Show 1 si 1 11 K 01 41 01 t 1 W A WARRIOR BOLD by ST GEORGE RATHBORNE W author of 0 lit le A mss iss millions ions the spiders web miss k caprice or dr jack s widow w etc etc M copyright 1901 by street and smith new york 5 it 0 tx W N A st 40 9 n 04 iw 0 A it 11 t k t X CHI 41 PIER 1 ibe game grows waimer out of the trying frying pan into the fire charlie had just taken leave ot of the professors professor s wife and had not made two turns from the little parlor ere tie he ran directly up against the enemy there stood the professor glaring at him like ike a wild beast will you again deny the truth vil laina he said endeavoring to calm himself lest he lose his voice charlie surveyed him with amuse ment yes this time I 1 confess it was your charming wife whom I 1 have just left do you know that two women your wife and her cousin hildegarde have played a very neat little game upon you youa what she and hildegarde upon me mea pray with what objects to arouse your jealousy to make you realize how dear to your heart this same wife Is to take you out ot of your musty books and induce you to devote a fair part of your time to the woman who has given up her life to you the professor seemed stunned man can this be he gasped As heaven itself she is in yonder go and learn tor for yourself you will receive a warm welcome forgive as you wish to be forgiven professor sir a thousand pardons I 1 shall take your kind advice our duel then Is off oh what an ass I 1 haye hays been and charlie quite agreed with him so ends the scene in the drama now tor for another which may not have quite so pleasant a finis muttered stuart again he bore down upon the tune fune flonary who kept watch and ward over the books when he had cor the clerk he made his request known and a messenger was sent to find the countess and request her pres ence in a nearby bijou parlor minutes passed still no one came to summon him tired of waiting he walked direct ly to the door of the little parlor and stepped inside involuntarily a groan welled up from his heart he had entered this room to meet the countess that charmer of men who played with ambassadors and princes as though 4 f they were a chessboard and now he had found arline brand there she stood before him more beautiful than even his ardent decol lection had painted her a smile of welcome dimpling her cheeks the azure eyes glowing with pleasure yes it was arline brand ye gods if she and the countess were indeed one he could com how men were ready to give up honor and fortune tor for the hope ot of her love and favor almost a minute they stood thus each evidently busy with a train of thought arline was the first to recover she dropped the curtains and ad danced toward him ah ali you have come mr stuart she said he took her hand and pressed it boldness was returning it seemed yes I 1 promised you know and though I 1 daresay I 1 have legions of faults at least my word Is as good as my bond pray be seated offering I 1 er a chair he was quite himself now and that meant a wide awake ingenious young man ready to meet and wrestle wl wt h difficulties as they arose just opposite to her he at down it was at least a rare pleasure to be so near her in this confidential mood the delicate violet odor that permeated her rustling garments was like a breath of spring and the magnetism of her presence almost in him you have been wondering what as toni bonishing shing chain of c brought a girl like me into such a miserable place as that underground dungeon 7 turning toward the door with a glance that did not escape the ee eje of charlie stuart well yes to some extent but it was not alono alone the desire to hear licar your promised etory story that brought me her here in spite of warnings flora the baron he ile watched but bv no telltale pal lor or sta t did she ostray the fact that she knew to whom he referred ret erred by the baron what other reason could influence youa she asked a little eagerly the natural desire to meet you again that wasn gasn t a ron rons you don t blame me do you youa perhaps I 1 should not you have al ready been so good a friend but it if acquaintance with me Is 0 bring dis aster or even danger to you it might be better it if you forgot me he ile detected a plaintive little note in this and his chivalrous spirit was up in arms at once I 1 am not in the habit of deserting any one who is my frion friend because per haps it may mean trouble or even danger to me to continue my tance she seemed deeply affected by his words you overwhelm me with kindness mr stuart nonsense iMon sense the favor Is just the ether way it Is a rare pleasure for me to serve you and yet 1 can hardly refuse for heaven eaven knows I 1 am in great trouble aa fc itt and need a friend it if ever a woman did compose u yourself I 1 beg and tie be gin please charlie believed he was about hear some news ot of more than ordin ary importance in imagination could picture the remarkable young youn 9 widow who created such a furore all over europe she might resemble ar line in many ways but surely such a charmer of men could not possibly assume the air of innocence which this young woman carried with her at the same time he felt impelled to relate the adventure he had experienced with the professor and even mention that he had been solemnly warned by y the baron when she heard that be lieveld her to be the celebrated adaven she hung her head charlie was overcome with concu sion chave I 1 have distressed you and yet I 1 beg you to believe I 1 meant it all kind ly IY it was a silly thing V tor to do but even the shrewdest idest of men of his stamp make absurd blunders sometimes his last famous one cost russia her czar remember I 1 never tor for once took any stock in his lous ions idea it was all a mistake then the maid looked up her eyes were sparkling with real tears but charlie s haste to assure her of his positive belief in her innocence of the charge had brought a smile to her face it is dreadful even to be taken for such a notorious woman dont you think but perhaps I 1 should look at it reasonably and believe the baron has made an excusable blunder real ly some of the garcons here in the ho tel have addressed me as countess and I 1 have been puzzled to account for it until now so we must look alike I 1 a demure little english lassie and she a clever designing russian dip lomat charlie nodded eagerly what she said seemed so ery cry rea and