Show A WARRIOR BOID 0 by ST GEORGE RATHBORNE luA hr arof 0 tittle item th tho sp sr i 8 4 dr jack i evlow X it sa laprus aprice ea street S tree and smith new I 1 ork IX lady ardines secret this assurance on the part of the powerful baron was as balm to char lies lie s troubled soul he ile believed capt brand must speedily find himself in hot water the conversation took aei e al turns indeed charlie found the baron so congenial that he was easily led into ce relating lating many reminiscences connect ed with his past so that eventually had a pretty good knowl edge of the young man a character at last they separated you can depend on me at th same time keep your wits about you when dealing with fila this brand something will presently drop said the baron when charlie drew near the hotel after visiting his own room and im proving his appearance to some ex tent he was conscious ol 01 a nervous condition of mind such as was entirely diew to him and he was obliged to confess that it had gone pretty far when the pros hect of an interview with a young wo iman could have such an influence upon him the next thing on the program was to find a chance for a quiet talk where the captain could not intrude so he asked again for lady arline and she presently came down to the asame same bijou parlor rosy and smiling charlie had heard the voice of capt brand somewhere about the hotel and he was more or less concerned lest that worthy come in upon them ere he could make his arrangements arrange meets meats hence he speedily opened the sub eject I 1 have much of importance to tell you and we must be where capt brand may not intrude suppose I 1 get a nice vehicle with a quiet animal and we can go to take a look at the suburbs of antwerp arline did not hesitate she knew that she could trust this trank faced gentleman with her very life if need be so she quickly agreed to his plan in fifteen minutes then and be sure you wrap up well said charlie hastening away to secure just the out fit st that would suit his idea as to the right thing true to his promise he was back in good time near the parlor charlie ran across brand who greeted him rather effa he thought and would have detained him only that the young man nian refused to be held up and laugh angly pleaded an engagement with lady arline and the impatience of his noble charger outside thus it came about that after run sing the gauntlet in this way charlie was at length given the proud pleas ire of driving away with the fair girl charlie knew it was only proper tor for him to open the ball with an account of the strange things that had befallen him since last he said good night one thing he intended keeping to himself tor for the present and this was mas the name of the young fellow who had bad been his companion in the dun geon at least there was no necessity of bringing it forward until he had beard heard what she wished to tell him and discovered II 11 his suspicions were confirmed now that there Is no longer a hance chance of our being overheard I 1 in going to make male an awful confession to you lady arline he said she turned a startled face tom toward ard bim blin and immediately seeing the quizzical smile felt relieved I 1 shall fortify myself to hear it pray proceed where do you think I 1 passed the night she believed she could account for a fair portion of it but confessed her ignorance as to the remainder in the lockup he said calmly do you mean the jaila breathless 1 ly yes please dog dv t draw away from me or imagine I 1 was engaged in any street brawl it all came to me be cause I 1 chanced to make your ac yesterday morning why mr stuart because forsooth you chance to have bave a carriage like a queen and be ides sides possess the most charming ot of golden hair and blue eyes she blushed crimson and still sur keyed him with nith puzzled as well as startled eyes I 1 confess I 1 do not understand you at all you will have to explain fur ther pardon me when I 1 assisted yo you u into the carriage at the steen I 1 was observed by baron he ile be llevad you were the countess isolde brabant because in several ways tt lt a little distance one might be deceived my interest in the baron barons s plans induced me to loiter about the hotel last night when he was as making bis ills wholesale arrests and by accident they caught me in the dragnet then she that wonderful woman has been arrested 7 when he nodded in the affirmative strangely enough arline gave a little sigh of relief as though some anex nabIe burden were removed from her heart but charlie was too obtuse to understand tavil that the first little fire ot of jealousy bad had been kindled in that gentle breast bebau because e bhe knew the reputation isolde barabani had as a ejr ceres among men te ice having row rows been bec l bro e be he st started arted in t tc tell his stra strange r at story arline listened eagerly indeed othello relating his a ton ashing adventures to dodemont Doa Do demona could not have lave had a more deeply in te rested listener tan ta an thi fa r erg lish girl proved to bo be anen he described his in misery he was careful not to tod much lest he betray that wl he wished to keep a secret a longer the story was as done arline had hung on his nords aag erly and hia his assurance a that would tal e care of capt brand discovering the truth with re gard to his claims and relieve her his presence if as chai chailee ile suspected the other proved to be an arrant im lin poster was as comforting to her trou brou bled heart still lady arline showed no signs of nervousness perhaps I 1 may shock yo i mr air stuart perhaps you have a s ich strict notions of honesty and a name upon which there has never been a stain that you will hardly be as pleased to 1001 upon in m in the light of a sister when I 1 confess that I 1 have a relative in I 1 aan deeply concerned and who has broken the law of his native land who took what was not his own and fled in plain plin language mr air stu art my cousin betrayed a trust and stole money she was scarlet with shame as she turned her blue eyes appealingly to nard vard him let me tell you as briefly as I 1 can I 1 knew him quite well he was young er and a son of my father a only brother now long since dead we were good friends up to the time he took this false step and I 1 was the last one he saw before he fled from eng land poor boy if he had only con aided tn in me I 1 could have easily settled the matter which I 1 did soon after ward at any rate I 1 have been searching since last october at times the trail would grow warm and then I 1 lost sight of him completely by mere accident a friend wrote