Show alt H 1 1 I 1 fp A r M tw ea MT AN DT 1 ajo Y V F mown of MR ACCA 4 0 X V 0 sy GY SYNOPSIS baraka a tartar girl became enamored of a golden bearded stranger who wua wa prospecting and herbs irk n th the vi vicinity n ty of 0 her home hoine in central asia abla and revealed to win him the location of a mine of rubles hoping that the stranger stranK tr would love her in return for her disclosure lis clasure they acre folloN followed ved to the cave cae by fl the na girls relatives who blocked vp up I 1 the entrance and drew off the water supply fr leaving leiu lne the couple to die braka barakan Bara kaB cou cousin saad raad her betrothed aftem attempted to c climb cit iab down a clin cliff overlooking tufted the I 1 mine but the traveler shot him th tho 0 tranger was wag revived r i from rom a water bourd saad carried r led dug duff his way out of the tunnel and departed det departed arted deserting the girl and it ba ag at 0 rubles baraka gathered all 1110 th gerns geins sho could carry and started in pur suit alt margaret donne fAt argarita da cordova Lor dova a ruinous famous prima donna became engaged in n london to konstantin Konstant ln lo 10 tl a wealthy greek financier her intimate frand rio nd was waa countess leven known as aa ady I 1 arty maud alaid whose husband had been in h killed led by a bomb in st peters burg id lady most intimate friend was wai van torp an american who hai become one ona of the richest mien men in n the world van torp was waa in love with Af argaret abid and rushed t to london Iio nilon as aa eoon R na ho heart heard of her betrothal hat H offered lady aia maud u d tor far her pet t charity if she afie wo would uld aid him film in winning the singer from dakaka up P preached pro ached at versailles Ver with ru rubilea bles to sell bell lie he presentia present presen tid cd a ruby to margaret BI argaret van corp boullit a barlit and nent ment it to venice lie was vas visited by barit barilka k a I 1 in n male a attire slie site gave him a fuby after the tha american americ n had told her of g seen in the united states a man anaw cong the description ot or the ona aria she sha loved the american followed BIar to th the bayreuth Bai reuth Par festival margaret marbaret took a liking to van torp walo pre pie scented hir her ith the ruby U had viven rien him count Kr alinsky a Ilus arrived at D ly reuth van torp bell believed veil him to be the one ona baraka was pursuing maraka was arrested arrest cd lit in london on the charge of stealing from briney a jew jeweler th the e ruby she had bold to bogot iett two were the uneven lady hanu ainuu d believed bellev pd that logothetis I s as socia tl alons 0 nr with faraha wro were open tu ta clon and si BOI informed margaret argaret CHAPTER vill VIII continued without further consulting marga ret who had seated boated herself before the dressing table potts potta proceeded to fasten a broad brimmed black straw hat on the thick brown hair sho she then spread an immense white veil over it drew it under her mistress chin and knotted it in a way that would have amazed a seaman when margaret was putting on her gloves mrs rushmore herself came to the door knocked and opened discreetly before there was any any anwer answer my dear ear child shw ehi abd asli fed what h in the world la Is th tho mattera matter nothing g serious I 1 trust oh nothing margaret answered going forward to meet her and finding her natural voice im sorry it if ive kept you waiting its so unlike you my dear irs ira rushmore Bush moro said with emphasis an and potts looked quite grave when she brought me your message halt half an hour ago you would have been more surprised it if she had burs bursa 1 out laughing margaret said viciously my ably dear mrs rushmore answered im astonished at you I 1 know something has happened I 1 know it you are not yourself this morning I 1 this wag was a statement so eri evidently dently absurd could not be answered answered except by a flit flat contradiction so BO margaret said nothing and went on working her hand into a perfectly new glove 1 I see that you have not even opened your letters mrs airs rushmore continued severely except that she added pot policing icing the tha loose sheets of lady mauds letter on the tha tollit toilet table margaret gathered them up tip hastily folded them into a crumpled package and thrust them into the empty envelope for once she had forgotten her caution but she retrieved herself by pushing the thick letter into tier her long glove much to tb potts distress an ugly lump she made it worse by forcing in the second envelope envelop which contained the newspaper cutting im ready now she sidd said mrs rushmore more turned and led the way with stately steps she was always imposing but when she was offended she was monumental the two went out in silence and slowly down the straight dull street side by side mrs rushmore spoke first after they had bad gone some distance 1 I know she said that gom something ething has happened it was in n that letter you cannot deny it Al margaret argaret it was in the letter you folded in that hurried manner the news was answered tho the prima donna still vicious 1 I told you so my dear child its not of the slightest use to try to de belve me ive known you since you were a child im not trying to decalve dec lve you when I 1 asked what had happened you answered nothing I 1 do not call that very verr frank do you 1 potts was there to begin explained margaret crossly but mrs afro Kush Rush moreno longer heard iler her head was up her parasol lay back upon her shoulder her faded eyes were brighter than before and the beginning of a social smile wreathed her hitherto grave lips theres mr van torp my dear she ehe said in quite finite another tone and very low and unless im much mistaken yes I 1 know knew it iles hes with count Kr gralinsky alinsky Krall I 1 saw the count from rona the window yesterday when ho he 10 arrived ved I 1 hope our friend will present him I 1 1 I daro daire say flay margaret answered in 1 differently but surveying the two men through the white mist of 0 her thick veil yes said mrs airs rushmore with delight and almost whispering in her excite dent lie has seen us and now lies hes telling the count who we are margaret was used to her excellent old friends ways on such euch occasions and gave no more heed to them than she would have given to a kitten scampering after a ball of string the kitten would certainly catch the ball in the end and mrs airs rushmore would as surely capture the lion mr van torp raised hla his hat when lie was within four or five paces of 0 the ladles ladies and his companion who was a head and shoulders taller than he be slackened his pace and stopped a little ittle way behind him as aa mrs rush flush more shook hands bands and margaret nodded pleasantly may I 1 present r t count krall asked the american ive met him before and weve just renewed our ac acquaintance 11 mr air van torp looked from mrs airs rushmore to Margaret argaret and tried to see her expression through her veil she he nn answered his look by a very slight inclination of the head we ve shall be delighted said the elder lady speaking for both enumerating thel acquaintances kra linsky was surprised at tho the number of sirs mrs Kush Rush morea mores friends but the count seemed to know everybody from all the grand dukes and arch dukes in russia germany and austria to the author of tho the latest successful play in parts paris and the man of science who had bad discovered how to cure gout liy by radium Krall Kral lusky had bad done the cure seen the play and dined with the ho royalties within the last few weeks mrs airs rushmore Ilus limore thought him one of the roost most charming men inen she had ever met in the rear mr air van torp and tho the prima donna were not talking but he looked loodea lit tier her sho she looked at him I 1 they both looked at back and then they once more looked nt fit each other and nodded which meant that van torp had bad recognized the man h had mot met selling rubles in now new york and that margaret understood this ill tell you something else quite funny it you dont mind dropping a little further behind he bo said ald margaret walked still more slowly till A dazen paces separated them from fr the other oilier two what Is it she asked in a low tone 1 I believe hes my old friend from whom I 1 learned to whistle answered the american im pretty sure of it in spite of a good many years and a beird beard two things that change a man see his walk seo see how lie he turns his toes in most cowboys like that how very odd that you should meet again I 1 Alu margaret rgaret was was surprised V V fit posit yi A L she watched him he read the printed report 1 mr van torp introduced the count to mrs rushmore and then to margaret calling her miss donne and she saw that the roan man was handsome as well as toll tall and strong ile he had a magnificent golden beard a clear complexion and rather uncertain blue eyes in one ot of which ho he wore a sin aln gle eyeglass without a string ile he was waa quietly dressed and wore no jewelry excepting one ring in which blazed a large tallow topped ruby lie ile had tho unmistakable air of a man luan ot of the world and was perfectly at his ease when he be raised hta his straw hat he disclosed a very white forehead and short thick lair fair hair there was no sign of 0 approaching middle age in his face or figure but margaret felt or guessed that he ha was older than he be looked in tier her stiffly correct french mrs airs rushmore said that she ahe was enchanted to make his acquaintance and margaret murmured sweetly but unintelligibly the count speaks english perfectly observed mr air van torp ile he ranged himself beside margaret leaving the foreigner to mrs ira rush hush more much to her gratification we were going to balk she said will you join us and site she moved on it Is a great pleasure to meet you Krall said by way of opening the conversation 1 I have often heard of you from friends in n parts your little dinners at versailles tire are famous all over europe I 1 am sure we have many mutual friends though yo you may never have heard my name mrs airs rushmore Rush moro was visibly pleased and as the way was not very wide margaret and van torp dropped be hind bladl they soon beard the other two to but not deeply interested by this new development well said van torp thoughtfully it id known I 1 was wa going to meet him somewhere id have said eald this was as likely a place as any to find him in now that I 1 know what it was he whistled but I 1 admit that the other matter