Charlevoix county herald., 1918-12-13
CHAPTER v.
A DANGEROUS Mission.

And then the door opened and there
entered tall figure of a man in flow
ing robes of gold and purple. His head
and smooth shaver face was crowned
by purple turban, from which gleam
ed great crimson ruby, holding a
pure white aigret aloft. His face was
strong, high brbwed. with aquiline
nose and strong, firm lips and chin.
He paused just inside the door and
bowed in slow dignity to Kim Lee
who had risen.
Greetings, son of the Manchu," he
said in English, paused slightly, and
went on in a rapid flow of Chinese. A
moment more and he had turned to
me, smiling. And to you, Miss Lucille
You have done well and prepared my
way"
For a moment my senses reeled at
the sound of his voice. Then | caught
myself, and i wanted to laugh in the
vast relief and elaIion which swept
through my being. For l knew those
soft bell like tones as the voice of the
man on whom so much depended, and,
therefore, l knew that Prince Abdul
of Teheran was none other than Semi
Dual.
Kim Lee turned his eyes from Dual
to myself and back to the tall figure
before him. He bowed in as grand a
manner as his guest.
Welcome, Abdul of Teheran," he
greeted. Thou are from the East 2"
l noticed the slightest movement of
Semi Duals hand before he replied.
Il am from the East, Kim Lee, and l
have travelled in the East. In the West,
however, am known as Semi Dual,
Of whom Miss Foote has told you ere
this"
And what brings Abdul to my
humble place of dwelling?" queried
the mandarin by the table.
"a duty" said Semi Dual. IAN
act of justice, and a demand for JUS.
tice. l require thine assistance in a
matter concerning the life of another.
1t is my desire to teach the wrong
doer that the lions paw is as much to
be feared as the jaw of the lion, and
more" Again he made sign.
Kim Lee started slightly. For just
moment his face showed a decided
sense of surprise and he drew himself
up to his fullest height. Quite slowly
he bowed.
Justice is eternal, and cannot be
Denied" he made answer THE
master has spoken, let the master
speak"
And this l shall tell thee, Kim
Lee" said Semi Dual, resuming. Thy
name is in the stars and the stars
change not in their rounds. The des-
tiny of man is linked with others, as
the power of the stars is mixed and
intermingled. On the scrolls of Karma
there stands debt against thee. Wilt
thou pay?"
Watching him closely it seemed to
me that the face of the Manchu
twitched slightly. am certain at least
that he drew deep breath before he
answered Il will pay"
1T is WELL" Dual advanced fur
Their into the room. gathered his pur-
pie robes about him, and sank into a
chair across the table from Kim Lee.
"Tbe stars say that thou shalt repay,
Kim Lee, and that all shall be we'll
Dost believe in the stars, my friend?"
Il believe" the Manchu responded.
He also sank down in his seat, and
saw ha uac hraathipo n,,iclylx nc ona
shaken in his inmost being. He began
to speak rapidly in Chinese.
leaned back in my great teak-wood
chair and feeling of absolute assur-
ance came upon me. l remember that
as child have dreamed a bad dream
and walked to find my mother above
me, and felt strangely comforted and
safe. In way the feeling which flood
ed my mind now was like that, and
think, too, it was something like that
in a crisis of warfare. when some be-
loved leader of a corps or brigade
throws himself to the head of his men
and cries them forward. 1t was feel
ing of calm, undoubting confidence in
the success Of Semi Dual. Even the
dramatic manner of his coming had
contributed to it.
Now, as I listened to the voice of
Kim Lee. and the calm, quiet answers
of the strange personality who faced
him, recalled that Mr.. Glace had told
me that the mans father was really
high caste Persian, and his mother a
Russian princess, and that his fathers
first name had been Abdul; so that
Semi Dual was in reality the Prince
Abdul as whom he had been an
had to admit that as he sat before
me. clean shayen, clothed in the gar
ments of the Orient. he certainly
looked the part.
And there was something else. l
recalled his entrance. the words he
had spoken. the signs. barely noticed,
which he had made, and one set of
words he had used. To Kim Lees
question he had answered, II have
travelled in the East
Suddenly the meaning flooded my
mind with the light of understanding.
| knew that those words were some
times used by members of a world.
wide secret order: that they consti-