Show mow tr l r r S O lJ p J D V Y l BY R R. RB R 6 B B. Copyright 1905 by Dan Dally Daily Story Pub Co Yale had bad given an A. A B. B Heidelberg had made him a Ph D. D The World r the flesh and the devil had done the rest In the course of many wanderings and as many diverse experiences he her had come to the province of Fan- Fan r Chau with A legend of a deserted gold goldmine goldmine goldmine mine of wonderful richness ringing In his ears and a parchment map very yellow and apparently of great age In Inthe inthe inthe the inside pocket of his bis khaki coat But just outside Fu-Chang Fu he encountered encountered encountered ered one of the many bands of highwaymen high high- 4 waymen that infest the region BeIng BeIng Be- Be 1 Be- Be Being Ing averse to trouble in any fO form D his two coolies had left him to face the I m music sic alone and while they fled howl howl- howlIng Ing with terror he put up a a. a single single- r J handed but unavailing resistance which while it lasted was a joy to his jr le soul i Then hen dark darkness ness Sad had fallen and there were were only t the e great silent stars to see the two coolies came creeping back They found him lying In the mud his I clothing torn his face a mass of at blood blood and one arm broken where he had shielded his head from the blow of a cudgel Near him lay two limp silent figures their yellow features livid and distorted The coolies held a whispered consul consul- I tation Then they lifted him between s 1 them and bore him down the slough i which was called a road toward the v t- t distant lights of Fu But first they rifled his clothes and in an inner pocket they came a across oss a map and a v rJ Barlow j gold coin that the highwaymen had overlooked overlooked The map having no Intrinsic intrinsic In in- value they replaced They left him at the mission In Fu Fn- Chang and went their way for the potentialities pOtentialities po po- of that golden coin were strong upon them Another man would have died but Robert Barlow had a grip on life me that was almost uncanny After Arter weeks of unconsciousness during which it seemed that each hour must be his bis last he opened his eyes slowly painfully painfully pain pain- fully collected his wandering senses then fell to roundly cursing the highwaymen highwaymen high high- highwaymen waymen for misbegotten vandals and his coolies for equally misbegotten cowards After which he sank back backon on the cool pillows utterly exhausted and fell into a deep refreshing sleep The old missionary smiled knowing knowing- ly He will live he said grimly and he went to the kitchen to get some strengthening broth for his patient When Barlow awoke it was early evening He could hear sandals clattering clat clattering chit clat- by on the uneven pavements of the street The odor of some strange sweet flower floated in through the open window He stirred uneasily and sat up He was quite alone in the roomI roomI roomI room I say somebody he called lustily There was a soun sound o of light footfalls footfalls foot foot- falls the soft rustle skirts In the doorway way was was' a g gleam geam eam of white He looked up up to to see see a young young woman standing there there such such a woman as Barlow Barlow Barlow Bar Bar- low hadnot beheld for many months the kind of a woman he had well well- nigh forgotten exist existed d in this world of disappointment and trouble He felt his bis heart jump to his throat The color crept into his sunburned face He stared at her scarce daring to credit his senses You have been very ill she was saying in a low voice that set the blood tingling in his veins But you are getting on famously n now w. w Dont go he said again She turned to pull a bell A servant came tripping in noiselessly with a steaming bowl Dont go he said again She sat down in a bamboo chair by bythe bythe bythe the window She was smiling as one smiles at a wilful child Where am I Barlow asked This Is the Fu Chang Mission said she And you he inquired I am the daughter of Father Raymond Raymond Ray Ray- mond as they call him here How long have I been here bere Four weeks nearly she said sald Two coolies bought you at night They said you had been beaten by highwaymen on the Sheng tl road You mustn't talk yet she went on on as he was about to speak Shant I read to you Barlow nodded and closed his eyes while she read him news from a London London Lon Lon- don paper six weeks old He gained rapidly after that In a weeks week's time he was able to hobble about the mud walled garden of the mission The girl was with him constantly constantly con con- reading to him on the little veranda or singing to him in the soft glow of the September twilights j t Gradually he be told her ber of his life life- of his aimless wanderings of his wasted opportunities He neither r s softened softened soft soft- ft ened his pa past t nor excused excused it There were many parts of it It of course that he be did rt not t m mention but what he be did tell her ber of it he told in a a. a plain straightforward way with som sometimes Umes JL r i ii j f-j F 1 f. iJ fA- fA it J t i tW t rJ tY y a note of wistful sadness in his bis voice And she was always grave and sympathetic sympathetic sym sym- pat pathetic tic and eminently lovable So the days flew past very past very happy days they were were for tor Barlow until there when he walked came came a bitter night the narrow crooked streets of Fu Fu- Chang alone and had It out with him him- self What was he that he should dare to love a woman woman like this He cursed himself for a blind fool That past of of at athis his own making ros rose rose before him like a grim gate shutting him forever from paradise The gr gray y morning light was breakIng breakIng breaking break- break Ing over the crooked dirty streets of Fu-Chang Fu when he returned to the mission and threw himself on his bed utterly exhausted but sleep he could not and after tossing r restlessly for awhile while he arose and stood at t the window win dow watching the sun creep up above the walled mud-walled huts All these wasted years and nothing to show for it but the bitterness of his heart and an ancient yellow map In his despair he caught the map from his pocket and tore It into int small bits Perhaps it was best after all he reflected He doubted his ability to remain silent had his assets been otherwise It was evening before he could trust himself to see her He found her in inthe inthe inthe the garden and went to her smiling bravely I am going away to-night to said he I must somehow earn enough 3 i I You have told me what you have been not what you are are to repay the kindness that has been shown me here He saw her face pale a little You are not able to go yet she saidI saidI saidI said I am better able now than I shall be later he returned almost roughly She looked up suddenly and saw he was trembling His face was white Dont Dont don't don't dont go she urged Stay until you are stronger Stay until until until- until until until- He drew himself up It means meana too much 1 If I stay said he You must anyway she said In a alow alow alow low voice Good God child he burst burst out out I told you what I am She smiled up at him him him-a a smile of at perfect faith and perfect understand understand- ing irig You have told me what you have been not what you are she said gently With an inarticulate cry he sprang towards toward her his face transformed by love and I hope ope The perfume of the garden came to him like a breath of Elysium fields The bells of a distant dis distant dis dis- tant temple were tinkling musically |