Show EA AM T am RON BY TALBOT MUNDY 0 0 0 MUNDY SERVICE I 1 SYNOPSIS captain carl norwood has been sent from b his native england to the kadur river district la in india along alone with his indispensable manservant moses oleary soldier ot of fortune No lob job Is to survey the district to determine whether a valuable secret diamond mine belongs to the temple priests or r to the ruler the maharajah Mah arajah of kadur norwood calls on the british residency to pay his ingual respects on his way he catches a glimpse ot of two women in a palace carriage one of whom Is young and I 1 ful the other woman lie he knows to be the ot of kadur oleary later tells win him that the young woman is an american girl named lynn harding Hard lne who with her aunt mrs deborah harding Is a guest at the palace on a sightseeing tour mrs harding sprains an ankle and sends to the palace for or aid prince I 1 Rund hla hia handsome handsom e spoiled nephew ot of the rulers comes to her rescue CHAPTER ill III continued 3 lynn harding had been becoming troublesome the skillful tyranny of aunts moneyed fostering had forced lynn to postpone the natural rebellion of youth to an age at which some girls are steadying down lynns rebellion had ha hardly idly more than begun aged twenty two she had been denied the democratic grace of college education aunty aulty who held the purse strings knew that colleges corrupt and what aunty aulty knew was so no one could change aunts opinions lynn tried to change aunty aulty but she had learned to be strategic and even diplomatic she had assented without enthusiasm to become engaged to a decadent but there aunts first reverse had caught her completely off guard an immovable will and an irresistible explosive met lynn blew up she merely break the engagement she smashed it she scattered I 1 its splintered fragments recklessly so aunty aulty beat a strategic retreat she decided on a world tour it had been fairly successful barring occasional incidents on shipboard and in hotels the almost incredibly beautiful lynn had received enough attention from or at any rate uncertified strangers to keep aunty aulty on the war path the british officers in india had given aunty aulty plenty to worry about so the invitation from the mahal ranee of kadur had come like a godsend it gave lynn a romantic outlet for enthusiasm in impeccably respectable surroundings where there were no undesirable men to ruin aunts dream of a correct and socially influential marriage so this prince was wa a he had been absent when the hardings arrived frequently mentioned but not expected to return for several weeks from what was spoken of as a vacation aunty aulty had had a good look at him in the full glare of the headlights of the rolls royce he was a worse shock than the undignified bruise and the twisted ankle he resembled one of those young argentine plutocrats who used to corrupt paris until the price of beef and wheat reduced them to the level of common mortals A splendid figure of a man perfectly tailored manners that only money can buy and cynicism support beautiful eyes without a trace of effern effeminacy inaCy and not yet betraying signs of having lived too furio furiously su an all conquering male heir to a throne as old as En glands with astonishing strength he lifted aunty aulty from the earth and placed her on the soft sprigged cushions that made her sigh with physical relief and mental horror aunty aulty knew she was up against it the prince drove her with skill he avoided bumps he damned the guard at the palace front gate with the voice of a cultured gentleman and a vocabulary that aunty aulty instinctively knew was scurrilous at the arched entrance to the guesthouse patio he lifted her out he caused servants to come like firemen to a burning house he sent immediately for his private bengali doctor a member of his own household competent mrs harding I 1 assure you discreet I 1 guarantee almost simultaneously with the arrival of the bengali doctor who looked devilishly discreet and more afraid of aunty aulty than if she were the devils own widow the maha manees carriage drew up with its horses noses snorting on top of the rolls royce out got lynn too full of excitement and alarm and fun and sympathy to remember she should veil her face she could hear her aunt through the open guesthouse window lynn came running into the glare of Rund hias headlights who are you what is wrong with aunty aulty your aunt has hurt herself my physician and some women are exploring tor for broken bones I 1 believe it is nothing serious aunty aulty it was obvious thought otherwise she lilting liking the doctor she was calling him a fool and she could make the word sound like a description of a flunkey flankey caught stealing the