The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-07-23
,copyrish. BY Hailold M4eara.h,I
Continued from Yesterday

G0ntlHueu from 1esteTuay.)
That's how" raising the hands and
putting them on Kathlyn's head in q
kind Of benediction.
lis that all?" asked Winnie. breath
lessly.
isn't that enough2" he retorted.
well, what Is 1t. Martha? Dinner?.
Well, II ! haven't cheated you girls
out of your tea"
Teal shifted Winnie disdainfully.
DO YOU know, dad. you're awfullyl
mean to Kit and me. II you'd take the
trouble, you could be, more interesting
than any book. ] ever read"
HE doesn't believe his stories would
interest vain young ladies' said Kath.
lyn. gravely.
Her father eyed her sharply. OF
what was, she thinking? In those calm
unwavering eyes Of hers he saw q
question. and he feared in his soul
she might voice 1t. He could evadel
the questions of the volatile Winnie,
but there was no getting by KathlynI
with evasions. BROWNING, he replaced
the order in the box, which he put,
away in a drawer. 1t was all arrant
nonsense, anyhow; nothing could pos.
sibly happen; Il there did, he would
ell certain that he no longer dwelt
a real workaday world. The idle
f.plty,, 7f,f Z, .arJanfa ala ,,nn. ,atht..
more than that.
Father, is the king dead% VA
Dead! What makes YOU ask that.
Kit?" :
THE past tense; you said he was,
not is"
YES, he's dead, and the news came
this morning. Hence, the yarn"
will there be any danger in re.
turning?"
my girl whenever I pack my lug.
gage there Is danger. Acartridge may
stick; a man may stumble; a man
YOU rely on may fail YOU AS for that,
there's always danger. It's the penalty
OF being alive u III is'ffI ~. 2rly.I7 Z
On the way to the dining room Kath.
lyn thought deeply. Why had her ia,
;ther asked them II they loved him?
Why did heispeak Of the Big Trek?
There was something more than this
Offering medal, something more than
this simple tale OF bravery. What?
Well, II he declined to take her into
his confidence he must have good
reason.
After dinner that night the colonel
went the rounds, as was his habit
nightly. By and by he returned to the
bungalow, but did not enter. He filed
his Guilty and walked to and fro in the
moonlight, with his head bent and his
hands clasped behind his back. There
was restlessness in his stride not
unlike that Of the captive beasts in
the cages nearby. Occasionally he
paused. at the cllnk clink Of the ele-
plant irons or at the "wuff" as the un-
easy pachyderm poured dust on his
head. Us
Bah! 1t was madness. A parchment
in Hindustani, given jestingly or ironic.
ally by humorous old chap in orders
and white linen and rhinoceros SAN
dals. ~. A throne! Pshaw! It
was bally nonsense AS II a white
man could rule over a brown one by
the choice Of the latter! And yet, that
man ,Umballa's face, when he had
shown the. king the portraits Of his
two lovely. daughters! He would send
Ahmed. Ahmed knew the business
as well as he did. He would send his
abdication to the council, giving them
the right to choose his successor. He
himself would remain home with the
girls. Then he, gazed up at the moon
and smiled grimly.
;"Hukum hail" he murmured in Hin.
dpstani. ut is the orders. I've simply
got to go. When I.recall those. rubies
and emeralds and pearls.
Well, it's not cupidity for myself It's
for the girls. Besides, there's the call,
the adventure. I've. simply go to go. |
| cant escape it. I must; be always on
the go IL. !. since she died.
! "a few days later he stood again
before the desk in the living room. |
He was dressed for travel. He sat !
down and penned a note. From the
box which contained the order he ex. |
tracted large envelope, heavily |
sealed. This he balanced in his hand |
for a moment, frowned. laughed, and
swore softly. He would abdicate, but |
at a snug profit. Why, not? :.
He was an old fool. Into a still larger |
envelope he. put the sealed envelope |
and his own note, then wrote upon 1t.
Hewas biotting IT as his daughters en-.
tered. ~
4S"Come here, my pretty cubs He
held out the envelope. Z want you,
Kit, to open this on December 81, at
midnight Girls Ike mysteries, and sif
you opened itg any time but midnight
1t wouldn't be mysterious. Indeed, ii |