Evening star., 1923-01-08
A Son of the Sahara
A Modern Story of the Desert
Copyright by The Maeaulay %
By Louise Gerard
(continued from Yesterdays starr

(Continued from Yesterdays Starr
I'm her silence LIE Breton read his
answer.
His hands frightened on her wrists,
and a baked look crossed his face.
So the black barrier was one that
neither love nor gratitude would
make her cross willingly.
There were some better moments
for him, as he realized this. For
all his wealth and power, for all MS
scheming, despite the fact that Pansy
confessed to loving him, she refused
TO be his wife. 1t seemed that moth
ing he could do would bring her into
his arms in the willing way he
wanted.
>Pansy was the first TO speak.
In that crushing grip on her wrists,
she read an agony of pain and disap-
pointement that her one desire now
was TO soothe.
It's not you, Raoul. It's the idea"
she said in low voice.
80 the idea of marrying me is
repugnant. And yet you love me-? :"
She nodded.
Loosing her wrists he turned 10 the
table, and took another cigarette.
This, however, he lighted for him
self
Pansy watched him. marveIing at
the cool way he had taken her re-
fusal
Considering the fire and temper. in
the man and his air of never having
been thwarted in any way, it was
hardly what she had expected. She
put it down to the fact that she was
completely at his mercy, alone and
helpless in this barbaric city. Her
heart ached at the thought that
through no fault of his own she could
only give him pain in return for all
his kindness
Going to his side. she laid slim
hand on his sleeve.
"Raoul, hope you know you're
awful nice about things" she said.
He glanced at her. At the beau
tiful eyes raised TO his with infinite
gentleness in their yelvety depths.
And he laughed
Am II he said.
Then he laughed again. And his
mirth was a minglng of bitterness
and savagery.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Pansy saw nothing of her host until
the following afternoon. Almost i'm
mediately after his declaration LIE
Breton left her. Most of his time had
been spent in contemplating the
truth now before him. His scheming
had failed. A sense of gratitude had
not made the girl forget his color.
After a sleepless night. he was up
and away, riding madly along one of
the sandy tracks that served his king
dom as roads. in vain endeaVor to
escape from his Chargin and disap-
pointment, and trying to decide on
his next move.
He was surprised at his own hest
tatton. Having failed to attain his
object, he was astonished that he
should pause before doing what was
obviously the only course left open
10 him. Just take the girl, whether
she liked 1T or not.
But he knew why he hestitated
O1 !, l.
as she might love a man of her own
nationality. If he took her in his
high handed fashion, that love might
he swept from him. And the idea was
one that he could not bear to con-
template.
He returned from his wild ride still
undecided on the next move.
In this frame of mind he came upon
PanSy, in the midst of a solitary aft
ernoon tea, set in a shady corner of
the tennis court
She greeted him as if the episode
Of the previous afternoon had never
been.
What have you been doing with
yourself all day?" she asked, as she
handed him a cup of tea.
I've been trying to ride of my
disappointment" he replied
Pansy, too, had been fighting a bat
tie of her own. Most of her night
had been spent in arguing with temp
tation.
She was rich and independent. why
shouldn't she marry the man she
loved even If it were going against
all the canons of her society? She
was wealthy enough to defy society.
She owed more than her life to him.
Gratitude as well as love urged her
toward him why should She make
him suffer through no fault of his
own? Why should she suffer herself?
Why should she shut herself up from
the man she loved because he hap
IN 10
"A nigger."
The echo of Dennis voice shouted
the word at her, as it had seemed to
shout that night in the London hotel,
when LIE Breton's name had been
Pansy. looked at her host as he
oiled beside her; picture of
strength and handsomeness.
She wished his dark blood were
more in evidence. That he did not
look exactly like some of the big
French, Spanish and Italian men she
had seen occasionally in various
places on the continent. So abso-
lutely European was he that it was
impossible to think he was half Arab.
II wish YOU weren't so. nice and
handsome, Raoul," she said impul-
sively.
He cast a quick, speculative glance
Perhaps, after all, a little more
patience was all that was needed
patience combined with his own
presence.
When tea was over, Pansy got up in
a restless way.
IT feel I must do something active,
or else go mad" she remarked.
The feeling was one he could
sympathiZe with.
"We'll have game of tennis then,
il you promise to go easy"
Pansy remembered the way he had
played that afternoon in Grand
Canary.
you'll simply mop the floor with
me-" she said.
TIL play you left-handed'
Only too anxious to get away from
her own thoughts and the temptation
they brought, Pansy turned toward
the court.
When the game started he handled
his opponent carefully, putting the
balls where she could get them with
out any effort.
At the end of the first set Pansy
objected to his methods.
you're not really trying, you're
only ay. playing with me" she said. ;,
my strength against yours, would it
now?" he asked.
well. do make a game of il. If
YOU go on like this, I could sit down
comfortably in the middle of the
court and win. You needn't put the
balls on my racket. I can stretch an
inch or so around without fatal re-
suits"
The next game was more strenuous.
But as it went on, Pansy, getting ex-
cited, forgot caution. A long stretch
and an upward spring to intercept
one of her opponents balls, brought
cutting, knifelike pains tearing at
her chest.
The racket dropped from her grip
She stood, white and swaying, her
hand on her heart.
) In a moment he had vaulted the
rsI IL Z, ,s-