The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-08-26

l
 She laughed lazily, offering her lips
 eIs it a fair price?" she asked presently.
 And the pressure of his arms was enough response.
 Steady Desmond" she managed to gasp. "Oh, darling-one breath!' And then, illogically: T suppose 1 you would have come here any way I didn't need to go chasing all over the world after the shadow of a memory"
 I'm not so sure" returned How ard. T haven't told you this, but just when was it you saw Ghulam Buk?n
 She told him.
 Peculiar IL was that night or the next I met an American avia- tor who'd come up from Shang- hai to sell Chang a bunch of old Jennies. We got to talking about the war, and he spun a yarn of girl who'd been standing them all lup on the flying fields at San An tonic. Why I asked him more about her, I don't know; but I did She was you, of course. And I prodded him on He told me of your mar riage and your husbands death. Next day started for America, and naturally I headed for the ranch"
 And what does all this mean? Surely, you don't think that Gnu lam Bulk did some white magic!"
 Howard stared out into the emp tiness that surrounded them.
 T don't know, Dagger he con fessed. There are forces in this world that few of us understand. The strongest power in mans pos session, is an idea, a thought. Per haps you had been building up whole chain of thoughts in your pilgrimage, a chain which carried you to Ghulam Bulk, and impalled him to will that aviator to meet me-and then influenced Chang to admit to you I was alive. And if you knew Chang as well as I did, you'd realize that that was the most remarkable act in the chain"
 T wonder" exclaimed Dagger. And yet there's reason. in your theory, It was Raoul who moved me to follow your trail, Blaine. And Sidi Marut gave me courage to go on to India. And Ghulam Bulk Ives. 1t all does dovetail."
 She fumbled in her brooches pocket and produced the jade luck piece the Tu-chun had given her, By the way" she continued, T can't help thinking well of Chang. He gave me his luck-piece. He'd carried it ever since he was a boy"
 My God" exploded Howard, snatching at the carved bit of stone. a handsbreath long. "D'you realize what that meant? Dyou know what's happened? But no, you didn't see the papers that came today. Dagger this thing was fa- nous all over China. Men have died trying to steal it. Attempts were made to assassinate Chang simply to win it. And yesterday one succeeded His train was blown up just outside the Sung-fu station.
 "Ohl" Dagger's mouth quivered. How terriblel But it wasn't be- cause he gave it to me, Blaine. That's ridiculousl"
 Any more ridiculous than your thoughts built bridge over which we might come togetherP No, Chang gave 1t to you deliberately. He be- lieved that his luck was dependent upon this stone. When he gave it to you he was giving a hostage to his luck. He was saying, in effect: This woman is all to me. Bring her to me. If that may not be do not choose to live!"
 But it can't be true" she in- sisted. Blaine, it's only a little piece of jade that's cold when you touch it, with a dragon twisting around it. How could that kill man?"
 It didn't kill him. What killed him was the power that he at tributed to it in his mind. Thought. again. What you believe in, if you believe with sufficient conviction. is very likely to happen" Dagger took it back from him.
 Shall we throw it away?" she asked suddenly.
 "Why?"
 Well, if we believe in it, as you say, 1t will help to keep us happy. If we don't or if we lose it-r
 He frightened his arm around her waist.
 Suppose we keep it-in memory of Chang" he interrupted "Rut