Show DIV A r U V DV E aumon of I aa W 45 a boy ay emoff Hm off wv C avroo roo v v SYNOPSIS baraan a tartar girl became enamored 1 it it golden golden bearded stranger who was ProPe cing unil arid studying herbs in the vicinity ef it ner her home in central asla and revealed r veale 0 to o him ill n the in locution ot of a mine ot f rubles blen hoping that the ilia stranger wall would I 1 I 1 I 1 tove her in return for or tier liar disclosure they were followed follo weil to the th cave by ill the 0 carls relatives who blocked up the tha pa entrance and drew ott oft the hie supply leaving tho the couple to ille dle cousin saad baad hr her betrothed attempted to climb down a cliff overlooking the mine but the trav traveler e ler shot hiter the stranger stran gei was waa revived from a water gourd snail saad carried dug liti lil way out ot of tle the tunnel and ise parted deserting derting the girl and carrying i bag ot of rubies luli lra liar euraka a ka path eroil all the ferns 9 e ms she could carry an and ra blurted therl in pur alt lit 3 fmargaret MurK iret donne donna margarita dit da C cordova ord ov a a famous prima donna became fi in london to lo 10 an fn otheto FL wealthy greek financier tier her t I 1 m ate friend was countess Coun tesa leven k known n 0 wn as lady maud whose husband bad been killed by a bomb in st celers burg and liady lady mauds anost intimate Int linato friend was loutus etutus van torp a an amerl tan can who h had d become one ot of the richest men in the world van torp was wag in I 1 love ov with margaret and rushed to london landon as soon oon as lie he h headd rd of tier her betrothal lie ile offer offered c id laag lady tor for her pet chailey charty if B she e would aid film lilan in winning the blirer from ap p d logotheti at versailles with rustem to bell al ile ho presented a ruby to margaret van torp boils lit a i yacht and sent ent it t to venice ile he wits win visited by haraka in male attire she sli gave him a 0 ruby r uby after the ilia american Amerl tan had told tier her ol 01 0 I 1 I 1 having vin g seen geen in the united slated a man in all anaw e ring the description of the one she loved the american Ameil can follo followed foliated wed margaret Maritn rel to th the Day routh Par sital festival mar karet took a liking to van torp wilo who pre si dented tier her with mth the ruby baraka had given jilin him count Krall a flussman Hin flus Blan arrived nt at lia y reuth van to torp r p believed him film to be tho the one baraka Hii riika wa was pursuing was waa ar arrested restel in edoil on oil tile the charge of 0 stealing from rom plane a jeweler e w tho the ruby she hall had sold bold t to 0 L d e ti two strangers were the ti thieves lioves lady maud believed that associations with baraka were open to ausiel su pl plon vo 0 n and a ad so BO informed Mai margaret garet van toil be believed le ved that Kr Krall alinsky was mas the co cowboy w 0 y h ho had known in fils hl young manhood secured Da darakes release and then wah ill ler her ss as ills his kut ku t went w nt to sea hea on its his yacht erinna explains her delans plans tor for on oil the man who wh a had h deserted lic lur r slid and loft left her to dle die Logo thed succeeds L ds in moderating her rage lady maud arrived in reuth cou t margaret and van torp entered entres into an agreement to build a tremendous dus opera house annew in new york the ahlet thief who tole stole the ruby from mr pinney was arrested in new york and the stone atone recovered lady maud confided to van tarp that she bell believed eved Kr gralinsky alinsky to be ba the lie 1 husband she had believed de dead d van T torp 0 rp promised his help to anra unravel alvel the mystery CHAPTER XIII Continued neither margaret nor mrs hush more had ever seen leven and they had not the least idea of what was really going on under their eyes th they ey only saw that lady maud was making a dead set act at the count and if margaret wondered whether she had misjudged her fr friends Jends character the elder lady had bad no doubt via as to what was wag happening my dear child she sha sail said to margaret your friend Is going to console herself widows of that age generally do my dear I 1 myself could never understand how ono one could marr marry y again I 1 should always feel that dear mr was in the room it quite makes me blush to think of itt it yet it is an undeniable fact that many young widows marry again mark my words margaret your friend is going to console herself before long if it Is not this one it will be another my dear I 1 am quite positive about it when the sun went down that everi evening the yacht had passed otranto and the cape and her course had been changed to head bead her for cape sparel vento and the straits of messina having done in 24 hours ns as much its as tho the little italian mall mail steamers mcra do in 48 and nearly halt as aa much again as the erinna could have lone done at her highest speed As mr van torp hall had predicted his engines had war nied up and were beating their own record the gale made by the vessels way wits was stronger than a woman could stand egand in with any regard to liar her appearance pe arance but as the weather continued to be calm it was front from dead ahead and there was waa plenty of shelter on the promenade