Charlevoix county herald., 1910-03-12

flute player"
Hail" exclaimed the diminutive of1-
cial. MAY be the flute boy Is thief!
But Thomassin shook his head.
81 had the ring after / gave him
the money and walked away. What
DO you call him? Paulet Sahip VIII
get to the bottom of this affair" He
strobe toward the big pink hotel in
rage, followed by the policeman, II pos
sible. more deferential than before at
the name of "Paulet Sahib."
The gossiping groups melted away
the yelled woman lifted the cooling
baby to her hip and shuffled out OF
sight; a caravan from the south nile0
UP the gate, and the new interest IL
created drove the thought OF the MAD
English sahib from the minds or the
loungers in the bazaar.
But on the cool veranda or the
Queens Hotel an angry young Her.
cules with flashing blue eyes and close
cropped fair hair, and a very small
and tawny policeman with many gilt
buttons and yards of braid on his
otherwise shabby blue uniform, were
interrupting each other in vain en-
deavors to pour a clear and consecu-
tive story into the ears OF "Paulet
Sahib"
"You say that the ring was still on
your finger after the boy had gomez"
asked the quiet voice, stilling the
confusion.
yes" averred Thomassin. 1T was
so tight that / could scarcely endure
the pressure. l couldn't be mistaken
about that, you know"
"And the mantle one with the
green turban. Did you see him lean
ing against the wall, Abdallah?'
1t straightway appeared that Thorn
ASSN alone had paid any attention to
the man.
"Then find the boy, son of bat,
commanded Paulet IF he is not in
the Jail by sunset, there shall be fines
and cutting off Of gilded buttons. Give
word to Mira Achmet, for he must
know that a willy thief is in Sur
| ajpore.'
Abdallah, bowling to the earth, hast
ened out, almost colliding with stout
little man in pith helmet, who was
talking vehemently to Hira Singh.
"'Twasn't the value of the thing, /
tell you. 1t was the association
Why, it belonged to my great grand
father, Sir Anthony Garth, Vice-Ad-
miral of the Red. l never allowed 1t
to leave my finger"
whats up, Garth?" asked Paulet,
as he and Thomassin looked around
in surprise.
1--WE lost my ring. That big yellow
diamond I was showing YOU" Thorn
ASSN caught his breath, but Paulet
laid an imperative hand on his arm.
"How did it happen?" he asked.
"Why. it was right outside here.
stopped to listen to a street musician
and when / tossed him shilling
noticed that my hand had smear OF
fresh paint on it. went into shop
and the man gave me a cloth to wipe
IL on. And" he paused and gulped
~ don't know where the ring went
but go it did. What's more" work
ing himself up into a rubicund pas
sion, "the lazy beggars around swore
that / hadn't gone into any shop
That there hadn't ever been a sigl
of a shop near there. And there
wasn't a sign of paint on my hand
either!"
It was a year later. Paulet, worr
with work in the famine district, hat
been given three months leave. There
was nothing to take him to England
so he left the steamer at Naples ant
travelled slowly northward-he ant
his friend.
At last the two-the wiry, quiet Off
Ger and his tall, dark companion
saw the miracle of Italian spring OIL
the banks of the Arno, and reste'
from wandering.
One day they were exploring nal
row street in the Oldest quarter OF tn
city. Paulet pointing out the quain
carvings on the dark, overhangin
walls to Hira Singh, when strait
: of music. oddly familiar, trembled Il
the air. The face of the hill ma
= lighted up.
THAT is home sound, Paulet Sahit
:. !, Who in this land can play the chan
!, of the snake-charmer?"
. Paulet, catching his arm, drew hill
, forward in pursuit. A moment late
they came out into a little lonei
. square. with moss-covered fountai
;. in the center. Here half dozen chi
- dren were gathered about BIO.
- whose tattered garments were of
:, fashion that filled them with wonde
- He was playing mournfully, slowl.
- But Hira Singh drew back.
~ Look, sahib! The ivory f1ute!"
Paulet considered silently, the
=, raised his head.
= "See here, Hira Singh. Will you &
= exactly as I say? Well bag this pa
N of rascals."
az am the sahib's man." was I'll
firm reply, as a look of devotion
lt | he ri