Send Mr Van Torus Man Up Potts People who like that kind of thing I should think that would bo tho kind of thing theyd like Tho prima donna smiled Can you describe her she asked Did you ever read n fairy story about a mouse that could turn Into n a tiger when it liked inquired tho SI American in a tone of profound medi tation as If ho woro contemplating a tUlon which Margaret could not see j No said she I never did hi 1 dun t think I ever did either But hero nIght ho a fairy story about that mightnt there Margaret dis Pleased interest and ho went on Well it describes Miss Barrack toT a to-T Yes thats what I call her Snas put Barak1 on her business card whatever that moans in a Christian nguaso but whon I found out It was a girl 1 christened her Miss Barrack People havo to havo names of soma Wad If t youre going to talk about I them But thats a digression Pur wn me Youd llko a description of the young person Im Just thinking How dd you find out she WaS a 1i r till I Minaret asked and her tono was I suddenly hard I f It ill was n question of form you I sae lie c7 said awkwardly Han Form ForraMlty I dont under Margaret was really puzzled enthusiasm than ho had shown yet Theyre as small and even and white as If I somebody had gone to work and carved them all around half a new billiard ball not separate you understand under-stand but all In one piece Very pretty pret-ty mouth they make with those rather brolledstilnioncolored lips she has I I and a little chin that points up as If sho could hold her own Sho can too Her hair Well you see shes cut it short to ho a bar but Its as thick ns a beavers fur I should say and pretty black Its a silky kind of hair that looks alive You know I daresay Some bru what I mean nottos hair looks coarse and dusky like horsehair but hers Isnt that kind In the and It makes a sort of reflection wing ravens sun tho way a young feathers do if you understand I Yquro describing a raving beauty I It seems to mo Oh no said the American Irma Gently Now If our friend Grlggs all tho novelist worn here hed find i tho right words and things but I can I only tell you Just what I saw You toll It uncommonly well Margaruts faco expressed anything but pleasure Is sho tall Its hard to toll in mens clothes Threo inches shorter than I am may ralddlMlxofl man I sup bo Im a pose 1 used to be flvo cot ten In mtl j or V shoes She may be ave feet seven not more But thats fell for a women I lp UT Mr Vn Torps tono ex pruned an Innocent Indifference Yes Has sho nlco bands I didnt notlco her hands Oh yes I remember he exclaimed suddenly correcting himself I did notice them She held up that ruby to tho light and I happened to look at her fingers Small wellshaped lingers tapering nicely but with a sort of firm look about thorn that you dont often see In a womans hands Youve got It too Have 17 Margaret looked down at her right hand But of course hers are smaller than mine sho said Well you see orientals almost all have very small bands and feettoo small I call them little tiny feet like mice Margarets own were wellshaped but by no mean small The girl Is In London you say Her tone made a question of the statement state-ment mentSho She was there two days ago when I left At least she had been to see mo that very morning Almost as soon as she was gone I went out and In the first shop I looked Into I mot Logothetl It was Plnneys the jewelers > Jew-elers I remember for I bought a collar col-lar stud We came away together and walked some time and ha told mo the Tartar girls story I asked I I him to dine today but I was obliged to leave town suddenly nnd so I had to put him oft with a noto I daresay I dare-say tics still in London I daresay he Is Margaret repeated I re-peated and rising suddenly she went to the window Mr Van Torp rose too and thought of what he should say In taking his leave of her for ho felt that he had I stayed long enough I The prima donna wan still looking out of the window when the door i opened and her English maid appeared I ap-peared on the threshold Margaret I turned at the sound What Is it r she asked quietly I Theres Mr Van Torps man maam answered Potts He wants I to speak to his master at once You had better tell him to come up Margaret answered You may I just as well see him here without goIng go-Ing all the way downstairs she laid i speaking to Van Torp Youre very kind Im sure ho replied re-plied but I think Id better be goIng go-Ing anyway No dont go yet please There something else I want to say See your man here while I go and speak to Mrs Rushmore Send Mr Van Torps man up Potts she added nnd left the room The American walked up and down alone for a few moments Then the I Impassive Stemp was ushered In by the maid and the door was shut againWell Well 7 Inquired Mr Van Torp Has anything happened Yes sir Stemp answered They have turned us out of the house sir and your luggage Is in the street Where shall I have It taken sir Ob theyve turned us out have they Why Well sir Im afraid its partly my fault but there must bo some misunderstanding mis-understanding for Im quite sure I didnt whistle In your room sir So am 1 Stemp Quite so Go on What happened Well sir you hadnt been gone more than ten minutes when somebody some-body knocked and there was the landlord land-lord if thats what he calls himself and a strange German gentleman with him who spoke English Rather shab bylooking sir I thought him He spoke most uncivilly and fluid I was driving him half crazy with my whistling whis-tling I said I hadnt whistled and he said I had and the landlord talked German at me as It were sir I said