The Washington times., 1922-06-26

DTOkon 6OIuo SSAoAcs ohe
she had no means OF even guess
ing the hour, but 1t must be well
on in the evening. BY now the
absence of herself and CASTOR
and their escort would be dis
covered. He would know her peril
and he would come to her.
OF that she had no doubt. AL
though he had changed so
strangely In the last few days.
though the wonderful gentleness
of the last two months had
merged again into indifference
and cruelty, stili she never
doubted. Even II desire had
passed and indifference had be-
come 90 great that she was no
longer necessary to him. still the
Oriental jealousy with which he
was so deeply imbued would
never allow him to let her pass
SO lightly from his keeping. He
might discard her at his own
pleasure. but no one would take
her. from him with impunity.
Her woman's intuition had sensed
the jealousy that had actuated
him during the unhappy days
since Saint Hubert had come.
An inconsistent jealousy that had
been unprovoked and unjustified.
but for which she had suffered.
She had known last night, when
she WINGED under his sarcastic
tongue. and later. when Saint
Hubert had left them and his
temper had suddenly boiled over.
that she was paying for the un-
accustomed strain that he was
putting on his own feelings. His
curses had eaten into her heart
and she had fled from him to
stifle the coward instinct that
urged her to confess her love and
beg his mercy. She had lain
awake with shivering apprehen.
sion waiting for him. but when.
after nearly two hours. he had
sauntered in. the usual cigarette
between his lips, indifference had
taken the place of rage, and he
had ignored her. AZ she had
grown used to being ignored.
And long after she knew from
Ak. a,,a, kroathip0 that he uraa
asleep she had lain wide-eyed
beside him. grasping at what
happiness she could, living for
the moment as she had schooled
herself to live. trying to be con-
tent with just the fact Of his
nearness. And the indifference
OF the night had been maintained
when he had left her at dawn.
his persistent silence pointing the
continuance Of his displeasure.
But he would come. II for no other
reason than the same jealousy
which held him In its inexorable
grip. He would come! He would
come! She whispered 1t over to
herself as IL merely the sound Of
the words gave her courage. He
would not let anything happen to
her. Every moment that Ibraheim
OMAR stayed away was so much
gained, every moment he would be
coming nearer. The reversal OF
the role he played in her life
brought a quivering smile TO her
lips. For the advent Of the man
who a few weeks before she had
loathed for his brutal abduction Of
herself she now prayed with the
desperation Of despair. He repre-
sented sefety. salvation, every
thing that made life worth living.
A sudden noise and mems voices
in the adjoining room sent her to
her feet with heaving breast and
clenched hands. But the sharp,
gutteral voice predominating over
the other voices killed the wild
hope that had sprung up in her by
Its utter dissimilarity to the soft
low tones for winch she longed.
Ibraheim OMAR! He had come
first! She set her teeth with a
long. shuddering breath, bracing
herself to meet what was coming.
The Arab woman turned to look
at her again with a sneering smile
that was full Of significance, but
beyond a fleeting glance Of dis.
dain Diana paid no attention to
her. She stood rigid, one foot
beating nervously into the soft
rug. She noticed irrelevantly at
the moment that both her spurs
and the empty holster had been re.
moved while she was unconscious
and with the odd detachment that
transfers a train Of thought from
the center OF Importance even at
a supreme moment, she wondered,
with annoyance that seemed curl.
ously futile, why 1t had been done.
The voices in the next room con-
tinued. until Diana almost prayed
for the moment she was waiting
for would come; suspense was