The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-04


Yes, he's dead, and the news this morning.
Hence the yarn"
VIII there he any danger in returning?
MY girl whenever Ispack my luggage there is dan
GER cartridge may stick man may stumble;
-man you rely may fail you. As for that there's
always danger. It's the penalty of being alive
On the way to the dining Kathlyn thought
deeply. Why had her father asked them if they loved
BIN? Why did he speak OF the Big Trek? There was
something than this slittering medal, something
than this simple tale of bravery. What? WE'LL
if he declined take her into his confidence he must
have good reason.
After dinner that night the colonel went the rounds
his habit nightly By and by he returned to the
bungalow, but did not enter He filed his Guilty and
walked and fro in the moonlight with his head bent
and his hands clasped behind his back. There
restessness in his stride unlike that of the captive
beasts in the cages nearby Occasionally he paused at
the clink clink of the elephant irons at the whu
the uneasy pachydem poured dust his head
Bah It madness \ parchment in Hindustan.
given jestinay ironically by humorous old chap in
orders and white linen and rhnoceros sandals. .
a throne Pshaw 1t bally As if
white could rule brown by the choice of
The latter And yet, that Umbaa's face when he
had shown the king the portraits of his lovely
daughters. He would send Ahmed. Ahmed knew the
business well he did He would send his abdca-
ton 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 and smiled grmly.
Hukum hal " he murmured in Hindustan. at is
the orders I've simply got 60 When l recall those
rubies and emeralds and pearls. WE'LL it's not
cupdty for myself It's for the girls Besides, there's
the call, the adventure I've simply got go. l can't
escape it. | must be always tie 20 since
she died"
A ha cfaa hafo tho in tha
living room He dressed for travel. He sat down
and penned From the box which contained the
order he extracted large envelope, heavily sealed.
This he balanced in his hand for moment, frowned.
laughed, and softly. He would abdicate but at
snug profit. Why not? He old fool.
Into still larger envelope he put the sealed envelope
and his note, then upon it. He was blot
ting it as his daughters entered.
" Come here, my pretty cubs. He held out the en-.
velope. want you Kit, to open this Dec 81, at
midnight. Girls like mysteries, and if you opened it
time but midnight it wouldn't be mysterious. In
deed, l shall probably have you both the arms of
chair when you open it,
. Is it about the meda?" demanded Winnie
BY George, Kit, the child is beginning to reason
out things" he jested.
Winnie laughed, and did Kathlyn, but she did so
because oceuty she felt that her father expected her
laugh. She positively uncanny sometimes in her
perspicacity.
On Dec 81, at midnight" she repeated }" All right
father. You must write to at least every fort
night
I'll cable from Singapore, from Ceylon and write
a long letter from Allaha Come on We must be off
Ahmed is waiting"
Some hours later the two girls the Pacific Mail
steamer move with cold and nsolent majesty out
toward the Golden Gate. Kathlyn proved rather un-
communicative the way home. Dec 81 kept run.
knew something of the orient, though she had never
visited India. Had her father made an implacable
enemy? Was he going into unknown, unseen