Show 1 f Ml i Sleep t 1 i B By y t Jeremy Lane Illustrated by IR IRWIN IRVIN VIN MYERS Copyright ht by the Century Co CHAPTER XI XI Continued Continued I B 15 Do you rou dream often orten r Often I do not care for tor Jor sleep but It Is pleasant to dream Have you found It so soV f He lie thought carefully Yes Ive I've al always always al- al ways ways flYS dreamed It It runs In your In-your your our family fam fam- U ily and In mine I come here every ery day said Helen IThe sun must t be very hotI hot I am accustomed 1 to It I do not resist It There Is great life In It It has made matte you lovely ely he said nut lint It was unkind to you ou she re re- re- re plied piled And u a faint cool smile touched her lips Innocence or utter titter sophistication sophistication- from flom an ultimate degree of one of these opposites she was regarding him It was a helpless s moment for the young man behind the rock He lie hazed gazed out for relief over oyer tim the stinging white whitesand whitesand sand where all of yesterday esterday Is sacrificed sacrificed In the drift of today One horseman horseman horse horse- man dotted out there not far from I the city a pair of keen e eyes es that might be able to see through stone I had arranged arrange 1 with Chee Miner Mine sold said the girl for you an and 1 my mr father to live Ive In p peace ace with us No Now Nosh v that cann cannot t be for you for you have tried to run rim away You have hate wounded oun 1 his emo emo- I Your Tour father and I I. expect expect- to get geta getaway a awa way away but we are coming back soon No No she said Ito No man goes from here to tell lell the world 1 what he has seen een Chee l Hn Ming only of all m men n goes and comes and he tells nothing The empire must fall when Its secrecy secrecy secrecy se se- se- se crecy Is gone gong Con felt feIt the chill chili of a stone wall You are deeply Interested 11 in the empire empire empire em em- pire of ot the Yellow Sun he s said ld dully It Is to bear a wonderful fruit fruit said the princess It Is very cruel said Levington II I do lo not agree with Chee Ming abo about t everything e You have a merciful heart henrt a n heart that would d be nt at home home- In America where this Idea of racial fusion the blending of all Into one has borne good fruit for two centuries I have e learned but little of ot America Ameri AmerI- ca en except concerning th the red men men said Helen Chee Clue Ming l has been careful The red reel men are gone It Is the New Worl World 1 Ill I'll tell you CU all about It You would not be satisfied with the oppression oppression oppression op op- op- op mid and 1 of Tau Kuan If you yon knew the wa ways s 's of ot America Mother other used to talk tall like that You belong in America said LevIngton Lev Lev- Ington scarcely aware of how much lie he dared flared in making the statement My father mentioned that yesterday yesterday yester yester- day riny He lie is a n good man Yes I love him too He lie needs nees you f said ald the girl girt He I e needs nees you you you- returned Con America would be be ben n splendid place for tor you There are arc dreams there too If it you like I nm not Interested 1 Here Is the heart of I he the world This Is the center of power the light of ages to come Here nere my will is obeyed 1 an and 1 all the hood good goo 1 things of earth are brought before before before be be- fore me Most ost of them from America added added add add- ed 11 Con But he was hurt deep He felt the snare of dominion aroun around 1 her heart Perhaps she was without a n nh h heart art But that lid did not correspond to her hel Innate kindness She did not agree with the policy of state I am needed here said ald the princess prin prin- princess cess cps rather wearily There Is work endless work worl The desert Is a league ue of cities that have e fallen and thou cities must be made macle to bloom again Why do lo jou you plant seeds of poison polson 1 You do not hot understand dreaming It It is unbearable without a dream 1 have not your courage Are you happy I am not happy as asa asia n child Is B And An 1 you love loe pow power r That Is of part my d destiny Cruel Cruelty ty sterility poison that poison that t I Is Tau Kuan Kunn win said Levington watching her closely It need nee not be so 10 said Helen Delen referring referring re re- re- re ferring to her coming re regency enc Then rhen you ou art are satisfied d happy i Sometimes hut hut but I What Is it I cannot Why do say ay you ou question question ques ques- tion me Oh I seem to miss something some some- something thing I have hate never seen en something that cannot be the world r 1 In Tn the evening I think that In the west where the sun goes goel may be what I want But Thit then In the morning I do not beUC believe be be- lieve UC It it Might It not be worth while wIllie to follow follow follow fol fol- low the sun westward and see for yourself No one departs from from here she G said eald ld quietly And An I have haye seen Been the maps naps and I am not very much drawn n Chee Ming had planted this prejudice dice ice In perfect soil Roll But nut what Is it you rou want Yant Do not question me I do not k know Chee Ming Minh Un sn says s 's I am nm too young 10 o know I L believe my mother knew I when lien h n fhe slip she was eighteen