again I hadnt whistled and he said I had the shabby gentleman I mean speaking most uncivilly sir I assure you So when I saw that they doubted my word I put them out and fastened the door thinking this was what you would have ordered sir if youd been there yourself but Im afraid I did wrong No Stemp You didnt do wrong Thank you sir I suppose though that when you I put them out they didnt exactly want to go did they No sir but I had no trouble with themAny Any heads broken No sir 1 was careful of that 1 sent the landlord downstairs first as i he was a fat man and not likely to i I I hurt himself and tho shabby gentleman gentle-man went down on top of him quite comfortably so ho dlj not hurt him < elf either I was very careful sir elng In a foreign country What happened next They didnt t come upstairs again and throw you i out I suppose No sir Thy went and got two I of these German policemen with words and broke Into the room and told me we must movo at once 1 didnt like to resist the police sir Its sometimes serious The German gen tleinan wanted them to arrest me so I offered to pay any fine there was for having been hasty and we settled for two sovereigns which I thought dear Mr and Id have gone to the I police station rather than pay It only I knew youd need my services in this heathen town sir Im highly relieved to know that you approve of that sir But they said we must turn out direct ly I Just the same so I repacked your I things and got n porter and hes standing over the luggage In the street waiting for orders Stomp said Mr Van Torp Id been whistling myself before you came In and tho lunatic In tho next room had already been fussing about It Its my fault Yea sir Thank you sir And It will be my fault If I we have to sleep in ft cab tonight The door opened while he was speaking and Margaret heard the last words as she entered tho room Im sorry she sate I thought you had finished I could not help hear ing what you said about sleeping In arab Thats nonsense you know Well said Mr Van Torp theyve Just turned us out of tho one room we had because I whistled Parsifal out of tune You didnt whistle It out of tune Margaret answered to Stemps great but wollconcealed astonishment I know better Please have your t sings brought hero at once Here repeated Mr Van Torp surprised In his turn Yes she answered In a tone that forestalled contradiction If nothing else can be had you shall have this room I can do without It Youre kindness Itself but I couldnt do that said Mr Van Torp Bring our things to this hotel anyway any-way Stemp and well see what happens hap-pens Yes sir Stemp disappeared at once and his master turned to Margaret again Nothing will Induce me to put you to such Inconvenience he said and his tono was Quite as decided as hers had been She smiled i Nothing will induce me to let a friend of mine hn driven from pillar to post for a lodging while I have plenty of room to spare Youre very very kind but But the mouse may turn Into n tiger If you contradict It she said with a light laugh that thrilled him with delight I remember your description de-scription of the Tartar girl Well then I suppose tho hyena I will have in turn loin 1 n arnnll Tvnnllv lamb If you teiil him I to answered Mr Torp Yes laughed Margaret Bo a small woolly lamb at once please avery a-very small one Kneehigh to a kitten certainly replied the millionaire submissively Very well Ill take you with mo i to hear Parsifal tomorrow If I you i obey Ive Just asked Mrs Rushmore If I it makes any difference to her and > she has confessed that she would I rather not go again for It tires her dreadfully and gives her a headache You shall have her seat What Is It7 Dont you want to go with mo Mr Van Torps face had hardened till it looked like a mask he stared firmly I at the wall and his lips were set tightly together Margaret gazed at him In surprise while he spoke have counted ten Then he spoke slowly with evident effort and in an odd voice Excuse me Miss Donne he said snapping his words out Im so grateful grate-ful that I cant speak thats all Itll be all right in a second A huge emotion had got hold of him She saw the red flush rise suddenly sud-denly above his collar and then sink back before It reached his cheeks and all at once he was very pale But not a muscle of his face moved not a line was drawn only his sandy eyelashes eye-lashes quivered a little His hands were thrust deep into the pockets of his Jacket but the fingers were motionless mo-tionless Margaret remembered how he had told her more than once that she was the only woman the world held for him and she had thought it was nonsense non-sense rather vulgarly and clumsily expressed by n man who was not much better than an animal where women were concerned It flashed upon her at last that what he had said was literally true that she had misjudged an extraordinary man altogether as many people did and that she was Indeed the only woman in the whole world who could master and dominate one whom many feared and hated and whom she bad herself once detested beyond words While these thoughts were disturbing disturb-ing her a little Mr Van Torp recovered recov-ered himself his features relaxed his hands came out of his pockets and ho slowly turned towards her j I I hope you dont think mo rude I i he said awkwardly I feel things a j good deal sometimes though people i mightnt believe 1t They were still standing near to getter anti not far from the door through which Margaret had entered Its never rudo to bo grateful even for small things she answered gently Her handsome head was a little hont