The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-12-07

30 q Atln Oh Hl&n rank ana pressing u
mysterious little bronze box, '"The To-
wood. The girl calls Amber BY name.
CHAPTER u. (continued).
'You will have 1t that l must sur
render my only advantage-my in
cognito. If tell you how happen to
know who you are, must tell you
who I am. Immediately you will lose
interest in me, because I'm really not
at all advanced; l doubt If l should
understand your book If had to read
It,"
Which heaven forfend! But why"
he insisted mercilessly, do you wish
me to be interested in your"
She flushed becomingly at this and
acknowledged the touch with a rueful,
smiling glance. But, Because I'm
interested in you" she admitted open
ly.
And why?"
Are you hardened to such adven-
tures?" She nodded in the direction
the babu had taken. Are you &C
customed to being treated with ex-
traordinary respect by stray Bengalis
and accepting tokens from them? Is
romance commonplace to you?"
"Oh," he said. disappointed, IF it's
only the adventure! OF course,
that's easily enough explained. This
half-witted mammoth-don't ask me
how he came to be here-thought he
recognized In me some one he had
known in India. Let's have look at
this token-thing."
He disclosed the bronze box and let
her take it in her pretty fingers.
1T must have secret spring." she
concluded, after careful inspection.
II think so, but :"
She shook it, holding it by her ear.
There's something inside-it rattles
ever SO slightly I wonder!"
"No more than L."
And what are you going to dc with
III" She returned it reluctantly.
why, there's nothing to do but
keep 1t till the owner turns up, that l
can see."
you won't break 1t open?"
mot until curiosity overpowers
me and I've exhausted every artifice.
trying to find the catch"
Are you patient person, Mr.. Am
BERT"
mot extraordinarily so, Miss Far
rell,"
ooh, how did you guess?"
by remembering not to be stupid.
You are Miss Sophia Farrell, daughter
of Colonel Farrell of the British dip.
lomatic service in India" He
chuckled oheerfully over his triumph
of deductive reasoning. you are Wis
iting the Quains for few days. while
en- route for India with some friends
whose name I've forgotten"
THE Rolands." she prompted in
voluntarily.
Thank you. The Rolands
who are stopping in New York. You've
lived several years with your father
In India, went back to London t.
come out and are returning, having
been presented at the court of st
James. Your mother was an Ameri
can girl, = schoolmate of Mrs
Quain's. I'm afraid that's the whole
sum of my knowledge of you"
You've turned the tables fairly
Mr.. Amber" she admitted. "An(
Mr.. Quain wrote you all that?"
I'm afraid he told me almost al
much about you as no told you abou
me; we're old friends, you know Ant
now l come to think OF it, QUAR-
has one Of the few photographs Of m,
extant So my chain of reasoning'l
! complete. And think we'd better
hurry on to Tanglewood."
Indeed, yes. Mrs. Quain will b,
wild with worry II that animal find
his way back to the stable withou
me; I've been very thoughtless."
How much longer shall you sta!
at Tanglewood. Miss Farrell?"
"Unhappily," she sighed. Il mus
leave on the early train tomorrow. t
Join the Rolands in New York"
"You don't want to go?"
I'm half an American, Mr. Amber
I've learned to love the country a
ready. Besides, we start immediatel
for San Francisco. and it'll be sue
little while before I'll be in India"
"You don't care for India?"
1--WE known 1t for less than ST.
years, but already I've come to hat
It as thoroughly as any exiled English
woman there. 1t sits there like
great, Unsuitable monster, devourin
English lives. Indirectly it was RI
sponsible for my mothers death; sh
never recovered from the illness sh
contracted when my father was sta
toned in the Deccan. In the cours
of time It will kill my father, just a
it did his father and his elder brothel
It's a cruel, hateful, ungrateful Ian
not without the price we pay for it.
II know how you feel" he said wit
sympathy IT'S been a good man
years since / visited India, and
course / then saw and heard little
the darker side. Your people al
brave enough. out there"