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Show : t THE aaTHE GIFT IFt , WIF WIFBy WIFEt WIFE 8 aa . . ' . , SERVICEBy By RUPERT R UP U P E RT RI HUGHES HUG H ES : t : a D . " RUPERT "EO EO ' "o-WNU "o o WNU HUGHES-WNU HUGHES , " HUGHES " , - WNU " ' SERVICE ' , I I ISYNOPSIS SYNOPSIS Nord Express with'tend with < passenger n . < ! scneer on the 4 " ' 'tend tend 'tendJebbisIs ' .end end . 5 as ! s his Msimmed Immed daforeAmerica ate destlnat desltnat on Dr"IVld Dr DrId bou Ac Aci JebbisIs JebbisIsbou America Jebb is bound for ( or "IVld IVld " ! Id Ac4ipanying old Cynthia Cynthia.tcher CynthiaI 4ipanying panylng him Is II ft e year . yard yardIt h s charming temporary Gainesyfor 11Gainesyfor . .tcher tcher meettB theymeettB meet B U 11 Gaines for forr they I It ! itheetrahn the tra n classmate of Dav Day d s He tells ' , r mission and teUs tells him ofore of ofore of h s eS nes terr ble\lee-anoverwhelmlng ble lee anoverwhelmlng tJe \ - urgecoma coma de- de deS - , ore orelb bafeels bafeelsthe the Jebb Je feels the urge com comf S lb i for fortliquor fortliquortJe ( or liquor wants to safe safelird safePrd -f f - : , f 'to to ' to h m again eal " and - , dead deadIf deadtf ! Stird lird Prd the ch d vhose yhose those fa father ( ther Is If tf (1 1 ( w whose mother Is Inatop in America A AI Dur Galnes Gaines leaves the train for ahute a ahute I atop stop forhim , a him6ute hute 6ute The train starts slarts up without tin him himt"n " painfully upinjured injuredtin Injured In a a1I0r ancr amen Is men t"n tn n jebb PP PPnor accident . . . A feHow fellow fetlow passenger me"es re- re me- me - res - - 1I0r nor re-lenbTni re lenbTni drink which makes hisI hislire his "es es " s him with a lire for liquor aU all the stronger At the the"I't I and Cynthia leave ! the David "I't It " ' t stop beginsrking begins drinklne drinking The nextpig next nextr In " ' Tin David * r _ he . - - Is fe * - conscious . . iAir of nf Is l a strange Ktranffe sortIJ1ehanUM sortlchanttng sort sortJlchantlne pig Jlchantlne IJ1ehanUM lchanttng g He Be looks around dazed and andfc andA fc . A door opens and In walk walhs walks * a ae ae anie e looking NegroCHAPTER Neero Negro NeeroCHAPTER CHAPTER HI-Continued HI Continued in - Continued Continuedieiving HIContinuedS -S- S - Svvmg - ieiving eWlI1g vvmg his slippers outside ther the theor 'fir fir " ' -or or - r the fellow padded over to Jebb Jebbl JebbE Jebbwith Jebb5 Jebb5with tat fat hands adJustedi adJustedpillow adjustedpillow adjusted adjustede l E [ | d with soft , , . pillow under bis hs his ] head headHe headHe headHe -e e - i ( He wants me to die comforta comfortasighed comfortasighed comfortar sighed Jebb helplesslypten helplessly'hen helplessly helplesslye pten 'hen hen ' the man shuffled back to toe toe e corridor corTidor and lugged m in a brazier brazierU brazierl l of glowing glowmg charcoal . Squattmg Squatting Squattmglout Squattingsent Squattingrout lout sent it it , , he began to brew an eOOnup ebonlii ebon eOOn ebon'hip 'hip hip up lii ) ' p The voluminous volummous aroma aloma float floatto floati to Jebb announced ] it t to him hun asee as as"Bee "Bee Bee " ee eepOisoned Poisoned no doubt thought thoughtbb thoughtb -r r - thoughtr rb b But he be was so sick that he henot he1 not much careWhere careWhere care ' ' Where am I ' How did I get here ? iat at country is this ? Who are areU7 U7 But U7But ut 9ut 9 , the answer was a falsetto falsettoberish falsettoberish falsettoiberish berish in which Jebb who was waseUung wasethmg wasnettling [ eUung ethmg of a linguist , , , could find noish nosh no ish sh p to any language of his ws aca aca ac . a ntanceebb ntance ntanceJebb Jebb ebb ntanceebb not ced now that he was wasthed wasthed wasallied ish thed neither in h s street suit norhs norhis nor : ' his hs ] pyjamas but in a garment garmentcould garmentcould garmentcould could not recogm recogns e a His handsembermg hands membenng embermg a habit he had ac acIred aclred acired Ired lred and lost lost , , , went convulsivelyhis convulsivelyIDS convulsively IDS his waist . . H s money belt was wasne wastie wasne ne tie his ten thousand dollars had hadraporatedand hadaporated raporated-and raporated and aporated-and aporated and - and the belt with Wth ] it it'Where It"Where ItWhere ' " 'Where Where ' are my clothes9 clothes ' he de dended deanded Inded deInded nded and again in m bad German Germano GermanVo o smd surd mem mein Kleider ? ' ' and In InUrlst injurist inunst jurist : Urlst French , , . ' "Ou Ou 'Ou " sont mes habfBut hab > r rut fBut But ut the black only gibbered gibberedthen lThen jThen gibberedlThen gibberedjThen the fellow feIlow backed out as asam :1c 1c : ; " as:1c m a presence with many a long longLeft longLeft longiw Lett Left alone to meditation medltatJon Jebb Jebbnced Jebbneed Jebbanced nced need idly idl:1 idl1 : down and noted thatthumb thatthumb that thumb wore a deep scar HIs HIspenenced Hispenenced Hispenenced : penenced eye showed him wm v.hat vhat what v.hatrt whatrt . whatrt rt of cicatrice it was He rem remem rememred remem'red rememred em emred ' red the accident on the train But Buto But10 o had lanced his thumb ? And Anden Anden Andien7 en ' Where ' ' ' Why ' The wound woundid woundd d already healed It must must have haveen haveen haveen en days agoAnd agoAnd ago agoAnd And on the 1 1 ttle finger ot of his left leftnd leftd leftnd : nd d was a ring a curious CUTIOUS rmg ring rmgth ringth ringth , th a dark and cloudy stone of ofeat ofeat eat s ze and unknown name set setngslde setngside setongside ngslde ngside a diamond also large and andeVident andevident andevident eVident price priceHe priceHe priceHe He took the ring rmg off and stared atOn atOn at atOn On the inner run rim was the leg legd legd legid d C to J J was plainly forbb forbb tor for bb but who was Ccer C 1 ? -cer cer cermly - - cermly cerinly mly not Cynthia Who then ? It Itght Itght Itigbt ght be a love token-but token but token - but whose whose7There ? ' There was a sound of colloquy m in me ine ine e hall outs de of angry argument argument.e argumente . . , e recognized recogmzed the uncanny treble of ofe ofeslave ofe e eslave . .slave slave . and another voice lower lowerit lowert t a woman s voice The door opened w de and theve theye the theve ve ye paused on the sill . His faceas faceas face faces as s as livid hvid as the ashes in the thearcoal thearcoal thelarcoal arcoal brazier and his eyes flashed flashedd flashedid d roved in their theU ' sockets But Butmade Butmade But6 made reluctant way tor for . figure figureat figureat [ at floated rather than walked walhed and andated andated andaated ated stra atra ght from the pages ofj ofI of j I ( e ' Thousand 'Thousand Night and One Oneghts Oneghts Oneghts OneghtsHer ghtsHer ghts Her costume was one great black blackud blackd blackoud ud d from which none of o ( her tran trait traitred tranIred tranired Ired red ! not even the half sheltered shelteredes es of the Orient . . . rhe e c slave oozed through the door doord doorid d closed it but as if he would wouldg wouldng g to the other sidee side siden n > e Veil bent and b Uowed llowed in low lowtsles lowisles lowrtsles tsles isles and through it came thesegl these theseN 0 0gl N igl gl sh words with long pauses andpingS andpinga and " opings pingS pinga opingsThe pingS'The pinga'The ' ' The 'The effendi has sleeped long AI Al AIbe Albe Ali be thanked and I do hope he heeped heeped heeped eped well alsoInstinCi1vely alsoInstinctively also alsoInstinctively Instinctively InstinCi1vely hmlf hoping to make hm hum him11 ] lf 11 bolter better understood he spoke very veryidly dly verydly and In a fool sh dialect May me ask where me have haveeasure haveeasure haveeasure easure to be be7 be7f ? f The effendi effend ] is In UskubUskub UskubUskubi Uskub , Uskub Uskubi ! ! he gasped I 1 neverard neverand never neverard ; ard and of Uskub Where pleaseIt please It ' \ It Is 1s i * In the vilayet vllayet of Kossovo It Itnot Itnot Itnot , not