Evening star., 1917-05-20

':And WIN you wait for me-. Marciar'
Tor ever and always" she rsjoined.
gladly and proudly. smifng at him
through her happy tears.
And thus they parted. plighting their
troth. In a week Richard Dysart sailed
for Cape Town. to try his luck IN the
diamond diggings.
CHAPTER III
It is far cry from the African veldt
with its tragedies and its strenuous
struggles for Natures crude wealth. to
the neighborhood of the most respectable
Old Lady of Threadneedle street. yet
under her beneficent shadow there are
equally fierce strivings for financial pres
tge and power.
In richly and newly furnished suite OF
offices in Mincing lane there sat one
morning man whose word and fat had
in less than a year become a power In
the city" Upon the outer door was en-
name ''Rossiter Kane"
His outer office was besieged. even as
early as 10 o'clock, by motley crowd
Stockholders. promoters. solid men. with
here and there titled name, spectators.
clerks and messengers. The air teemed
with suppressed excitement, and rumors
of vast deals, enterprises OF monetary
pith and moment, flew from lips to eager
ears. The weekly press printed the Wild
est gossip concerning the man, and even
in the West End clubs one caught his
name tossed and banded about from
group to group.
Most astonishing personality" said the
veteran stock jobber, Marmaduke Ashby.
to some of his cronies. "How much is
he worth? Ask me something easy, dear
boy: know he cleared hundred thou
sand in tires alone. Everything he
touches turns out well. Kane's lead is
good enough for me!''
'Who is he. and where did he come
from?" queried another, not SO well in
''Says he's an American" WIS the an
swer. but I know he came here direct
from South Africa. He must have been
in the diamond fields. for he marketed
some Of the finest uncut stones ever seen
in Europe
"Yes, and that makes me think of an
other funny thhing," broke in young
Lord Appleby: "he doesn't seem to
know any of the African gang. Won
der If he was ever an I. D. b." These
cabalistic letters standing for 'illicit
diamond buyer"
Rot" rejoined Ashby. 'He doesn't
belong to the Barney Barnato crowd.
done, and there's none of their heathen-
fsh display and barbaric push about
Kane. He's genaltman at heart.
whatever his origin. or I miss my
guess. Why, he goes everywhere, and
you'll find his name on the subscrip-
tion list of every hospital and charity
in London
I'D like. to know how he does it."
sighed young Appleby, who took an oc.
casional flyer in stocks.
''Why don't you ask him?" said one
of the group, jokingly.
II did" was the naive. reply. Says
most begged. but things came my way
at last""
sort of orphic revelation. that"
laughed Renniss. do you suppose 1t
can be true?
"shouldn't wonder a bit: I'll wager
hat that those cool eyes and that
smooth face have looked on some rare
doings."
When Kane threw open his Park
lane mansion all the world and his
wife fiocked thither, no less to be seen
than to see this enigma of q man
who had literally captured the realms
of fashion and finance single-handed.
with polished( ease. as though to the
manner born. Sne saw a man five feet
ten inches in Might, of rather spare
yet hardy fraHe, delicately chiseled
features clean1y shaven as an abbe's
with hair closely cropped. slightly
tinged with gray at the temples, apAa'
pair of blue eyes that had o curious
trick of dilating and contracting, of
darkening and Tightening. according to
the mood that possessed their owner.
In age he might be anywhere from
thirty-five to fifty.
On being presented to his host old,
Gen. Scarlet remarked:
They tell me you have been quite a
traveller, Mr.. Kane2"
81 have seen quite a little of tke
world was the smiling reply. but
very few know the ups and downs that
have fallen to my lot. I was born in
America. but my father never saw to
remember him. I was a waif, an out
cast of the Sierra camps, adopted by
an old miner who had nothing to give
me but his name and surname"
CTO BE CONTINUED IN NEXT SUN.
DAYS STAR