The Ogden standard. [volume], October 25, 1919, LAST EDITION - 3:30 P.M., Image 19

About The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1913-1920

Image provided by: University of Utah, Marriott Library

                
fH-ITm - I -
THE FORTIETH DOOR 1 I
! wmmmmmmmmmmmmmm By Mary Hastings Bradley 55555 H
SYNOPSIS.
i . rounr Affifrifnn. If e'lnir some "X
Jarf BftlVi ll ladUOOd b Jinny Jnffrio.
,ralii ' - , ritl be h i- known, t-0 attccl a
j ,A m ft I.Vr hotel. He obtained a Scot, h co
.. . rr, i !.un. Mlit- of
UiB- ' ". 1 . -r nM,l and at M-Uesn't he Iifan
be K'-1 , fr-r.-h v-hoisr wliu disappeared In
!'srT.,,fi x.r before. Tne man was r
I-- n7afil Mid bsbr girl wm latt: now
. ' , u uuia maius il suddenly m-
,v, Mh'-'-A. thc ctl,l(J L4ut an trA' b 1 (r..i:e.
tol i- Rrjcr a miniature portrait of the
v : SiwS ... ..1 BOUntod. At lbob.ll
,1. nattd bT I mvtn..u younr girl in n
W ' ' " ,!' .. in.: tt lio will civ. no hint of
tfobMlw f,,j0W afl -he ir- nwaj and find-
IdenU'J 'laurbliT of TewficU P.vsh a Turkish
' nhrtc nShbo ini I i i At parting in the
1 . the c!rl horror and amssusent ftj n
prut". 10 ,hn( lllch( ),pr father inform her ho
. M . , mjrry B npul-lvc old man to save
warns thai fhe Is to be married leaves
? n ' r an.l returna to the desert la his estt
' 1 ' There h :ln.1 cvid ikv whlrb ,oi!Vir
rJlion J, j the dauKhU ' of the Fnhmn,
I 'B 'i! reared He detrrniines to res' e bT and
I to ai-P Thp p,iia in ( iisph-toue and on
I rrtari. 10 V, ,hlt Aim is hie own daujhter.
t.rrfJ "nfh"r he Ilea and finds a war to wnd
I J2u ?b Tttry of her tn-h par-nta. Almre
I aiia , f0rce to carry through
il OB0'1 ,,L' P,n At the marrlve feast Jeok
II "TbS the unhoppy bride Ho anceaeita in
-f 1" he- hope of res.-ue The grooa, . rnilnf
j I rt.r.r np- ' ln his love asking by Jack, who.
I " ., overturn by Hamdl's slave and mad".
I in urn- 1 , burled olive t:i the ciatle walls
j
TENTH INSTALLMENT
SC4P tA 4ZZ.
TT?.os a sund Thc falntest scraping and
I Knocking vithout that wal.. It went
1 thro-Jgli him like an electric current.
I r.d then n roar burst from him that fnlrly
I iplit his cars, the reaction ol hla Mulvere.l
wrVes and racking Tears of his uncertainties,
I his tightening terrors.
But new nothing. H.-. could not hear a
I tilr." A delusion" A torture of his final
orce n0uis' No l came agair. More definitely
now, a little grinding and scraping.
Ill
Th Fe?'er and faster a muffler! drivinr thud.
A Jubilant reassurance sang gayly through
par Ho na'1 r-'xPcct0':1 lnis tnlfc; was Tvhat
w i he I.ad rredicted. Hamdl tvas no foul fiend
iCi We tvas a dcvillfih uncomfortable customer
hoi 1
ke( r Fith antiquated notions of revenge, but now
n he ha'i shot his wad and ras going to undo
bis tricks.
i Bder braccdahimself to present a care free
(auntlness an air somewhat difficult to as
tlvw sum( when one I? trussed like a spitted bird
Veri iaic hot cofnn space with hair falling dankh
oun;
lock om ' teaming hrow with a collar Uko a
clve: ftrir.p. ar.d an indescribable pallor beneath
j'! the bronze of one'- f me
Sornf thing si;rred. One end of a brick
; tj.j ttas crien In against his chest Then he
H ! felt the blind working of Home tool that
ears ttuB"nt 11 nd worried it free
Aott t jcrmed to Mm that through that dark
! liptrtuie a current of cold, delicious air came
F a rushing in about him. The blows sounded
p r; tsalnit thc adjoining bricks, and he thought
: and i af the glorious Joy of seeing out again and
1: " feeling that he would welcome even the Bight
03 1
jcetj -f Hamdi'd blond mustache and the eunuch's
lDH l leeus grin.
