The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-12-29

!" ~
! He Stopped Short, Thunderstruck.
waiting for her yacht to be put into
! commission. Meanwhile she was max
! ing up the party for this Medlter-
! ranean trip. l had no IDEA
where to send you the letter. Have
you read it,"
j "Have I had time, sweetheart OF
nine?'
There was an interlude.
In the distance the thunder rolled
and rumbled.
Resolutely the young woman dis
engaged herself and withdrew to lit
| tie distance.
Read, monsieur" she insisted, per
emptorily.
"I've better things to do, me dear"
he retorted with composure.
You'll find it interesting"
81 find me wife more interesting
I than How dye know will?"
"Perhaps I have read it."
ORourke turned the letter over In
his hand and noted what had thereto
fore escaped his attention-the fact
that the envelope, badly frayed on the
edges through much handling, was
open at the top.
$50 ye may" he admitted.
1T was that way when I received 1t.
And have read it. How could help
it,"
Then ye've saved me the bother"
i He prepared to rise and capture her.
She retreated brisk!y. "Read!"
she commanded. Read about the
! Pool Of Flannel"
! He stopped short, thunderstruck.
''The Pool Of Flame?" he reiterated
! slowly. what dye know about that?"
What the letter tells me-no more
! What has become of it,"
But he had already withdrawn the
enclosure and tossed the envelope
: aside, and was reading-absorbed, ex-
cited, oblivious to all save that con-
veyed to his intelligence by the writ.
! ing beneath his eyes.
It was a. singularly curt, dry and
business-like document for one that
was destined to mold the romance Of
his strangely terse and tritely
phrased for one that was to exert so
far-reaching an influence over the lives
of so many men and women. Upon a
single sheet of paper bearing their let
terhead, Messrs. Secretan and Sypher,
solicitors, of Rangoon, Burmah, had
caused to be typed communication
to Colonel Terence O'Rourke, inform
! iog him that on behalf Of client who
preferred to preserve his incognlto
they were prepared to offer a reward
!; of one hundred thousand pounds ster-
! ling for the return, intact and un-
marred, of the ruby known as the
Pool of Flame. The said ruby was,
when last heard of, in the possession
of the said Colonel O'Rourke, who
would receive the reward upon the
delivery Of the said stone to the un'
dersigned at their Offices in Rangoon
within six months from date. Said
delivery might be made either in per
son or by proxy. With which Messrs,
Secretan and sypher begged to re-
main respectfully his.
The Irishman read it once and again,
memorizing it's import; then deliber'
ately shredded it into minute parti'
cles
$50 it's come" he said heavily. 'iust
AZ the O'Mahoney foretold it would"
He sank back in his chair, and his
wife went to him and perched herself
upon the arm Of it, imprison1ng his
head with her arms and laying her
cheek against his.
What has come, my heart?"
"One hundred thousand pounds"
be said. "Treble its worth,
double what the O'Mahoney expect
"Who is the O'Mahoney, dear?'
He reused. "An old friend, Beatrlx
an old comrade He died some years
back, on the banks OF the Iugela'
fighting with a Boer commando. He
was lonely man, without kith or kin
or many friends beside meself. That
Il presume, is how he came to leave
the Pool of Flame with me-" He
wound an arm round her and held her
close. "Hearken, dear, and I'll be
telling ye the story Of it."
Behind them the Internal glare lit
up the portentous skies. Thunder
echoed between clouds and sea like
heavy cannoning. The wife shrank
close to her beloved. Il am not at all
afraid" she declared, when her voice
could be heard-"witl you.
Tell me about the Pool Of Fame"
The O'E1ahoney left it With me