Evening journal., 1922-11-23
CHAPTER III

Passing a center-table, as by in
advertenee. she turned down ;
Photograph frame.
The simple, unconscious nc
caught the mans attention. ant
when he was alone he picked th'
thing up and turned It over. II was
an old, battered silver rim, enclos
ing a picture OF himself cut out oi
an illustrated paper. Tho picture
was yellow with age and marked
around in faded ink 1t showed Z
smart young officer above a legend
OF brilliant Achievement" He re.
membered distincly the very day
that a marked copy of this paper
had come TO him, sent out by an
adoring aunt.
The brilliant achievement had
been the rather clever handling of
some guns in a hill fight. It was a
tiny war and the correspondent was
making all he could Of every. Incl
dent.
He held the thing a moment in
his hands trying to remember how
many years ago that had been. II
seemed a lifetime, and he put it
back gently on the table, face down.
Immediately the girl came in with
a tea-tray. She could not find a
servant in the house but she was
not disturbed. She was flushed and
smiling; her velvety brown eyes
danced, and the corners of her
mouth made little dimples.
In the mans humming head the
thought passed that in Eastern
countries this slipping away OF the
servants meant something serious.
Things like it had preceded the
Mutiny.
But his mind was in another quar-
ter. Did she know him? His brown
hair was shot with gray now; there
was hardly any brown left in it. His
jaw would look lean and bony; the
planes of his face would be fiattened.
She could hardly wait TO show him
what she had brought in with the
tea. She slipped the tray onto tie
table and put the thing into his
hands.
1 was a letter written to the
hero--a sheet from an old blue
ruled copy book. the words pain
fully printed. the letters uneven,
r. and wv" always a head taller
than the rest.
Il called them "are-ah and
'double-ah,'" she said. They were
harder to make than the others"
Then she gave his arm a little
squeeze.
Isn't the postscript heavenly"
He thought the fingers we're on
his heart. He could hardly read the i
m-printed line.
"ADd if you come over and lick I
the Yankees. will love you more
better"
He felt himself going weak all
over. This was the only love-letter
that any woman had ever written
him. He had got innumerable let
ters pretending TO be, but this was
the only one.
And here it was an April flower
reaching him in winter. Here was
youth dimpled and red-mouthed
pulling al him, cool finger crooked
around his heart
ne AE4k AA@AA s-r He- HA-AfNfHN - I
committing any folly. But he said
only:
1T Is charming.
He wished 70 ask for the letter,
that he might keep It always, but ,,
he did not know how 10 put g. He
was trying TO think OF some way
when, suddenly. IN the direction Of
the citadel. a gun doomed. He had q
been folding the letter up, turning !
i IN his fingers. trying 70 think how I
TO ask for i. and 50 did not see the :
girl 20 over 10 the window. Now !.
ne gave a little smothered cry. He !,
put The bit of paper down end e
crossed a. once 70 her.
Immediately he saw what had
alarmed her When they had en- ''
Tered from the car. they had left the
pate unlocked and now ngures were 2
Skipping in.
Al Arab IN a white burnoose was :
pushing the gate gently open. He ?
was STOPPING over and carried the 5
iagger bayonet Of a German rife in J
his lean. brown hand. Behind him 2
was a black face. and a blue caftan y
after that.
Il is the strength OF England in d
the East 10 act first and master 4
fully. The man knew what this a
furtive entering meant. what the 4
boom OF the gun meant. and he p
hesitated no fraction OF a moment s
keep Inside" he said. and he 4
went out OF the room and down the Z
steps. 3
In the hail he looked about an in
slant, as for a weapon. There was ,
none. but on a rack by the door
VI h crops and walking sticks. there
was a heavy dog whip with a long
,laited ash. He caught It down as e
le passed.
He crossed the garden in great :
itr.6es. The creatures in the gate J
rsitated and crowded together. only
he Arab advanced, the dagger bayo {
let concealed under his burnoose. d
But the courage and the contempt
4 the Englishman mastered him, as I
he front and menace of the advanc- {
1g keeper masters a snarling beast.
He struck out with his weapon.
ut the heavy whip lashed him. cut
ng his face, his neck, his shoulders S
nd like a dog. he was driven back a
nd a moment later the whole evil 4
'atured troop went crowding Il
trough the gate like jackals. a
He shot the bolts and made the s.
ate fast. Then he felt a hand
ipped through his arm, and the
rl was beside him. Her face was n
Ill of color. There was something L
'ft and nery in the pose of the y