The Washington times., 1922-05-28

q man standing In the open door
way. His back was turned 10
her, but in a moment she saw
that the short slim figure In
white linen European clothes bo.e p
no resemblance to the tall Arab
she had expected to see. She
thought her footsteps were noise.
less, but he turned with a little
quick bow. A typical French
man with narrow, alert, clean
shaven face, sleek black hair aud
dark restless eyes. His legs wero
slightly bowed and he stopped n
little; his appearance was TINT cf
a jockey with the manners Of a
well.trained servant. Diana color
ed hotly under his glance, but his
eyes were lowered instantly.
Madame Is doubtless ready
for lunch" He spoke rapid
", but his voice was low
and pleasant. His mo"e-
ments were as quick and as quiet
as his voice. and in dream
Diana found herself In few
moments before a lunch that was
perfectly cooked and daintily
served The man lowered about
her solicitously, attending to her
wants with dexterous hands and
watchful eyes that anticipated
every need. She was bewildered.
faint from want Of food. every
thing seemed unreal. For the
moment she could just sit still
and be waited on by the soft
footed, softspoken manserVant
who seemed such a curious ad
iunct to the household OF an
Arab chief.
"Monseigneur begs that you
will excuse him until this even
ing. He will return in time for
dinner" he murmured as he
handed her a CONSCIOUS.
Diana looked up blankly,
"Monseigneur?"
My master. The Sheik."
She flushed scarlet and her
face hardened Hypocritical.
Oriental beast who begged to
be excused" She refused the
last dish curtly. and as the serv-
ant carried it away she propped
her elbows on the table and
rested her aching head on her
hands. A headache was among
the new experiences that had
overwhelmed her since the day
before. Suffering in any form
was new to her. and her hatred
OF the man who had made her
suffer grew with every breath
she drew.
The Frenchman came back with
coffee and cigarettes. He held a
match for her, Coaxing the reluc-
tant flame with patience that de-
noted long experience with in.
ferior sulphur.
"Monseigneur dimes AZ eight.
At what hour will Madame have
tea?" he asked. as he cleared
away and folded up the table.
Diana choked back the sarcas-
tic retort that sprang TO her
lips. The mans quiet, deferential
manner. that refused TO see any
thing extraordinary in her pres
ence in his masters camp, was
almost harder to bear than flag
rant impertinenCe would have
been. That she could have dealt
with: this left her tingling "th
a feeling of impotence, as II a
net were gradually closing round
her in whose entangling meshes
her vaunted liberty was not only
threatened, but which seemed
destined even to stifle her very
existence. She pulled her rae
ing thoughts up with a jerk.
She must not think IL she was
going to keep any hold over her
self at all. She gave him an
answer indifferently and turned
her back on him. When sh'
looked again he was gone, an l
she heaved a sigh OF relief. She
had chafed under his watChfLl
eyes until the feeling Of restraint
had grown unbearable.
She breathed more freely now
that he was gone. flinging up
her head and jerking her should
ers back with an angry determ.
ination to conquer the fear that
made her ashamed. Natural
curiosity had been struggling
with her other emotions, and
she gave way to 1t now to try
and turn the channel of her
thoughts from the fixed direc-
ton in which they tended, and
wandered round the big room.
The night before she had taken
in nothing Of her surroundings,
her eyes had been held only by
the man who had dominated