Maha renee had to be ceremonially moni ally helped out of the carriage she too had heard aunts yells she was overflowing with eagerness eagerness to overwhelm an injured gu guest with kindness but she run as fast as lynn and then stood in the way smiling careful notto embarrass lynn with gallantry nothing he said in english to the A twisted ankle A bruise A little badly shaken I 1 believe my doctor is attending to her wont you introduce me to the goddess goddes the purred she unveiled her face she put her arm around her lynn darling this is my nephew prince Rund hia he is a bad boy but I 1 do hope you will me like each other Rund hia this is miss lynn harding who is teaching me how americans do things and I 1 am having baving such fun pretending she is one of us I 1 wish she were oh how I 1 wish it presently when the doctor came out eyed him in the lamplight with a stare that made the bengali flinch he did his best to look like a confidential dignified retainer but it work aunty aulty had broken his dignity and his fear of the prince had no covering left he almost stammered nothing broken tape iodine bandages she will soon recover he made a sudden nervous effort to regain the feeling of being important and on the inside of events have you heard that captain norwood of the royal engineers has L 45 aft ft wonderful but no that wont dop do arrived he is in camp outside the city looked startled the doctor continued he has with him an eurasian named moses oleary who they say already is poking his ugly nose int into what is none of his business lynn harding stood examining the rolls royce she was quite used to luxury but even hollywood owned nothing like that thing its gadgets and gold plated adornments were a sufficiently good excuse for gi giving vang aunts temper time to cool off so she lingered letting the go alone into the guesthouse aloneness of course included three servants but a is lucky who endures only six eyes to watch what she does and six ears to hear what she says lynn could riot not hear what prince was saying to the doctor but he be was doing all the talking and she felt fairly sure that he was talking about her he strode toward towa rd her loo looking kinc as deadly self assured as mephistopheles lynn fell on guard you win said Rund hia win what whatever you came for 1 I came for a good time uh uh been having it yes your aunt has been conducting me into indian mysteries we have none said Rund hia we are an open book we are three hundred and fifty million people every single one of whom carries his heart on his sleeve you are the mystery have you a heart where is it lynn laughed Is that any of your business of course its my business 4 1 why because you are the most be beautiful auti mystery I 1 have ever seen every mystery is an invitation to find the right key oh are you a detective you bet I 1 am ive detected your cruelty you intend to keep me guessing I 1 cant endure it lynn laughed again should I 1 pity you no pity and compassion are the twin curses of india were so compassionate to one another that we hate one another for not being even more miserable th than an we are so as to be able to mop up greater floods of useless pity so youre an iron man no nor a jellyfish I 1 have a leathery disposition due to talents that have dried from lack of use I 1 oh are you lazy no iron has entered catered into me its like a spur that dug too deep and keeps on working inward it irritates abundant energy that has no outlet add boredom to that and what have you it sounds like an explosive mixture arent you afraid you may blow upa up 1 I 1 believe youre sorry for yourself sorrow is not in me he retorted ed 1 I dont know the emotion not even when you make mistakes 1 I never make them A mistake is what a fool does to an opportunity AU all that I 1 have lacked until nevii now is a real opportunity mrs hardings voice came through ough the guesthouse window sharply impatient lynn lynn where are you all right aunty aulty im coming experienced tyranny knows countless ways of compelling submission aunty aulty groaned on a sumptuous bed no dont let me trouble you dont let me be a pui mi sance I 1 am sure that the cares bf a palace must be more than enough you must try to forget my existence lynn can look after me lynns eyes met the Mahar anees deep unto deep the looked rather like a new york east side jewess who has risen through the ruck of immigration to the ranks of affluence and prestige full bos omed matronly kind but aware that the world is full of pitfalls aware that the world needs kindness but can misinterpret and cruelly resent good intentions she had the genius gentleness iron she had also a will that no deborah harding could bully to obedience lynn undid a necklace from the palace heirlooms