Je : Now the aperture admitted a pale g'eam
rl8' cpor his chest. Staring steadily down ho
t Hi
caught a glimpse of the fingers curving about
: a bri k. &nd hi heart that had steadied,
: began to racr- again wildly For they were
pot. the fingera of Die black, nor yet the
hrlrj joints of the general.
orr.:;
They wete so't. -a. lie Hi g.- r. v. ;ih a gltaru
Id u cf rings
Airnee' Somehow, somewhere, Fhe had
,ic II
shtti "d to come to him, to achieve thi., res
; ttltl
I Aimee'" ITe breathed the name
c IM
per ":S-fh"' rame a wcrnlng little whisper, and
10US !rr.r.aticnt'o he waited until that opening
F5'b!t
e r!,-ou'''- v-r- gre? e- and permit of sight ar.d
Tw Hi- hplcssr.crs was maddening. If only
. .. re coul(i raise his hands could get those
3p hotdj. out' He twisted, he writhed; he tried
to lift, his elbows and get his wrists In reach
(VerS f thft 0pcnln5' but tho coffln too diabol
ically cramped for movement until the hole
kmc
,n05 Tery Ir,uch kxrger. Then, with a con-
Uaef' vulsUc presfure. he swung his wrists within
11 Ttarh, nr.d, aftc-.- n moment's wait, he felt a
rc al- lniri ttadc drawn across tho silk,
llnes T:u'' r:!f'f v,'af' Glorlou.'-. lie swung his
jjSM I4nd6 free, rubbing the chafed wrists, then
D P''; tcrc,t i;; or- r.. 1 I ;,i..i , .,r f ,.; . .
ity
j3H F1"' w'th Instant compreheni-lon,. a short,
rolnted LI-. of iron was put within it
cod-
c Irt" I 0V'' he could dc somethlny! With furious
. ctrent-i, I..- attackr-, i ,. bih.ks edging the
1,1c ! 'A' ' he pried frco each brh.k he
. gif could again get a glimpse of those white,
plllo lelicate fingery .iftfhg it carefully away.
And no" thb hole was large enough. He
fi rted about and thrust out a leg. and then,
Wth. a feeling of ecstasy which made tho
,h c0- off1c!i litorajrx raptures of saints and con-j,pl4I-
j uerors but pals, dim moods, ho wormed his
a. ay out of that Jagged hole and turned, erect
ny is HicJ frc-e, to mo shrouded figure of his res
pia',;' i ci:.
i i Pfr
!" 11:1,1 'Irawn bark a Utile against the
ftn feauxy veil across her face- P.esuv
, . " ,J,f" -'ore floor, a solitary candle
nA f;-ke:lr,? ra, ,nl0 xh, ,)MJ0WSj
r'Eln With iight her alender outline.
R;.der took one quick step to her. his
heart in his throat, and put out eager, tender
armn. But In the very moment that he was
gathering her to him, c en when he felt her
pliant pody. at first resistant, then softly
yielding, swept ajrainst his own. he felt too,
a little palm suddenly upon his mouth
" Both!" said the soft whispering voice,
cutting, into his low murmur of " Aimee!"
and then, ln slow, emphatic caution " Bo
careful"
He had need of that caution, for under
the saffron veil was not the face of Almce
He was clasping n jourg creature ihat he
had never seen before a girl with flaming
henna hair and kohl dnrkened-brows a vivid
blszonlnp face t hat smiled enigmatically,
with a certain mockery of delight at the
nn-nzeme-iu he reflected so unguardedly
Trom the slackening grip of his astounded
arms she stepped backward, still smiilng
faintly and holding up In admonishment the
palm she hnd pressed against his mouth.
" Put what what thc dev " muttered
Ryder.
"Come'' she whi.per.l, catching up her
candle, and, after holding it high for a mo
ment, siaring at h'm. she extinguished it
suddenly and turned to lead thc cautious
way across the stone spaces, while Ryder
closH followed.
Not Almce, then! But some messenger he
could only suppose. Some confidant, at need.
A handmaid1 The whisper of her silks, tho
remembered gleam of Jewels In th henna
hair flouted that thought, and not troubling
iiis Ingenuity- with alternatives, he was con
tent to follow her swift steps.
They were now in those open, rubbishy
spaces where he remembered the crumbling
masonry and broken aries of old. disre
garded mosques, now they were again in
closed in narrow stone walls, winding past
cellars and storerooms.
