Evening star., 1913-12-07
he Tenth r",,p"e1" Story The Knocking on the Door

fate had cast in my way. At her request We
had booked passage for her brother and her
self to Egypt. The boat sailed in three days
Bat karamaneh's beautiful eyes were sad
often ! detected tears the black lashes
Shall / endeavor to describe my own tu-
n:ultuous conflicting emotions? 1t would be
useless, since l know it to be impossible.
For in those dark eyes burned fire l might
not see: those slken lashes veiled a message
! dared not read.
Nayland Smith was not blind to the facts
of the complicated situation. / can truth
fully assert that he was the only man OF
my acquaintance who, having come in con-
tact with Karamaneh, had kept his head.
We endeavored to divert her mind from
The recent tragedies by a round of amuse-
nents, though with poor Weymouth's body
still at the mercy of unknown waters, Smith
and i made but poor show of gayety; and
l took gloomy pride in the admiration
which our lovely companion everywhere ex-
cited. l learned in those days how rare
thing in nature is really beautiful woman.
one afternoon found ourselves at an
exhibition of watercolors in Bond street.
karamaneh intensely interested In tho
subjects of the drawings. which were en-
trely Egyptian. As usual, she furnished
matter for comment among the other visi-
tors did the boy. Aziz, her brother, whom
had rescued from living grave in the
house of Doctor Fu-Manchu.
Suddenly Aziz clutched at his sister
arm, whispering rapidly in Arabic. l saw
ner peachlike color fade; saw her become
pale and wild-eyed--the hunted Karamaneh
OF the old days. She turned to me-
Doctor Petrie. he says that Fu-Manchu
IS here.''
Where"
Nsyland Smith raped out the question
violently, turning in fash from the pic
tlre which he was examining
In this room!" she whispered glancins
furtively, affrishtedly about her Something
tells Aziz when he is near; and l. too feei
strangely afraid. Oh. can it be that he i,
not deadf'
She held my arm tightly. Her brother
was searching the room with big. velver
black eyes. i studied the faces of the sew
eral visitors. and Smith was staring about
him with the old alert look, and tugging
nervously at the lobe of his ear. The name
Of the giant foe Of the white race instan-
taneously had strung him up to a pitch Of
supreme intensity.
Our united scrutinies discovered no figure
which could have been that of the Chinese
doctor. Who could mistake that long
gaunt shape. with the high. nummylike
shoulders and the indescribable gait which
Cdn only ihGu 40 lLaI Oh an dWhWdTQ cat.
Then, over the heads OF a group of people
who stood by the doorway, 1 saw Smith
peering at some one-at some one who
passed across the outer room. Stepping
aside, ], too. obtained glimpse OF this
person.
AS / saw MIN, he was q TALL old man
wearing black Inverness coat and a rather
shabby silk hat. He had long white hair and
a patriarchal beard. wore smoked glasses
and walked slowly, leaning upon a stick.
Smiths gaunt face paled. With rapid
glance at karamaneh. he made on acros,
the room.
Could it be Doctor Fu-Manchu?
Many days had passed since. already half
ohoked by inspector Weymouths iron grip.
Fu-Manchu, before our own eyes, had been
swallowed up by the Thames. Even now
men were seeking his body and that OF his
last victim. Nor had we left any stone un-
turned. Acting upon information furnished
by Karamaneh. the police had searched
every known haunt Of the murder group.
group was disbanded and dispersed; that the
lord of strange deaths who had ruled it
was more.
Yet Smith was not satisfied. Neither. let
me confess was /. Every port was watched
and in suspected districts kind of house-to.
house patrol had been instituted. Unknown to
the great public, in those days y,a,