heir looms and handed it to the she began to remove a bracelet but the complicated fastening prevented she held 0 out ut her wrist 9 please I 1 must get into some clothes that aunty aulty thinks respectable and stay with her the mild plump countered with surprising firmness darling we will expect you to dinner yes I 1 will take the jewelry because it must be returned to the keeper of the jewels I 1 will choose two women from my own attendants who shall take care of mrs harding she almost flounced out giving aunty aulty no time to reply there was silence until the drumbeat drum beat of the horses hooves died away along the drive in the direction of the palace then aunty aulty spoke this comes of making social concessions ces I 1 never heard of such audacity did you hear her speak to me as if I 1 were a servant or a charity patient go and take off that hil immodest modest costume it suggests a fancy dress ball in a bad house aulty aunty the doctor has promised to return with something to relieve the pain so that you will get some sleep sleep while you are doing what in the palace do you think I 1 am deaf blind do you think I 1 have forgotten your flirting on board ship and in hotels until I 1 blushed for you ou I 1 heard you through the window talking to prince Rund hia aulty aunty I 1 think I 1 hate you it makes me feel mean and ungrateful 1 I would so much rather love 01 you 1 I have left off hoping to be loved said aunty aulty 1 I demand your respect that may teach you to respect yourself and so merit the respect of your equals love gratitude illusions Illusion sl I 1 have learned that lynn went and changed into black silk chinese pajamas they would remind aunty aulty of that fancy dress ball on board ship when the penniless son of a planter had made the pace so hot that aunty aulty nearly had fits lynn stared at her own reflection in the mirror not quite liking it she smiled at herself just to see what the smile would look like the cretu returned tried from the palace excited fawned on by four women two meek men servants followed her with baskets ot of provisions lyndi ran to greet her the almost squealed at the sight of lynn in black pajamas with her golden hair massed in becoming contrast wonderful Wonder full but no that wont dol yes it will yes it hilll I 1 forget I 1 am so excited I 1 forget 1 we are to have an informal supper party at the palace instead of dinner truly truly unconventional modern a pic picnic niel oh my god said aunty aulty but the could be as deaf as fate when it pleased her to be she continued almost breathless his highness my husband she always spoke of the maharajah Mah arajah as his highness my husband has heard that captain norwood is in kadur captain norwood is a royal engineer he is said to be a man of great attainments his highness my husband is very eager to be pleasant to him engineer said aunty aulty yes he is to make a survey of the kadur river it would not be etiquette to notice him until after he makes his formal call which he should do tomorrow however I 1 persuaded his highness my husband who is a very conventional man but now and then he listens to me she turned to aunty aulty we are so so sorry mrs harding that you cant be with us 1 I will spare you that regret she answered 1 I will be there you have a rickshaw your women can help me to dress I 1 dont doubt lynn and I 1 will be leaving as soon as I 1 am fit to travel A last supper in your palace will be something to remember oh how gracious of you said the but are you quite sure the bengali doctor appeared cautious with a bedside confidential air that did not however prevent the from instinctively veiling her face mrs harding I 1 have a little pellet for you just one little pellet prepared specially thank you I 1 dont take pellets the doctor hesitated the spoke through her veil mrs harding is coming to supper at the palace oh said the doctor well perhaps she will take the medicine at supper shall I 1 send it by a servant she should take it with v i t h a little piece of bread or with a glass of water thank you you trouble said mrs harding 1 I need no medicine come lynn the could hardly wait while lynn looked for a wrap so long aunty aulty see you later does she never consult an astrologer the asked lynn laughed she did once and only once but you you believe in them 1 I think the answer is no I 1 know so little about them practically ally nothing but arent they charlatans ive been told that they are oh many of them are the admitted there are charlatans in all professions we have a very good court astrologer I 1 will order him to cast your horoscope in fact I 1 have already consulted him about it what fun but please do keep it secret from aunty aulty she would have conniption fits TO BE CONTINUED |