The girl's advance grew more cautious
Often she stopped and listened, peering ahead
into the darkness, and row, as she took an
other turning, her care redoubled and Ryder
needed no exhortlon to imitate it Obeying
a gesture of l.er arm. he followed at a greater
distance, prepared, at the warning of a
ound, to flatten himself against the wall or
dart into some cranny of retreat,
They were now ln the cellars The corri
dor was widening out before them with a
pallid showing of light, crossed with many
bars, at some far end. They stole towards it.
It was a window, or barred gate, he saw, and
he hoard again that lapping of restless water
against stone.
He could see, too, ln the dimness the curve
of a stair near the gdte.
Abruptly his guide checked him. Wary
and noiseless, he waited while she- stole for
ward to those stairs, peering up into the
gloom, attentive for any sound from above.
Apparently satisfied, she went on towards
the barred gute and bent down over a spot
of darkness which Ryder hael taken for a
shadow
He saw now that it had some semblance
to human outline.
Closely the cirl bent and he caught the
pallor of her hands, searching swiftly, and
then a muffled clink. Next moment, a
wraith with soundlc-ss steps, she was back
at his side again, urging him on with her
They passed the Htairs; he felt the soft yir-:
of carpet beneath his feet; they passed that
recumbent figure and now he heard the
rhythm of a sleeper's heavy breath escap
ing, mufflcdly, from the fo.ds of a thick
mantle which the sleeper's habits had
wrapped about his head. For all the mantle
he was aware of the fumes of wine.
" I saw that Ja'afar had his drink," said
the girl suddenly ln softly whispered Turkish,
her head close to his, " He is my friend I
do not neglect him." And under her breath
she laughed as she exhibited the great bunch
of keys she had taken from the lrobibe-r.
Stooping now before the gate, she fitted
the key into tho lock. Then, over her shoul
di r. she looked up at the young man and
asked him a ejuick question
He did not understand. That was the
trouble with his vernacular. It would go on
very well for a time, when he had a clew
to the sense, or when it was a question of
every day expression, but a sudden diver
gence, an unexpected word, was apt to provo
a hopeless obstacle.
Now she repeated her question again, more
lowly i and again he shook hla head
Now she stood up, frowning a little, and
began again in English: " You no, I not
know This way? Tou do if" A sud
den smile broke o m her face a she made a
swift, pushing gesture frith her hands that
with her pointing to the water outside, Bent
R.wier a sudden enlightenment
"Swim" You mean, do I iwiruT-
She nodded " Not go " She made a
swift downward movement of her hands and
then pointed again to that water Just outsid
thr- gate
" Not go down not sink?'' interpreted
Ryder "No, indeed. I can swim.' he as
sured her, and revisited with smiling satis
faction she knelt again before the barred
gate.
Open It swung with so sharp a craoie that
both glanced at thc figure behind thern and
then at the shadowy gloom of the stairs
But no alarm sounded. Outside the gato
Ryder saw the darkness of fairly wide,
rippling waters, visited with floating stars,
ar.d beyond a low lying, dun bank
Escape was there Freedom' Safety! He
felt an exultant longing to plunge In and
strike out, but he turned, questlonlngly, to
the mysterious rescuer
" Aimee"" he asked, under his breath.
' Where is she"" He repeated It In the ver
nacular, distrusting her English, and in the
vernacular she answered "Tou want her?
You want to take her away with you?"
She laughed softly at the quick flash In his
eyes and hardly waited for his speech.
" Good what a lover' You are not afraid'' '
He did not trust his words to satire and
he assured her, mendaciously, that ho was
not afraid.
rom the slackening grip of his astounded arms
mfZr she stepped backward.
" Good!" she said again, with a showing of
white teeth between her carmined lips.
"Yon take her you take her away frnm him.
That Is what I want. You understand?"
Very suddenly he understood.
This was no emissary from Almf-e. This
was no philanthropic bystander. It was some
i
girl of the palace, Jealous and daring, con
spiring shrewdly for the removal of her rival.
"Take her away." she was aayincr, urgent
ly. "Out of this palace We want no brides
here" Lemerlng and sullen, she turned
bitter on the word.
"Tonight I was watching." she went on
swiftly. " I heard the noise and then the
whispering. The darkness has ears arid
yes and a tongue. And so I waited out
there."
