Show apsit A L STORY 4 the roo 1 0 G f by tuis joer pa vadice by r by louie LOUIS joseph ace p r SYNOPSIS carlo with ith ne story fT cosens opens Curke at monte a I 1 kimary tree free dereme gambler gambl tr in his and something some thinh of ft A au he a aaning on ite bakony balcony sees botel girl who sud suddenly lenly enter enters tle at t the fron ight sight deltor and I 1 d PM table rourke notice two men S the hon ilon benie berde him one la is accident am bile his hi comp companion anim la ill viscount 0 lil t tre rb beg a duelist the disc viscount aunt tella tells tos the french government has ha directed DIM un t DO 0 rourke as a R man who would der IN a se nt it mission at hie his apart man ant u UK it urice who had agreed to un on k il it n assion 10 lo finds a LL mysterious lyter 1011 att tie I 1 arrivee arrives hands it ine mild piled Pa package ClEgge to 0 rou who Is not town it until on the tile ocean A pair of cloty nty uppers are seen en protruding protruding from taki a doorway curtain the ir irishman hman the owner of the mysterious feet to 14 WJ n tl nue beatrix from whom he had IL its AW ay a lear jear pr previous elous they are wan clied ina nd opening the letter he finds ITI tut i a lla Ita ngoon law firm offers him azia ls pounds for a jewel known aa as the pot or of flame and left to him by a dyet 4 friend but now in keeping ot of one timed ed Cb Cha robret ambret in algeria drourke runt the nobleman in a duel dual the af wife bids bailo rourke fa farewell and he promises to oon soon return va ith the reward lie ile discovers both glynn and the is lecount count on kud the hip ship As he lie finds Cham Ch ambret brat athers li Is an attack by bandits and hie his fand dies 0 0 rourke griat he haa has Is the pool of I 1 laine with mith the governor pheral who at sight of a signet rint 1 the colonel will deliver over the on wd L Ar rising at algeria the irishman ds the governor general away des rbee makes a mysterious appointment and ad tells all 0 rourke that he has rained aidea pow tilon of the tho jewel by stealing ng it it in a luti duel 0 rourke masters the tho Is count ares are posses possession slon of the pool of flame flamo u binl d starts by ship for rangoon lie its finds tte Us captain to be a smuggler who tries to ai tet tue the jewel ewel it la fx finally secured by the captain and 0 rourke escapes to lud IM inith ft ath the aid of one D danny a anny and k ls sr theart eart 0 rourke rec recovers overs the pool ool of 0 flame on board ship once more bond bo nd for or rangoon a mysterious lady appears 0 rourke comes upon a lascar about out to attack the lady who IS 1 a mrs bryane amne and kicks the man into the hold mrs 11 claims sho she Is en route for bitana on a mission for the king 0 rourke la 13 attacked by the luscar lascar who rei the pool of flame the captain Is shot not and the lascar J japs I 1 rips into the ship arrives in port danny brud v rourke the pool of flame which rie he bu stolen from mrs ira ernne it Is the tho ie e e el the one lost at sea being feln a rd 0 rourke goes to calcutta idd aa discovers vers des he 0 k laws that arb ira panno waa was an ac compute effi CHAPTER ai aj time went on ol however if his un tul iness liess were not sensibly dimin kited nothing happened the voyage ewing en entirely tirel uneventful and 1 rourke was forced to the conclusion atu if monsieur Ions leur de were real V v the viconte des he was content to play a waiting tae the irishman however bad had known things than that one man should seem the counterpart of an tr and by nothing moye than ws WIS questionable accident 0 lesem allee ce did DC de cleres give him reason U utra believe him an anthlny thing but what he chimed d to be the mans demeanor iraa aly discreet and self talfred tal red c he moved about the ship wj 01 and klat without any apparent atto pry P upon pon the doings of the hom rhom he be fell into tho the 1 board ay y of erecting greeting ami ably but coolly only in one instance lit kneed E did ld they change exchange more than stations courteous salutations lons DO and then abo thein filter few seemed to seek reedy approaching was at night when I 1 of ile a thair on the leeward side de isaroon aloo 00 deck tylre consuming ing a stepped cedar after dirinder cigar de do fieres rc out 0 1 of the companionway 0 swiftly this way and that and ta lighted boviard rl the irishman with cigarette held his sers fingers OTo urke likewise diaga diA surveyed his gs 14 10 two brief glances Elan cea and eor or to t find that they were As apoll balt much alone aa as two can be after tit il a I ll 11 lp for they were 1 thea he k matched ched and one ono of fil h his chair to be armed shifting 11 so that his revolver lay eolen tt to big is ached clied hand and as de do heeres dar the th irishman saraan sh raan removed his acht from bet bethea wea his bittay inch teeth flicked of ash atred t and aln it I 1 4 the silently prof prescribed fashion hlo 6 pro te Y irith a be cainan accepted the cour u d applied the fire to antte le his th 6 dur inhaled balod deeply deoni and returned tta ith a fonnay lie phrase of for a moment and 1 ailes gazing off over the black expense ow of the ply 1 of banfil Ben fil lonely to lie its dim and far horizon hor trun then observed quietly 1 I am not mistaken I 1 believe in