tar far from Nlsh Nish NlshUskubl NishUskub Nish1 ' Uskubl Uskub ! Nish he wailed waned Kosvo Koso Kos Kosvo vo Vilat o Where am I ? I ? What is a vila t ' Why do call you me effendi etTendt ? f I y name ii is Jebb How Row on earth d det det d get et here ? It U H I am on earth J d earthJ earthd ! The eflcndi effendi Is earthveryof on earth-very earth very earth - very of " , uchon chon uch ch on earth but how he gets getsre re that ii 18 is perhaps more a wonr won T r to me as to the Perr effendi etTendi Perps Perps Per Per"n ' r ps In his t me the effendi weel in inm "n n " m me I am but woman it isrhaps isrhaps is ismaps maps rhaps pardoned It i1 I I have a curi curl r tyr curlity curity curlty ty The voice mothered him now now'Then now'Then nowThen 'Then Then ' ' I shall not derange the thepoor thepoor thepoor poor weary effendi with Wth ] the imperb imperti imperbnence impertinenee impertinenee nence nenee of to make questions quesbons I tell tellyou tellyou tellyou you what I know Last night mght there therewas therewas therewas was great storm here in Uskub I Iwas Iwas Iwas was much afralded afraided of the storm stormbut stormbut stormbut but ] it t is beautiful bcautJul ! too I am watch watchIng watching watching Ing through my window wmdow I can just justsee justsee justsee see the road over that high wall wallGreat wallGreat wall.Great wallGreat . Great flash of lightning l1ghtnmg comes and andm andin andin m in the 1 ght I see man-t man t man-it it man - ] it was the ef of effendi offends cttendi fendi fends He is walk in the road roadWhence roadWhence roadWhence Whence you corned comed I don t bnow know bnowYou knowYou knowYou You are there You look very wild wildand wildand wildand and staggering staggermg You fall down in inthe Inthe inthe the meedst of the road . . . Then dar dark darkness darkness ! . ness I was more atraided afraided for I Ithmked Ithanked Ithmked thmked thanked first of some dmn dlum dlumSome dmnSome djinnSome ] Some gin gm ? echoed Jebb JebbYes JebbYes JebbYes Yes djinn djlnn the demon-you demon you demonyouknow demonyouknow demon - youknow know I watch again and a 8 new light l1ght- l1ght light- lightning l1ghtnlng lightning - - ning nlng shows the effendi1ymg effendi lying still stJll in inthe Inthe Inthe the road no demon . , , but poor seeck seeckman seeckman seeckman man I clap my bands hands hard Jaffar Jaffarwho Jaffarwho Jaffarwho who sleeps before belore my door-the door the doorthesame doorthesame door - thesame same who is wait walt upon you thS this thSmorninghe thismorninghe thismorning ] morning-he morning he - he comes at my call . I Itell Itell Itell tell him h1m hum to bring brmg the poor effendi effendiInto effendiinto eBendiinto Into house At last he goes out the thegate thegate thegate gate and brings brmgs you in I see you youyou youyou youyou you are very seeck and do not speakonly speakonly speak speakonly -only only - - only moan I tell him hun . to place you youSuddenly ' l e , I II , I . ' .fIR fIR . .fIRr r l lM M 1 1r r t tDr Dr 1 1Suddenly Suddenly there was a snap aud and audthe andthe andthe the pam pain was gonein gone gonein in room and make you a bed and andI andtake andtake I take your clothes to be made dry dryAU dryAll dryAll AU All thees he does very secret and andterribly andterribly andterribly terribly afraldedBut afraidedBut atraided afralded afraided atraidedBut But the child f had with Wth ] me me7 me7The ' ' ' The 'The child9 cwld child ? ' she echoed blanklyYes blanklyYes blankly blanklyYes Yes the little girlYou girlYou girl girlYou You have a young daughter daughterthen daughterthen daughterthen7 then ? ' And the veil did dJd not entJrely entirely entJrelystram entirelystrain entirelystrain stram strain out a tang of disappointment dsappomtment ] . . . She is not my daughter he ex explamed explained explained plamed plained she is 18 the child of a afriend afriend afriendOh fnend friend fnendOhl friendOh Ohl Oh ' ' ' She was in my charge I I was wastalang