He could not distinguish all the quick flow
of her speech, but he caught enough to under
stand how she had lurked in the halls. Jeal
ously spying, defying the eunuchs' authority,
and how she had caught with passionate
delight that stifled alarm of scandal Later,
hanging over some banister, she had seen
tho Ethiopian pass with his burden, and had
stolen down afterwards, stalking like a cat.
and had discovered tho lantern gone, tho
door unlocked. And then she had watched
until the pair emerged without the burden.
She had not been able to get hold of the
key to the door. But she had resolved to
explore, and so alio had furnished the water
man with hia wine, drugged. Ryder gathered,
and had stolen past him on the other routo
to those underground foundations to which
her suspicions had been directed by tho mor
tar ond dust upon Yussuf.
Evidently she knew tho possibilities of the
place and the mind of its master. And when
she found the old niche freshly bricked and
tho mortar at hand she had not needed more
to assure her that here was the burial place
of her rival's lover.
Now, for the boon of his life, he was to
relieve her of that rival Or try to.
" For once he might not kill her." she
whispered. " But If, again " Her eyes
glowed like a cat's In the dark "Take her
away. Make her name a spitting and a dis
grace. Her memory a shame and a sting.
Is she beautiful .'" she broke off to demand
"They say but slaves lie "
"Can you believe n lover?" he said, whim
ieaiiy for all hi Impatience, "She Is a
pearl a rose a crescent moon "
" The lie i ery pale and thin
i
"She Is an hour! from Paradise," he said,
distinc tly And now, in the name of Allah,
let me get to her Tell me the way "
"Will she po gladly with jrou?" the low.
insistent voice went on, and at his uulck nod:
" Holv prophet, what a bride'"
She Clapped her two ringed hands to
smother the impish Joy of het laugh. "A
warning to those who can be warned he
will not be so fviprer f,,r another stripe from
that same .-tick' It was his cousin. Senlha
Ilanum Satan devour her! who made this
marriage Always she hated me But now
1 will tell you how to get to her: Look out,
With me "
Kneeilntr at the gate, over the dark fl-w
Ol the water, she drew him down beside her.
and thrustinc out her veiled head, sh
pointed upward and to tho right to a Jutting
balcony of mashrublyeh, where a pale light
Showed through the fret work
" There you see9 That Is my room. And,
If you climb up. I can let you ln. There.
Up," she repeated ln English, resolved to
make certain
" I see. I can get there," he assured her,
measuring with his eye the dim distance
"At once,' she said. "I will be there I
cannot take you with me through the upper
hall it Is dangerous even for me to be
caught. But nr. eunuch wants my displeas
ure." He could believe It, watching the subtle,
malicious daring of her face Even In the
gloom he caught the steady lidded arrogance
of her kohl darkened eyes and the bold in
solence of a high cheek bone. She had a hint
of gypsy.
"And you can get me ln? You're a won
der!" he whispered. "I can't thank you
enough."
" Rid me of her." said the girl, swiftly.
" But not not him. You must swear what
is It that Christians swear by?" she broke
off to demand " By the grave of your
father? Yes? You will swear not to hurt
him, to hurt Hamdl, by the grave of your
father'.' Yes?"
Ryder nodded quickly. His father, to be
sure, was ln no grave at all. He was, allow
ing hastily for the difference ln lime, In his
treasurer's cage at tho bank ln East Middle
ton, but he did not wait to explain this to the
Rlil
" I swear It." he repeated. " I won't hurt
your Hamdl. since that's your condition.
But we're wasting time."
"Up, then And if you fall down do like
this."
Smiling mischievously, she made the ges
turo of swimming. " Allah go with thee
and with me also," he hoard her murmur, as
ho stepped out to the ledge of the entrance,
twisted himself agilely about and, climbing
up thc opened gate, swung himself up to
tho ttone carving overhead.
Below him he heard tho gato swing shut.
He did not hear her lock It Fervently he
hoped sho had not. since it was a possible
exit for any one ln a hurry; but at any rate
he need not worry about a way out of the
place until he had got into It again.
And the getting ln was not any too simple.
It WSS work for a mountain goat, he re-flecte-d,
after a short interval devoted to
tentative n-:u In s and balancing, and digging
in of hands and fret. The distances wero
far greater than the first glimpsed, fore
shortened perspective had allowed him to
guess, and the-iei was uiily the starlight to
Illumine the gray face of ihe palace.
He had no Idea of the time Somewhere
about the middle Of ihe night or curly morn
ing, he Judged vaguely by the stars, although
It seemed Impossible that so few hours had
passed.
