Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1940-01-11
Cast anD we5T
BY TALBOT MUNDY
TALBOT MUNDY-WNU SERVICE

"Where are you off to now"
''To the palace. The Maharanee
is human. Perhaps she and / can
find something to laugh at"
every well, Lynn. All your clothes
were removed to, the palace last
night, against my wishes. Go and
pack them. If it kills me, we are
taking the first boat home, and you
may say so to the Maharanee. You
may tell her why. If you don't, I
will"
"And if you DON'T" Lynn an
swered, s'the palace women will!
They have been listening through
the bedroom window. So if you
want to get the first malicious word
in, you had better be quick! Write
a letter, why don't you? I assure
you I won't discuss il"
She picked up her tennis racket
and unscrewed the frame. It was
a hardly conscious gesture: it was
much too hot for tennis. She walked
out through the screen door, carry
ing the racket.
AS she approached the palace
front door, she saw Norwood's horse
near the portico. She recognized
Norwood's sails, squatting down un-
der the horses nose, half asleep,
instead of Ticking flies off the horse
as he should.
Then she saw Rundhia. He had
been watching for her. One could
tell that by his manner. He looked
astonishingly handsome in a gray
suit of some thin material and
gray silk turban.
"Tennis?" he asked. 'In this
heat?"
"No. Tantrum! I'm so angry I
could kill"
''Don't kill me, Lynn. I'm impor-
tant. Tell me instead"
Lynn used the racket as if she
were returning one of Rundhia's
serves. "Would you tell me the
TRUTH"
He grinned. ''Wen, almost. Who
can be in love and tell the whole
truth? I will lie to you, of course,
about my character. But will tell
the truth about yours! You're
lovely, inspiriting, challenging fact,
Lynn Harding. You're an event."
81 feel like a skeleton in my own
dark closet" she retorted, and Run
dhia laughed.
"Come and I'll show you the treas
ures. Drive away the very men,
DRY of Aunty!"
All the way up the palace stairs
and along the ancient corridor, Run
dhia chartered gaily. Lynn answered
in monosyllables, perfectly aware
that Rundhia was talking to divert
attention from his motive.
Beauty and the beast!" said
Rundhia.
Bromide! Rundhia, you look like
secrets in suave disguise"
"My very inmost heart" he an
swered, ''is an open book. Can't
you read it,"
II don't want to-"
He kept his distance. That sinu-
GUS right arm of his behaved itself.
He walked ahead of her through the
narrow anteroom, where two tur-
baned guards salaamed respectful
ly. Rundhia spoke to one of the
guards, who switched on the electric
light in the treasure room. The
masonry wall was ten feet thick;
the door a foot thick. The guard
closed the door behind them and
opened an eyehole. Lynn could see
the guards eyes.
There was long teak table be-
tween her and Rundhia, loaded with
golden and jewelled ornaments: en-
bossed golden shields, scimitars in
gold sheaths, scores of objects such
as are carried in procession by the
servants of an oriental throne. Elec-
trio light shone within lanterns, sus-
pended on chains from the ancient
beams. At the far end of the room,
on the right, was huge glass case,
in which the famous Kadur dia-
monds sparkled, stealing color from
the jewelled lanterns.
(TO BE CONTINUED)