Evening star., 1923-01-07

derstand him as abe did.
/ Through the. iron bars Pansy ca
ressed her pet
"I never expected to see you again.
sultan old boy" she said. "Raoul
must have Bought you, too"
She was standing there talking to
and petting the animal when lie
Breton's step reused her.
Are you pleased to see him again ~
he asked. after greeting her.
Pleased isn't the word for It But
him7"
He was really the cause of my
hSd of y9Y sS as rfRed h IN ts the
possession of one OF the soldiers who
had come back from that foray. That
| made me doubly certain who the
white girl was whom the sultan was
going to put up for. sale"
"Raoul. you must let me give you
back all you had to pay for me-" she
"Why should you?". he asked. a
slight smile lowering about his lips
You saved my life. Now were quits
Pansy did not argue the point
Nevertheless, she determined to repay
! him once she and her father were
back in civilization.
How long will II take to get my
| father free?" she asked.
"It all depends on the sort of mood
| I catch tho sultan in. With the best
of luck, It'll be some weeks.
HAS he got my note yet, 40 you
think?" she asked anxiousiy. he y
go gray with worrying over me.
can't bear to think Of the look on his
face when he saw me In that
that awful slave market
Lee Breton had destroyed her mes
sage the moment he had Eeaened IN, ns,
the beautiful eyes that looked at MIN
with such perfect trust. ~,
II exepect the message will get
through before the day Is out ne
answered. IT'S merely a matter OF
'baksheesh.'
Al his words the world became
quite a nice place again for Pansy'
the only shadow in il now the dark
blood in her lover.
CHAPTER XVI.
Night filled the harem with shadows
and scent. The silver lamps cast a
soft glow through the huge nan,
elinttnE on wide ottomans ano plies
OF cushions, on little tables set Wltn
coffee and .sherbet, sweets and fru1'
and cigarettes.
There were perhaps thirty women
in the great room, but the majority
of them were the attendants OF tne
half dozen girls lolling on eouches
and cushions around tho splashlhs
fountain.
I,eonora was stretched. her dark eyes
fixed spitefuIly on an adjacent lounge
where the Arab girl lay. her @ isce
hidden in the cushions. her golden
form almost buried in her wealth OF
"See. Rayma. it's night again '
Leonora said, malice in her SOFT;
drswIing voice. Might, And still
our Lord Casim has not come to WISH
you" 49, o.hAr
girl. but no reply.
How YOU jeered at me, Ray m q
when YOU stole his heart from me,
I,eonora went on. But now IL seems
another has stolen his heart from
you. since he no longer comes 10 see
you. Another whom l shall welcome
as a sister. Is
At the taunt Rayna sat up sudden -.
". with a wild gesture pushing the
mass OF black hair back from her
"For weeks and weeks he has not
been here" she walled. "Oh. my
bssrt IL breaks for love of him"
Leonora laughed, but an eiderly
woman sitting near laid a soothlhE
hand on the distraught girl.
"Hush, Rayma, my pearl, she SAID
Haven't I often told you our sultan
has had thoughts for. nothing but
vengeance of late?"
Mould vengeance keep him away
! from me all these weeks? It's more
than vengeance. It's love. Love foT
some other girl.
Rayma clutched at the woman viii