dock deck abaft the wheelhouse on condition of not going too near the alie rail after dinner Kral lusky and mrs airs rushmore walked a little as on the previous evening and lady maud sat with margaret and van torp but before the two walkers went off to sit down in the quiet corner they had biad found yesterday lady maud rose went halt half way aft arid and deliberately placed v herself where they were obliged to pass close to tier her at each turn standing and leaning against the bright white side of the file engine skylight which was wag as high its as the wheelhouse itself and broke broka in aft where the big ventilating fans were situated making a square corner laward inward she stood there and as it was not very dark in fit the clear starlight kra linsky saw in passing that she followed ills his face with her eyes turning her ber head to tool look at him when lie he was coming towards her and turning it very slowly back again as he came near and went by it was impossible to convey nore more clearly an all invitation to get rid of his companion and join her and lie he was the last man in the world to misunderstand it t but mrs rushmore saw it too and ea as she considered him a lion and therefore entitled to have ills hla own way ay she made it easy for him my lly dear count she said blandly liter pasi pasal big ng lady maud mand talce 1 I have really had enough now flow and it if you will viii promise pro salse to tn finish your walk r roti inne I 1 think aln it I 1 will go agn sit with t to ile ho left her with margaret and van torp and went back to I lady ildy maud who moved as ho he camo came up to her made two steps beside him and then than suddenly slipped into the recess where the joined jellied the engine skylight site sho stood still find and he instantly a ranged himself beside her they were quite out 0 of flight bight ot of the others liters a and 0 of tho trobridge bridge and even it it had been daylight they could not have been seen except by some one coming coining from aft 1 I want to speak to you she said in a low steady voice please listen quite quietly for some of 0 them may begin to walk again Kr Krall alinsky bent his head twice and then inclined it towards her to hear bear better what site ehe was waa going to say it has pleased you to keep up this comedy for 24 hours bourn she began ile ho made a slight movement which was natural under the circumstances 1 I do not understand he said bald in ills his oily voice what comedy I 1 really have nop no P dont go on she answered interrupting win him sharply ply listen to what I 1 am going to tell you and then decide what you will do I 1 dont think your deeth lon will make very much difference to me but it will make a difference to the world and to yourself I 1 saw you from a window when you brought mr van torp to the hotel in bayreuth Hay reuth and I 1 recognized you at once since this afternoon 1 I have no doubt left 1 I never saw you till last night sal said d Krall with some little surprise in ills his tone and with perfect assurance su rance do you really think you can deceive m me a any longer she asked 1 I told you this afternoon that it if you could come back from the dead and know the truth we should probably forgive each other though we had bad many differences shall we she paused a moment and by his quick change of position she saw that he was much moved 1 I dont mean that we should ever go back to the old life for we were not suited to each other front from the first you and 1 I you yon wanted to marry me because I 1 was pretty and smart and I 1 married you because I 1 wanted to be married and you were better looking than most men and seemed to have what I 1 thought was nece necessary fo fortune r t tine and a decent position no dont interrupt roe me we soon found out that we did not care tor for each other you went your way and I 1 went mine I 1 dont mean to reproach rp you for when I 1 say you were beginning to be tired of 0 me I 1 did nothing to keep you I 1 myself was tired of it already dut but whatever you may havo have thought I 1 was a faithful wife mr van torp had given me it a great deal of money for my mr charity and does still I 1 can account for it I 1 never used a penny of it tor for irlyn myself elf and never shall and lie he never was wai an and never will be any more than a trusted friend I 1 dont know wily why you chose to disappear when the man who had your pocketbook was killed and you were said to bo dead its not my business and if you choose to go on oil living under another natile name now that you are rich again I 1 shall not betray you and few people will recognize you at least in england Hn gland so long as you wear that beard but you had it when we were married and I 1 knew you at once anil and when I 1 heard you were to bu be of the pirty party here I 1 made up my mind at baco that I 1 would accept the invitation and come too and speak to you as im speaking now when I 1 believed you were dead I 1 forgave you everything though I 1 was glad you were botio frankly I 1 did not wish you alive again but since you are god forbid that I 1 should wish you dead you owe me two things in ex change for my forgiveness first yours youra it if I 1 treated you ungenerously or unkindly and secondly you ought to take back every word you ever said to me