Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-24
Ill
The Palace
Of Darkened
indows
By
MARY
HASTINGS
BRADLEY
4


lark Savagely Billy speared his
bacon.
Luck? Why we--Oh. come now,
my dear fellow, YOU can't pretend TO
maintain those suspicious now or
course the letter is authentic" Fall
coner spoke between Irritation and
raillory. THAT Turkish fellow could
hardly fake that letter to them, could
hep No, and we will have to ac-
Knowledge ourselves actuated hy Il
too hasty Observation-Disclosures under
the circumstance--and he grateful
that the uncertainty is over. That's
the only way to look at it,
I'VE don't know that the Ever
sh;,ms have received Il letter II
might be another fraudulent telegram
that was sent them from -NeNan-
diia."
THAT is hit too thick. You're a
Holmes f9r suspicion!" t'alcoIer
laughed Il believe if Miss Beecher
herself walked into this dining room
YOU would question il She were not
a deceivinE effigy."
II might question that anyway"
Islly's tone was dry. And | daresas
I am 81 fool, But that dancers story
is pretty straight ii she didn't know
the name s, and IL fits in disastrouslN
well with my limousine story"
YOU'RE not the first man To be
staggered by II CONFIDENCE" Falconer
told him. ''And that woman's yarn
was convincing enough, tho all the
tirne I was dubious, You remember.
But now that Ihe Evershams have
heard and the young Englishman's
deep note Of relief showed how tor
me.nting had been his uncertainty,
why now we have no further right
to put Miss Beecher's name into the
affair There is evidently some 9TH
or girl concerned who may or may
not be as guileleSs as she represented
TO the Baroff girl. and shall lay that
story before the ambassador and
leave her rescue to authentic ways.
He laughed q little shamefacedly
at the anauth4ntie ways of last night
and added. looking off across the
room, my sister and Lady Claiye are
going to Luxor tonight, and | eN-
poet to accompany them. II you
should have any word about Miss
Beecher's return here l should be
glad il you would let me know"
q Eff she is safe in Alexandria she'd
ncxer think of writing me-" said Bill
" bluntly. Our acquaintance is dis
tinctly one-sided."
II quite understand. She was your
countrywoman in a strange land and
all that
y ''And all that" Billy echoed. What
time is your train?"
'"s;ix thirty"
"'rhen If don't see YOU before that
here's good luck and good by
Billy rose and shook hands and the
two young men parted after a few
more words.
You have an idee fixe--beware OF
it," was Falco9er's caution, serious,
beneath it's air of banter, and on the.
other hand Billy perceived in the,
cautioner a latent uneasiness con.
sidered so irrational that he was do
Ing his sensible best to- disown it.
So Falconer took himself off about.
Billy b. Fill was left to face his
problem alone. Black worry plucketl
at him. He did not know what un..
der the sun he could do next AL.
ready that day he had done what he.
could. He had been out early and rur
Gown the one -eyed factotuh, loiter..
Ing about the corner and under cover,
of a transaction over scarab he had
made number of plans.
He wanted the Captain followed
every instant of the day. There wers
enough active little Arabs greedy fo,.
piastres to do that we'll and send
back constant word to, him There
was coming that day, he, felt, an
interview between him and that
Captain. Then he wanted the one
eyed man to insinuate himself into
the palace. He must find out things.
He could use his connection with the
5ennuch who was uncle of his broth.
el's wife.
SO much Billy had already ar
ranged and now after hasty break
fast he was off to the consul, where
he proceeded to unfold his story
while the consul drew little circles
corners of his eyes at this astonish-
ing young man.
He made no comment when Billy
paused. Perhaps he could think Of
none adequate. or perhaps, after all
he had ceased to be amazed. He
merely said slowly and thoughtful
~, "Of course the dancers story is
all you really have to go upon. You
had better bring her here"
Nothing easier" Billy declared
and thinking cab as prompt as a
telephone he drove brislxly off.
the hotel held a shock for hin,
FRITZ Baroff was gone. She had
gone the evening before, the clerk
reported, consulting the register, and.
she had paid her bill. AS he had nor
been the ore on duty then he knew
nothing more about it. She had left
no address.
Ultimately the clerk who had beer
on duty was unearthed in the L.
byrinths of the hotels backgrounds,
but he could supply very little furth-
er except the certainty that she had
paid her bill in person, and the vague,
belief that she had been accompan.
led This belief was companioned by
q hazy notion that some one had
called on her that evening.
Even I'illy's sense of hnmOr was
lmstirred by the half-cynical SYM
pathy of the night clerks gaze: Bill
" n M 0<,l. 10,
in him. He was baked. The dancer
had vanished with her story, and
that story was essential to the con-
sui. Like fool he must return
empty handed with this yarn of her
disappearance and the consul would
be iuAtified in declaring that he h.,i