The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-01
PART ~.

tllcndfQ 1uufsloH nau SuheiNN - ~
lapse owing TO shock experienced on
the occasion of the fire at the hospital
nnd six weeks later i got few lines
from Dick himself telling me that he
was being shipped back TO Calcutta for
20 sea change.
Bani had nursed him through the Sec
ond and most serious part of his illness,
and il was impossible that Dick could
have taken anybody in his place unless
he had wanted to rejoin the regiment
Yet if il had been possible Dick would
gladly have got rid of him. He was
ashamed even To ADMIT il TO himself,
and the feeling didn't influence his
treatment of him in any way, and yet
over and over again on the long river
"trip down TO Rangoon and again on
the voyage up to Calcutta he longed for
the time to come when he might no
longer find himself confronted by
Bani's somber eyes and inscrutablc
smile. Let him hut once get ashore,
he thought TO himself, as he lay under
the awning of the poop deck on his way
mp the Bay of Bengal, and his servant
might rejoin at the depot at Lucknow
and he was conscious of n sensation OF
Increased freedom at the very thought.
The day before they reached Cal
nutta he told Bani that he felt SO much
better that he should be able to do with
Iout his help and should send him up
Ito Lucknow TO report at the depot
IBani said nothing, but the shadow that
Ipassed over his unrevealing face spoke
IEo Enthusiastically of keen disappoint-
E1nent that Dick couldn't help adding,
good "And, Bani, l mean
ITO give you this ring that was the gift
,of Agha, but first / must see man
Iwho knows the history of oil stones,
Jeven old Isaac at the bazar, to learn
what is the mystery of the stone that
Ishines."
Bani's face lighted up and then
lclouded again as he listened, but he
Ionly made low salaam as he replied:
lathe captain, Sahib, is good to his serv-
liant. MAY the blessing OF Allah rest
upon his head"
Next day they landed in Calcutta. II
was evening before the work of removal
no hotel had been accomplished, and
Dick had recovered sufficiently from
1.-THE unusual fatigue to move from the
lcouch on which he had been entreated
Ito rest by Bani when he asked leave to
Iqo into the city TO see brother. When
lie did SO, at last, however. he felt the
full force of his long-pent-up curiosity
return upon him. He would see old
Isaac, IL possible, that very night, and
learn what he could tell him of the mys-
terious Jewel Almost at the moment
Ifhe determination was formed in his
mind Bani glided with his noiseless step
into the room, and Dick fastened to
tell him what he meant to do. 1T is
late" ne said, with low salaam, sand
the Sahib captain will no longer find
Jraec at the bazar. Nevertheless, by
She blessing Of Allah, thy servant can
find his dwelling"
"You know where Isaac lives?"
"Thy servant hath learned IL but
lrow."
1t was not until IL was nearly dark
that Bani and he set out. The former
lad taken the precaution to carry his
side nrms--tbe same weapon, indeed.
with which he had made so gallant a
defense in the pagoda at Mandalay.
As Dick followed Bani through one
after another of the long, dimly-lighted
streets of the great Indian capital q
thousand vague ideas fitted through
his mird as TO the nature of the ring
and the possible explanations of its
apparently miraculous qualities. His
miad was so full of these specustions
indeed. that he hardly noticed the di'
xrction they had taken, and it was with
something Of start that he realized
at last that he must have walked some
distance, and that he was now in
part of the city which was entirely new
TO him.
"You are sure you know the way,
Ilani?" he asked, looking little sus.
,plciously around him in the darkness,
lunrelieved except by an occasional
,twinkling light shining out above the
high blank walls that usually faced the
quiet street.
AT the next corner, where even now
the light shineth, sahib, is the house
of Isaac" was the reassuring reply.
Dick cast another glance .around.
''Keep good lookout, Bani," he said,
''it Is possible that danger may conceal
itself in these shadows"
ssAs he spoke the word danger he al.
most involuntarily raised his hand,
which hung by his side. and glanced to-
wards the ring. lie stopped. There was
n strange, deep crimson light burning
ceap down in the heart OF the stone,
which even IN the drrkaess seemed to
glow like a live coal. Danger! III
looked up quickly and saw that al.
ready Bani was at least n dozen yards
in advance. At the same moment he
heard the muhied sound OF footsteps
behind him. He half turned, and as
he did so shadowy figure sprang sud-
denly out OF the darkness, and at the
same instant he felt q sharp pain in
his arm--he had been stabbed.
He seized the arm of Che dark figure,
hut at the same moment his eye made
out others hurrying up. With sudden