The Washington times., 1918-12-29
CHAPTER TX.
Connolly Recants.

mite incentive did more for Alan
l. Jessup :han any physic in the Kasr-
EMIL hospital could have accomplished.
1t was with an unusual alacrity that he
got out Of bed upon the following morning
and attired himself in the garments that
Dawson had brought. And at ten o'clock,
though still little weak and uncertain as
to his legs, he got into the train for Alex
andria with his valet. Before leaving, how
ever, he dispatched a brief note to the
Governor telling Northby Pasha that he
was merely running up to the Turkana for
a few hours and that he would return
upon the morrow.
He tried to shrug aside the persistent
thought that this was a mere wild goose
chase, born of a queer concept OF the brain
Of his prosaic servitor, but upon the train
the phlegma:ic confidence of Dawson re-
stored a hope that something would come
of this hurried visit. After all, hadn't it
been Dawson's imagination which had led
to the discovery of the great conspiracy?
At least no harm could come. and if this
plan to find a new clue failed, Alan would
be no worse off than before, surely no
worse of than Northby with all the Intel
ligence Department of Lower Egypt at his
disposal, which as yet had accomplished
precisely nothing.
Captain Hoagland was at the railroad
station, and conducted them in an arabeah
to the boat landing, whittier they were
the Turkana. The Duchess of Barchester's
hospital ship, the Mercy, still lay at anchor,
but there we're signs of activity about her.
which indicated that in The urgencies of
war the disappearance of one integer OF
her complement was to be set upon the
debit account and so forgotten. To Alan
Jessup there was something uncompromis
ingly heartless in this activity which could
so soon forget the young American girl
who had unselfishly thrown in her lot with
these strangers and followed them on their
pilgrimage to the end of the earth.
disappearance at first caused
desperate depression in Alan Jessup, fol-
lowed by a solemn purpose, no less des-
perate, to find her and avenge himself upon
her abductor and his own false friend.
Connie was the only creature he had ever
cared for-and their brief meeting SO dis
astrOus, had blown again into a glow the
dull embers of his unfortunate affection.
He loved her more than ever of course,
but he had taken care not to burden her
with any vestiges of sentiment. for in the
seven weeks of absence he had managed to
bring about quiet acquiescence in his
misfortune. He had made sure that Con-
ME should never know how much. he had
suffered and resolved that he would never
again broach a subject which she had
ended in such a sudden and summary
fashion. The incident had been ended. He
was a good sport. He knew when he was
beaten.
But now, with the burden of failure so
heavily upon him, he seemed for the first
time really to gain a true conception of
his actual worth in the great game of life
a. which he had been frittering. 1t was =
game, the greatest game OF all, and he had
played it like a gutter. like that one sort
Of creature he had always affected most to
despise-the poor sportsman. All this
Connie had told him, all this he had known
and merely shrugged aside, unaware that
his Indifference and apathy in all the vital
things of life were TO bring about the loss
of the only woman he had ever loved
In the two days that had passed Alan
Jessup had had some moments of self COM
munion and abasement He had passed
Through a kind of fiery ordeal, from which
he had emerged as from his injury little
groggy mentally as well as physically, but
newly born into terrible earnestnessx of
purpose, which set the past aside and
leaped at the chance of new endeavor
He had badly misjudged Conrad Won
Hengel, but even now it was difficult to
believe that the German would do physical
harm 20 Constance Masterson, for whom
he had so often professed a warm affec-
tion. Alan Jessup was sure that Constance
was safe-sOmewhere-hidd away until
Won Hengel could carry out his plans with
out her interference And if this theory
held true, it was Alan's business to find
her, stopping at nothing in the attainment
OF his object.
He had grasped at the thin thread of
Dawson's clue, like man in a maze seek
ing way out, and on the train from Cairo
had planned definite mode of action with
regard to the imprisoned Connolly which,
in the security of his cabin, he confided %
Captain Hoagland, whose eyes sparkled
with interest. He had been talking with
the men. Perhaps something would come
OF this.
So il was that, short while after his
arrival aboard the Turkana, Connolly was
summoned to face the owner. Before the
man came in Jessup took place at the
head OF the table, his back to the light. an
automatic pistol carefully displayed and a
pad and pencil near his right hand. II the
power vested in shipmasters Of the United
States were of any value here he meant
that Hoagland should use them to the ut
most. Also he meant to use as much of
his long dormant intelligence as he could
summon to extract from Connolly every
item Of information that he possessed.
The man shuffled in between Hoagland
and The boatswain, rather stiff and weary