Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-10
By Talbot
Munday

, was interested in her thoughts he
forgot to admit it.
A dozen more men entered, and
the air, already heavy, grew thick
with tobacco smoke mingling with
the smoke of sandalwood that float
ed back and forth in layers as the
punkahs swung laZily. Outside, the
rain swished and chilled the night
air; but the hot air from inside
hurried out to meet the cool, and
none of the cool came in. The noise
of rain became depressing until
Yasmini made a signal to her
maids and they started to make
music.
Then Yasmini caught a new
sound on the stairs, and swiftly,
instantly, instead of glancing to the
entrance her eyes sought Ran
joor Singh's; and she saw that he
had heard it too. So she sat up as
if enlightenment had come and had
brought disillusion in its wake.
The glass-bead curtain jingled,
and a maid backed through it gig
Cling, followed in a hurry by a Eu-
ropean, dressed in a white duck
apology for evening clothes. - He
seemed little the worse for drink.
but not too drunk to recognize the
real Yasmini when he saw her and
to blush crimson for having acted
like an idiot
Queen of the Night" he said in
Hindustani that was peculiarly mis-
pronounced.
"Box-wallahi" she answered I'M
der her breath; but she smiled at
him, and aloud she said. will the
sahib honor us all by being seat
ed?"
A maid took charge of the man
at once, and led him TO q seat not
far from the middle of the room.
Yasmini, whose eyes were on Ran
joor Singh every other second, no.
ticed that the Sikh, having summed
up the European, had already lost
all interest
But there were other footsteps.
The curtain parted again to admit
second European, a somewhat
Older man. who glanced back over
his shoulder deferentially and, to
Yasminis gaerring eve, tried to
carry off prudish tinidity with an
air of knowingness.
"Who is he?" demanded Ranjoor |
Singh; and Yasmini ratified the |
bracelets on her ankles loud enough |
to hide a whisper.
IAN agent" she answered HE +
has an Office here in Delhi. The
first man is his clerk, who is sup |
posed TO be the leader into mis- |
chief; they have made him a little /
drunk lest he understand too much |
l have sent maid to him that he
may understand even less"
The second man was closely fol-
lowed by a third, and Yasmlni
a squeal of excitement.
for she saw that Ranjoor Singh's
eyes were ablaze at last and that
he had sat bolt upright without
it. The third man was
dressed like the other two in white
duck, but he wore, his clothes not
as they did. He was tall and
straight. One could easily enough !
imagine him dressed better.
His quick, intelligent gray eyes
swept over the whole room while
he took two steps, and at once pick
ed out Yasmini as the mistress of
he place; but he waited 10 bow to /.
her until the man pointed her out.
Then 1t seemed 10 Ranjoor Singh
who was watching as infinitely as
fasmini in turn watched him
hat when he bowed. this tall. conf,
ient-looking Individual almost
clicked his heels together. hut re- ?
not to do so Just in time
rhe eyes of the East miss no small
ietails. Nasmini. letting her Jewel
ID ankles jingle again, chnckled Ia
Singh.
And they say he comes from ,
tufope selling goods" she whis- d.,
lered. The fat man who is
frightened claims to he custom
II for bales of blankets. Since
when has the customer been hum