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Show A TELEGRAM SERIAL- : . , . PFRCTVAT asMBjaaassagai geaMaaj. aMMmaRteal SMbS SsSBB SSSjvaBKCCCgaBS ssjaj aaagg alasjea ssgsjagf essBjggsssgaa I a V srVsW I TO THE HILT CT RR I " "" mmm Author ol "Beau Geste" repeated flat refusal of all that he.1 Prince Nikolas Bailitxin. had to offer, but galling humiliation? He had done this girl the honor of asking her to marry him and marry him she should, little as she deserved de-served such an honor If she were fool enough to prefer a wretched, undistinguished, unimportant subaltern. sub-altern. If only he could get her over to St. Petersburg and give her some idea of what she was missing by declining to become the Princess Prin-cess Bailitlin! And, according to her own father, whom he had sp avMupsis , Firing Officer John Vere-Vaushsn of the British air force in India, is captured by natives after bombing the stronghold of the Mlnglne Hedtl of Sufed Hot. Wall Dad. his Jailer, and others, aeree to help blm get saf.lv bars to Olitrasa fort. One of them. Hiwaetn. reveals himself ae Major Hsaeirlss of the secret service, and gives Vere-Veiishan a note In Russian fa the eoramander of the fort. Years before, rouns Richard Weodover. in Ensland. had determined deter-mined to make a nunc foe hlnuuilf in the Indian army carrying on a family tradltlou. His young neighbor, gybll PfoulSee. tells him she Intends SO marry him when he growe up, CHAPTKK KIGHT Tears later . . . Thei was -a sound of revrtry by night, and England's capital had gathered bright, her beauty and her chivalry, at the Russian embassy, em-bassy, where that very popular figure fig-ure of London society, th Russian ambassador, was giving a danr In honor of th birthday and promotion promo-tion of hla nephew and military attach. at-tach. Prince Nikolaa Bailitain, brilliant bril-liant young ornament of diplomatic society, owner of vast estates, and protege and favorite of th taar. Scarcely a society matron blessed proached, thla fellow with whom she waa infatuated didn't appear to car tuppence about her. Another Proposal "Let's sit this one out, Sybil. I want to talk to you for your good." smiled Prince Nikolas Bailitlin as the music began again. "My good or yours?" Inquired Sybil Ffoulkes, lastly fanning herself. her-self. 'Both, Oh. definitely both. I feel kiifdly disposed toward each other. No, each of u-i Isn't It? I want to mak you a princess and a shining light of the Imperial court, the most brilliant. in Kurope. arid I want to make you mistress of s huge old house, a chateau a castle, yes and of enormous estates." "And you?" smiled Sybil Ffoulkes. with a faint edge of sarcasm to her deep voice. "I? Oh, yes, I want to make myself the happiest man in the world." "Nikolas, It dawns upon me that you are proposing once again." "I have the- honor to ask you to be my wife." "And I have th deep regret to decline." "Well, do I have to go and push his hat down over his ears and run away, or snatch hia buttonhole or something." ."No. Not even tn flap your handkerchief hand-kerchief at him. After all. he did ask me to marry him. Dickie." "Mad. All those Russians are mad." yawned Richard Wendovcr. Sybil R roods Lady Ffoulkes studied her daughter's daugh-ter's face. Had she got a little thinner since this wretched Dickie Wendover had gone bark to India? "But will you tell m why?" "Lets of reasons. First of all, 1(; don't love you." "And you only marry where you love ?" "Every time. Always." replied Sybil Ffoulkes languidly as she rose to her feet. "Good," laughed Bailitxin triumphantly, trium-phantly, as hs sprang up. "I'll make you love me." And with a swift and practiced grace h flung hia right arm about j her, aeized her right wrist, crushed her left arm to him so that she! was helpless, and with his left hand bener.th her chin, rais-d her face I and kissed her savagely upon the mouth. And again-and again and again. Sybil Ffoulkea kept perfectly still. "Done?" ah Inquired as ths