Charlevoix county herald., 1910-03-12
Copyrighted by Short Stories Co., LTD

Ach sct's inner court, Thomassin !
PASSED out to meet the glare and COM
motion of the bazaar. For breath
of time he paused in the shadow, let
ting his eyes become accustomed to
the brightness.
Everywhere was vivid, swirlinS
color. Sight was dazZled by the CON
slant sway of the crowd-the ever
varying succession of blue, red. IN
tense green, saffron shot with silver.
Paulet and Hira Singh had returned
direct TO tn hotel, but Philip Thorn
assia, allured by that which was TO
thaD the veriest commonplace, saun-
TEN serenely through the bazaar, to-
ward the wider space within the open
city gate.
i. AS he stood there, little aside from
,bhe stream of traffic, new sound
I broke on his ears. Turning. he saw,
in an open space before the low shops,
two figures, until now unnoticed. One
was boy, dark and impassive OF
expression, his clothes tattered and
faded.
Thomassin went closer to see. The
liS6rc notes rose and fell, first loud
al cheerful then slower, more soft,
slim, .ng almost imperceptibly into the
,noHotonous chant of the snaLe-charm-
ers. The flute-unlike any that he
had ever happened to notice-was OF
ivory, with row of turquoises set IN
a band of gold that twisted entirely
around it from one end to the other.
While he looked at it curiously, stand
ing i'm the full blaze Of the sunlight,
something--a faint flash as OF mirror
drew his attention to the second fig
ure. In a low, arched doorway stood
tall man. wrapped in dull gray
cloak. On his head was a green tur-
han. with furnished golden fringe
hanging about it. His eyes, deep-set
and compelling, sought those or the
young Englishman.
The music ceased with low wall;
the player held out his hand, its thin
fingers curved in appeal. Thomassin,
half needing the whisper of "Sahib.
sahib." from the lad, yet unable to
draw his attention from the man in
the gray cloak, dropped small coin
into the waiting palm. and walked
across to the shop, stepping aside to
Avoid falling over a sprawling brown
Nv. whose mother had set 1t down
IKle she bargained for a handful OF
gN ,sy swcetmeats, paying down their
NICE with feigned reluctance.
The ring on his finger-the finest
seal in Mira Achmet's collection
was too tight. 1t made his hand throb
and burn. The shop was that OF a
working goldsmith. When he reached
il. the man in gray was sitting inside
twisting some gold wire into brace
let like those worn by the women OF
the district.
1.-THE sahib's ring is too small?" he
asked, in a low, rather dull voice
Thomassin nodded, holding out his
sun-burned hand. The jeweller tool
up little guage.
at should be stretched two size!
larger. Will the sahib be seated
while make it right for him. Agar
Thomassin assented, this time almos
YEARLY. He dropped down on thu
waiting pile of cushions with sens
OF TelleI. Hc pIdSC was SO iuiS'
Only q single ray Of sunshine through
q crevice in the roof, falling athwar
his hand and glinting on the handsom
sapphire that Paulet had pronounce
fawless. And Mark Paulet knew. Ha
Ne not lived for nine years in Sura.
More. learning to know the peopl
around him, taught by Hira Singh
more comrade than retainer?
sudden glare in his eyes brough
him to his feet with start. The nc
sun shone on him as he stood there /
the omen space before the Lahore gat'
The fiute-player was gone. The make
baby still sprawled at his feet; il
mother was still counting out the fe'
coins from her scanty store. Wher
gwere the ieweller and his shop?
Thomassin could not repress q CT
of amazement, and all faces turne
toward him. A little nut-colored p
liceman deliberately uniformed--ra
up.
HAS the sahib lost something?"
manfred with Difference, having see
Thomassin in the company of MAJ
Paulet.
my seal ring" gasped Thomassi
at went into the gold smiths sho
over there" but the wizened fa'
expressed only polite incredulity.
where, sahib? This is not Il
Jewellers quarter. No goldsmith HI
mis- shop between the Lahore gate al
the house of Mira Achmet, the jew
merchant. Moreover, the sahib HI
been standing quite still-perfectlee
and not moving"
Thomassin's temper rose in su
den gust. He had been tricked
some manner, and the swindler,
league with these people, was esca
ing. while he was delayed by them.
II tell you I went into shop-ov
there" (pointing toward the unev