| Show AM M M aff v I 1 I 1 E BY VT MINDY 0 0 0 0 MUNDY SERVICE THE STORY TIMS VAR FAB captain carl norwood has been sent lent from his native england to the kadur river elver district in india along with his indispensable manservant moses mose oleary sold boedler of fortune No job Is to survey the district to determine whither whether a v valuable bable secret diamond mine belongs to the temple priests or to the ruler tho the maharajah Mah arajah of 0 kadur norwood calls on the british residency to pay his initial respects on his way he catches a glimpse of two women in a palace carriage one 0 of whom is young and beautiful tie the other woman he knows to be the of kadur oleary later tells him that the young woman is min an american girl named lynn harding who with her aunt mrs deborah harding to Is a guest at the palace on a sightseeing tour mrs harding sprains an ankle and sends to the palace for or a aid d prince Rund hla bla handsome spoiled nephew ot of the rulers ruler comes to her rescue and takes her baft back to the palace where he meets lynn at a banquet that night in the palace balace attend attended edby by captain norwood mrs harddng takes one of native doctor pills and becomes viol violently enty ill III she Is placed in bed and arrangements are made for or lynn to move ou out t of the quarters with her aunt end and stay with alth the that evening prince Rund lita at tempts to make love to lynn she Is unwilling to listen to him and at the crucial moment norwood appears on the scene much to Rund hlas hias disgust oleary has located the secret entrance to the diamond mine which is being worked by the temple priests ests lie ile takes norwood to tile the mine where death Is narrowly averted when a priests live ve cobra Is thrown in No face ace later norwood visits the brahmin 0 one ne ot of whom slyly lyly sup slips a packet of diamonds in his pocket unknown to norbo norwood d they are intended as a bribe while norwood Is talking to lynn the diamonds fall all from his pocket she notice notices them and sees that he Is surprised CHAPTER vil continued 8 when Lynn glanced at again he had his bick back to the iron chest and he was staring et at her dark eyed not smiling noticeably not lynn accepted the unspoken challenge 1 I am sorry I 1 let you kiss methis me this mo morning I 1 have it fair it may have given you a wrong impression the correct one being oh I 1 was just being mischievous it meant nothing no eyed her lor for several seconds without speaking she feel afraid of him but every fiber in her being was aware of crisis simulating calmness that she did not feel she almost unconsciously moved the tennis racket from one hand band to the other careful with that he advised put it down you might m ight break something come over here and see the emeralds she did not put down the tennis racket that would have been bee nobe obedience she was obeying no one it I 1 was not obedi obedience enci that made 11 her er walk toward him around thelver the overloaded tab leShe was walking straight into danger she deceive herself about that tor foi a moment neither did try to deceive her passion confident and self avowed glowered in his ra splendid eyes they were more arresting than the diamonds in the glass case he looked bold experienced and much more beautiful than any human being she had ever met she could fe feel el her heart pounding and she felt as sure of herself as it if shed she were vere about to plunge into a warm inviting sea she hesitate lynn I 1 love youl i you going to show me the emeralds strange how bow such tactics checked him he behaved as he did didin in the garden the previous ouis night when she isle mentioned the and norwood it seemed to make him nervous to remind him of some insufficiency within himself fill he glanced past her at the in the door then turned and opened the iron chest he took out two handfuls of huge emeralds thousands she said 1 I suppose are like roe me what is it ii about precious stones that thrills you sensuous things arent they peel feel their magic press them against your facet enjoy therril one of these days be mine these emeralds are not state property lynal lanni love me and andtius hlll give them to youl thank you I 1 don dont t want them linkof lynn of kadura how would that be lynn removed he moved both arms toward her she poured back the emeralds into his big hands he had to take them or they would have crashed gotlie to the tiled floor and that might have brought in the guard dumped them back into the chest 1 lynn spoke before he could show me the diamonds captain norwood flinched lynn noticed it show me those that he has again she had sent Rund hias thought off on a tang tangent ent his eyes steady any longer lynn followed up they looked like big ones but hes careless with them if I 1 noticed