The river was all silence and darkness.
No luggari with their sleepint? crews were
moored below He vt-mfil th only living,
breathing thing clambering across the- face
of time and space.
Gingerly he kieked off the nondescript
black shoes he had worn with his disguise
that afternoon, and essayed a perilous toe
hold while he reached for the Interstices of
n mashrublyeh window Just overhead.
Once gripping thc rounds, he pulled hlm
sfflf up, reflecting that it was well It was
night and that no lady was sitting witldn
her shelter to be affrighted at this Intrusion
Of fingers and toes.
From the Juttlnc top of this prolcetlon he
surveyed ills further Held of operations The
window with a light was two stories higher
yet ond to the right There were two other
windows with lights on the second story,
very much farther along, and he wondered
pnlnfully If these were the rooms of Aimee
That boudoir in which he had hidden
through the end of the long reception had
been upon the water And there had been
a door into an adjoining room, for he had
seen a sallow faced attendant passing ln and
out.
A wild longing selzeJ him to crawl on and
peer into those windows. But It was a dlffl
cult, almost an Impossible distance, and even
when there he would be like a fly on the
outside of a pane with no way of getting ln.
The unknown girl had promised him a
way through her window, and he had con
fidence ln her Ingenuity and daring.
So he went on, wormlnp cautiously along
old gutters and ledges and jutlinc balconies
until at last he was clasping the lower grill
of that mashrublyeh from which her llg.'u
gleamed.
Instantly the light went ou
"Walt!" he heard her voice say sharply
over his head. She was standing by the win
dow fumbling with tho woodwork, and ln a
moment he heard the click of a knob, and
then Just opposite his head, the screening
grill slipped aside and an aperture appeared.
" Quick!" admonished the v oice, and quickly
indeed he drew himself up and in reflecting
whimsically ob he did so that this girl had
first helped him out of a hole and then Into
The next moment she had moved the grill
Into place and lifted thc cover she had
placed over her triplet of candles on a stand.
Triumphant, her eyes dr.nrlni?. her teeth
a gleam of light between those scarlet Hps
ef hers she looked at him for the admiration
she saw twinkling back at her in his eyes. .
" But not me no!" she protested, her
supple hands gesturing towards the magic
casement. " I found It here It is very old
y ou undei stand? Some other, long ago, found
time dull and so "
Delightedly she shared the flavor of that
secret of the vagabond lady of long ago who
had devised this cunning entrance for her
lover.
On some dark night like this, with the gate
keeper drowsy with old wine, some other
etrlpling had climbed that worn facade before
him and slipped through the secret space and
stood triumphantly before some daring,
lauRhing girl who had cast aside for him her
ell and her fear of death.
What Ingenuity, Ryder wondered fioetly.
had smuggled In the carpenter for the con
trivance, what Jewels had gone to the bribing,
what lies had been told And what had been
the end of it all. Evidently not the discovery
of the opening
He hoped with singular Intensity for the
safety of the daring younc lovers, that un
known youth whose feet had foreworn the
path for his feet and that dead and gone
young girl who had dared anything rather
than endure the mortal e-nnul of those hours
behind the veil.
These thoughts all went through him like
one thought as he stood there, his eyes rov
ing about the dim, shadowy room of old di
vans and eastern hangings, and then turn
ing back to the glimmering llguie of Its
mistress.
She was staring frankly at him. her eyes
boldly curious and examining. They wore
nof dark eyes, he saw now, that had been tho
impression given by the kohl about them and
the black line of the brows penciled into one
line. They were yellow eyes, golden and
glowing, scornful and lazy lidded.
As she looked at him these eyes 3miled
slowly. She was seeing in this lover of her
rival a singularly delightful looking young
man. fpr all his dust and disarray, a slender,
bronzed, hardy looking young man, with
dark, disordered hair straying across a white
brow, and audacious, eager eyes, In which tho
fear of death, so lately glimpsed, had left
no daunting reflection.
Slowly sho lifted her hand, and with de
liberate softness put back that straying hair
of his
"Poor boy! " sho said slowly in English,
nnd then, smiling ruefully she held out her
hands for his Inspection. The grime of tho
bricks had discolored its scented delicacy,
and he saw bruised finger tips and a torn
nail. 4
" I'm Infernally sorry." he said, eiulckly.
Her smile deepened at his look of concern,
as he held, a little helplessly, the witnesses
of her work of rescue which seemed some
how to stray Into his keeping.