about mr van torp for there was wan not a shadow of truth in what you thought will you do that I 1 as ask k nothing else hid etil I 1 will my dear maud said count Kr alinsky in a voice full of emotion lady maud drew a long breath that trembled tiem bled a little as it left her heated lips again she had done what she believed most firmly to be right and it had not been easy she had not been surprised by hla film pati patient blit silence while she had been talking tor for she had fell that it was here hera to speak and his to listen thank you she paid said now 1 I shall never go back to what I 1 have said and neither of us ua need ever allude to old times again during this trip it will not last long for I 1 shall probably go home by land from the first port wo we touch and it Is not likely that we shall ever meet again if we do I 1 shall behave as if you were count Krall Kral frisky whom I 1 hive hare met abroad neither more nor less 1 I suppose you will have conscience enough not to marry perhaps if I 1 thought another womans comans happiness depended on it I 1 would consent to divorce you but you shall never divorce me no power could make me wish to Kr alinsky answered still till deeply moved 1 I was mad in those days dayo maud I 1 was beside myself between my Y debts and my with women not at to touch your shoes ive seen it nil all since once that la Is the chief reason wily why I 1 chose to disappear from society when I 1 had tho the chance and become some one elso I 1 swear to lo you on my mothers soul in heaven that I 1 thought of nothing but that to met bet you free and begin life over again as another man no thought ot of marrying has haa ever crossed my mindl do you think I 1 could ha be ns as bad as that but im not defending myself how could 17 kit all the right la Is on your side and all the wrong on mine and now I 1 would give heaven and earth to undo it all and to come back to youl you lady maud drew as far as she could into the corner where the joined the engine skylight she had not expected this it was too much repentance pen tance it was too like a real attempt to win her again lie ile had not aden ee en her for more than three months she know knew she was waa very beautiful hla his fleeting passion bad come to life again as he had but her old repulsion tor for him was ten times stronger than when they had parted and she shrank back ns as tar far its BB she could without speaking from tar far below the noiseless engines sent bent a quick vibration up to the ironwork ot of the skylight she felt it but could hardly tell it from the beatings of her own heart lie ile saw her shrinking from him and was wise 4 L a then suddenly slipped into the recess re cea dont be afraid of mol met he cried in alow a low and pleading tone wilnot not t that bat oil please not that I 1 will not net come nearer I 1 will not put out my y hand to touch yours I 1 swear it to rn you but I 1 love you as I 1 never lov loved e d you before I 1 never knew how beautiful you were till I 1 had lost you and now that I 1 have found you again you are a thousand times time alore beautiful than in ra my y dreams no I 1 ask not nothing hingl I 1 have no right to ask for what I 1 have thrown away you do not even pity me I 1 think why should you you were free when you thought me dead and I 1 have come coma back to be a burden and a weight on oil your life forgive me forgive me my lost darling for the sake of 0 all that might have been but dont fear inel me pity me it if you can but dont be afraid of roe me say bay that you pity me a little and I 1 shall be satisfied and grateful tool too lady maud was silent for a few seconda while lie ho stood turned towards liar her his hands clasped in a dramatic gesture as aa it if still imploring her commiseration mise ralser ration atlon 1 I do pity you she said at last quite steadily tor for just then she did not fear that ho be would try to touch even her hand 1 I pity you it if you are r really c a ily in love with me again I 1 pity you mora inore it this Is a passing thing that has taken hold of you merely because you still think me handsome dut but I 1 will never take you back to be my husband again never that la Is finished for good and all ali ah maud listen to ma dut but site ehe bad already slipped out of the corner and wash was walli walking log slowly away front from him not towards the others but aft so that he might join her quietly before going back to them lie ile was a man of the world and under stood her and did what was expected of him almost as soon as aa he be was beside her she turned to go forward with her leisurely careless grace weve been standing a long time she said ald as aa it the conversation had been about tho the weather 1 I want to sit bit down 1 I am lu in earnest he ha said very low so am V I 1 answered lady maud they went on towards the wheel wheat house housa side bide by side without hasto haste and not very near together like two ordinary acquaintances CHAPTER XIV while the lancashire laos was waa racing down to the straits of messina the erinna was wa heading for the same point from tho the opposite direction no longer dawdling along at half speed but going her full IG 16 knots after coaling at naples and any navigator who knew tho the positions and respective a etive speeds of the two |