them fall he might have lost them diamonds laid ald i Rund hla hia in No pocket when this morning ile he let them tall fail while he was talking to me she was already sorry she had said JL it Rund hlas hias eyes darkened with what looked like cunning lynn felt safer was running wild along a new line for the moment but lynn felt guilty she should not have defended herself at No cost she meant to but she guessed now that she had it made her self contemptuous and angry Rund hia what are you thinking about youl you hs eyes sought hers again to bell with dl lynn beloved beautiful beautia ul glo glorious r lous sirl girl lynn laughed ask aunty aulty harding whit what daml I 1 ami she saw us damn her what do we care captain norwood also saw us any of his business checked again his eyes darkened look here lynn I 1 dont like to tell tales about people why do it then you ought to know this nor wood has been talking about me yes while he was waiting to enter ter the audience room just now he asked a palace official where you slept last night 1 I dont belleve believe it the official told me captain norwood never would do such a thing 11 dont you know hes a spy tor for the british intelligence such fellows a scruple do you think I 1 would ue ile to you yes I 1 know you would lets go now ive seen enough I 1 want to talk to the mercilessly Merci lessl you want to tantalize me im already mad about youl mad I 1 tell youl lynn do you belleve believe 1 3 il 3 14 P 5 the resident de elded hatred by the horns this love that sweeps sweeps me ie like a storm cant conquer conque jou do you suppose you can fire my veins torture my heart and not burn in the same ecstasy I 1 said bural you are as passi passionate onald as I 1 ami you are no cold beauty come here phe he was against the table he was pushing her ba backward caw ard things were falling off the table he was kis kissing her his faela face was buried in libb heah liali air I 1 she freed h hera e t right arm 1 groped seized the tennis racket and struck him hard in the face with its edge blood blood blond ocher frock lots of it lot let go then ll 11 he found his fils handkerchief and held it to his face bloods lynn gasped breathless what have I 1 done ile he answer with the band handkerchief to his face he turned away from her Rund hia she said 1 I have hurt you for worlds you have broken my heart hl he answered Rund hial it was the Mahar anees voice the great teak door had swung open the stood in the doorway staring with the guards behind her she turned and dismissed the guards Rund hia what have you been doing there is blood on lynns frock lynal darling what has he done to you no harm lynn answered she turned to hide the blood and the rip in her frock the spoke to Rund Ilund hia in his own language vehemently for about a minute she was at no loss for words she let him have it with the governed directed anger that cuts like a whip then in english for lynns berie benefit fit dont play tor for sympathy athyl that Is no more than ona one of your usual nose let your doctor attend to it got go strode from the room the ame came and put jut her arm around lynn lynn lynn darling I 1 am too ashamed to tell you how I 1 feel has he hurt you are you all right I 1 have told him I 1 will neither pay his bis debts nor speak to him again until he has your full forgiveness I 1 CHAPTER VIII norwood could almost physically feel those diamonds in his tunic pocket he should have asked lynn not to mention them he knew that it was too lute late to turn back and besides she was having a row with her aunt and it be cricket to butt in he wished he seen lynn kiss Rund hla hia there were two things that norwood ached to do that hat minute one wa was 3 to punch Rund hia the other was to go to the temple and throw those high priest but that was lust just the kind of thing that norwood could be trusted not to do ile he knew exactly what he should do but the maharajah Mah arajah and his court were waiting to give hirn him official audience he glanced at his watch there remained only five minutes in which to reach the palace in time tor for the appointment so he mounted his horse at the gate and rode up the long drive to the front door where he arrived exactly on the minute the sais wiped the dust from his boots and he strode up the palace steps expecting to get away within fifteen minutes but time in india is one oae of leth argys dim dimensions ens lons As a captain norwood entitled to be received from the throne so the maharajah Mah arajah sat on a gilded chair at one side of the room with officials of only second grade importance on smaller chairs to right and left the chamberlain stood and read aloud from the instruction st f or for the reception of british captains his highness now enquires after the visitors health the visitor responds