Evening star., 1922-12-31
tcontinued from Yesterdays star,

seemed just like other men anu Se'
behaved in this this eNtaoi
dinary fashion.
I'm not aware that my behavior
.s extraordinary. Every man IN m!
country has a harem if he can anoro
it"
Deliberately he put these facts be-
fore the girl in his desire to hurt anu
hate her as he hated her father. But
tho look of suffering on her race
hurt him as much as he was hurting
her. And he hated himself more than
he hated her. because uproottng the
love he had for her out of his heart
was proving such difficult task.
ITS a harem. is it," Pansy said
distastefuI1y. Now I'm beginning to
understand Eut don't want to
now it was mistake my asking you
here. But I wanted you TO know
She founlered and stopped and
started again. anxious to be fair
with him in spite Of everything.
Il wanted you to understand that
the fact of your religion and race
made your behavior seem quite diner-
ent from what it would have been
wen we're you :" sss maj Emrpea" kn"p You have have
YOUR point of view. that ! cant in
all fairness blame you for doing wha t
IS not wrong according 20 your stand
point. even if il is according to mine.
Win MS cora. cruel STllle utSnt IL
ing. he watched her fioundering after
excuses for him. endeayoring to see
his point of view. to he just and fair.
You're very maGnanimous he
said. with biting scorn.
And YOU are very unkind. she
flashed. suddenly out OF patience.
N"You're making everything as hard
for me as you possibly can. You're
doing it deliberately; and you look
as if you enjoyed hurting me. 1
never thought you'd be like this.
Raoul ! would have liked to part
as friends since .. since anything
else IS impossible"
His name on her lips made a spasm
cross lie Breton's face.
As he stood there fighting against
himself he knew he was still madly
t'n love with the girl he was deter
mined to hate. and he despised him
self for his own wea kneSs.
Pansy watched him. i look of sup
pressed suffering shadowing her eyes.
She would have given all she pos
sessed-her cherished freedom. her
vast riches. her life--to have had him
as she once thought him. man of
her own colour. not with this dread
ful black barrier between them;
tragedy so ghastly that the fact of
Lucille Lemesurier now seemed a
laughing matter. He was lost to her.
forever. No amount of love or un-
derstandins could pull down that
barrier.
Good bye" she said holding out
her hand. I'm sorry we ever dropped
across one another
lie Breton made no reply. Cold and
unsmilinE. he watched her
There was a brief silence.
Outside. the sea Sobbed and spla sh ed
like tears against The vessels side
But all the tears in the world could
not wash the black stain from him.
AS they stood looking at one an
dirge in Pansy's head:
What src waiting for? Oh, nv heart.
kiss me straight on she brow and part:
AEan'9 Again. my heart. my heart.
A pleading looI-a stifed cry
Good bye forever. Goodbye. goodbye
Good bye" she said again.
linen ne smiled his cold. cruel smile.
NO. Pansy. ] say-au revoir."
Ignoring her outstretched hand. he
bowed. Then. after one long look
at her. he turned and was gone
AS the door closed behind him
Fansy blinked back two tears.
II had hurt her horribly to see him
so set and cold with that cruel look
in his eyes where love once had been
She wished that The Sultan" had
killed her that day in the East End
of London: or that Raoul LIE Breton
mad been drowned that night in the
sea Anything rather than that thev
snouId nave met to make each other
suffer.
CHAPTER I.
over El-Ammeh great stars flashed.
like silver lamps in the purple dome
above the desert city. Their light
gave faint. misty white tfnge to the
scented blueness of the harem garden.
There trees sighed softly. moving
Sh
breeze stirred them The walled
pleasance was filled with the scent of
flowers. of roses. magnolia, heiiotrope,
mimosa and a hundred other bios
garden.
In sunken ponds the stars were mir
rored. rocking gently on the surface
Of the ruffied water. Close by one Of
me silvered pools. mans figure
garments. Against him a slender girl
leaned.
Rayma's eyes rivaled the stars as
she gazed up at her sultan and owner
anxiety lurked
A fortnight ago. the sultan had re-
turned to El-Ammeh. The first week
had been one of blissful happiness for
The Arab girl. For her master had re-
turned more her lover than ever. But,
as the days went on. doubts crept into
her heart. vague and haunting. At
times it seemed to her he was not
quite the same man who left her for
Paris. For he had a habit now that
he had not had before he went away
"a diseoncerting habit Of looking at
her with unseeing eyes. as II his
thoughts were elsewhere.
This mood was on him now
Although the night called for moth
ing but love and caresses, none had
fallen to her lot. Although she rested
against him. she might not have been
there for all the notice he took. He
appeared to have forgotten her. as he
Ga1ed in brooding. longing manner
at the soft. velvety depths Of the pur-
as pansies.
Rayma pressed closer to her lord
and sultan. looking at him with love-
laden, anxious eyes.
Beloved" she whispered softly, "are
YOUR thoughts with some woman in
Paris?
with a start, his attention came
hack to her. In the starlight he
scanned her little face in a fierce,
hungry, disappointed manner For the
slight golden girl who now rested
upon his heart brought him none Of
The contentment he had known when
PAnsy had been there.
mo. little one" he said gently. Il
prefer you to all the women I met in
PariA"
Her slim arms went round his neck
in q clingfng passionate embrace.
''Oh, my lord" she Whispered, such
words are my life. At times think
YOU do not love me as you once did.
You seem not quite the same. For.
often, although your arms are around
me. you forget that l am there: