The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-03-22
,ssol Of the throne. sad even pi.iea

sseol Of the throne. sad even pisied
her.
She felt the pity. As she tossed the
hair back over her shoulder her eyes
glowed with another meaning-danger-
ous-like q tigers glare.
"You pity me7 You think because
love you, you can feed my love on
a plate to the Indian government?
You think my love Is O weapon to use
against me? Your love for me may
wait for better time? You are not
so wise as thought you. Athelstan |"
But he knew he had won. His heart
was singing down inside him as 1t had
not sung since he left India behind.
But he stood quite humbly before her,
for had he not kissed her? He knew
he had won. Yet If anyone had asked
him how he knew that he had won, he
never could have told.
'If you were to go back to India ex-
cept as it's conqueror, they would strip
the buttons from your uniform and
tear your metals off and shoot you
In the back against wall! My sigma
ture Is known in India and I am
known. What write will be believed.
Rewa Gunga shall take letter. He
shall take two-four-witness He
shall see them on their way and shall
give them the letter when they reach
the Khyber and shall send them into
India with 1t. Have no fear. Bull
Wi ~, a hoord chon MT ep%oroopt &ho,,.
as have intercepted his men. When
Rewa Gunga shall return and tell me
he saw my letter on its way down the
Khyber, thea we shall talk again
you and II Conner
She took his arm, as IL her threats
had been caresses. Triumph shone
from her eyes. She tossed her brave
chin and laughed at him, only en-
couraged to greater daring by his atti-
tude. and by the time they reached the
ebony table and she had taken the pen
and dipped 1t in the ink, she was
chuckling to herself as if the one good
joke had grown into hundred.
She wrote In Urdu, with an easy,
flowing hand, and in two minutes she
had thrown sand on the letter and had
given it to King to read. It was not
like woman's letter. It did not waste
| word.
Your Captain King has been too much
trouble. He has taken money from the
Germans. He adopted native dress. He
called himself Kurram Khan. He slew
his own brother at night in the Khyber
pass. These men will say that he car
| ried the head to Khinjan, and their word
| is true, for I. Yasmini, saw. He used the
head for a passport, to obtain admittance.
He proclaims jihad! He urges invasion
of India! He held up his brothers head
before five thousand men and boosted of
the murder. The next you shall hear of
your Captain King Of the Khyber rifles.
he will be leading a.jihad into India. You
would have better trusted me.
YAsMINI.
He read it and passed SC back to her.
''They will not disbelieve me-" she
said, triumphant as the very devil over
| brandered soul all hot. "They will
be sure you are mad, and they will
believe the Witnesses
@Rewa Gunga shall start with this
today!" she said, with more amuse-
ment than malice. After that she was
still for moment, watching his eyes,
at loss to understand his careless
ness. He seemed strangely unbiased.
His folded arms were not defiant, but
neither were they yielding.
II love you, Athelstan" she said.
do you love me?"
81 think you are very beautiful,
princessp
Beautiful? I know am beautiful.
But is that all?"
"Clever" he added.
She began to drum with the golden
dagger hilt on the table, and to look
dangerous, which is not to infer by any
means that she looked less lovely.
"Do you love me?" she asked.
"Forgive me, princess, but you for
get. was born east Of Mecca, but my
folk were from the West. We are
slower to love than some other nations.
With us love is more often growth, less
often surrender at first sight. l think
you are wonderful"
She nodded and tucked the sealed
letter in her bosom.
SIT shall CO." she said darkly, sand
another letter with 1t. They looted
your brothers body. In his pocket they
found the note you wrote him, and that
you asked him to destroy! That will
be evidence. That will convince!
Comet"
He followed her through leather cur
tains again and down the dark pas
lN WI |