Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-08-17

"Have you forgotten the night 70,
passed in the ruins Of the temple OF
the Mountain Beomah?''
| Certainly not"
"You remember your dream?"
/ George could not repress an exclama
tion of establishment.
| II remember it, he answered.
| "And how does this memory impress!
you?"
| My heart beats with exaltation."
eff one should offer you this dream
again?"
'Who could make me such an offer?'
81, perhaps" answered the un
known. "Would you accept?"
with joy, intoxication, delirium! Il
is the dearest of my wishes!"
"Well, it remains but with you wheth
er this wish shall Fulfilled"
"When?"
t'To-night"
"And I-what must do?"
"You belong to the privileged class
known in England as gentlemen?"
eyes"
"Give me, then, your word as gen
tleman to accept all the conditions
which may be imposed
Before binding myself with an oath
have the right and the wish to know
these conditions"
"Agreed! First, you must allow your
eyes to be tightly bandaged."
"But suppose this is a trap?"
"You have nothing to fear. That
your life is not at stake is proved by
the fact that a moment ago 1 could
have struck you dead at my feet with
a blow of a knife from behind"
cit is true" murmured the young
Englishman to himself. 'This path
fills all an assassin's wish"
Then, aloud:
81 agree to the bandaged eyes"
"You will make no attempt to lift
the bandage? and you will seek, nei
Their tomorrow nor ever, to find the
way through which you will be led?''
"Agreed"'
"You will respect the velvet mask OF
her who wishes to remain to you un'
known?"
"What! still the mask?" he cried, il,
disappointment.
always"
ut is very hard. but if it is an abso-
lutte requirement, swear to respect it,
"There remains yet another condi-
tion-that no one in the world, neither
your father, your brother nor your ser
want, shall know of this adventure"
81 engage that they shall not.''
"If," continued the unknown, "your
absence during the night is discovered,
you will invent some pretext to explain
it?"
81 promise all.''
"You swear it, on the honor of a gen.
tleman?"
81 swear it."
cit is we'll. Conner
"Already? This instant?'
"You hesitate?"
"No, do mot hesitate: but my faith
er, knowing I have gone out, will be
uneasy if do not return
eco. then. Say goodnight to your
father. Pretend to retire to your room,
and rejoin me here"
Il will be with you in fifteen min
utes."
$50, then. T waltz
A half-hour later the two men, hay
ing walked for twenty minutes in alb
solute silence. stopped beside two
horses tethered together.
''The hour has come" said the guide.
''Bend your head"
George obeyed. He felt silk hand
kerchief bound about his eyes, con-
demning him to momentary but abso-
lutte blindness.
"Ycur horse can run with the swift
ness of the wind or the shooting star.
Lift your left hand and take the rein.
1 will show you the stirup."
81 am in saddle" called George,
springing, unassisted, to his horse with
the easy skill of an accomplished rider.
The man mounted the second steed,
and, making a cultural exclamation,
the noble beasts darted forward. or,
rather, seemed to fly, for their gallop
devouring space, scarcely permitted
their hoofs to touch the ground. Sir
George could determine neither time
nor distance when the horses stopped.
"Alight!' said his guide. GIVE me
your hand. 1 will lead YOU
Obeying, he felt a sand soft as a vel
vet carpet beneath his feet; the deli
cious odor eXhaled from flowers at
night filled the atmosphere. He heard
the sweet, monotonous murmur of fall
ing waters. Evidently, he was in the
midst of sumptuous gardens, belonging
to some palace.
Silently they crossed several apart
ments. and then the unknown released
Malcolm's hand from his strong clasp
"When you shall have counted TWEEN
I, n n ,p,f3l