Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-13

Inaue her heart beat faster and hap
by flush mount her cheek.
II was still dark when the Hon.
Morrison Baynes set forth for the tryst-
Ing place. He insisted upon having
guide, saying that he was not sure that
he could find his way back to the little
clearing.
As matter of fact. the thought Of
that lonely ride through the darkness
before the sun rose had been too much
for his courage, and he craved COM
pany.
A black. therefore. preceded him on
foot. Behind and above him came 10
rak, whom the noise in the camp had /
awakened.
1t was nine o'clock before Baynes
drew rein in the clearing. Meriem had
not yet arrived. The black lay down !
to rest. Baynes lolled in his saddle. |
Korak stretched himself comfortably !
upon lofty limb. where he could !
watch those beneath him without being
seen.
An hour passed. Baynes gave evil
dence of nervousness. Korak had al
ready guessed that the young English
man had come here to meet another.
Presently the sound of an approach
ing horse came to Korak's ears. Me-
riem was coming. She had almost
reached the, clearing before Baynes
x,n of hnv nd
then as he looked up the foliage part
ed to the head and shoulders Of her
mount, and Meriem rode into view.
Baynes spurred to meet her.
Korak looked searchingly down upon
her, mentally matchmaking the
broad-brimmed hat that hid her fea-
lures from his eyes. She was abreast
the Englishman now
Korak saw the man take both her
hands and draw her close to his breast.
He saw the mans face concealed for
| moment beneath the same bread brim
that hid the girls.
When he locked again they had
/ drawn apart and were conversing earn
estly. Korak could see the man urg-
| ing something. It was equally evident
that the girl was holding back. There
were many of her gestures, and the
/ way in which she tossed her head up
and to the right, Uplifting her chin.
that reminded Korak strongly of Me-
riem. And then the conversation was
over, and the man took the girl In his
arms again to kiss her gOodby.
She turned and rode toward the
point from which she had come. The
man sat his horse watching her. At
the edge of the jungle size turned to
wave him a final farewell
! ''Tonight' she cried. throwing back
her head as she called the words to
J him across the little distance which
separated them-throwing back her
head and revealing her, face for the
first time to the eyes Of the Killer in
the tree above.
Korak started as though pierced
| through the heart with an arrow. He
trembled and shook like leaf. He
closed his eyes. pressing his palms
across them. and then he opened them
. again and looked.
But the girl was gone Only the
waving foliage of the jungle's rim
marked where she had disappeared.
1t was impossible! 1t could not be
, true! And yet with his own eyes hi
r had seen his Meriem-older little
with figure more rounded by nearer
maturity, and subtly changed in othel
f ways; more beautiful than ever, We
, still his little Meriem. Yes, he hat
seen the dead alive again; he had seer
, his Meriem in the flesh. She lived
: She had not died!
He had seen her--he had seen hi
? Meriem-in the arms of another man
, And that man sat below him now with
p In easy reach.
Kcrak the Killer fondled his heav.
spear. He played with the grass rop'
u dangling from his gee string. H.
a stroked the hunting knife at his hip
And the man beneath him called to hi
drowsy guide, bent the rein to hi
a pony's neck and moved off toward TIL
n north.
6 Still sat Korak the Killer alon
among the trees. Now his hands hum
c idly at his sides. His weapons ant
A what he had intended were forgotten
+ for the moment. Korak was thinking
I Ne had noted that subtle change il
n Meriem. When last he had seen he
4 she had been his little, hallmark
e Mangani-wild, savage and uncouth
q She had not seemed uncouth to hin
then. But now, in the change that nat
come over her, he knew that such sn'
had been, yet no more uncouth thai
, :, he, and he was still uncouth.
!. In her had taken place the change
In her he had just seen a sweet ant
lovely flower of refinement and civiil1a
ton, and he shuddered as he recaile'
: the fate that he himself had planne'
{ for her-to be the mate of an ape man
= his mate, In the savage jungle.
His Meriem loved another! For
9 long time he let that awful truth SIN
deep, and from it he tried to reaso
out his future plan Of action. In nj
y heart was a great desire to follow tn
II man and STAY him. but there rose In nj
$, consciousness the thought "she love
n him"
d Could he slay the creature Meriel
T. loved? Sadly he shook his head. NJ
e he could not.