The Raymer enterprise. (New Raymer, Weld County, Colo.) 1910-19??, 1921-02-17

tue uTus. Ouiy u uuu tndt tne tIhciIikS
led to the Cobb desert.
The affair Of the present morning
REQUIRED to mlnd-the monzoul In his
enchanted garden. Despite seeming
leisure, events In the palace went too
swiftly for final valuation. Con was
puzzled to find that the more closely
he tried to recall the garden. the up
pearance Of the fat lord. the singing
bird. the dancer, and the magician. the
less he knew about them. Had the
juggler poured his wine into the fourth
dimension. or was the watcher merely
transported by breath Of the drug?
Lexington went now to the outer cor
ners Of his prison. enduring the hostile
eyes Of double guard, to look for the
vine-covered bower Of royal entertain
ment. but could see nothing Of 1t. He
must have turned Into a courtyard Of
the palace itself. One grim assurance
chung to him-the sinister fragrance
Of koresh.
Through mid.afternoon, as often as
his active mind abandoned some new
and equally futile plan Of escape. his
thought clrcled around to Helen. He
recllned under the green silken awning
and repeated her name. He was awak.
ened 10 the center Of his being, and
was scarcely aware that every new
plan for escape Included two others
besides himself, and one princess.
Mentally she remained with him--in
the throne room. her glance toward
the prisoner she had spared. her bore
dom with the proceedings, her beauti.
fnl feet, a Western woman as he must
have guessed had Il not been for the
slight tilt Of her brows and this be-
had seen, more closely. to be bnt the
cunning work Of her maid-servnnts In
her own apartment. surrounded by
things American. the transformation
that was not complete because OF her
Chinese training. personal qualities
that, tantalized him. the first words
that had thrilled him 80 unaccOuntnbly
and the last bringing a clutch Of ter.
ror; the clear Young beauty Of her
face. her lips. the soft brown Of her
hair. the curve Of gIrlish shoulders.
the grave pleasure at meeting that
stranger. her father. and the unemO-
ti0naI view she held Of her own future
ns queen Of this fantastic state. These
fragmentary thoughts possessed Lev.
lngton. brought him life as II had
never come before. hnrt him savagely.
so that he sighed and tossed about on
the green cushions.
Then he remembered once again that
they would not permit him to live.
This fact hnd u totally new aspect,
and the novelty OF It now brought him
to his feet. His gray slave started up
In surprise. and the pair Of big-sword'
ell soldiers made themselves felt nj
the stair-head. For the first time In
his career Con rcballed against death
II seemed no longer a part Of the
game, Instant or slow. death did not
interest him now: Il was stupid rule
OF the play. He wanted nightly ia
live. There was something both swee,
and very bitter in dwelling in the same
desert city with Helen March. There
were so many things he Ind to tell
her. 80 much h" longed to ask: also
mn additional urgency for a talk with
her father.
Late In the afternoon, he retreated
to his inner chamber. hot and impa
tient. In the smaller of two rooms
which were barely furnished. the walls
creamy white. he flung himself upon
the soft conci. but lts touch was odd
~ unpleasant. like caress from the
wrong person. He arose In disgust
and stared at the brass lamp with its
fragrant green oil. The gray hoy also
had come In out Of the sun. and was
now a-squlnt beside the divan. SLOW
| ~ hc pulled the cord TINT set the long
curtains swaying overhead. From time
to time he sprinkled water upon these
curtains. then resumed the tanning
But physical comfort only heightened
Cons uneasiness. He felt the power
Of the fact that they were bestowine
these elaborate attentions upon him
" D.. : Z i-N AN.Hf =
only TO make him O better white sire
In the history Of Tau Kuan.
No one came. The sun laid golden
path across the rng Of the outer room
Levington's repeated requests, invita-.
lions and demands for Chez Ming re-
suited In nothing. The day seemed
interminable.
At the hour Of sunset his two war.
riors appeared al the door. with two
others. They were always the same
s0rt Of tall. muscular riders. and
seemed to represent certain blend n
large-honed races. especially designed
for war. They led Con to the baths
and March was already there. prone
upon the mat. suffering the barber
The familiar key.shaped blnde was
poised and larting about his face.
"'rhey brought me Kurdish won.
an" said March. with tinge Of dis.
gust.
"what Is our mover asked Lev.
ington, as they nnwound his costume.
and the masseur appeared at his side.
II cant bear It." said March.
"We've got to find way. Have you
figured ont anythIngY