Evening star., 1924-01-27

ly, "I'u speak to him, IL you like"
No. she said. Il will"
You ought not to have anything
to do with him." Davis objected.
They'll be watching. Most Of those
dirty beggars hanging about outside
the gardens will be spies Of the
sheik. If they see you talking to
him, they'll watch you"
1T will be a good thing to draw
suspicion to me, if you are going to
he the one to do it, she countered.
! obviously you mustn't talk to him.
So I must. because there's no one
else"
THE talk occurred that afternoon.
They had put the fugitive in an
clubhouse in the residency gardens,
unguarded, because 1t meant capture
by the sheik to step outside. The
| residents sister walked in the garden
while her brother and Davis were
| having their siesta, passed down the
walk between the giant cactuses and
| enormous plantains, into the little
grove which stood before the out
casts hut: stalked on past it, with
| her naughty little head in the air,
ready TO be spoken to and to snub.
He did not speak, just rose and bowed
! and sat down again and went on with
| his cigarette. leaning against the door
post of the hunt and gazing through
| half-closed eyes at the blue bay and
4 Ia hi n II
! into the blue sky. 1t was a day. he
was thinking, most repugnant to
! hanging-and the residents sister
! looked like a goddess against the sky.
! A woman with n burning volcano
| under that cool white drill.
! She walked back presently; looked
at him; half passed: stopped. How
I did you come to this?" she asked
| abruptly.
| You probably know as well as T."
he suggested. mo doubt your brother
| expect you may take that as pretty
| correct"
! 'I think he kept some back" she
remarked shrewdly. THAT wasr'i
| what I referred to, however. What,
| precisely. are you going to be sent
! to England for?'
! Frankland set his teeth and looked
up at her then, and she had a little
| thrill of fear of him. In her ideal of
| six-foot manhood there had always
! been thrill like that! Davis was a
| good man and we'll TO do. but he did
| not make her feel like that. 'I have
| not" Frankland said quietly, many
| days to look at the blue sea and the
! blue sky or to bask in the sun. Soon
| it will be prison cell, and afterward
| another, or, anyway-'Left the warm
| precincts of the cheerful day You
! learned that at school, suppose. One
| doesn't appreciate 1t. until 1t is inter
| preted by circumstances. Why should
your curiosity disturb one of my
| measured moments by raking up bad
| memories?"
| Because. perhaps" she told him,
'it isn't only curiosity" He looked
| very hard at her then.
| If" he said. you have a kindly
! thought that might escape? Dis
guises and all that? Kind lady, IT
is no use. The place is closely
watched. probably shouldn't go fifty
yards before being seized. Even if 1
| did, a stranger In any of the villages
| round here would be noted and de-
tected at once. There Is no escape,
but thank you for the thought"
You assume that had the
! thought" she remarked. She famed
her face with her handkerchief. He
! picked a fanlike plantain leaf and
gave it to her.
you had" he said. Hadn't your
'I could have found you disgutses" I"
| she murmured, "if that had been any
use"
Again l thank you." he acl1nowl-
| edged. ''They would not be of use, and
| ten to one those who furnished them
| to you would at once warn my friend,
the sheik. Do you know, I am very
grateful-very grateful"
"And you won't tell me about-itr'
she asked.
"Oh!" he said. THAT! I met a man
! out from England who said things Of
| my mother, in years past.
1T was a fair fight; and 1 killed
| him. That is ALL"
"They won't hang you for that
| she declared.
| Penal servitude is worse" he COM
mented. IF I have the chance on
! the voyage. / shall go overheard"
you will try to swim to shore?"
| she asked eagerly.
! shore? Oh, we shan't be near
! that; except when we GO through the
straits of Gibraltar. If 1 could get
out there-I don't suppose 1 can get
out at all; and if it were at night
1T probably won't be-and I were
! not noticed"
"Wait!" she cried. wait! The
wireless said that the ArmadiIlo would
be here at 4. Yes. 1t should go
through the straits at night. It is
just over thirty hours journey; and
she will leave here at about in the
evening. Can you swim for several
miles?"