Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-09-13
AUTHOR OF THE BRASS BOWL" ETC.
llySul2ANUOE1S by RAN VNAAGJ[5DS


moonlit armament, light had biazed
out; vivid emerald light, winking
and stahbing 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 and
died and leaped again, now luridly
blazing, now fitfully 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,
1t is even as the Voice foretold, Nay,
heaven-b orn"-she caught HIS sleeve
and forcibly pulled down his hand
tempt not the unseen further. And
put away this Token, lest more terri
bic thing befall US. There be myster-
les that even we Of the initiate may
not comprehend, my lord 1t is not
well to NEEDLE with the unknown"
The ring was off his finger now and
the woman was examining it into his
coat pocket with tremulous hands.
And where the eye had shown. the sky
was blank. They stood in darkness,
Amber mute in perplexity, Naraini
clinging to his arm and shaking like
reed in the wind
Now am ! frightened, lord Of my
heart! Lead me back to the garden,
for l am but a woman and afraid.
Who am !, Naraini, to see the eye?
What am !, weak woman, to tres
pass upon the mysteries? l 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 that
thou art other than thy true self, the
lord of Naraini's heart, the king re
turned to his kingdom For
who would dare to give the lie to the
Eye? Indeed" she continued with
low, signing laugh, Il myself had be-
gun TO doubt, my faith borne down
and overcome by thy repeated denials;
but now know thee DID not the Bell
foretell that the Eye should be seen
of men only when Har Dyal Rutton
had returned to his kingdom, and then
only when he wore the Token? Even
as it was said, so has 1t been.
And now art thou prepared to go?"
"Whither?"
ITO Kathiawar--even to the thresh
hold of the Gateway? There
is yet time, before the dawn, and it
were wise to go quickly, my king;
but for one night more is the Gateway
open to receive thee. Thou didst see
the saddled stations in the courtyard?
They wait there for thee, to bear thee
to Kathiawar. Nay, it we're
better that thou shouldst wait, may
hap, for the hours be few before the
rising of the sun. Go then to thy rest,
heart Of my heart, since thou must
leave me; and this night we shall ride.
thou and /, together to the Gateway"
SO be it," he assented, with grave
inclination of the head. Convinced Of
the thanklessness of any further at
tempt to convince the woman against
her will, he gave it up, and was CRATE
full for the respite promised him. In
twelve or eighteen hours he might ac-
complish much-with the aid Of Lab
ertouche. At worst he would find
some means to communicate with the
Farrels and then seek safety for him
self in flight or hiding until what he
had come to term "that damned gate
way-thing" should be closed and he be
free to resume his strange wooing
Some way, somehow, he could con
trive to extricate himself and his be-
loved.
Therefore he told the woman: BE
it so, o queen. Now l 60"
9And leave me-" she pouted prettily.
with no word but that, my king? Am
/ not worth caress-not even when
beg for it,"
He smiled down at her. tolerant and
amused, and impulsively caught her
to him. The points well TAKEN" he
said Decidedly, you're worth it,
Naraini. And if you were not, the
show wasi"
And he kissed and left her, all in a
breath.