she took it much better than he expected but he could easily discover that arline was not wholly at her ease frequently she cast quick glances in the direction of the door this tact fact had come to his attention some time back but charlie did not find the least reason to suspect that the baron had aught to do with it she seemed to hesitate perhaps hardly knowing just how to begin her allow me to remark in the begin ning said charlie chrlie that white while I 1 am ready and anxious to serve you and stand ready to do all that may become a man it if there is any reason why you should wish to keep these things se cret I 1 will try to help you even while groping in complete ignorance oh no she answered quickly it Is not that you are entitled to the fullest confidence I 1 was only endear oring to collect my thoughts so that I 1 might know just how to begin and besides I 1 have a natural feeling of shame because the person who has I 1 sadly fear been plotting in secret against me is one who should be my best friend upon earth my father young though she vas mas this ful fill girl had known what it was to sup with poverty to be left alone and friendless in the world and to meet w with t t the e most unexpected and glorious fortune her story even when briefly told was a series of dramatic surprises such as are well fitted for the stage yet occur so seldom in real life she barely mentioned her earlier years save to tell how her father a sea captain had been lost as it was believed at sea and with her mother she had fought the grim wolf in lon don sewing as such people of refine ment reduced to poverty must do in order to earn bread then came her mothers death fol lowed by her bitter fight against the world and the persecute perse cut on of a da dahang hing gentleman who seemed that sho sheild ild marry him no matter it if dislike and disgust took the part dart of love in her breast then the wonderful freak of fortune that brou brought ht arline in contact with an eccentric old aunt who was exceed angly Y wealthy it was the old story arline s mother had married beneath her and from that hour had been as dead to her relatives but when a kind provi dence threw the forlorn young girl un der the h gh stepping carriage horses of the dowager lady wallis and she later on discovered that this lovely creature was her own flesh and blood a sudden love tor for the girl sprang up in her withered old heart which re suited in her adopting this niece as her sole heiress two years later arline was bereft of her eccentric but kind relative and found herself once more alone in the world this time possessed of a most bountiful fortune then it was with the abruptness of a cannon shot captain brand ap feared upon the scene he had a thrilling thrill ng story to tell of his vessel vessels s foundering in a gale off the african coast his narrow escape from drowning of be ng cast ashore found by wandering arabs taken into captivity sold sume years later to a tribe of the great sahara so that he finally drifted to dahomey where through the assistance of the faithful woman he had been forced to marry he eventually made a bold and success ful escape though his companion gave up her life in throwing herself in front of a sp ar that was meant tor for him arline accepted it all as gospel truth and would have at the lime time believed even a much more miraculous series of adventures could such have been by any means invented by this modern modem munchausen this was before she knew captain brand so well she spent money with a liberal hand he was enabled to indulge his love for fine clothes to its full bent he smoked the finest cigars drank the most expensive liquors and she feared he frequently indulged in gaming thus a year went by captain brand had ceased to beg tor for money he demanded it as his right and in sums so large that arline was growing alarmed he bad had tried to influence her to make her will leaving all her wealth to him something might happen to her though heaven forbid and she would not like to think of the great property going to strangers while her poor papa was left for arline refused to do as be he requested something within warning her against it some time after the dreadful sus biclon bad had flashed into her brain that captain brand was having a will forged to suit his ideas governing the case even evea then she had not realized what this might portend how should an innocent trusting young girl desirous of bestowing all reasonable benefits upon the man she had come to believe was her father how should she sus hect that this ungrateful man could conspire with unprincipled confider con feder ates ate to actually take her life yet by suen n eans as would make it seem a cruel accident 7 9 while in antwerp he had professed a keen desire to visit the dungeons of the steen and yet always made it appear as though she were the one most interested intel ested in the abode of ghostly memories an expedition was accordingly planned arline never could tell just how it came about she remembered captain brands enthusiasm in leading her deeper into the recesses and how he suO suddenly denly disappeared while she was xi mining some object of interest no nov she waited tor for him to reappear until growing alarmed by the dimin bisbing size of her candle she had en dea ored to find her way back to the party how she tripped and fell losing cpr I 1 ht then she cried out in terror as the awful darkness closed around he but no answer came VW rhen she realized that the others had gone one that this cruel hearted man she called father had deserted her pre tending to believe no doubt that she had gone above with a portion of the party upon whom the horrors of the di dungeon ageon soon called he could also take it for granted sl e had gone away with her new found and not show any alarm for hours it was a cleverly concocted and afa scheme which had tor for its alti mate outcome the dethronement of her reason doubtless captain brand had ar ran ed it so that in such a case he coill be appointed the natural pro and guardian of his afflicted child and thus of course have the handling of her fortune charlie was aghast he had never heard so terrible a thing in all his life he ile almost doubted bis his senses I 1 have made up my mind regarding one thing miss brand he said which Is to the effect that I 1 do not believe this man to be your ather father to be continued |