Evening star., 1923-05-15
TUUAY'S INSTALLMENT.
XXIN-On n Long journey.

IL-BETT. realizing she was vast
ing valuable moments. turned
- her attention at once to her OBJ
ject of securing the box. as the
shark put to sea.
With all haste she reached it.
Small as it was. its heft seemed ten
fold greater from the pressure of the
water. She was barely able to lift it.
Heaven grant that it may contain
what I so earnestly hope for" was
the thought that fitted through her
mind as she faced about. giving
Nudge the signal to be drawn up.
There was no answering response
from above a moment of intense
anxiety followed for JilEett. Did he
not understand Could anything have
happenedo Again she jerked des-
perately at the rope.
At that instant. through the water
which the sun had rendered clear as
dav she beheld the Arab descending
iondinp close beside her. lll-bett
cI,,tched the box closer. again sig
Mailing Nudge. Ben-Ali thrust OUT
his strong arm attemDtinE to wrfSt
II from her. Jil-Hett clunC TO II WIN
the strength of desperation.
Then followed the most desperate
of struggles between the Wlry. mus
cular man and the frail young Slri.
It ended by heavy blow beihE uea
JjlBett. In that awful moment she
was dimly conscious OF announcer hs
ure approaching them.
She sunk in a heap on the ocean :
bed-then she knew no more.
Jil-Bett opened her eyes later 10
find Mrs. Nudge bending over he[
in the Nudge home.
was il all a horrible dream? she
casned in alright, full realiZa non
Of what was happening during tha'
last moment of consciousness recur-
ring to her. ,,-
from her hot forehead. answering
reassuringly: THE Arab. Ben-All'
wouId have made short work of you
down there. where there was no one:
as he supposed. to see or KNOW. II
n had not been for your own good
Jack. , ou ,1,,dee
y-Rett. When Ren-Ali appeared,
signifying his intention of gong
down. too, never dreaming of any
thin@ amiss and he being his boss.
at that. he thought it quite all right
Then Jack appeared. looking so
worried. When Nudge told him that
YOU and the Arab were down. ne ne
jieyed him to be simply Jealous. y
moment or so later when he saw the
violent twitchinc of the ropeS. he
realized something was terrlplN
wrong down there. He drew up
Jack, who held you clasped close 10
him. .,o;o, -,
"a few gaspinr words eXnlained All
70 Nudge. who tore off both of your
helmets quickly.
lack had been Just in time to
witness the attack upon YOU. Dur
ing the mad struggle with you. the
Arabs helmet became loosened. IN
his mad haste to get down ne W"uia
scarcely wait for Nudge t" adjust it
uroperIy. That caused him to meet
the fate he had brought on himself.
Jack was Just In time to save YOU
OF course, Nudge got to tn" Arabs
assistance quickly. but it was to"
late. His helmet was swinging L"
and fro. halfway off
when Jack brought You up. YOU
had this box clutched tightly in your
arms" said Mrs. Nudge. placing the
box beside her. looking curiouslE at
her for an explanation:
"I-went down for that" faltered
Jill Bett.
"Oh. 7 understand now. You have
always been afraid your grandfather
would get the little trinkets you
treasured: you were wise in hiding
them, child
Jil-Bett did no. undeceive her.
She had decided to show the con-
tents of the box TO Jack, telling him
her reason for wtk.i-s to gain pos
session Of it. If ker hopes proved
groundless. and the contents were
really the property Of the Arab, Jack
would know what to do about it.
The sudden taking off Of Jil-Betts
enemy, the knowledge that he was
removed effectually from the girl 5
path furthermore. was source of
relief to Mrs. Nudge. The only one
who mourned for him at the pearl
fisheries was the Arab woman;
whose lamentations were loud and
deep. She learned then what she had
not known before of his infatuation
for .Jil-Bett. the beautiful girl who
was soon to sail away.
This worried Mrs. Nudge not q
little. She warned her husband that
safeguard the girl until she sailed.
for she would then be out of harms $
way.
The Arab woman made no threats.
but her steady glare at Jil-Bett,
whenever she could get anywhere
near her. was more ominous than
words. Mrs. Nudge was glad when
her husband came home with the
news that he had just met Jack. who
gave him the message to JIl-Bett that
she must be on shipboard by noon
the boat sailed then.
The next hour was spent in bid
ding the diver-folk. and indeed all
Katar. goodbye. 1t seemed to the
expectant. girl that the designated
hour would never roll around
She had not forgotten her old
grandfather. The last thing she did
was to visit, by herself. the lonely
spot where they had laid him to
sleep his last sleep. Parting the
long grass. she laid her fresh young
lips upon the cool earth heaped upon
his cold, puIseless bosom.
Goodbye, grandfather" she sobbed;
SET am going far away from you, but
you will never again miss your poor
little Jil-Bett. You were all I had
to love and cherish-father. mother
all the world to me. am trying hard
to live without the aid of your guild
ing hand, your sheltering love. Good
bye. dear heart, goodbye"
Then, kneeIing there. her lips fall
Sored the prayer he had taught her.
Tho sound of the boats whistle star
tied her. Choking back a sob. and
with a last, lingering look at the
little mound that covered the one
ahe had loved SO well. Jil-Bett rose
slowly and retraced her steps.
Mrs. Nudge was at the end of the
path waiting for her. Taking the
firl In her arms very gently she