Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-03-09

same as the one that had been stolen
from himself
Memory prompted him. He felt its
outer edge with a finger nail. There
was the little nick that he had made
In the soft gold when he struck 1t
against the cell bars In the Jail at the
Mir Khan palacel 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 a living being within an
hour
He muttered and frowned in thought,
and then suddenly jumped backward.
The leather curtain near the bed had
moved on Its bronze rod.
AREN'T they dears?' 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
frieze-the woman of the lamp-bowls--
the statue-come to life, speaking 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 II 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 second
later she had snatched them away and
was treating him to raillery.
MAN of pills and bUsters 7" 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 | knew for certain why those
two did not turn to worms she went
on, almost 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 kim
jan struck you dumb?"
But he did not speak. He was star
Ing at her arm, where two whitish
marks on the skin betrayed that brace
let's had been.
"Oh. thosel They are theirs. r
would not rob the dead, or the gods
would turn on me. / robbed you, in
stead, while you slept. File, King sa-
hib, 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 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 q better one. She |
grew confidential.
II 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 If you had
tried to prevent mep
Now he spoke at last and gave her
first glimpse Of an angle of his mind
she had not suspected.
Princess" he said. He used the
word with the Difference some men can
combine with effrontery, so that very
has barbs. "You might
have had that thing back If you had
sent messenger for 1t at any time,
A word by servant would have been
"You could never have reached
<hinJan then !" she retorted Her eyes
dashed again, but his did not waver.
Princess" he said, "why speak Of
what you don't know"
He thought she would strike like q
make, but she smiled at him instead.
md when Yasmini has smiled on O
nan he has never been just the same
nan afterward. He knows more, for
ne thing. He has had a lesson In
ne of the finer arts.
Il will speak of what do know"
he said. mo, there is no need. Look
.Ook I"
She pointed at the bed-at the man
n the bed-hngers locked In those of
woman who looked So like herself.
He looked, knowing well there was
to be understood, that
AIRED him in the face, But for the :"
fe of him he could not determine
lestion or answer. +,
What is In your bosomY' she h
,ked him. h
He put his hanG to his shirt. Il
Draw 1t out p she said, as teacher al
ills a child. nj
He drew out the gold-hilted knife al
It'll the bronze blade, with which a III
an had meant to murder him. He let X
lie on the palm Of his hand and Sc
oked from ii to her and back again. kr
he hilt might have been portrait of br
r modelled from the life. an
Here Is another like It," she said, G,
opping to the bedside. She drew back dc