I am nm afraid J bull ii no learn U until too late I sighed and edged away awny from the tho hot boulder Your Your YonI mother could have hn helped you yon he he saidI saidI said I come here each ench day to ask her and she does not speak r Wh Why doesn't nt the yellow prince help you I have ha-e not asked 1 help of him Perhaps your our father will advise you She shook her head slowly Her lieI face was serene yet ct filled filled with a n remote remote remote re re- re- re mote pain Beauty was about her eyes but hut something was holding back Now the fires In Cons Con's own heart would woul 1 not wait walt un and 1 he said I wish I could tell you on I J have nothing of my mr own to offer except America and und I can hive give that to you ou There are books that have been kept from you The white blood In your veins has been carefully shadowed Your heart healt is American I marvel how w well ll they have nm made e you forget that You ll long ng for tor your our own birthright birthright birthright birth birth- right that Is why you ou look Into the west and are 1111 filled 1 with a n desire you ou do 10 not comprehend I never knew what my country countr meant to me until I got away from It It working under Its orders In faraway places like this You are lon longing for home and your own people Your soul is sick of yellow yellow yel yel- ellow el low faces your our mind Is weary with Oriental contact contact lIe He checked himself for she did not seem to be following well The distant distant dis dis- tant rider ha had 1 changed his position coming corning nearer The rock seemed smaller than at nt first the sun hotter Silence between them From the time saddle the princess sc looked afar over o the yellow earth The palace walls were Indistinct In the trembling heat She seem seemed cd lost In a cloud of dreams It was maddening to Levington Ile until untila I a great light broke within him She I said simply without looking at him You are making me unhappy Even before the time full jo joy of this utterance utterance ut ut- terance as was clear to him he was up beside her forgetful of the sentinel l the sun the whole world but this A honeyed honere 1 fragrance came carne to him from her nearness The Time words that that burned burned his heart stopped In his throat but tOt his eyes held hers an Instant and tragically trag trag- tragically her unhappiness deepened ye yet yett it t him glad Without t sI speaking she sp spurred he her mount wheeled covering the man mal who loved oved her and then rode for forthe the city gate CHAPTER XII The Yellow Bowl As he returned to the mouth of ot the shaft haft with no thou thought ht of caution even eten the he Gobi Gobl seemed familiar nn and right to tn Its purple band 1 of t horizon Its ts scarlet rocks the mighty pour of the he sun no lon longer er inimical for his fr t 6 d N 1 I. I Is I s l R it G I I i I I V l li r tt i iN N I I r RNA M LJ Each With a Knee and Spine Made Hideous In Childhood Mend lead was filled with her final wor words They brought hope and hurt together When o once ce more more In a normal state Con was frightened at at atthe the Intensity of his speech the fire hed h he ha had sent out outto outto to o her lien Earth Euth held no ol other ler fear than that 11 ho lie had said al 1 too much that he had h st stumbled over o the time fealty in her nature In n attacking her expectations of em em- pire Also he saw afresh the extent of the consequences of ot March's blunder blunder blun blun- der tile the the forcing forcing of escape last night Helen lelen had secured a sort of if truce for them hem thel h but rt It was unavailable now Con on grimly remembered the blows he had given th the f soldier IJ In l I March's rooms He lie wanted to find her father The drop down the shaft did not seem eem so o long this thue but ut the darkness at the bottom was overpowering Ills His e eyes s remained full of gref green n pat patches hes of sunlight Then he started 1 back as nearl nearly as ns lie III could remember along 1 the tunnel tm toward the larger cavern cn where the gas burned He lie thought he could coul 1 sm smell the burned 1 gas or the baking lentils Unmistakably he scented camels None of the dwarfs was was In Iii Ih view ir He De had to grope hn having having hav hav- ing no torch It was like a starless night It was some time before he saw a 1 aglow aglow glow far ahead which satisfied 1 him himas as ns the reflected light from the cavern In to which he had bad taken leave of his friend and the Interpreter He Ie was thinking with within a n. new-born new power and p perhaps dl did not realize realize- that he be had been wa wandering deeper Into the time earth for tor twenty minutes The light proved I to be a torch carried over o a group of miners They were little fellows tello each with a twisted knee and spine made hideous in childhood Under the flaring flar flar- flaring ing light Con could not steady a n spud shudder der del at nt the picture they made Half- Half starved long armed dark creatures with the time eyes narrowed all nIl humal humanity ty drawn rawn from their faces they peered at the large man In the tunnel before them and a united whisper rustled from lip to lip Where Is friend white frIend white man Levington made signs and variously ly In Indicated his desire to