Show IT THE H-E H 0 GREAT RE n. n AT T THRILL H R I LL By WILLIAM G GLADYS L Copyright 1925 FRANCIS SHAW Thompson Feature ERSKINE Service DUGAN v Inc NE and f I Ill I Continued from yesterday grew into darkness but no j other ober word broke the magic silence i iler er t tiny hand was held tight in his it pig tione one Her head was cradled on his breast V- V l CHAPTER Tr EPILOGUE Three Tree months had elapsed since Armand sailed from from New York on that dark night In April Apri During the whole trip across the Atlantic he had remained apart frOm irOm everone everyone Sitting on deck deck his cap pulled down own over his brooding broding eyes eest he hested sted stared out to sea at the endless i rise se and hail fan of the blue billows at atthe atthe th the distant line Une where sea and horizon horizon hori horl- zon meet that one never seemed to reach No matter mater how far one traveled trav tray cled it was alwa always there in sight ahead head It I was like hunting for lor the pot of at gold at the rainbows rainbow's end to to try to reach that horizon V f His thoughts and his heart were tack ack in New Ne York with wih Natures Nature's mating season and Mozella ozell t am moto had been greatly greaty grieved eed over the change In his loved nister master S and hafl hafi tried every means Ills active mind could think of to 11 entice Armand into the social life of oz the ship All Al to no avail avan He Ii Deemed to be a completely changed person erson On former crossings be he had al always always always al- al ways been a a leader In organizing entertainments and amusements and had entered into them wholeheartedly wholeheartedly whole whole- heartedly but on this trip nothing could rould lure him from his solitary soman meditation Finally Finaly they had landed in Cherbourg Cherbourg Cher Cher- bourg taken the boat train tain to Paris and put up there at the RItz Armand commenced again his search for that distant horizon of peace of or contentment with wih life le He went ent to the races placed large sums sums on his chosen horses often won on It I brought no thrill however how how- ever eer Losing LOng or winning seem seemed d alike aUke to him now Always ys he had that sense of Vacancy va vacancy vacancy va- va cancy of Irreparable loss in his heart He went to the night clubs was an onlooker at all al their painted ta tawdry tawdry taw taw- w- w dr dry amusements It I all se seemed med so futile fute so useless such an utter uter waste of f time Surely peace of mind mindS contentment of he heart rt could not be found in these garish noisy places place's One night he returned to his hotel from one of these dancing and dining places more than usually disgusted disgusted disgusted dis dis- gusted with wih Its is tinsel attractions he servant pack the bags we are leaving to tomorrow to- to morrow for tor India Yes sir answered his parchment face tace not no showing the surprise he felt fel I will have them ready sir On the trip to Bombay Armand had looked forward to his arrival In India expectant expectantly India the the the old age abode of ot wIsdom wisdom wis wIs- vis- vis dom dorn of ot the study of the path to peace peace peace- Surely there he lie would at last lat find that which he sought Bought Everyone in the world seemed to be seeking always searching for somethIng something something some some- thing he thought Mozella Mozelia ozela dear little Mozella Mozelia had been searching for romance for tor the thrill of ot romantic love Horace too had been seeking love and the full ful expression of that love He himself had all ni his life Ue been seeking for lor the perfect love iove lo e. and when he found It i. i It had proved to tobe tobe tobe be fruit In the garden of life life for letor for him at least least able And now non all al he sought was to be beable beable beable able to live lve at peace with wih his memories memories mem morn ories ones of that love They had arrived in Bombay The bazar streets street with their strange pungent smells had Interested him for tor a few tew days dars The snake charmers with wih their bags of cobras and their reed in instruments instruments instruments in- in whose thin walling wailing notes so hypnotized the serpents The lively semi precious Jewels the the inlaid work work the the Indian I shawls shawl with their gorgeously blended bended blend bend ed colors I One day as he was sauntering through one of the streets of ot man many bazars he stopped at a group of ot people collected about about a fakir or hol holy man He was seated legged cross-legged upon the ground Thin to emaciation from a lon long self imposed sel fast his fast tast his eyes ees were clear and h had d in their depths the quiet of a great p peace ace Suddenly nl he spoke In a soft soft high voice oice accenting no one word more than another Thou art alt troubled my son he Thou hast always a sadness within thy heart 1 Armand was amazed The man had not appeared to even look at him He had heard stories of the strange powers pow of 01 some of at these men but this was the first time lie had come into actual contact with wih I Ione one of them Why yes es he stammered Im not perfectly contented contented He wondered if his nis brooding thoughts were so reflected In his face race that the man had read them thus quickly quickly quickly-or or or if he realy really did have some power such as the stories BUC said India was certainly a strange place full ful of hidden secrets and strange happenings Anything might be possible here he thought Again the man spoke in the same high rather song sing Voice Thou art seeking my son he he- said Yes acknowledged Armand and waited Th Thou u hast been seeking for tor many years the man continued Thy heart is troubled Yes repeated Armand Thou hast bast sought thou hast found and tow itow ow again thou art seeking Yes came Armands Armand's answer Thou hast traveled far Intoned the legged cross-legged seated figure but ever that which thou hast sought has ha eluded thee Do you ou know what it is I sought and found questioned Armand unbelievingly In unchanged voice the seated hol holy man answered Love Loe he said And