has more in it I 1 wonder what would happen if 1 I 1 asked him about miss barrack nothing margaret ansi answered vered confidently fi nothing would happen he has never heard of her van corps torpa sharp eyes tried in vain to penetrate the veil not quite clear lie ha observed or else this my mv day the girl tooled fooled YOU said marga ret in a low voice did she eho mention his nanae name to you well no she sha never saw raw him in her life or if she ever did it was she who robbed him of rubles and it was not the other way as you supposed men are generally gene genc rally tally inclined to believe what a nice alce looking girl tells true van torp admitted out dut all the same I 1 dont bulte ulta understand you theres a meaning in your voice that not n 0 t in 1 n the bordi excuse mo me if im not quick enough this morn ing as please im doing my best beat your friend filand baraka has been arrested and sent to prison in london for stealing a very valuable ruby from the tha counter in 8 11 margaret arga explained the stone had just been taken there by mona alons logotheti to be cut the clr gli must have followed him without lila his knowing it and watched tier her chi chance ce though bow old can have aft aft such a thing lying on oil the counter where any ono one could take it Is almuly sible what you iou heard inn in my iny voice voica when I 1 said bald that men are aie credulous idus mr air van torp thought he had bad heard even more in tier her accent when site ahe had pronounced logothetis name ue sides fildes sh glie generally called him logo as alilia all jils s friends lid did the american said nothing for a moment but he glanced repeatedly at the white veil through which lie ha saw tier hr handsome features without their expression well he said bald at last almost to himself for ho he hardly expected tier her to understand the language of his sur prise that boats bents the bandl it really Is 19 rather odd you know responded margaret who understood perfectly if you think ive adorned the tha truth 1 ill give douthe you the police court report I 1 have it in my glove lady maud sent it to me with a letter sh she e added after an instants hesitation im not sure that I 1 shall not give you ou that to read readi too for theres therea something about you in it and she Is your befit beat friend slie she ji 14 out and out I 1 tiara dare say any smile it f I 1 told you that I 1 asked her to help mo me to get you to change your mind no Atar margaret gatet answered turning slowly to look at him she tells mo me so bo in ill this till letter does she really van torp had guessed as much and had wished to undermine the surprise lie ho supposed that margaret Mai garet had la in store for him just like her straightforward way of doing things she told me frankly that she lift a finger to influence fluence ili you however it cant bo be helped I 1 suppose the conclusion of the speech seemed to be out of the logical sequence she has dune done more than lift a finger now Al margaret argaret said lias ilas site eho offended you van torp ventured to ask firlle tor ho did not understand the constant ol of anger lie he heard lit in her voice voce 1 I know she would not mean to do that no you dont understand ive telegraphed to ask her to join ua here van torp was really surprised now and nd his faco showed it 1 I wish we were somewhere alone margaret continued 1 I mean out of is it N fook a sort of interest in that tartar girl the way of mrs afro rushmore she knows nothing about all this but she saw mo me cramming tho the letters into nay my glove and I 1 cannot possibly let her see me giving them to you oh well let me think said th the e millionaire 1 I guess I 1 want to buy some gomo photographs ot of bayreuth Day reuth and the Pa raffal characters in that shop there anero ou on the right suppose you wait outside the door so that airs rush huab more can see you it sho she turns around shell understand that im inside it if you drop your parasol towards tier her you can pet get the letters out cant you then as I 1 come out you can just pass them to me behind tho the parasol and well go eo on raws hows that it wont take one second anyhow you can make believe your gloves uncomfortable and youre fitting it it anybody you know comes out of 0 the shop will that do idere itero we w e are shall 1 I go 90 in 7 yes dont be longi ill cough when im ready the operation eucce succeeded eded and the moro more easily as mrs mra rushmore went quietly un on without turning tier her head bead being and charmed by kra linsk ys conversation you may as aa well reail read the news imper cutting now margaret said bild when they had begun to walk again that cannot attract attention oven even it if she does look round and it explains a good many things its in the thinner envelope of courso course 11 van torp fumbled in the pocket of 1 his jacket and brought out the still blip of 0 newspaper without the envelope a precaution which margaret noticed and approved site she watched him intently while lie he rend read the printed report but hla his face did not change in the least at that abort it stance distance she could see every shado of its ilia expression through the while veiling ng though lie ho could not see hers at all ile ho finished reading folded the ile slip blip carefully |