Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-02-16
THE FOURTH
ESSENCE
II Helped Its Owner to Obtain
His Object.
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.

woman stepped In between. For
while we were rivals for Eleanor's love,
and then Pendleton lost out and dis
appeared entirely from our lives.
Eleanor lived only few brief years.
and /, who was then bereft Of both
friend and wife, was more alone than
had ever been. My business was of
such a nature that l had much leisure
more than was good for me-and
instead Of returning to my home city,
where old friends and old haunts
awaited me, closed the house where
Eleanor and had spent the brief and
happy years of our married life and,
winding up my business affairs, be-
came a wanderer on the face OF the
earth.
I became absorbed In the study of
Byzantine architecture and thus at
the close Of our year was lingering In
Constantinople.
One night was sitting in my favor
lite cafe dreaming over the events of
the day when Pendletons name
sounded so distinctly In my ears that
1 leaped to. my feet and looked around.
The cafe was quite empty save for one
or two Turks In distant corner, the
slipshod walters and myself.
Bewildered, sank back In my seat,
only TO be assailed by the insistent
repetition of Pendleton's name. 1t
seemed to be beating against some
inner consciousness and was not, as
had at first supposed, an actual vocal
demonstration.
Then, forgetting the bitterness he
had held against me and remembering
only the pleasure of our long friend
ship, l was impelled to go to him. l
felt that he needed me-that somehow,
In some way, he was calling me to
come to him-and, following some
blind instinct, l returned to my house,
placed my courier in charge of my be-
longings. packed a portmanteau and
at dawn the next morning had taken
steamer for India.
With me constantly was the sug-
gestion that Pendleton called me, and,
az If guided by this invisible thread
Of desire, / entered a new country.
At Dinaghpore l secured guides and
fastened down to the ruins of the
ancient city of Gaur.
We reached Gaur at shutdown Of
breathless day, and my arrival seemed
TO signal the departure of my fancies
concerning Pendleton and his desire to
see me. Once more l was the practical,
IT, Ill
Pendleton's churlish attitude slightly
in contempt. | marveled at the de-
fusion that had brought me thousands
Of miles to the suburbs Of Gaur. yet
was bound to take advantage Of the
opportunity and investigate the ruins.
Then would return to Constantinople
for India did not interest me at that
time.
Perhaps we were a couple Of miles
distant from any habitable portion of
the city, for here the ruins OF ancient
edifices were surrounded by a thick
jungle, and my guide, q low caste
Hindu of gigantic stature, told me that
the jungle was infested with man
eating tigers.
My men were well armed, and as we
had made camp in the crumbling
upper story Of what had once been
beautiful tiled temple we felt secure
from marauding beasts.
Before the swift dusk fell and while
my men were preparing the evening
meal / picked my way down the
broken ramp that led from the second
story and wandered curiously among
the ruins.
There was little to be learned there
beautiful medieval city were either
oVergrown with vines and shrubs or
else lay at this hour in deep shadow.
Rounding a high wall. found myself
in small temple.
A tall Brahman priest bent above a
stone altar. and at the sound of my
footsteps he turned and without
evincing surprise at my intrusion
calmly advanced and slid into place a
slab OF stone that served as door,
thus cutting off my retreat.
open that door, please" I com
manded sharply.
i had spoken in English, and TO my
surprise he answered In the same
tongue, and his voice was vaguely
familiar.
ut Is too late. / have sent for you,
and you have come. Do you not recog-
nize me, Brayton?" He lighted a
resinous torch and, sticking It in the
wall, held his face in its light
l looked and stared and stared again,
incredulous at first and then con-
vinced that It was Bob Pendleton him
self. His skin was burned TO the color
of mahogany; his hair was concealed
under a folded white cloth; his eye
brows were shaven, and his black orbs
rolled fiercely in their deep sockets
Handsome he was, as he ever had
been, but wretchedly worn and enact
ated and so changed from the hand
some, buoyant fellow had known that
l might not have recognized him save
for the deep bell notes of his voice.
HE Roroo nnfrionIIfnoge ne