nd what hat do I seek seel now asked Armand Thou rhou peace c came me the quiet answer Half Hal believing that this strange figure of a man might really realy have have some power or knowledge hidden I from himself Armand questioned him further furher As you know all al this do you also know where I can find tind the peace I seek he asked The answer came in a roundabout way to way to Armand it i seemed that It might be meant for an answer answer to to his question queston or might Just be his odd way of 01 bringing the conversation conversation conversa conversa- tion ton to a a close In the holy city of Benares came the toneless voice through which the sacred riVEr Ganges flows flows Is is a very holy man Great wisdom is in his mind great pan understanding understanding understanding under under- standing liveth in his heart He addressed his words as always to toI tono tono I no particular person and yet Armand Armand Armand Ar Ar- mand knew that now nov he was ad- ad ad addressing addressing dressing the small gro group p around him himI I am but a pupil pupi of ot his he saidI saidI saidI said I have sat for lor many ye years rs at his feet to catch some word of wisdom as it dropped from his lips Ups For unnumbered years years' each day that dawned hath bath found him seated be beside beside be- be side the Ganges in the shade of a certain overhanging stone wall wal deep in meditation Again without lifting his eyes di directly dl- dl recty to Armands Armand's he turned his head slightly and antI Armand knew that he was speaking to him I My Iy s son on son he said those who seek shall shan find His yes eyes closed The dropping of the lids was like lee the lowering of a curtain which closed put completely the people about him and all al of the outside world Slowly the small smal crowd dispersed and one by one drifted away about their various personal affairs a Armand went back to the hotel where he was stopping had a leisurely leis els eis- eis luncheon and later sat upon the veranda and watched the life and movement In the street He was restless ill 1 at ease The words of the holy man kept repeating repeating repeating repeat repeat- ing themselves in his mind Finally at the dinner hour he came to a sudden decision There was nothing further of I Interest in interest In- In n terest here in Bombay Bomba he thought and he might as well wel go to this city of Benares It I might prove inter inte interesting Inter Inter- eating esting a at least J The next morning he and Yama Yam moto moto left lett Bomb Bombay for the famous holy city of India They arrived there after a hot tedious Journey journe and after some difficult were set- set tied lied ed in the best quarters he could find After a most interesting da day of wandering about the ancient city he went down one of the many huge flights of stone steps leading from the city to the river and after much questioning found his way to the overhanging stone wall in the shade of which sat the holy than man as his disciple In Bombay had pictured He was a very old man with a along along long flowing white beard He sat so still that he almost seemed to be a part of the stone stonewall stonewall wall beneath which he rested in si si- si lence As Armand stood beside him hesitant hesitant hesi hesi- tant as to how to address him the venerable prophet spoke Thou art seeking peace and contentment contentment con con- of heart my son he said in a smooth flowing effortless voice Armand was startled and deeply moved at hearing almost the same words as the man in Bombay had addressed to him Yes he answered quietly and andI I have come to you through one of your disciples whom I spoke with within in Bombay to try and learn from your wisdom the key to the happi appi- happiness ness I seek Be seated my son the old man said graciously and listen well to the tale I will tell thee A gentle smile lighted his peaceful peaceful peace peace- ful eyes That which most people In the world lack he ho said is under under- standing Always they seek and search for the gate to happiness and most often pass it by because they do no recognize it or because it was not placed where they had expected to find it Ills His eyes suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly looked piercingly directly into Armands Listen well to this tale my son he said There was once a man who sought a treasure first following one clue to its place of hiding then the next Blown hither and yon by every kind of rumor as to where this treasure could be haunch found At last he left his house and all his possessions and went vent to the very ery ends of the earth In his search for this buried and hidden treas treas- ure nrc When the dusk of his life was deeping his days drawing to an end he lie unhappily came to the decision de do- that the treasure was too well hidden In some too far dis Ba- Ba tant place to ever be discovered A longing came caine over him t to see once more the place he had hadas kno as home home home-he he Journeyed and there within his own wal one night he discovered away within a secret place t treasure he had spent his life seeking afar Again his deep eyes looked n Armands Armand's Within hi his home my son he softly fc Armand sat in silence across the Ganges It was true he le thought la ha had sought he thrill of romah romani 1 as her treasure and and- had found ItI her husbands husband's arms upon his brea bre Horace too had found true I and peace within his own heart horn home e. e i And for himself why seek afie 1 He could see it clearly now His peace and within himself and his work He stared out at the ripples 0 the slowly moving surface of off Ganges In the growing dusk the I us gl were reflected upon it In an e ev changing rainbow of color I The words of the ancient prop echoed through his mind Happiness rests within on own heart my son f. f The dusk lusk deepened the The river flowed silently on up its It's appointed path lath No son sou Jarred upon the as the eta embroidered curtain curtail of the md Ind night descended i From somewhere Jn in the dista through the silence came the beating of the torn toms low wistful wailing of a lute The end |