The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-05-30

quiet, SO lar a. Is known. lnen the
curse Of die thing began to work, and
1t came 20 the surface In a drunken
brawl In che slums of Port Said. The
police, b.eakirg into some dive to
stop a row. found nobody in the place
but a dead Greek; they say twas a
shambles. One of the police found the
big ruby .n the dead mans fist and
before his companions guessed what
was up slipped away with the stone.
/. . T.. He was murdered some months
later In a Cenoese bagnio, by a French
girl, who got away with 1t somehow.
Thu O'Mahoney came across
the thing Ia Algeria, when he was
serving vita the Foreign Legion. He
was in Sid Bel Abbas one night, off
duty, and wandering about, when he
heard a 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 a Dutchman, a man OF his own
regiment, fighting with half a dozen
natives. He was about done for, the
Dutchman. when the O'Mahoney 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 Il now?"
Back in Algeria, If I'm not mistak-
en-. Ye remember Chambret
he was with us In the desert and
wanted ys to marry him afterwards?
He has 1.-THE dear man; l love him
like a brother. . He sickened of
Europe w.ien he found his case with
you was hopeless. and went to AL
giers, joining the Foreign Legion"
But ho%-?"
We'll, we were fond of each other,
Chambret and 1. 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 a while ! got to won.
dering bow much l owed the man
and figured 1t up; the sum total
frightened the life out Of me, and !
made hila take the ruby by way of Sc.
curity-t.nd never was able to redeem
1t, for Swas only a little after that
that came into me enormous patri
mony ard ~squandered 1t ~riotously get.
ting married to the most beautiful
woman diving.
He warned me to hold the stone,
the O'Nahoney did. saying that the
time would come when some native
prince would offer to redeem the Luck
OF the state as an act of piety and pa
triotisLi. He p~rophesied a reward OF
at leatt fifty thousand pounds. And
now it's come-twice over!"
AMI now what can you do?"
"Do!" cried O'Rourke. Faith
what would l be doing? Dye realize
what this means to me, dear heart!
1t mans neutrality-suspicious.. 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 u
Algeria, find Chambret, get him tc
give me the stone, take 1t to Rangoon
claim the reward. repay Chamhre!
and"
And what, my paladin!'
Dare We ask me that, madame!
l.. . Say, will We wait for me?"
She laughed softly. "Have | not
waited. Ulysses?"
Tell me-" he demanded, have We
talked with anyone about this letter? p
only 10 Clara Plinlimmon!"
Good Lord" groaned the Irishmsn
only to her! Could We mo- have
printed broadsides. the better to make
the matter public?"
did I do wrong?"
Twas indiscreet-and that's put.
ting II mildly. me dear. Dye know
the womsn's a walking newspaper?
How much did ye tell her! Did ye
show her the letter."
"No." She answered his last cues,
tion first. And | told her very little
only about this reward for a ruby
| didn't know you owned. We were
wondering where to fnd you"
And she told no one-or who do
you think?"
The woman looked a little fright.
ened. "She told-she must have told
that man-Monsieur des Trebes."
THAT blackgpard!"
-He was with us on the yacht. one
of Ciara's guests"
"She has o pretty taste for com.
pany-my word! How dye know she
told him? He asked you about itf"
The letter? Yes. He wanted 10
know the name Of the solicitors and
.heir address. wouldn't tell him.
-disliked him."
HAD y told Lady PlInilmmoni-
mo
PRAISES ~ Tor tnati"
~WhyY