The Elbert County tribune., 1911-09-29

but scratched lightly on the ground
glass pane OF the inner door. The
door swung inward and he entered q
hall lighted only by a glimmer that
filtered through the glass from a gas
lamp In the street A voice in the
dark asked a question In a language
somewhat like that the Hindoo had
flung over his shoulder at the messen-
ger boy. The visitor answered with .
single word. and sunburst Of light
upon him from q cluster of incandes-
cent bulbs above his head.
IF you are false. turn back" said
the voice In one of the higher tongues
OF India
True though lowly follower Of the
Light am l." the Hindoo replied, with
profound salaam toward ink-black
portieree at the far end Of the hall.
He moved slowly toward the curtains
and stretched forth his hand Again
the voice spoke.
IF there be aught Of doubling in
your heart. turn back ere 1t be too
late" 1t said. There l. NO repent
anoe this side of the screen Bewarei
Turn backl"
But the Hindoo, with another deep
bow, parted the heavy curtains and
stepped through the opening. Without
single glance at the sumputous
Eastern furnishings of the room, he
bent his body forward with touching.
outstretched hands until his fingers
wellsnigh reached the floor. In that
posture he remained until, In the
tones Of the voice that had sounded
through the outer darkness, . man
sitting croes-leggsd on divan at the
other end Of the room murmursd an
acknowledgment Of the salutation.
Slowly the visitor Strengthened him
self and looked at the divan. without
raising his eyes to the face Of the
man upon it
The peace OF the Immutable Ono
be upon you,- he said in his harsher
dialect. Your servant Ali comes to
report upon his mission
Peace he to you, faithful one" an
swered the other. Not until then did
Ali look his master in the face.
The master seemingly did not wear
the evening dress of the Occident in
which he had appeared in the opera
box adjoining Mrs. Missioner's. His
slender, well-knit figure was swathed
garments of silken stun that fiut-
tered and rippled with every move
ment, that seemed to rustic in echo OF
his thoughts.
What are your tidings. An?" asked
the man on the divan. He gave little
thoughtful tugs at a punkah string
and the resultant breeze stirred the
smoke wreaths from his narghileh-
The jewel. o Swami"
The others eyes glistened.
What of itT' he inquired.
"Gone!" returned the humber Hin
doc. "vanished!"
And you did not get itf-
Swami. / did not Your servant is
dog and the son Of dog. but he has
done his best"
The man on the divan watched his
servant through slitted eyes.
Where Is the jewell" he asked
sternly.
Who knows, holy man7" replied
the visitor. TT has taken unto itself
wings and In its place false stone
was left The wit of your servant is
completely at fault. know not
where the diamond is"
The swami did not tell him he had
seen the destruction of the false Ma
haranee by Griswold's heel in the
Metropolitan Opera House. He
smoked thoughtfully. his fingers knot
ting and raveling the punkah-string In
IN absent way.
"And you have come straightway
with the newsf" he asked.
-As tho hawk dies, master" said the
servant There was trepidation In his
eyes. but he answered unhesitatingly.
"It is WELL" the Swami said. be-
tween rings Of blue smoke. wait
without. All, and will have speech
with you in little while"
The visitor. with another low sa-
laam, withdrew as he had entered.
backing across the threshold. In the
hall, his figure shot to its full height
and he flashed glance of uncertain
meaning at the outer side Of the por-
there's. He passed silently up the
stairs and slipped into a room above
that In which the Swami sat. His cat
like tread carried him to a closet, into
which he crept. Flattening himself on
the floor. he applied his ear to hole
SO small 1t scarcely widened the crack
between two boards. He could not
see. but he could hear the creak OF
the punkah as, after a violent tug
by the man on the divan. 1t continued
swinging to and fro.
Hardly had the Hindoo left the
room when the Swami, like a mum
mer throwing on a mask, arose brisk
ly from the divan and cast aside the
silk robe that enveioped him The
silken turban remained on his head.
but in all other respects he was
dressed like a Wall Street man. His