The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1912-09-05

/ lonely to Its dim and Tar norlZOn, lnen
| observed quietly: 81 am not mistaken,
I believe, in understanding | have the
honor to address Monsieur lie Colonel
O'Rourke, Chevalier Of the Legion OF
Honour"
/ "Ycu are not mistaken. monsieur"
returned O'Rourke pleasantly, then
with the directness which he some
times found useful, watching the man
/ closely as he spoke: And / believe
/ il is my pleasure to recognize Mon
sier lie Vicomte des Trebes?"
! "Des Trebes, monsieur" The
Frenchman's look Of wonder was be-
yond criticism and there was no least
! trace Of discontinue to be detected
! in bis manner But no. You are
under a mistake. l am merely
! French gentleman without a title;
Raoul de Hyeres is my name"
"Ah." said the wanderer. "'Twas
the resemblance misled me. Pardon.
monsieur"
Granted. my dear sir. -. Des
Trebes? The name has a familiar
sound Do I not remember reading
somewhere that the Vicomte des
Trebes died last spring? In Tunis,
! was IT, Suddenly. l believe"
"Is it so?" said O'Rourke drily. "Pos-
sibly. The vicomte lived in the man.
! ner Of those who meet with sudden
| deaths"
The subject languished, and after
! few more noncommittal observances
De Hyeres wandered off. presumably
] in search Of the English girl, to whom
he had been paying assiduous atten-
J tion.
On closer scrutiny, she had proved
to be a remarkably pretty girl; al
though. in point OF fact, ORourEe. for
! all that he admired her looks I'M
mensely, had purposely avoided her.
! This he did from motives Of prudence;
he mistrusted the combination formed
, by De Hyeres and the girl. The latter
! might be all that she looked and claim
ed to be: sweet, wholesome and rath-
er ingenious young Englishwoman, an
orphan. resident in Rangoon In the
household of an uncle, to whom she
was returning after visit with
friends in Simla On the passenger
list her name stood as Emilia Pyn-
sent. But The adventurer felt 1t the
course OF wisdom to deny himself the
pleasure Of her acquaintance, SO long
as she permitted the attentions Of the
Frenchman.
Altogether. considering the hot
weather and sucn selfimposed re-
strict.ons, O'Rourke considered the
voyage hardly a success from social
point Of view. He kept pretty much
to himself and to Danny, and to make
assurance doubly sure he instituted a
new regime with regard to the Pool
of Flame: that jewel never left his
stateroom. When H'Rourie was on
deck or at meals. Danny sat behind
bolts, alert and under arms. and vice
versa. By night they stood regular
watches together, the one on guard
while the other slept Clearly tie ad.
venturer was determined that no lack
Of safeguards on his part should again
deprive him of the ruby.
But it's no easy matter to avoid
| meeting any particular person on
ship with a small saloon list, unless
one is willing to be purTosely rude
and discourteous. For all his war;
ness the Irishman was to carry with
him a personal impression Of Miss
Pynsent.
On the last day Of the passage, to-
ward evening, the Poonah raised the
coast of Burmah; by dark she was
steaming steadily southwards along
the lttoral. heading for the delta OF
the Irrawaddy.
A still. bright night with little wind:
O'Rourke was not one to resist its al
lure. Four bells saw him lounging at
the rail below the bridge, staring hun
grily over toward the land. 1t was In
his mind that another twelve hours
or so would see h:m relieved Of his
trust; and rs TIE time drew nigh i'm.
patience hrrne1 lily within him; he
had beer u y cf the Pool of
Flan.e - =. a:;.;laS TO be free OF
travelled way of Rangoon, Mogul
street.
In front of structure of stone and
iron so palpably an Office building
that 1t might have been transplanted
to the Strand without exciting COM
ment-save for the spotless cleanli-
ness Of it-their tikkagharry drew up
The gharriwallah indicated the Of
fees of Messrs. Secretan and Sypher,
one fight up-and named his fare.