Evening star., 1922-12-27
"A Son of the Sahara
"A Modern Story Of the Desert
Continued From Yesterday's Star. J
1s.7, sy tn. Maeau..y O..

She had been swept OFF her feet
over her depth before she knew 1t.
by daylight her freedom and indie
pendence were as sweet to her as LIE
Rreton's love had been by the roman.
tic light OF the moon. In the sober
light of morning she tried to struggle
back to where she had been before
the hot flood OF love he had poured
over her had made her promise more
than she was now prepared to full
NIL. ..
Its a woman's privilege to change
her mind"
Pansy grasped at the old adage;
but to her promise was promise
not lightly given or lightly snatched
away. So she did not derive much
comfort from dwelling on the old saw.
She was sitting up in bed, hugginS
her knees and frowninG in dire per-
plexity when her maid came in with
the early morning tea. And the
frCwn was there when the woman
came to say her bath was ready
A thoufhtful mood eveloped her
during her dressing. And out of her
musing this note was born
My Dearest Raoul.
II can call YOU that because you
are dearer to me than any one on this
; earth. dearest beyond all things eX-
cept my liberty. Do not be horrid
and cross when I-say 1 cannot marry
YOU. in spite of all I promised last
night. Not for ten years at least.
And even then ] cannot bind myself in
any way for ! might be still hank
crinG after freedom. ! do love you
really, more than anything in the
u hnf
pendence.
you must not be too hard on me.
Raoul. I am not quite the same as
other women. II is not every girl of
twenty who is her own mistress, with
100000 a year TO do what she likes
with. II has made life seem so vast,
matrimony such cramped. everyday
affair. And do not want to handicap
myself in any way.
This letter sounds awfully selfish. I
know. | am not selfish really. Only
] love my liberty. 1t is the one thing
that is dcarer to me than you.
= Always your loving.
"PANSY."
When the letter was written. Pansy
suddenly remembered she did not
know his address.
Once satisfied that he was disin-
terested. she had bothered about moth
ing else. And after that one day spent
among the red roses he had become
something quite apart from the rest
of the world. not to be gossipped
about to mere people.
However. she knew that twenty
pesetaS given to the hall porter would
insure tn" note reaching its destina-
tion. The hotel staff would know
where he was staying, even if she
did not.
because the note was TO lie Breton.
Pansy .ook it down herself and gave
IL to the hall porter. When this was
done she wandered as far as the spot
where she had made her feeting vows.
TO see how it looked by daylight.
She fingered there for some min
utes, and then returned to her suite.
In the interval a message had come
from lie Breton.
1t stood on one of the little tables
Of her sitting room-a huge gilded
wicker basket full of half-blown. red
roses. In the midst of the flowers a
packet reposed. tied with red ribbon.
Pansy opened the package.
Inside was the gold casket she had
once refused. 1t was filled with pur-
pie pansies. still wet with dew. On
them a ring reposed, with one huge
sapphire deeply blue as her own eyes.
There was, note in with the f1oW-
ers. written in strong masculine
hand.
With a nutter about her. heart.
Pansy picked it out and read it
Hearts Ease. My Own Dear Little
This little gift comes to you with
all my love. my heart. my soul. my
very life. indeed. given forever into
your keeping.
"A week ago if any one had told me
! should have laughed at them. Until
meetinC you 7 did not know what
love was had no idea one woman
could he so satisfying. In you I have
found the heaven have been search
ing for all my life. My own houri.
and She u-suflicing-my little Eng
lish flower. 50 sweet and winsome. 50
kind and wayward so teasing and yet
so tender, who has brought new
fragrance into my life. a peace my
soul has never known till now. love
and gratitude into my heart that will
keep me- hers forever
Your devoted lover now and
''RAOUL LIE BRETON"
As Pansy read the note her lips
trembled.
She wished she had never tasted
the sweets Of liberty and independ-
once: that the grand godfather had not
left her his millions. She wished she
was Pansy Barclay again, mere girl.
not ono with enormous riches Turing
love was not. Just Pansy Barclay.
who could have met his love with
kisses and not cruel counter note.
CHAPTER XIV.
Considering 1t was nearly in the
morning before 11e Breton would let
Pansy out Of his arms. he did not ex-
pect her to be out and about at 6
o'clock for her usual ride. Neverthe-
less, he looked in at the hotel at that
hour and then rode on, indulging in
blissful daydrean1s
He knew Pansy had no idea who he
really was. He was prepared to marry
her according to her creed, for her
sake to put aside the fierce profligate
religion the late Sultan Casim Ammeh
had instilled into him.
And he was prepared to do very
much more than this.
In spite of his colossal pride in his
sultanship and his desert kingdom.
he knew that il Pansy got an inklinS
Of that side of his life his case would
be hopeless. His one idea was to
keep all knowledge Of the supposed
Arab strain in him from her. The
sultanship could go, his kingdom be
but source of income. He would
buy a house in Paris. They would
settle down there. and he would be-
come wholly the European she imag-
tned him to be.
Full of a future that held nothing
hut the English girl to whom he was
betrothed. and a desire to keep from
her all knowledge of his dark. saw
age heritage. at least until 1t would
he too late for her to draw back. LIE
Breton rode on. rejoicing in the early
morning freshness that reminded him
of TIE girl he loved.
On returning to the villa he inter
viewed the head gardener. Then he