understanding I 1 have tho the bonor honor to address monsieur lo 10 colonel ORo Ono urko urke CLe Clie vallor of tho the legion of honour flo nour you arc are not mistaken monsieur returned ORo Ollo urho urko pleasantly then with ith iho directness which ho some times found useful watching at ching tho the man closely ae an ho he spoke and I 1 bellevo it la Is my pleasure to recognize mon lion eler sier lo 10 Vi viconte comte des DOS doll tribes monsieur monal cur the look of wonder ander was as beyond criticism and there was as no least trace of it discomfiture to be detected in hta his manner mannor but no you are a under a mistake I 1 am merely a french gentleman without A title raoul do Is my katno ahl said the wanderer tas the resemblance misled me baidon monsieur granted my dear sir do dog the name has a familiar found do I 1 not remember reading somewhere that the viconte dea des tribes died last lost spring in tunis was it suddenly I 1 believe 1119 1 it so go said ORo urko pos sibly tho thu viconte lived in the man ner of those who moot with oth sudden deaths the subject languished and after a few more noncommittal observances ances de do heeres wandered an dered off presumably in search of the english girl to ft horn hom lia had becu been paying assiduous atten tion on closer 1 scrutiny she had proved to 0 be a remarkably pretty girl although in point of fact Ollo ORo urko for all fill that he lie admired her looks im M ensel had purposely avoided molded her this he did from motives of prudence ho lie mistrusted the erm combination formed by do and the jarl trl the latter might bo be all that she looked and claim ed to be a sweet wholesome and anth cr er ingenuous young englishwoman au an orphan resident in rangoon in the household of an uncle to whom she was returning after a visit with 47 49 0 the frenchman accepted the courtesy with a bow friends in simla S I 1 m 1 on the passenger list her name stood as em ilia nl but tho the adventurer felt it the course of wisdom to deny himself the pleasure plea suro of her acquaintance so long as she permitted the attentions of tho frenchman altogether considering the hot weather and such self imposed restrictions strict ions drourke considered the voyage hardly a ev success access from a social point of lew few he lie kept pretty much to ic himself and to danny and to make assurance doubly sure be he instituted a new now regime with regard to tho the pool of or flame name that jewel never left his stateroom when was aas on deck or at meals danny sal sat behind b bolts alert and under arms and vice versa by night they stood rc regular gular watches together the tha one on guard while the other slept clearly the adventurer was determined that no tie lack of safeguards on his part should again deprive him of the ruby but its ites no easy matter to avoid meeting any particular person on a ship with a small smal I 1 saloon list unless one ona Is willing to be durpos purposely ely rude and disco discourteous urte ous for all his Is warl wariness th the irisha irishman an was to carry with impression of mil him a personal sent on the last day of tv passa go to wart ward evening tho the t n raised the coast of Buri nab by dark ale was una steaming steadily southwards along tho the littoral heading tor for tb the delta of tho the Irra Naddy A still bright night with ith little wind Ollo urke was as rot one to resist ite its al at luro lure pour four bolla bells saw him lounging at tho the mil rail below the bridge staring nun hun over toward the land it was in his tits mind that another belvo boura hours or so would him relieved 0 ot bla his truet trust and as the time drew nigh tin patience burned hotly within him he had bait become full weary ea ct the pool of flame and u was as anxious to bo be floe of the thing to tb have its chapter in hia his history cloned forever far over the water a white and hashing flashing light lifted up and caught ble his pye eye a name leab bascon bea acon bright against the darkness at tho lave of the tho ara kan hills guardian of the perils of those shallow BOBS sees and bously he became conscious of a prea pres once at his elbow elbo as ho be turned sharply tho the girl addressed him in a oice olce sweet toned and quiet what la is that light if it ou please 1 colonel 0 rourke Ilo urho faith that I 1 cant can say mies 1 her ece ees hashed flashed a laugh upon him in the gloom then you know lay name even as yourself oura olf knew mine atwould bo be otherwise with ith our ships company so email nut but I 1 L she returned animated am such an insignificant person whilo aou ou are tho tile colonel 0 j rourke Ilo urke ye do me an honor im not desera ing miss but ti a proud I 1 I 1 am atit entirely that a humble soldier of fortune should be known to yo be reputation oh ive grown gron quite weary of your f fame me colonel ORo urko she coun with a trace of laughing impe dence hardly ardly ll anything baa has interested monsieur Nion stour de heres II eres these past few rea days savo save anecdotes of your ex kind of him to be sure I 1 roust must cultivate bis his acquaintance and learn earn from him to know I 1 see if it she detected the irony she overlooked or failed to understand it 11 hes lela ver entertaining commented pleasantly but then most frenchmen are dont