Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-11-02
Be
BELL ~ "
HyLOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
AUTHOR OF 1.-THE BRASS BOWL" ETC. M
ILLUSTRATIONS WNM WNgI5NS
ILLUSTRATIONS BY NGW WNuI5NS

ni1y brilliant in the void OF the pale,
moonlit armament, a light had blazed
out; a vivid emerald light, winking
and stabbing the darkness with shafts
Of seemingly supernatural radiance.
And thy ring. lord-look! The
Token!"
The great emerald seemed to have
caught and be answering the light
Naraini called the eye; in the stones
depths an Internal fire leaped n
died and leaped again, now luridiy
blazing. now ftfully a-quiver as
though about to vanish, again strong
and steady; even as the light OF the
strange emerald star above the noun
tains ebbed and flowed through the
night.
Naraini shuddered and cried out
guardedly for very fear. by Indur,
it Is even as the Voice foretold! Nay,
heaven-born"-she caught his sleeve
and forcibly pulled down his hand
tempt not the unseen further. And
put away this Token, lest q more terri
Bile thing befall US. There be myster-
les that even we of the initiate may
not comprehend. my lord. It ID moi
well to NEEDLE with the unknown"
The ring was off his finger now and
the woman was examining 1t into his
coat pocket with tremulous hands.
And where the eye had shown, the sky
was blank. They stood In darkness,
Amber mute in p~erplexity, Naraini
| clinging to his arm and shaking like q
reed In the wind.
Now am l frightened, lord Of my
heart! Lead me back to the garden,
for I am but a woman and afraid
Who am I, Naraini, to see the eye?
What am !, a weak woman, to tres
pass upon the mysteries? I am very
much afraid. Do thou take me hence
and comfort me, my king" She drew
his arm about her waist, firm, round,
and slender, and held it So. her body
yielding subtly to his, her head droop
ing YEARLY upon his shoulder.
They moved slowly from the turret
and back along the lighted walks Of
the garden, the woman apparently con
tent, Amber preoccupied-to tell the
truth, more troubled than he would
have been willing to confess.
See now how thou art altogether
controverted, Lalji!" she cried joyful
ly. mo longer canst thou persist thai
thou art other than thy true self, the
lord of Naraini's heart, the king re
turned to his kingdom. . Fol
who would dare to give the lie to the
Eyer Indeed" she continued with
low, signing laugh, Il myself had be
gun to doubt, my faith borne dowr
and overcome by thy repeated denials.
but now | know thee. Did not the Bel
foretell that the Eye should be seel
of men only when Har Dyal Ruttol
had returned to his kingdom, and thel
only when he wore the Token? Eve
as it was said, SO has 1t been. :.
And now art thou prepared to go7"
tWhither?"
"To Kathiawar-even to the thresh
hold of the Gateway? Their
is yet time, before the dawn, and i
were wise to go quickly, my king
but for one night more is the Gatewa.
open to receive thee. Thou didst SCI
the saddled stations in the courtyard
They wait there for thee, to bear the
to Kathiawar. Nay. it wer'
better that thou shouldst wait, may
hap, for the hours be few before thu
rising of the sun. Go then to thy rest
heart of my heart, since thou mus
leave me; and this night we shall ride
thou and l, together to the Gateway.
$50 be it," he %assented. with a grav
inclination Of the head. Convinced Q
the thanklessness Of any further al
tempt to convince the woman agains
her will, he gave 1t UP, and was CRATE
Eful for the respite promised him. Il
twelve or eighteen hours he might az
complish much-with the aid of Lat
ertouche. At worst he would fin
some means to communicate with tn
Farrels and then seek safety for hin
self in flight or hiding until what h
had come to term that damned gate
way-thing" should be closed and he b
free to resume his strange wooins
Some way, somehow, he could cor
trive to extricate himself and his bt
loved.
Therefore he told the woman: "B
1t SO, o queen. Now | 60"
"And leave me-" she pouted prettil.
"with no word but that, my king2 All
not worth a caress-vnot even whe
beg for it?"
He smiled down at her, tolerant an
amused, and impulsively caught he
to him. THE points well TAKEN" h
said. Decidedly, you're worth
Naraini. And If you were not, tn
show vast"
And he kissed and left her. all in
breath.