The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-08-28

the order In the box, which he put
away In drawer II was all arrant
nonsense, anyhow; nothing could pos
sibly happen; II there did, be would
feel certain that he no longer dwelt
In a real workaday world. The idle
whim OF a sardonic old man; nothing
more than that
Father. Is the king deadg"
Dead! What makes you ask that.
Klt?"
"The past tensei you said he was
not is"
"Yes, he's dead, and the news came
this morning. Hence, the yarn"
"Wnl there be any danger in re-
turnlng?"
MY girl, whenever ! pack my lug
gage there Is danger. A cartridge may
stick a man may stumble; man
you rely on may fail you, As for that
there's always danger. It's the penalty
OF being alive"
On the way TO the dining room Kath-
lyn thought deeply. Why had her ia
ther asked them II they loved him?
Why did he speak OF the Big Trek?
There was something more than this
glittering 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 filled
his cutty and walked 10 and fro IN the
moonlight, with his head bent and his
hands clasped behind his back. There
was a restlessness in his stride not
unlike that OF the captive beasts in
/ the cages nearby. Occasionally he
paused at the clink clink Of the ele-
phant irons or at the 'wuff" as the un-
easy pachyderm poured dust on his
| head.
Bah, II was madness. A parchment
in Hlndustani. given jestingly or ironic-
ally by a humorous old chap In orders
and white linen and rhinoceros san
dals. A throne! Pshaw! Il
was bally nonsense. As IL a white
man could rule over n brown one by
the choice Of the latter! And yet, that
man Umballas 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 lie 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
dustani. 1T is the orders I've simply
got to go. When | 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 90 to 60.
! cant escape it. / must be always on
the go 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 a large envelope, heavily
sealed. This he balanced in his hand
for a moment, frowned, laughed, and
swore softly He would abdioate, 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 it..
He was blotting it as his daughters en-
tered.
Come here, my pretty cubs" He
held out the envelope. Il want you,
Kit, to open this on December 81, at
midnight Girls like mysteries, and if
you opened it any time but midnight
it wouldn't be mysterious. Indeed, [
shall probably have you both on the
arms of my chair when you open it"
is it about the medal?" demanded
Winnie.
"By George, Kit, the child is begin.
ming to reason out things he jested.
Winnie laughed, and so did Kath-
| lyn. but she did so because occultly
she felt that her father expected her
to laugh. She was positively uncanny
sometimes in her perspicacity.
"On December 81, at midnight" she
repeated. IAN right, father. You must
write to us at least once every fort
night"
'Ill cable from Singapore, from Cey-
lon, and write a long letter from AL
laha. Come on. We must be off. All
med is waiting"
Some hours later the two girls saw
the Pacific Mail steamer move with
cold and insolent majesty out toward
the Golden Gate Kathlyn proved
rather uncommunicative on the way