The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-02-20
CHAPTER XXI.

lower berth and lay there, forearm
flung across his eyes, thinking ex-
c1tedly, disturbed by tormless fore
bodings.
Beside him Danny was packing in
dustriously, with new and aeain q
pause during which he would stand
reflective, his gaze fixed upon bis en-
ployer's face, a little puzzled and per-
picked.
The Poonah was pausing overnight
to discharge and take aboard cargo;
for this reason O'Rourke in his haste
to get ashore had not delayed to take
his luggage with him. On
deck, fore and aft donkey engines
were putting and chugging and chain
tackles rafting as they lifted freight
to and from the hold and the lighters
alongside.
Abruptly, without moving, O'Rourke
spoke. TIL want evening clothes.
Danny" said he. "'Tls dining I am
tonight with Mr.. straker and his
niece, Miss Pynsent, who came with us
from Diamond Harbor. Twill save a
bit Of bother to dress before go
ashore"
"Aw-w," said Danny, assimilating.
"And the missus?" he said
suddenly, some minutes later. "M'an-
In Madam O'Rourke, sor. Did ye get
90 word from, her?'' =. ..< -~,&--
For what else would I be driving
to every hotel in the town after leav-
Ing Mr. Sypher, Danny, but to inquire
Tor her? She's not here; but she'll
come, be sure. She's still got several
days-three or four-in which to keep
our tryst. 'Tis discontented I am not
to find her waiting for me, but I'm
satisfied entirely she'll keep faith"
And" insisted Danny eagerly
"beggin' yer honor's pardon-but what
will ye have to tell her, sor?"
O'Rourke sat up. "Eiave to tell
her? What dye mean?"
''I mean, sor, I'm dyin' wild the wish
to know how ut's all turned out.
Phase, yer honor, won't ye be tellin'
me? Is ut-is ut all rights"
sBless your heart, Danny!" laughed
O'Rourke, "'Tis so dazed I've been
that I never thought to tell ye-think-
ing all the time that ye knew. IT'S
all right indeed, me boy. The Pool OF
Flames in Mr.. Sypher's keeping and
the moneys in mine-in the bank,
Danny, payable to me order. Think Of
it-one hundred thousand pounds OF
real money, and all me own. 'T1s
ridiculous, 'tis absurd. IT'S meself
hardly credits the truth Of it all; yet
was there-saw the man, gave him
the jewel, went to the bank with him
and for the space of five minutes sat
at table, with all that money before
me, counting it over, bill by bill, a
square hundred of them, each for a
thousand pounds, guaranteed by the
Bank of England! Think OF
! -that-all that belonging to me-to me,
O'Rourkei
THANK Cod" breathed Danny de-
votedly. "But did ye Iarn nothin'
about the stone?'
Little enough, Danny-only part
of the meaning of the whole diVllish
business; the rest I'm to know to-
night. Mr.. Sypher II be tellin' me
after we've dined; he wants to hear
me own end Of the story. too"
Sypher had very explicitly named
his dinner hour, after the formal Eng
lish fashion, nowhere and by nobody
more rigidly observed than by the
Englishman in the Orient; "eight fol-
eight-thirty," he had said. And as
O'Rourke, very dignifed and impos'
ing O'Rourke in his evening dress
waited for a sampan on the lower
grating of the Pconah's passenger
gangplank he had a round three-quar'
ters for an hour for leeway-ample lels'
ure for an interested inspection OF
that part of Rangoon lying between
the floating jetty and Sypher's resi-
dence in a suburb near Halhous1e
Park.
Danny remained aboard ship only
temporarily, being instructed to follow
with O'Rourke's belongings to suitable
accommodations already engaged at q
hotel on the Strand, overlooking the
roadstead; from whose windows
O'Rourke was promising himself the
pleasure of watching the arrival OF
the steamship bearing his wife to his
arms.
"Bless her dear facet" said he soft
ly. "'Tis meself will be desolated if
she's not aboard that Messageries boat
due tomorrow-now that I can go
back to her, man of property, no
longer a pauper ne'er-do-well! Think
Of that, ye lucky dog!"
A sampan slid noiselessly In beside
the grating. O'Rourke let himself eau
tiously into it and incontinently col
lapsed upon the rear seat as the boat
slid away toward the shore lights,
yielding to the vigorous sweeps OF the
single long oar welded by the Bur