find March The eyes turned upon him grew pig- pig like nn and 1 the tin whisper was repeated repented Heads turned back then toward towar 1 him lihn Hostility was like lIle powder to the match They were blaming him for forthe forthe forthe the taking off of their kin Con felt that he was a. a had bad omen to them which was the greater nee need for finding finding find find- In ing March and the Arab Arah friend Now the he little party lined up against one side of the passage plainly Intending intending In In- tending the white whito man to pass That way Con Inquired nl also o with his hands If they were directing go on Perhaps Pet Per haps the they had just come from frolD March Now ow they ma made no response their stony countenances full upon him In Inthe Inthe inthe the flickering light Having Haring small choice Con nod nodded ed his thanks and strode past them Again the soft sort crackle of their voices He lie turned 1 They were were going going on wi with h the time torch Darkness closed about him once more Ills His reverie was reverie was spoiled 1 for the mo mo- ment A touch of the horror of numberless numberless num num- berless herless generations was upon him the burial fear He lie could coul touch the earth over his head as in a tomb and span the walls from side to side Then he laughed at himself It was a relief a n necessity He came back to himself Identity was renewed another necessity necessity sity for fOI new new- worl worlds had been flitting through him and he ha had 1 rOI forgotten otten much Confident of locating his friend or the brown shinned 1 sailor who had gone from Aden to Buffalo In his time Levington pushed onward 1 down the tunnel He TIe tf thought t of Helens Helen's face oval face oval calm kissed day y I ne 1 Yet each ench moment she seemed different for forno now no she was fully awakened a aprin prin princess cess of or evening lights and clear wine an and 1 music subtle eastern wisdom wisdom wisdom-a a a princess only a mottled flower This latter was a form form- of torture to him whose heart had opened But always there was the same pale light in her eyes whether she were learned of ot kings and princes or quite Innocent It further troubled him to find that he lie could coul not be certain as to the color If It they were lit It with the green of ot the sea sen senat at daybreak or the time blue of sky at nt sun sun- set They could be be-as be as ns steady as Jade pure In their gaze and their loveliness sent him out upon a n tide of ot yearning A warm flood seemed to rise when he remembered her slim throat nn and it startled 1 him to recall the time manner of her b breathing At moments now with the earthen earthmen blackness beating In upon him Con aon was almost read ready to believe that she was a phantom that the Gobi Gobl had done something to him that possibly possibly possibly pos pos- sibly there was no Sha Mo at all and h. h h was merely coming to the surface after atter a plunge deeper and darker durker than usual to find himself Ill III with life In Ina Inn ina a n room at the time theold old club that this Helen was the shadow of his unrealized 11 desires de de- desires sires of all his postponed postpone aspiration an and 1 nothing more Yet he lie could hear her voice as If she were just ah ahead d In InI Inthe inthe I the darkness and he ha had sometime touched her hand The delicacy of that moment was still upon him He lie shook It off and tried to laugh again to clear lear his mind but this time time-time time the happy effect effect effect ef ef- was more elusive Direction was ns an Impossible Impossible s subject and depth another lie reached renche 1 an nn Intersection intersection intersection in In- a tr trying moment for the nerves as his hi's hands went out Into soft nothing lIe He waited In a tension and heard a 1 slow thu thudding like 0 the tread of giants within the earth The air of the passages was narcotic In thinkIng thinking think think- ing big of the time fierce evaporation of the desert this difference was grateful Well aware that he lie was lost he line thought of ninny many things timings 01 old 1 nn and 1 new dwelling 1 strangely upon the pot potentialities potentialities potential potential- Ittes of his own spirit The well rub bed coinage of life had hall enriched him imd he tie longed 1 to spend I. I Leaning against the rough walls sea scarcely able ahle to see his hands bands han before his face Levington Levington Lev Lev- ington discovered the Innermost door of himself elf Soul currents that he lie had touched in boyhood seemed 1 close about him again dusk c cried cited Ird softly within a lonely twilight In spring sprin The fhe Theair Theair air all was figured with the memory of ot Bill the yellow ellow c cook ok of oC those tal tales s In Inu Ina u a magic tongue told In the hot thick evenings to the sWa sway of the ship Probably Probably ably Bills Hilis stories hn had 1 been heen of Tau rau J Kuan Iuan Its piled tip curving roofs of guarded close maidens in their misty silks sills of the diamonds that sputter spatter from the time shaken shalen plumage of a u. u cockatoo cocka too at the time fountain do down upon white and ivory limbs or perhaps of these choking tunnels where one tiny thawed flawed nerve lIene would w 1 set the luckless a t n-t off his |