Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-07-26


North, south, east. west-lookl" she
commanded. Wherever thine eyes
may turn. and farther than they can
see upon the clearest day. this land Is
all thine for the taking. Look
and tell me thou hast str slgth to re-
nounce Il and me. beloved!
She opened her arms with Infinite
allure. 1T is so little that is asked
of thee-only 20 ascend thy fathers
throne and be honored Of all Bharuta'
only to WELD the scepter that is thine
by right, only to reign an undisputed
king in two Observation-Disclosures
and thy Narainis heart"
Il am very sorry" he returned. ut
is quite impossible. Besides, it seems
that you leave the sirkar altogether
out of your calculations. 1t may net
have occurred to you that the supreme
government of India may have some
thing to say about the contemplated
change
He saw her bite her lips with cha
grin, and the look she flashed to his
face was anything but kind and ten
der. ARE" she laughed dcrisively.
And of what account is this frail,
tottering srkar's will besides The VIII
of the Body? OF what avail its dicta
against the rulings OF the Bell? Thou
knowest--'
Pardon, know nothing, I have
told thee. Rance, that l am not Har
Dyal Rutton."
She was mistress of thousand ar
tifces. Brought to standstill Oh the
one line of attack, she diverged to an
other without a quser of an eyelash
to betray her discontinue
Yea, thou hast told me-" she purred
But l, Naralni, l know what l know
Thou dost deny thyself even as thou
willing to be put to the proof, my
king"
IF you've any means of proving my
identity. l would thank you for ma
king use of it, Rance.
There Is the test of the Token,
Lalji"
81 am not aware Of it."
THE test of the Token-the ring
that was brought to thee the signet
of thy house. Surely thou hast 1t with
thee?"
He thrust hand within his shirt
and brought forth the emerald, Here
it is he told the woman, cheerfully.
Now this teut?"
place 1t upon thy lnger-so, even
upon thy little finger, as was thy ia
theirs wont with IT, Now lift up
thine arm, so, and turn the stone to
the west toward Kathapur"
Without comprehension he yielded
to this within, holding up his right arm
and turning the emerald to the quar-
ter indicated by Naraini
The hour had drawn close upon
dawn. A cold air breathed down the
valley and was chill to them in that
lofty eyrie, The moon, dipping to-
wards the rim of the world, was
poised, a globe of dull silver. upon tho
ridge of a far, dark hill As they
watched 1t dropped out OF sight and
everything was suddenly very bleak
and black.
And curious thing happened.
Naraini cried out sharpiy-"Aho! -
as if unable to contain her excitement.
Somewhere in the palace behind
them great gong doomed like thun-
der.
A pause ensued disturbed only by
the fluttering of the woman breath;
FOR tho eDoca oF 4bi~t,- nude. hoo re
nothing happened Then Naraini's
fingers closed like bands Of steel about
Amber's left wrist
"See!' she cried in a voice Of awe,
while the bracelets shivercd and
clasned upon her outstretched arm.
The eye, my king, the eye'"
Amber shut his teeth upon an ex-
clamation of amaze. For just above
the far, dark mountain ridge uncan-
nily brilliant in the void of the pale,
moonlit armament, a light had blazed
out; vivid emerald light, winking
and stabbing the darkness with shafts
OF seemingly supernatural radiance.
And thy ring, lord-lookl The
Tokenl"
The great emerald seemed to have
caught and be answering the light
Naraini called the eye in the stones
depths an Internal fire leaped and
died and leaped again. now luridly
blazing, now fitfully a-quiver as
though about to vanish, again strong
and steady; even as the light OF the
strange emerald star above the noun
tains ebbed and flowed through the
night.
Naraini shuddered and cried out
guardedly for very fear. by Indur,
II is even as the Voice foretold! Nay.
heaven-born"-she caught his sleeve
and forcibly pulled down his hand
tempt not the unseen further. And
put away this Token, lest a more terri
BILE thing befall US There be myster-
les that even we Of the initiate may
not comprehend. my lord 1t is not
well to meddls with the unknown
The ring was off his finger now and
the woman was examining ii into his