Evening star., 1918-06-30

the socket had withered and shrmh
from 30 many years Of emptiness. II
worries the poor man, madame; he
was always feeling 1t. always afraiq
that the lump behind would force it
for your plans. the glass shell did not
allow you to see the change when the
pearl vanished and the bit of bees-
wax took its place, Nine. Tcharnos
vetskl your passport. I know enough
Of the King of Mauravania to be sure
that your life will not be safe II you
break"
Monsieur le comte-no! I thank
you, put cannot wait to be presented
ravania tonight, and, like madame,
yonder. return to other and more
promising fields" said Cleek, an hour
later, as he stood on the terrace Of
progress down the moonlit avenue Of
.ne carriage which was bearing Nine.
Icharnovetski and her effects to the
railway station. "Give me the cheque,
please; l have earned that and there
is good use for it. 1 thank you, count.
Now do an act of charity, my friend.
Give the little dog in the stable q
good meal, and have a surgeon chloroA
form him into peaceful and merci~
ful death. They will find the rainbow
TO dissect the body. starved him.
count, starved him purposely, poor
little wretch, SO that he would be
hungry enough to snap at any ything In
the way of food and bolt 1t instantly.
Tonight, when I went up to take him
out to the stable. thick smearing Of
beef extract over the surface of thS
pearl was sufficient; he swallowed
1t In a gulp! For a double reason,
count, there should be a cur quartered
nf hk tr,rS
after tonight"
His voice dropped off into silence,
Tie carriage containing madame had
swung out through the gateway and
unbroken space of moonlit avenue,
lie turned and looked far out, ovek
the square Of the Aquisola, along the
Light lined esplanade, to the palace
gates and the fiuttering flag that
streamed against the sky above and
beyond them.
"Oh. Mauravania" he said. "Au
Englishman's heritage! Dear couna
try, how beautiful! My love to your
queen. nMn my my prayers for YOU"
..mohsicur, what juggle is this? Your
face is again the face OF that other
night, the face that strs memory yet
does not rivet it, Monsieur, speak, !
beg OF you. What are you? Who are
you"
"Cleek." he made answer. Just
Cleek! 1t will do. Oh. Mauravania,
dear land of desolated hopes, dear
grave or murdered joys!"
"MoHricurt'
things too sacred. ard this" His
hands reached outward as il in bene-
dlction; his face, nptur1 ed, was az a
face transsiFltn1, ANA something that
shone as SILVER 3teamed in the corr
ner ot his eye. "N'Tgrayanil." he said.
Al r.lt u - , ,
peoplc--Eool-hS2.
"Monsieurl Dear a9en--ma iestyv'
Then came rustliag SQUAD. and
when Cleek had mastered himself
uncovered knelt on one knee at his
feet.
Get UP. count" he said, with a lit
tie shaky laugh. II appreciate the
p honor, but your fancy is playing yoli
a trick. l tell you l never set foot in
Mauravania before. my friend"
Il know, l know. How should you.
majesty, when il was as Il child at
Queen karma,s breast Mauravania
last saw Don't leave like this!
right'-the pearl and the Kingdom
are here"
Wrong. my good friend. The king
dom Is there. where you found me in
England. and 80, too, is the pearl.
For there is no kingdom like the
kiugdom of love. count, and no pearl
like good woman"
And. setting his back to the palac
and the lights and the huttering flag
and his face to the land that held
her. turned and went his way--to Tho
west--to England-to those things
which are higher than crowns and
better than scepters and more pre-:
cious than thrones and ermine.
THE END.
Copyright. 1913. BY Doubledsy. Page 4 Co..