Russian Rus-sian released her with a harsh laugh, and raiaing her right hand struck him with all her strength across th fac. And th hands of It mignt ne me snsaow irom ine reading lamp that made her cheekbones cheek-bones sejm a little higher, her prom-inert prom-inert chin a little more bony. What n strong face it was: Almost mxsculine in its cool, firm purpose-fulness. purpose-fulness. Amazingly like her father's face at that age. "Don't atare, Mother Ffoulkes. Very rude, dear," said Sybil, looking look-ing up suddenly. "I was thinking about you, Sybil. Do you know, I'm afraid you are getting thin " "Thin? No, not thin yet, If a litt thinner. P'ranelv enoegh. 'thin' is thinner than 'thinner,' if you l;rov tvhat I mean." "Well. I don't, dear. But, anyway, any-way, you ar thinner." "You should feed me better. It's a shame." "And another thing, Sybil, you what shsll I say? I don't know how to put it. May I say you brood too much?" "Broody old hen." "Well, my dear, I don't want you wun a marriageable daugnter viewed th handsome, gifted snd accomplished Prince .Nikolas Ball-itsin Ball-itsin with anything but marked approval- These who had no daughters daugh-ters were likely to be lea enthusiastic enthusi-astic and war prone to obsrv that he appeared to be an extremely extreme-ly dissipated young man. And in many cieae their sons and hus-bands- agreed, for undeniably young Bailitain went th pac. seemed to forget that London waa not St. Peteraburg. and appeared quite anxious to do his best to shock even ths moat tolerant circles of London society. Tim after time, th ambassador admonlahed him. frequently warned htm, and occasionally threatened. On more scandal and back to Russia Rus-sia he should go. But Prince Nikolaa Ballltsln had not taken hla uncle's threats too seriously, for he had not the slight-set slight-set doubt that thsy wre empty, inasmuch as an appeal to the tsar would result In a permanent and most satisfactory post about the Court of St. Petersburg, and no regimental regi-mental duty, either. No, not while hla father, Oeneral Prince Alexieff Bailitsin. th late colonel of the imperial bodyguard, was chief of the emperor's military houshold. Still, hs didn't wsnt to go bsck to Russia yet, because If he did he'd hav to go alon. and that h had no Intention of doing. When he did go, Sybil Ffoulkes should go with him. It was not his habit to tak no for an answer, nor his custom to accept defeat and humiliation. For what waa refusal, to be a broody old hen. I want you to be as cheerful and merry and bright and happy as you were when" "When Dlckl wss at home?" "Yes." "Counsels of perfection, darling. When Dicki waa at home the sun shone sll day. I waa alive In those daya. Life was utterly lovely," mused the girl. "Unbesrsbly hsppy. I wss slive." I ' Sybil Ffoulkea, golfer, hockey player, play-er, fieherwoman. swimmer and horsewoman, could be extremely hsrd and heavy as well as soft and light. ' So unexpected and sudden was the blow that the man ataggered back, atepped upon a email rug that slid on the highly polished floor and measured his length upon his back. "Our dance. I think. Sybil," said a voice as the head of the unfortunate unfor-tunate Ruaaian smote the parquet with a resounding thump. Richard Wendover held th curtain cur-tain of th alcove on on side as th girl walked eut Into the corridor cor-ridor and.' with a cool eyebrow raising glance at th Russian, he dropped the curtain. "My God, I shouldn't cars to be your husband. 'Sybil!" he said. "What has ths wild Cossack been doing now? Proposing?" "Just that." "And do you knock him out every tim he doe It?" "Practically." "Looked a bit r practical. As I say, I shouldn't car to be your husband." "You'll lov It." "I'm no hero, Sybil." "You sr mine, Dickie." After th dance, as they sat behind be-hind a bank of flowers on the vast marble-paved landing: "About this Bailitlin feller?" said Richard Wendover. "Does he need er slapping or anything?" "He did, Dickie, and be got It." |