The Washington herald., 1920-02-05
Yello,D Men Sleep
SYNOPSIS or PRECEDING INsrALr-
MEN1p.
By Jeremy Lane.
Copyright. 1910. by the Century Co

/
MENTB.
Con Levington's destiny begins at fate
laden dinner where he finds Chee Ming
| then a Chinese servant. whom he ciev-
| erly overpowers and dispossesses OF
tiuy packet Of leather which he had worn
shout his neck. Lexington immediateiy re-
ports to Andrew March and his fatner.
stephen March. who reveai 70 him fhst the
| tiny packet bears n map to hidden empsr:
They select him to take the packet ana ma
this mysterious desert land under seaieo
orders." lie accepts. -E
quests for the mysterious Cobb Empire oy
Stephen March and his son, Andrew. He -
deeply impressed by the fact that the younger
March. on one Of these trips, when near h,s
| goal, .'the strange riders" came, and roboed
him Of his wife. Eithna. and his baby girl
On the train TO the coast Levington meets
Norma vallale.
Through a coincidence, Norma. ,Levington
and Chez Ming all and themselves passengers
on the shme orientbound steamer. Norma
is following Chez Ming, with view Of
| robbing him OF three trunks. After they
! land. Norma solicits Levineton's aid. she
| Is unsuccessful In m encounter with Chee
| Ming at The Road Of wiilows." where
Lexington Is injured. They leave the scene
| together.
Returning to their hotel. It is found Cons
secret Instructions had been torn open.
| CHAPTER Ix-ContinueO
| Lexington knew that his hands
were trembling. He read this final
instruction again and again. until
every phrase was unforgettaDie.
Much of his friend came to HIM
from the page. the worldwide sig
nificance of his errand in this
treacherous land. Con was humble
before the trust of Great America
He burned to do we'll. The matter
of koresh. the deep gray curse. was
not at all clear to him. He had an
uncomfortable suspicion that he
knew the stun.
AfternooD was frightful with
dust and sun-glare. Night came
cold, yet not in the nature of are
lief. Con drank a bowl of brown
ish goats milk, and cracked like a
| chip between his teeth a native
biscuit. He brushed the ashes from
his lips, and found himself staring
at nothing, while the meaning Of
his mission grew larger within him.
Something had come at last to
steady him. The underworld had
always trusted him-something not
granted to many-but now he was
honored by his government. Au-
thority believed in him, tested him,
and sent him to unravel a poison
Gus web.
He recalled certain things he had
told Andrew March. almost amount
ing to confessions. Now that he
knew his friend to be a federal Of
ficer, he wondered what March
! must have thought of those re-
countings. 1t made Con smile. He
was more keenly aware now the
many intimate ways in which the
elder man had studied him before
trying him in the present task.
| He planned to wait a week, II
iced be, in the hope that Chez Ming
would come. He speculated that
the Chinese had probably returned
to Tien-tsin to regain his trouble
some trunks. so accounting for de-
lay in reaching Shan-sung. II the
week passed and brought no trav-
eler, Lexington meant to enter the
Cob without a map.
This first night under a roof. his
wound made it's claims felt. Con
could not sleep. and it reused him
to a kind of anger. He turned his
full attention upon the source OF
the bother. and did not hesitate on
this occasion to waken his hostess.
Following prolonged stubbinE
about in the dark. she appeared
| from her portion of the hut, a rush
taper burning. amazement and dis
| like in her iron face. From that
hour until after dawn had slipped
over the barrens. Con Levington's
wound was given attention, warm
ed. oiled, tenderly favored.
Make the next one hotter" he
cried TO the woman and her two
sons, and although they gathered
nothing from the English. they
comprehended the mastery of their
white stranger. who commanded at
any goddess hour, and quickened
their steps through the two rooms
at his pleasure. By the hour of sun
rise the village knew of this, and
Con was thoroughly and courte-
ously hated by all. But the wound
was mending. and Lexington At
last slept soundly.
At noon he wakened and called
for food. The luxury OF remaining
in camp was superlative. Having
given orders that his servant should
have the day to himself. he turned
over and mapped again. His in
grained health asserted itself. and
the clean mode of life for the recent
weeks added its score of healing
during this rest For the remainder
of the day there were pleasant mat
ters to think over, until he discov-
cred that his boy" had gone, TAX
ing the two fresh beasts. Doubt
less with the aid of the villagers,
the old servant had fed back east
ward, away from the devils of the
unknown.
The fact that the village was
against him did not depress Lev
ington, as 1t must formerly have
done. Now he had to sustain him
the assurance of his own country
that he had been chosen. that men
of power trusted him. The second
day he found himself quite gener-
ally ignored in the stony ghost of
city. although the old sphinx and
her two sons continued to accept
his silver for food and a roof.
Late in the afternoon of the
third day. when his patience was
waning. a camel outfit appeared to
eastward. 1t could not be his prodi-
gal driver. Con went forth to show
himself. He was done with sub
terfuge, and the village offered no
concealment. had he wished to hide.
There were half a dozen men in
the approaching party. or. on a
closer look, two men and their
servants. all bobbing nearer on
camels.
Chez Ming was heading the out
fit. He sat under a tapping sum
shade. His dry face was unchang
ed, although his soul became a
curse against the western youth
who had persisted. He hated the
steadiness of Levington's eyes and