wastaking wastaking talang taking her to America She must musthave musthave musthave have been with me She-oh She oh She - - oh she shemust shemust shemust must have been with meYou meYou me meYou You d d had no child with you youwhen youwhen youwhen when I see you in the storm Jaf Jaffar Jaffar Jaffar far he say nothing nothmg of a ch child d It Itis Itis Itis is only you he findedBut findedBut finded findedBut But the little g rl the poor httle little httlewalfI littlewaifI littlewait walf-I walf I waif-I waif - I must go hunt tor for her He rose to his hs ] feet feet , , but his nerves nervesflared nervesflared nervesflared flared and burned like live wires wiresIiIs wiresHis wiresHis IiIs His knees refused their office and andhe andhe andhe he would have gone crash ng back backwards backwards backwards wards had she not risen swiftly swiftlycaught swiftlycaught swiftlycaught caught him in her arms and eased easedhim easedhim easedhim him to the cushionsThe cushionsThe cushions cushionsThe The hidden woman was soothing soothinghis soothinghis soothinghis his brow with cool palms and was wasqu wasqu wasqu qu eting etmg him as it if he were a cluldEffendi childEffendi child cluld childEffendi Effendi must be most quiet , , , or orhe orhe orhe he shall be much ill 111 and perhaps perhapsdie perhapsdie perhapsdie die die'I 'I I ' ' I 1 to send Jaffar to seerch the town tnwn for ( or the Iittia littla btUa girl If U she is isin Isin Isin in Uskub or near somebody shall shallknow shallknow shallknow know and Jaffar will bring brmg her to toyou toyou toyou you . . He closed his eyes under the thesoothe thesoothe thesoothe soothe of her strangely potent pray prayer prayem prayer er em and she clapped her hands In Instantly Instantly Instantly stantly the door opened and the theblack theblack theblack black was there Jebb did not look lookto lookto lookto to see but he heard a heated parley parleybetween parleybetween parleybetween between m stress and slave At Atlength Atlength Atlength length there was silence and the thewoman thewoman thewoman woman saidHe saidHe said saidHe He ] is s He was atraided afralded afraided to leave me lest the other servants find findyou findyou findyou you but I did made him . , . go and andto andto andto to send my woman to bring food and andto andto andto to keep watch He is goed now to tobrmg tobring tobring brmg bring you the Iittia littIa tittla ch Id Id ld . . . He wlll will wlllseerch willsecret willseerch seerch secret ' the city Cty ] as if it is a cup cupboard cupboard cupboard cupboardWhy board boardi boardWhy i Why is he be afraid that the other otherservants otherservants servants might And find me me7 me7It ' It is perhaps kindest kmdest to tell theeffendi the theetTendi theeffendi etTendi effendi everything Last night my myfear myfear mytear fear tor for you overcomed all my other otherfears otherfears othertears fears all my releegion releeglon my duty I Ith Ith Ith th nked only that some poor man mangoes mangoes mangoes goes to perish I shall give to him himshelter himshelter himshelter shelter tor for the night in Allah s a name nameBut nameBut nameBut But Jaflar JatTar Jaffar tells me you are too tooweak tooweak tooweak weak to walk walk . , , and I cannot even evensend evensend evensend send you to the city to a khan or orto orto orto to the house of a friend He wish to toput toput toput put you again in the street I I re resolve resolve resolve solve to come to see you tor fOr my sell self Jaffar Jaflar oppose me he try to tohold tohold tohold hold me back He loves me much muchHe muchHe muchHe He Is horrified horrLfied afraid and ashamed ashamedfor ashamedfor ashamedtor for me Why meWhy ' said Jebb feebly feeblyI I have crossed the mabtynThe mabtynThe mabt-yn mabt yn mabtyn mabtynThe - The ma-what ma what ma - what7 what7The ' The hall between betwecn the harem1ik haremlik harem1ikand haremlikand haremlikand and the selamlikThe selamlikTho selamlik selamlikThe The Tho more you tell me the |