The Washington times., 1922-06-16

bnuooer. Inc Oruea DokoTc heT
cut like knife into her heart. Tie
pride that Ahmed Ben Hassar had
not yet killed famed up and racksd
her with humiliation and shame.
the shame that still scared her soul
like q hot iron. so that there we're
moments she could not bear even
the presence Of the man who Rad
made her what she was. In spite Of
the love she bore him. and. plead
ing fever. prayed to be alone. Not
that he ever granted her prayer,
for he knew fever when he saw IL.
but would pull her down beside
him with q mocking laugh that
still had the power TO hurt %
much. The thought Of what II
would be to her to meet his friend
had presumably never entered his
mind, or II II had 1t had made no
impression and been dismissed 40
negligible. 1t was the point of
view. she supposed dreariiy; the
standpoint from which he looked
at things was fundamentally diff
ferent from her own-racially and
temperamentally they were poles
apart. To him she was only the
woman held In bondage, q thing Of
no account. She sat very still for
a while with her face hidden. until
a discreet cough from CASTOR
warned her that time was flying.
She went back to the horses slowly
with white face and compressed
lips. There was the usual trouble
in mounting. and her strained
nerves made her impatient Of The
Dancers idiosyncrasies. ana she
checked him sharply. making him
rear dangerously.
Careful. Madame" cried CASTOR
warningly.
For whom-me or Monseig-
neur's horse?" she retorted bit.
terly. and ignoring her hat. which
CASTOR held out to her with re-
proachful eyes. she spurred the
horse viciously, making him break
into a headlong gallop. It had got
to be gone through. 20 get 1t over
as soon as possible. And behind
her. Castor. for the first timc in
all his long service, cursed the
master he would cheerfully have
died for.
The horses nerves, like her own,
were on edge. and he pulled badly,
his smooth satiny neck growing
dark and scanned with sweat;
Diana needed all her knowledge 10
control him. and she began TO won
der II when they came to the camr
she would be able TO stop him.
She topped an undulation that was
some little distance from the tents
with misgivings. and wrapped the
reins rounds her hands to prevent
them slipping through her fingers.
AS they neared she saw the she,k
standing outside his tent. with .
tall. thin man beside him. She
had only q glimpse OF dark. unruly
hair and q close-cut beard ~ she
shot past. unable to pull up The
Dancer. But tust beyond tho tent,
with the reins cutting into her
hands she managed to haul MIN
round and bring him back. A
couple Of grooms jumped TO his
head. but. owing to his peculiar
tactics, landed short, and no
pranced to his own satisfaction ard
Disna's rage. until the Amusement
Of II passed and he let himself be
caught. Diana had done nothing
to stop him once she had mana Sed
to turn him. II the horse chose 10
behave like q fool she was not
going to be made 10 look fool
ish by fighting him when STE
knew that II was useless. IN
the hands Of the men he
sidled and snorted. and. dropping
the reins. Diana pulled Off her
gloves and sat for q moment rub
bing her sore hands. Then the
Sheik came forward and she slid
down. Before looking at him she
turned. and. catching at The
Dancers head. struck him angrily
over the nose with her thick riding
gloves and watched him led away,
plunging and protesting. pulling
the gloves through her fingers.
nervously, until Ahmed Ben Has.
sans voice made her turn.
Diana. the vicomte de Saint
Hubert waits to be presented to
you
She drew herself up and the
color that had come into her face
drained out Of It again. Slowly
she glanced up at the man standing
before her, and looked straight
into the most sympathetic eyes
that her own sad. defiant ones had
ever seen. Only for a moment.
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