The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-05-16

| Kismet glided out Of sight as stealthily
as he had appeared. And Mary, with
quickly beating heart, wondered If the
Oriental had seen her, recognized her?
4 His mad pursuit of her today-it wasn't
possible that he had been drunk at ALL
He could not then have sobered up so
quickly.
| Besides, after Dick Calardin had felled
him to the ground he had leaped up like
an acrobat, sprung through the hedge
and flown like hare across the fields
Such agility was not usually displayed
by drunken men.
"A dangerous fellow!" Dick had called
him.
isis he your servantF' Mary fall
tered, turning to Vandaveer.
At her question curiously perturbed
light cleaned in the eyes of her COM
panion. Mary was a friend of Dick
! Calardin; the part that kismet had
played in Dicks young life was not a
thing I'd be made known for Kismet
had half-strangled Dick in Kimberley
then run away just as success-and
Dicks priceless diamond,-were within
in his graspl
OF course, Kismet had at that time
been known under another name. The
fight had occurred in the darkness of
Dicks bedroom in the Kimberley hotek
Dick couldn't prove his assailant to be
Vandaveers servant, although the young
mans suspicious had been reused.
And Kismet had cleared off completely.
Even Vandayeer had not heard from him
for a week. Meantime the Kimberley po
lice had done their best to track the
Cngalee.
He (vandaveer) had been fool to bring
his Oriental servant once again into the
neighborhood of Dick Calardin Kismet
was a willy fellow-and, of course there
was no actual proof against him, but
young Calardn might easily circulate a
damaging story, which would queer both
Kismet and his master in the eyes of the
rich Darlington Bellairs and Miss Eve
Rochester--a lady whom Julian Wanda
veer wished to fascinate for reasons best
known to himself-materia1 reasons!
Eve was a clever girl. She would help
him on tremendously in his career" of
blackguard. Into her spiders net male
flies would certainly fall. Cards, gam
blng-in every shady way of earning a
dishonest penny. Eve would be sufficient
lure"
She would possibly be rich one day
sooner For If he-Julian Vandaveer-
should bring himself to marry Eve. Their
possibly there would be settlements" OF
unprecedented generosity.
At Mary's question Vandaveer mar
rowed his eyes, and then Re smiled.
Yes, Kismet is my servant. He hasn''
been very long in my employ, of course, y
This was a diplomatic stroke.
1--WE had a heap of other servants Of
his type-two other Cingalees, and onct
Pathan-but they couldn't touch thi:
man for faithfulness and general excel.
ence of character.
If Dick Calardin had recounted the
midnight fight at Kimberley to this girl
the above remarks would certainly pu
her suspicious off the right track Tit
fight had taken place five years ago ane
he had been telling her that Kismet hac
not been very long in his employ;
clever fib!
"Come on-let's have game o
bridget Eve yawned. She did not lik
another girl to absorb the conversation
she was not going to let little chit lik'
Mary Drew attract her friend. Mar,
had received sufficient attention thi
evening already.
Mary guessed her thoughts. She moved
, over to distant corner of the hall and be
gan to examine some old-fashioned armo
, there.
The aunt of Darlington Bellairs fol
, lowed Mary She wished to have cha
: with the young girl.
We'll leave the others to their bridge