and her eyes wero turned to the floor as sho passed him going to tho door Im going to see tho manager of the hotel she said Ill be back directly di-rectly No no Please Jet me But she was gone tho door was shut again and Mr Van Torp was left to his own very happy reflections for a while Not for lung however He was still standing before tho table staring at tho cornflowers and poppies without consciously seeing them when ho was awnro of tho imposing presence of Mrs Rushmore who had entered softly soft-ly during his reverie I and was almost at his elbow I i i vv I I This Is Mr Van Torp I presume she said gravely Inclining her head I am Mrs Rushmore You havo perhaps per-haps heard Miss Donno speak of nip1 Im very pleased to meet you Mrs Rushmore said the American bowing bow-ing low Ive often heard Miss Donne speak of you with the greatest gratitude and affection runts nice Mrs Rushmore answered an-swered with gravity and as she established es-tablished herself on the sofa she indicated In-dicated n chair not for from her It was only proper that Margaret should always speak of her with af < fectlon and gratitude Mr Van Torp sat down on the chair to which she had directed rather than Invited him and he prepared to bo bored to tho full extent of tho bearable I had tho pleasure of knowing Mr Rushmore ho said In tho proper tone of mournfully retrospective ad miration Ho was sincerely lamented by all our business men Ho was assented the widow as she would have said amen In church In the right place and with much the same solemn intonation There was a moments pause durIng dur-Ing which the millionaire was trying to think of something else she might like to hear for she was Margarets friend and he wished to make a good Impression Ho was therefore not prepared pre-pared to hear her speak again before j I ho did and much less for tho subject of conversation she introduced at oncoYou You know our friend Mons Logo thotl I believe she Inquired suddenly sud-denly Why certainly answered Van Torp brightening at once at the mention men-tion of his rival and at once also putting on his moral armor of caution cau-tion I know him quite well Indeed Have you known many Greeks may I ask Ive met one or two In business Mrs Rushmore but I cant say Ive known any as well as Mr Logotheti You may think it strange that 1 should ask you about him nt our first meeting said tho good lady but Im an American and I cannot help feeling that a fellowcountrymans opinion of a foreigner Is very valuable valu-able You are I understand an old friend of Miss Donnes though I have not had the pleasure of mooting you I before and you have probably heard that she has made up her mind to There are Greeks and Greeks Mrs Rushmore ho answered wisely That Is true answered the tail but I should like your opinion HH one of our most prominent men off business as ono who If I may any sa has of lato triumphantly established his claim to respect Mr Van TQ bowed and waved his hand In ao kuowledgment of this high praise x should like your opinion about thl erthl8 Greek gentleman whom my young friend Insists upon ninrryine Really Mrs Rushmoro Because If I thought there was unhappiness un-happiness In store for her 1 wcudS save her If I had to marry the mat myself 1 IIM Mr Van Torp wondered how abe M would accomplish such a feat Indeed ho said very gravely I mean It answered Mrs Hush more There wall a moment silence tfiw Ing which Mr Van Tarp revolrcflT something In his always active brcltv while Mrs Rushmore looked at 111m as If sho expected that he woult doubt her determination to drag 10 r gothotl to the matrimonial altar sraL marry him by shoor strength rather I than lot Margaret be his unhappy bride But Mr Van Torp said gaze 1 thing Quito different May I speak qulto frankly thom r we hardly Know each other masked m-asked Wo are both Americans nnnwcreflf tho good lady with n grand national air I should not expect nnytlilnit but perfect frankness of you I Tho truth Is Mrs Rushmore UmT ever since I had the pleasure of y knowing Miss Domino I have want to marry her myself You I cried tho lady surprised DW yond measure but greatly pleased Yes said Mr Van Torp quietly and therefore In my position I a cant glvo you nn unbiased oplnlHB 1 about Mr Logothotl I really cant Well said Mrs Ilushmoro 1 ate I surprised While she was still surprised Mr Van Tarp tried to make some running run-ning and asked an Important quo tion May I ask whether as Mfsor Dominos oldest friend you would look favorably on my proposal supposing situ wero free Before Mrs RUshmore could oa ewer the door opened suddenly an 1 r = t Ic M It1 f i w A lfl3 frti Jk I v Ir 1vr I I 1 i I t t Jl Margaret Gazed at Him In Surprise While She Might Have Counted I Ten Vm marry Mone Logothetl I am bound I I t A confess QB her dear mothers oldest old-est friend that I am very apprehensive apprehen-sive of the consequences I have the gravest apprehensions Mr Van Torp Have you really asked the millionaire mil-lionaire with caution but sympathetically sympa-thetically I wonder why A Greek said Mrs Rushmore sadly Think of a Greek Mr Van Torp who was not without a senso of humor was Inclined to answer an-swer that in fact he was thinking of a Greek at that very moment But I ho abstained she could only answer by an energetic nod and a look which meant that she wished Mr Van Torp success with all her excellent heart Its quite settled I Margaret < rtetf as sho entered Ive brought the Director i Di-rector to his souses and you Bro to have tho rooms they wore beeping for a Russian prince who has not turned up TO BJ3 CONTINUED |