The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-06-06


and the Pool OF Flame had vanished.
For several years It stayed
quiet. so far as IL known. Then the
curse Of the thing began TO work. and
1t came to the surface In a drunken
brawl In the slums OF Port Said. The
police, breaking into some dive to
stop n row, found nobody In the place
but dead Greek they say twas Il
shambles. One of the police found the
big ruby In the dead mans fist and
before his companions guessed what
"as up slipped away with the stone
lie was murdered some months
later In Genoese bagnio. by French
girl, who got away with It somehow
The O'Mahoney came across
the thing in Algeria. when he was
serving with the Foreign Legion He
was In SldI Bel Abbas one night. of
duty, and wandering about, when he
heard man cry out for help In one
OF the narrow black alleys Of the
place. He thought he recognized a
comrades voice and surely enough,
when he ran down to aid him. he
| found Dutchman, n man Of his own
/ regiment. fighting with half d dozen
natives. He was about done for, the
| Dutchman, when the OMahoncy came
up. and so were three OF the Arabs
/ The O'Mahoney took care of the rest
OF them, and left seven dead men be-
hind him when he went away-the
six natives and the Dutchman. who
had died in his arms and given him
the Pool OF Flame with his last whIs-
/ per.
That's how It came to me-" said
/ O'Rourke.
And where is II now"
Back in Algeria. II I'm not mlstak.
On. Ye remember Cnambret
he was with us In the desert and
wanted ye to marry him afterwards?
lie has 1.-THE dear man; love him
| like n brother. He slckened OF
| Europe when he found his case with
you was hopeless. and went to AL.
giers, joining the Foreign Legion"
But how"
We'll. we were fond OF each other,
| Chambret and /. helped him out
OF some tight corners and he helped
me along when me money ran short
AS 1t always did, and will, I'm
thinking. After while ! got to won.
| dering how much | owed the man
and figured 1t up; the sum total
frightened the life out OF me. and
made him take the ruby by way of Sc
curity-and never was able to redeem
1t, for twas only a little after that
that | came into me enormous patri.
mony and squandered It rlotously get.
ting married to the most beautiful
woman living.
| He warned me TO hold the stone.
the O'Mahoney did. saying that the
time would come wher some native
prince would offer to redeem the Luck
of the State rs an act Of piety and pa.
triotism. He prophesied n reward OF
at least fifty thousand pounds. And
now It's come-twice overt"
And now what can you do?"
"Do?" cried O'Rourko. Faith,
what would | be doing? Dye realize
what this means to me. dear heart?
1t means you-independence, a little
fortune. the right to claim my wife,"
He drew her to him. DO? Sure, and
by the first train and boat I'll go to
| Algeria, find Chambret. get him to
give me the stone, take 1t to Rangoon.
claim the reward repay Chambret
| and"
And what. my paladin?"
Dare ye ask me that, madame?
| . Say, will ye wait for me?"
She laughed softly. Have | not
waited, Ulysses?"
Tell me-" he demanded. have We
talked with anyone about this letter."
only to Clara PlinlImmon!"
Good Lord!" groaned the Irishmdn
only TO her! Could ye not have
printed broadsides, the better to make
the matter public?"
did do wrong?"
Twas indiscreet-and that's put
ting It mildly. me dear. Dye know
the womans walking newspaper?
How much did ye tell her? Did ye
show her the letter."
NO" She answered his last uues.
tion first And | told her very little
only about this reward for ruby
didn't know you owned. We were
wondering where to find you"
And she told no one--or who do
you Think"
The woman looked little fright.
ened. She told-she must have told
that Monsieur des Trebes."
THAT blackguard!"
He was with us on the yacht, one
OF Clara's guests"
"She has a pretty taste for com.
pany-my word! How dye know she
told him? He asked you about fly"
THE letter? Yes. He wanted to
know the name OF the solicitors and
their address. ! wouldn't tell him. |
--disliked him."
Had ye told Lady Plinlimmcn?"
mo