Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-12-01

cause his armOr was about as Old as
that, and for proof that he had died
In II part of his breast had turned to
powder inside the breastplate. The
rest of his body was whole and per-
fectly preserved.
Stern, handsome In a high-beaked
Roman way, gray on the temples, firm
Tipped, he lay like an emperor In har-
ness. But the pride and resolution on
his face were Outd0ne by the serenity
Of hers. Very surely those two had
been lovers.
| Both of them looked young and
healthy--the woman younger than
thirty-twenty-fi at guess-and
the man perhaps forty. perhaps forty
five. Every stitch of the mans cloth
ing had decayed, so that his armor
rested on the naked skim except for Il
| dressed leather kilt about his middle.
The leather was as old as the curtains
Mt the entrance, and as well preserved.
But the wOman's silked clothing was
rs new as the bedding. Yet. they both
died about the same time, or how could
their fingers have been interlaced?
And some Of the jewelry on the wom-
ans clothes was very ancient as well
MS priceless.
, He looked closer at the fingers for
signs Of force and suddenly caught his
breath. Under the wOman's flimsy
sleeve was wrought gold bracelet,
smaller than that one he himself had
worn in Delhi and up the Khyber. He
raised the loose sleeve to look more
closely at it, and the movement laid
bare another bracelet, on the mans
right wrist. Size for size, this was the
same rs the one that had been stolen
from himself.
Memory prompted him. He felt it's
outer edge with finger nail. There
was the little nick that he had made
In the soft gold when he struck it
against the cell bars in the Jail at the
Mir Khan palace! He touched the
gold. 1t was warm. He repeated the
test on the woman's wrists. Hers was
warm. too. Both bracelets had been
worn by living being within an
hour
He mnttered and frowned in thought,
and then suddenly jumped backward.
The leather curtain near the bed had
moved on its bronze rod.
"Arcn't they dears?' a voice said in
English behind him. "Aren't they
sweet?'
Yasmini stood not two arms lengths
away, lovelier than the dead woman
because Of the merry life in her, young
and warm, aglow, but looking like the
dead woman and the woman Of the
freze--the woman of the lamp-bOwls--
the statue-come to life. spending to
him in English more sweetly than II
1t had been her mother tongue. The
English abuse their language. Vas
mini caressed 1t and made 1t do its
work twice over.
Being dressed as native, he
salaamed low. Knowing him for what
he was, she gave him the senna-
stained tips of her warm fingers to
kiss, and he thought she trembled
when he touched them. But a second
later she had snatched them away and
was treating him to ralllery.
"Man of pills and blisters" she said,
"tell me how those bodies are pre-.
served! Spill knowledge from that
learned skull of thine ~
He did not answer He never shone
in conversation at any time. having
made as many friends as enemies by
saying nothing until the spirit moves
him. But she did not know that yet.
IF I knew for certain why those
two did not turn to worms she went
on, almost I would choose to die now,
while ! am beautiful. What would
they say, think you, King sahib, II
they found us two dead beside those
two? Speak. man, speak Has Kiln.
jan struck you dumb?"
But he did not speak He was star.
ing at her arm, where two whtish
marks on the skin betrayed that brace.
lets had been.
"Oh those They are theirs. l
would not rob the dead. or the gods
would turn on me. l robbed you, In.
stead. while you slept. File, King sa-
hlb, while you slept!"
But her steel did not strike on flint
1t was her eyes that flashed. He would
have done better to have seemed
ashamed, for then he might have
fooled her. at least for a while. But
having judged himself, he did not care
fig for her Judgment Of him. She
realized that instantly and having
found tool that would not work
discarded 1t for better one. She
I grew confidential
IT borrow them" she explained,
"but put them back. take them
for so many days. and when the day
comes--the gods like us to be exact
You were near death when ! took the
bracelet last night. The time was up
would have stabbed you II you had
tried TO prevent me!'
Now he spoke at last and gave her
a first glimpse of nm angle Of his mind
she had not suspected.