me that she believed she had seen him in antwerp though he had not answered her smile and nod I 1 could very well understand why since he believed the officers from london were looking tor for him that is way I 1 came here to find this boy to reclaim and make a man of him and I 1 shall endeavor to assist you in your search for this alexander brand said charlie eagerly As it chanced I 1 have some knowledge of the young chap in truth I 1 have seen him face to face here in fn 9 eagerly in this city and you can take me to him you will mr stuarta tf laving a hand upon his arm if you so desire but that will ne a long journey across the sea in fact then he has returned to England 9 no to america new york how very strangely it all came about she mused almost incredible indeed I 1 should have been loth to believe such things could be possible it if I 1 had not gone through the experience myself ever thing had now been told so that there was no more secrets the rest of the ride was occupied in enjoying the features of the seen cry ery in so far as these points could be discovered from a vehicle aad and charlie a mind was made up ere they returned to the hotel de la a paix that god willing he would serve and win this peerless girl the curiosity of artemus had been whetted to a degree that demanded satisfaction else his peace of mind was forever gone he asked many questions regarding aleck evidently the young fellow had aroused the strongest interest in his mind for he saw in him the elements of a strong character that must at tract attention from the public where Is he bound hong kong nagasaki singapore cape towne im ready to go to the uttermost parts of the earth to interview him try something easier something nearer home new yorka with a little inarticulate shriek exactly I 1 have a sort of engage ment with him at the windsor hotel in your city but that Is not me well you can make one of the party arline that Is miss brand or rather lady arline is bound to find aleck she is possessed of an idea that since fortune was so bound ful as to heap favors in her lap she should respond by taking care of this half brother or cousin who seems balancing between a bright career and going to the devil circumstances drive us sometimes don dont t they harlle 9 but there a one party I 1 ri r t Z guess you youve ve overlook ed who a thata her father chu chuckling cAlIng capt brand you mean I 1 believe I 1 have arranged a berth tor for him where on the steamer rather in the place where I 1 spent part of last night oh ah I 1 then he hes a a fraud sure enough I 1 have every reason so to believe at any rate my friend the baron has promised to look after him I 1 ive ve no doubt a intentions are good but there a a prospect of his being fully occupied in another quarter artemus said sagely meaning the countess isolde well she has seldom missed her game the most wonderful woman outside of thail eray a bel V sharpe I 1 ei e er heard of you re lucaj to have just missed her my boy men jeer aw W it t h b r po era ers add boast their inai ali crabl ci ct a atles i et a no u toone do t 7 comp in n touch with this r od ern C ree 0 tn their I 1 nees grow v eak d oe gl c from her bewitching ees charms ti 1 i even as the rattle a al e does its arc I 1 our ad adv ce Is goo I 1 I 1 hd intend cd e 1 depard n on my onn on ab abi ity to cec mate tais 0 I 1 and on the whole it nay n ay be best for me to keep my band at the plow and III stand by ready to gha gh e nhat ft hat aid I 1 may dent don t hesitate to call on artemus barraby it if ou are bent upon some dark and de pirate ii rate business thai that for or V te ve e light you know I 1 have some sort of a claim upon anis affair seeing that only for my p pertinacity in drag dragging girg you on that wild ild goose chase in search of tie tic nev 1 an in the iron mask of whom old wives in antwerp gossip you would never have gone there to tho the dungeons of the steen and ergo 1 never have ha I 1 the pleasure ol 01 saving I 1 ady arline from her distress ing position the wolds of his companion aroused within charl e a sense of the great debt he owed artemus who had beep beer an instrument in the hands of fate to bring about the result upon which his whole future now seemed to hinge so he seized his hand and squeezed it with fraternal zeal squeezed it un til the owner was fain to appeal for mercy yes I 1 owe you everything my dear fellow and if I 1 can at any time do you a favor try me there are few things I 1 could refuse you after that there was the fullest con flrence between these two charlie confided to artemus his plans tor for rout ing the enemy and was glad to adopt some very bright and sagacious ideas advanced by the latter everything seemed as usual yet under the calm exterior forces were working that threatened a speedy upheaval capt brand had taken the alarm keen Heen eyed man of the world that this great traveler was he read the writing on the wall and it plainly declared his reign had neared its it end hence he detested charlie with a venom such as could only be compared with the enraged cobra seeking to bury its poisoned fangs in the object of its hatred in brief this fine old plotter began to cast about him for some method by meana of which he could get rid of mr charlie stuart either temporarily or for all time he was not alone in his scheming other harpies there were who hoped to share in the glorious plunder men man whose past lives no doubt could pos sibly show almost as great a variety of adventure and bold schemes as hia his own accordingly these precious worthies laid their heads together in order to devise some brilliant scheme whereby the obnoxious interloper this young lochinvar who had come out of the west might be defeated ere he could carry the girl off on his fleet steed steel and when the conference wa wap ad journea it had all been arranged just how charlie was to be dropped out of sight however these worthies in planning so neat a campaign failed to take into consideration several elements which had a positive bearing upon the alti mate outcome there was as the baron for example besides there was artemus no doubt this latter individual with his peculiar notions and his apparent ly inoffensive appearance would have been looked upon by the hoary old fortune hunter as very much in the line of a freak and must be brushed aside without ceremony but they made a mistake under that simple exterior beat a bold heart and a keen brain for artemus had taken a room next to capt brand a and during that celebrated conference his eye and ear did noble duty at the keyhole of a con necking door to be continued |