The Lamar register., 1912-03-20

He bore the inspection with eQuanim-
ity, quite sure of himself. as was nat
ural in the O'Rourke. Provoked, put
on his mettle, he felt himself irwin
chile. and showed 1t in every line of
his pose. She could not have wavered
long; indeed. her decision was quite
manifest. Impulsively she caught his
two hands In her own.
YES" she cried, ct do believe you!
I take you at your word-your gensr-
GUS word. Colonel O'Rourks! l will
trust implicitly in you. You shall get
me to Bombay by the fifteenth"
THE fifteenth?" he echoed thought
fully. This is the tenth"
THE Panjnab il scheduled to ar
rive on the fifteenth. All my plans
depend upon there being no delays"
managed, Mrs. Prynne. Bombay by
the fifteenth It shall be. or the
O'Rourke will have broken his hearth"
She grew thoughtful you are very
good-I've told you that. believe
that you will accomplish what you
promise. Yet 1t seems hardly fair to
saddle you with my cares. my perils.
without informing you of their ma
ture-"
Madam. tits not the O'Rcnrhe -
would ever be prying into your S.
crets. Let's not complicase STINT g
situation with explanations"
But. colonel. there is one thing
more" He paused. 1T is a question"
she continued. "of chartering a ship
at Alden. is 1t not?"
Il see no other way"
"Then-spare no expense, Colonel
ORourke. Remember that foot the
bill"
"Or. II you insist, sir. pay nothing:
Great Britain pays for both Of u.s.
"Eh? Yes" he stammered.
But see colonel"
He had before then noted indiffer-
emily that she wore 4 chain of thin.
fine gold about her neck. its termina
tion-presumably locket of some
sort-hidden in the folds Of her cor
sage. Now she quietly pulled this
forth. and displayed her pendant, a
little trinket Of gold, a running grey
hound exquisitsly modelled.
Stunned. he stared FIRST at the top.
then at the woman. "Ye mean to say
-" he whispered. doubling.
"on the Kings service. Colonel
O'Rourke!"
"A Kings courier. madam? You
a woman!"
And why not?" she demanded
proudly. The Kings messengers dare
many dangers. It's true. But In some
Of them might not q woman serve bet
ter than . man?' IS r j
True enough. Yet It's unprece-
dented-at least. yen admit. most un-
usual. I begin to understand. That
lascar. for instancs-r
Believe me. Colonel O'Rourke. I'm
at liberty to tell you nothing"
TELL me this. at least: would ye
know him II - saw him again.
'Truthfully." she said. looking him
In the eye. II would not. will say
one other word: had anticipated his
attack. although had neyer seen him
before"
Faith. It's yourself that has your
courage with -. Mrs. Pfynne!
But good night. madam! Your ,serv-
anti"
Good night. colonel" she said softly.
and as she watched him swing away
laughed lightly and strangely. Later.
still standing outside her door. she
sighed. and an odd light giowed deep
In her eyes Of srayish-green. Signing
again. and with another low laugh
that rang . thought derisive. as
though she were houting the man
whose service she accepted go gladly.
she turned and vanished within her
stateroom.
As she did SO. the opposite door
that OF an inside stateroom on the
same gangway-was opened cautious
ly. A turbaned head peered out, its
eyes glancing swiftly up and down the
corridor. Long since. however. the
excited passengers had been reassur-
ed and had returned to their berths;
the coast was clear
The lascar stepped noiselessly out.
shut the door without a sound. and
sped swiftly forward: a long, brown
man with an impassive cast Of coun-
tenance in which bis eyes shone with
a curious light.
As he swung into the space At the
foot of the saloon companionway. he
collided violently with an undersixed
and excessively red-headed Irishman,
n ri A.