, 1922-11-22

Inc EAAAAAHlAu AAlkNAAH'@H
act caught The mans atten-
ton. and Vhen he was alone he pick
- the thing up and turned q over,
II was an old-ba-terod, silver rim,
enclosing q picture OF himself cut
cut OF an illustrated paper. The pic
ture was yellow with age and marx
ed around in faded ink. It showed a
smart young officer above a legend
OF brilliant achievement" He re
membered distinctly the very day that
a marked cop OF this paper had
come TO him. sent out by an ador-
ing aunt.
The brilliant achievement had been
the rather clever banding OF some
guns in 4 hill fight. II was a tiny
war and the correspondent was max
ing all he osuld OF every incident.
He hels the thing a in has
hands. trying to remember how many
years ago that had been. 1, seemed a
lifetime. n he put II back gently
on the table. face down.
Immediately the girl came ir with
a tea-tray. She could not And a
servant in the house but she was not
disturbed. She was flushed and smil.
ing; her volvety brown eyes danced
and :he corners OF her mouth made
little dimples.
In the mans humming head the
thought passed that in eastern coun-
tries this slipping away Of the serv-
ants meant something serious. Tnings
like # had preceded ',e iautiny.
But his mind was in saotf.er quar-
Ter. Did she know him? His brown
hair was shot with gray now there
was hardly any brown left in it. His
Jaw, wmlid look lean and bony; the
planes Of mis- face would be Eattened.
she could hardly wait 10 show him
what she IA brought In with the
tea. She slipped the tray I the
table and put the thing into his
lands.
1t was a letter written 20 the hero
"a sheet from an old blue-ruled copy
book, the words painfully printed the
letters uneven 'r'' and Wv always a
head taller than tho rest.
81 called them 9are-ah' and double
ah," she said. They were harder
10 make than the others"
Then she gave his arm a little
squeeze.
isn't the postscript
He thought the fingers were on
lis heart. He could hardly read the
Imprinted line.
and If you come over and liek the
Yankees. I will love you more better
He felt himself going weak all
over. This was the only lovelettef
that any woman had ever written
him. He had got inuumerable 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' pull
ing at him, a cool finger crooked
around his heart.
He felt that he was capable OF
committing any folly. But he said
only:
ut is charming"
He wished TO ask for the letter,
that he might keep it always but ne
did not know how to put it. He was
irving TO think Of some way, when
suddenly. IN :he direction of h cita-
del. a gun booined. lie had been
folding the letter up. turning 1t in
his fingers. trying to think how TO
ask for II. and SO did not see the girl
90 over to the window. Now she gave
4 little smothered cry. He put the
III of paner down and crossed at
once to her.
Immediately he saw what had
alarmed her. When they had entered
from the car, they had left the gate
unlocked and now figures were Slip
ping in.
An Arab, in a white burnoose, was
pushing the gate gently open. He
was ~stooping over, and carried the
lager bayonet of a German rifle in
his lean, brown hand. Behind him was
a black face and a blue caftan after
that
It is the strength OF England IN
thu east 10 act first and masterful-
". The mar knew what this furtive
entering meant. what the boom Of
the gun meant, and he hesitated no
fraction Of a moment.
Keep inside" he said, and he
went out of the room and down the
steps.
In the hail he looked about an in
slant, as for a weapon. There was
none, but on a rack by the oor with
crops and walking sticks. there was
a heavy dog whip with a long plat
ed lash. He caught it down as he
paused.
He crossed the garden IN great
strides. The creatures in The gate
hesitated and crowded together. only
the Arab advanced, the dagger bayo-
net concealed under his hurnoose.
But the courage and the contempt Of
tie Engllshman mastered him. as
the front and menace Of the advanc-
ing keeper masters a suarling beast.
He struck out With his weapon
but the heavy whip lashed him. cut
png his face, his neck his shoulders