Alma record., 1921-09-01

MS nOSt scenes ana events nearly TWO
decades old. He told his host how he
had been a captain I'm the Foreign Lc'
giOn Of France stationed at that time
I'm Africa. lie told how he had hunted
down marauding bands of Arabs and
blacks In the heart Of the great desert
of Sahara. He told how he had in
camp with him his little four-year-old
daughter and how ne came back TO
camp one day To find that she had
mysterlously disappeared.
Neither the wealth Of her father and
mother nor all the powerful resources
of the great French republic were able
TO wrest the secret Of her whereabouts
from the inscrutnble desert that had
swallowed her and her abductor.
A reward Of such enormous proper
tlons was offered that many adven-
turers were attracted to the hunt,
among them Jensen and Ahlbihn.
This was no case for the modern de-
tectlve of civilization, yet several of
these threw themselves into the search.
The bones of some are bleaching be-
meath the African sun upon the silent
sands OF the Sahara.
'T have come TO you," explained
General JacOt as he concluded, "be-
cause our dear admiral tells me that
there is no one in all the world who
Is more intimately acquainted with
Central Africa than you.
1--WE did all that love and money and
even government resources could do TO
discover her, but all to no avail.
"A week since there came to me in
Paris n swarthy Arab, who called him
self Abdul Kamak. He said that he
had found my daughter and could lead
me to her. / took him at once to Ad-
mlral D'Arnot, who / knew had trav-
eled some in Central Africa. The mans
story led the admiral to believe that
the place where the girl the Arab sup
posed TO be my daughter was held in
captivity was not far from your AZ
rican estates, and he advised that
come ut once and call upon you--that
you would know If such a girl were in
your nelghborhood"
'What proof did the Arab bring that
she was your daughter? asked Lord
Greystoke.
None" replied the other. "That is
why we thought best TO consult you
before organizing an expedition. The
fellow had only an old photograph of
her, on the back of which was pasted
newspaper cutting describing her and
pFfA
having found this somewhere, it had
aroused his cupidity and led him to
believe that in some way he could OBJ
tain the reward, possibly by foisting
upon us white girl on the chance
that so many years had elapsed that
we would not be able TO recognize an
impostor as SUCH
"Have you the photograph with
youf' asked Lord Greystokc.
The general drew an envelope from
his pocket, took Il yellowed photograph
from 1t and handed It TO the English
man. Tears dimmed the old warriors
eyes as they fell again upon the pic
tured features Of his lost daughter.
Lord Greystoke examined the pho
| tograph for a moment A queer ex-
preston entered his eyes. He touched
a bell at his elbow, and an instant
/ later n foOtman entered.
ASK my sens wife If she will be so
good as to come TO the library" he
] directed.
The two men sat in silence. General
Jacot was too well bred to show In
any way the chagrin and disappoint-
ment he felt I'm the summary manner in
which Lord Greystoke had dismissed
! the subject of his call As soon as the
young lady had come and he had been
presented he would make his de-
parture.
A moment later Meriem entered.
Lord Greystole and General Jacot
rose and faced her. The Englishman
spoke no word Of introduction. He
wanted TO sec the effect OF the first