his highness is pleased to welcome him his highness begs him to be seated the visitor sits his highness he was met and importunately detained by the maharajahs Mahara jahs minister of state and tour four other important members of the council silently cursing his auck he did his best to escape but servile serille wretches in silken li veries flung open the door of an anteroom look here didah sahib saheb id be awfully glad to talk things over with you now but I 1 have urgent business at the residency oh but captain norwood we could phone the residency 1 that help tm rm afraid im m not expected there I 1 need the residents advice ah but captain norwood is not our need greater documents arguments U some witnesses are are ready bowl now his highness has postponed important business to be present he is waiting in the council room this boundary dispute is so urgent and its implications so important that we feel our importunity is iusti justified fied we beg you oh well norwood could almost feel those diamonds burning him through the lining of his tunic pocket tension crept into his normally easy manner the ministers detected it tension became mutual 01 1 I hope bear in mind im in a hurry two cars started from Rund hlas blas palace door within two minutes of each m other rother having brought run bleed under control the bengali doctor drove away first firs tIri fa the smaller car for a professional call onA on tinty harding it if he ha had id been g going sofij to ahls a own execution execute c he might have looked equally comfort less perhaps he dreaded drea ded aunty aulty hardings temper perhaps something else Rund hia a moment or two later climbed into the new rolls royce end and laid his head back on the cushions to prevent the nosebleed nose bleed from recurring he was still etall bleeding slightly he kept dabbing with a handkerchief the british residency I 1 the russian chauffeur drove like fury but made him slow down near the residency gate though he affected to despise all ceremonial took cynical plea pleasure sure in making sure they should turn out the guard he had phoned to say ay he was coming so he was shown into the dim library where the shades were drawn against the brazen sunlight and the resident keep him waiting more then than a couple of minutes how are you Rund hia hla how is the new rolls royce behaving dabbed at his nose with the handkerchief the car is quite well thank you how are you they sat in armchairs eyeing each other in comfortless silence tor for nearly lya a minute the resident who was feeling drowsy tried to took look firm but fatherly and cordial was very good indeed at looking insolent without giving actual grounds for offense Tense of ile he did his best until the resident decided to take hatred by the horns of course ive iveno no inkling of the reason tor for this unexpected visit Rund hia however im glad you came there are no witnesses and of course this Is off the record I 1 am taking the opportunity to remind you once more privately that our treaty with this otherwise independent state of kadur gives to his Maje indian government the right to veto the succession to the throne of any heir in whom his british Maje advisers may lack sufficient confidence 1 I have always been civil to you but you like me even it if you tried could youl retorted 1 I take exception to that said the resident 1 I have my duty to consider not my personal likes and dislikes As a matter of actual tact fact 1 bould auld easily like lika louif your af you would give me the opportunity Wh enyou choose you can be charming and you are very intelligent but on several occasions I 1 have deplored your conduct and have had to speak to you about it it you have recently returned from delhi rumors rea reached ched me without revealing confidences fi I 1 may say they were more than rumors there are limits beyond which an heir to a throne should not trespass tre in quest of amusement or for an any other rea rca son conj I 1 remind you that your cousin jodha comes of I 1 age this week jodha is such a crock he cut up tt if he tried said Rund hta hia one leg in the grave the others rotten why drag him in hell be dead soon falling failing acceptable heirs the throne of kadur can be es cheated I 1 am warning you Rund hia bla Thank sl I 1 have heard you now its my turn and ill warn you its what I 1 came for who is this captain norwood I 1 notice you present him at the palace he came alone why are you keeping your hands off why does he be carry diamonds in his tunic pocket why valy Is he nervous when someone happens to see sec them Is he one of your british gentlemen who never never under any circumstances never take a bribe bjorn a priest for instance to report according to his honorable 1 conscience in the priests ta fa divorl aorl TO BE CONTINUED |
