Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-20
HUDSON DOUGLAS.
Copyright. fs1z. BY Little. Brown 4 Co..

out in any imitation gilt cage. And more
than that. heard her tell you not SO long
ago-I suppose you forgot that the open
port below you was just at my ear-that
shed far rather beg In the gutter than
marry your
Slyne flushed darkly under his tan and
darted an ugly glance at his grinning tor
mentor. He had always plumed himself
chance shaft had sorely wounded his very
sensitive self-esteem. But he still con-
trolled his own barbed tongue and said
nothing of the new card he had up his
sleeve.
80 be it. them he agreed. with a
somewhat difficult smile. II can't force
you (you old fool, he added mentality
to take the chance of lifetime when it's
offered you. And. Of course. what you've
told me now makes all the difference.
You've often given me to understand that
Sallie's a somebody by rights. Now you
say she's only slave.'
Capt. Dove cogitated deeply and then
drank again. The Olive Branch was NOV
ing smoothly along her course. leaving a
heavy load Of trouble always a little
farther astern. A pleasant sense of Sc
curity and comfort had replaced the
agonizing mental strain of the past few
days. The wine he had been imbibing
was buoying him up and he was inclined
to be garrulOus.
I've often told you she ought to be at
least lady Of title in her own right he
FcLldThcus dt lcuStu, Sic 81 udiuIicu
high and mighty with me at times. But
who she really is-Ive never told you
| that. have I. Slyne?"
Slyne shook his head with assumed un-
concern.
1--WE never told you that, because
don't know the old man chuckled ex-
ploSively.
Il don't suppose it's ever struck you
that 1t might pay you to find Out?' Slyne
inquired, with sardonic gravity, and Capt
Dove showed signs Of Incoming restless
again.
How the seven stars can 1 find OUT
he demanded, Indignantly. THE trader
/ bought her from, along with a shipload
OF niggers for the Sultan OF Ell Merayeh,
when she was very little more than knee
high to me-and a pretty stiff price paid
for her, too let me tell yOu!-had brought
her from the other side of the Back o
Beyond, that lies three months away be-
hind the mountains of God knows where.
So much 1 found out from him one way
and another, although he could speak no
language that I'd ever heard before. And
no one will ever be able to find out more.
She's my property. by right Of purchase.
1t wouldn't pay even her own father.
whoever he is. to try to take her away
from me-
asked Slyne, with somewhat too much
eagerness "Oh, all right. You needn't
tell me any more than you want to. I'm
not in the least inquisitive.
he ngnteu announcer cigar anu idy DdCh
in his seat, as if he took no further in
terest in that strange story. But in his
fertile brain he was seeking some way
to turn 1t to his own advantage. And
the obstacles before him merely made
him the more determined. For the needy
adventurer's restless mind was inflamed
by dreams of the future he might achieve
with a wife such Sallie to help him.
by the delusiOn that. once she was legally
his, he would succeed in bending or
breaking her will to his every wish.
In the smoke that hung about the sky
tight of the squalid. grubby little saloon,
with it's two evil-smelling INTENDED kero-
sene lamps overwhelming even the odor
of two rank cigars. he saw golden. dia-
mond-set visions of such career as
could only end at the very crest of that
dazzling society amid which crowns nod
In friendly fashion to coronets, which