The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-02-03

led TO the GObi desert.
The nffair Of the present morning
recurred TO mind-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 APP
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 a breath OF the drugl
Lexington went now TO the outer cor
ners OF his prison, enduring the hostile
eyes OF double guard, TO look for the
ylne-covered bower of royal entertain
ment. bu' could see nothing OF It. He
must have turned into q courtyard OF
the palace itself. One grim assurance
clung 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 sllken awning
and repeated her name. He was awak-
ened to 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 HMM
the throne room, her glance toward
the prisoner she had spared. her bore
dom with the proceedings. her beauti-
full feet, Western woman as he must
have guessed had II not been for the
slight tilt OF her brows and this he
had seen. more closely, TO be but the
cunning work Of her maid-servants; In
her own apartment, surrounded by
things American, the transformation
| that was not complete because of her
Chinese training, personal qualities
that tantallzed him. the first words
that had thrilled him so unaccountably
and the last bringing 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-
tional view she held OF her own future
as queen OF this fantastic state. These
fragmentary thoughts possessed Lev
ington. brought him life as It had
never come before. hurt 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 had a totally new aspect.
and the novelty OF II now brought him
to his feet. His gray slave started up
in surprise. and the pair OF big-sword-
ed soldiers made themselves felt at
the stair-head. For The first time In
his career Con rebelled ssstnst death.
II seemed no longer a part of the
game. Instant or slow. death Gid not
interest him now; II was n stupid ruie
OF the play. He wanted nightly 10
live. There was something both sweet
and very bitter in dwelling in the same
desert city with Helen March. There
were so many things he had to tell
her, so much he longed to ask; also
an additional urgency for a talk with
her father.
Late in the afternoon, he retreated
to his inner chamber, hot and impa-
tlent. In the smaller OF two rooms,
which were barely furnished. the walls
creamy white, he flung himself upon
the soft couch, but Its touch was odd
ly unpleasant, like a caress from the
wrong person. He arose In disgust,
and stared at the brass lamp with Its
fragrant green oil. The gray boy also
had come In out OF the sun, and was
now a-squint beside the divan. Slow
ly he pulled the cord that set the long
curtains swaying overhead. From time
to time he sprlnkled 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 bestowinp
! these elaborate attentions upon him
only to make him a better white sire
In the history OF Tau Kuan.
No one came. The sun laid a COLDER
path across the rug of the outer room
Levington's repeated requests, invita-
tions and demands for Chez Ming re
suited In nothing. The day seemed
intermlnable.
At the hour OF sunset his two war
riors appeared at the door, with two
others. They were always the same
sort OF tall, muscular riders, ant
seemed to represent certain blend Of
large-boned 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 blade wal
poised and darting about his face.
"Thcy brought me Kurdish won
an" said March, with a tinge OF dis
gust.
"what is our mover" asked Lev
ington, as they unwound his costume
+ and the masseur appeared at his side
II can't bear IT," said March.
"we've got TO find a way. Have yog
, figured out anything2"