you think I 1 hope to see much ot of him in rangoon so hes landing there too filled in the pause 1 I 1 bellevo believe so 60 and you colonel 1 I may have to wait alt over until the next steamer be he admitted warily 1 I sympathise heartily with your disgust s t at the prospect laughed the girl eh and why hy tie i a land of fair repute for climate and beauty A ah but I 1 live in burmah you see and so have come com 0 to know it far too well but nut the way with all e ex patr lotes Jutes it to bate hato their homes so far from home homo must ye endure it then miss sent an orphan has little choice it abide in rangoon kismet to see seems ins my fe forever rever and a day you see my out only living relative Is an uncle 8 mr lansdowne cypher and bos hes got no one ODO else to keep houze for him lansdowne Lansdo wM I 1 the ejaculation sprang to es lips before ho he could restrain ren train it yes do you know him mint lies iles the junior you iknou or of tho the firta of so see and saber solicitors are they not no tin la ino me misfortune nile fortuno not lo 10 know your undo uncle hut the name of tits hi birin ivo I 1 ve heard the genial natura of tho the irishman which had find insensibly warmed to the girls charm withdrew Ith drow abruptly top tor colne tolne alko into a shell of reserve servo re the t clement of coincidence had aroln on into hie his affairs and ht h had learned a bitter lesson from experience to distrust die truet coincidence on general theres caught so corn com inon men in life ne as coincidences ho be phil end nd bo be the tho same token naught so dangerous for which reason he invented on early excuse to terminate the bo conversation and ungallantly to the seclusion of hta his stateroom whore ho he passed a night that seemed interminable for he lay long in a wakeful pan ic lc of imagination scheming out a hundred whereby ho he might con fuse as many possible 1 attempts to pro vent the due and rafe delivery of the pool of flame into the hande hands of mr lanado no 8 apher pher CHAPTER to toward aard the close of tho the following day the dropped anchor Jn the river roadstead off oft rangoon and ano u with in the tile ensuing hour her 1 passengers asson gers had deserted her do fieroe and MIBS bliss P incont In agent sont in their van var 0 rourke the last to leave and nothing bin blu dered him not the least fil hitch itch delayed bis his disembarkation it woe was curious it was incredible it was disturbing io lie took away with him no ease ense of mind whatever ha there were nere waiting alting and without vit hout a breaths delay the ad and his servant climbed into the nearest and desired to be con to the odicon of and apher the vehicle whirled them thein swiftly away and into the main trailed trae led way of rangoon mogul street in front of a structure of stone and iron so palpably an office building that it might bavo havo been transplanted to tho the strand without exciting corn ment save for the tho spotless clean cleanliness lt of it their drew up tho the indicated tho the offices of Secie tan and one flight up and named his faro fare paid him and alighted with danny at bis his heals and hie his heart trying to chol choke he him tho the hour of ful aliment flim ent was at hand band and all was well w oil I 1 lie ile who had faced death in a hundred shapes of terror unflinching found himself in a nutter flutter of nerves that would havo have disgraced a school girl he ile dodged into the building took the steps three at a stride and suddenly found himself in the pros pres ence of more than that closeted with ith tho the man to meet whom he had crossed half the world at peril of bis his life mr ansdowne Ian 1 Cc colonel lonel ORe urko man ner was A as very cordial im glad to see you OU you are within your time set I 1 bad had begun to despair of you bo be seated ho lie indicated a chair berido his desk and permit roe me you of all men will appreciate the precaution ho ile laughed and went to tho the win dows dove a adjusting the wooden shades in such a manner that the light was tempered and no portion of the room could bo be visible to anyone spying from a window in ono oco of the adjacent buildings the be he turned and smiled cheerfully at the stupefied fled adventurer 1 I have it bere here said Ollo urke safe bo the mercy of several highly poten bial saints he lie laughed uneasily fumbling in his big breast pocket there it Is said he tossing the stone in ita its chamois covering upon the solicitors desk himself betrayed some evidences of nervousness as ho he sat forward and lifted the case by its leathern thongs he ile let it dangle before him for an instant watching it with a curious speculative tive smile well he said really I 1 and after a pause 1 I congratulate you colonel ORo Ollo urKo urlo and I 1 admire you immensely you eee see when this commission was as offered us I 1 considered seriously the project of going in search of vou in person and bringing the stone back to rangoon myself but theu thea although im not re really a timorous man 1 I knew the circumstances so 1 I feared I 1 sho j never reach rangoon allye alive yes he ile thrust a band hand into bis his waistcoat pocket and produced a penknife with which be ho began to slit the stitches that enclosed the ruby you youve been wondering no doubt why so |