" It Is nothing but you poor boy." she
said again, In that English of which she
seemed naively proud
" If you could give me some water." he
suggested, and drunk deep with delight the
last drop she brought him from an earthen
Jar. it seemed to wash from his throat the
ia.ie of that dust and fear.
" I can t begin to thank you." he mur
mured. " I only wish that I could do some
thing for you "
She looked up at him They were stand
ing close together; their cautiously $ l
low 'I
" Perhaps, y es you can,"
"It's not doing anything for you to save I II
Aimee," he told her. " That's what you are " ( H
doing for her and for me. But if ever you H
want me for anything after this my name ,H
is Ryder Jack Ryder and you can reach me j
at the Agricultural bank" ' 'I
He had a vague vision of some day repay- t H
ing his enormous debt by assisting this girl. " tl
grown tired of her Hamdl, out of this aper- . I
ture and into a waiting boat He would do I
It like a shot, he told himself gladly . he ; H
WQlild do anything on God's green earth if V M
only she helped him get Aimee away from
that infernal villain ' III
" Jack." she repeated, under her breath, jL II
and then in her slow English, " I like
Jack " ft'll
"Don't forget It. I'll always come and do ,
anything for you. And if you'll tell mo 11 H
your name " lw
" Azia " aL I
" .?ir. i I'll never forget that. And now,
if you'll tell me how I can get to her and l. H
then the best way out - " I ll
"Why you so hurry0' I
" Why? " he looked a little blank. " I can't r. 'I
lose a minute he may be with her." lj L H
She came a little nearer to him. her head k ,- H
tilting back with a slow, indolent challenge II ll
Gone was thc silken mantle that had been Jfc ul
about her below stairs, and he saw now that i 1
she was a vivid, exotic shimmer of gauzy i R
green against the saffron veil that fell from L 11 H
her henna hair There was barbaric beauty ' 'H
ln her. In the bold, painted face, the bare, '-H -H
gold banded arms, the slender, sinuous lines, H
r.nd there was barbaric splendor ln thc heavy I
Jewels that winked and flashed,
It struck Ryder that she was gotten up
regardless. In pride, perhaps, on her rival's
wedding night ? Or had there been some de- ttBiil
liant, desperate design upon Hamdl?
She did not miss that sudden prolonging H
of his look upon her. llH
. EL Rl
1 O'l iikc ru yes sue muriiiuren imi j i sffm
then, slipping back into the vernacular " I , J
I am not the stupid veiled girl of the se
clusion not forp-er I come from the east, ' A
the deserts. I have seen th" world. Men "ffi
men, I know. I danced before them, not tho
dances of the Cairene cafes." sh? uttered with k
swift scorn. " but the dance of thc two i
swords, the dance of the serpents Men h
threw the gold from their turbons about my y
feet when I had danced to them. And others, ' j
English. French " r 1
She broke off, hut her eyes told many mt Q
things. " Then Hamdl." she said slowly.
" Him I ruled and his palace. But I have i
known other things '
Closer yet she came to him. Her eyes.
golden fires of eyes, were smiling up into his. v4:
her scarlet lips gathered in soft, sensual
curves Her whole silken, scented body
seemed to slip into his embrace. A bare arm J
touched his neck, resting heavlly
" Sweet heart," she said slowly, in her
difficult English. I
It was the deuce of a position. If I
No man can rudely snatch from his neck
the arm of the lady who has Just saved him J
from a harrowing death. And a lady who
was risking more than her life In sheltering
l,iivi decidedly the situation was delicate. j
it was not the lady's fault that her lm- jj)
petuoslty. the impetuosity which had been
his salvation, now plunged her into amorous '
caprice. There were obvious handicaps,
moral, social, and ethical, in her upbringing.
She was a child of nature, a nature undlscl- ,,
plined, unruly, tempestuous. H
And even iieening over Hamdl and his I
palace must have offered little diversion to jr
a wild dancing girl, familiar with the ex-
cllement of mure varied conquest. 'i -H
Ryder was horribly embarrassed. He was P
visited with a fearful constraint, a chivalrous jta I
wish not to hurt her feelings, and a sharp
prevision of the dancer of offending her. 4r I
He took the first turn of least resistance. j
He did not need to bend his head; their 5,
eyes were on a level. He simply kissed her. J.liv
And she kissed him back. It was distinctly
more than a kiss. It was Are and red flame, HR
and soft Insinuation. He hated it for Its de- v
liberate intention and the implication, that
he was to be snared with such flagrant. Bub- Jj
duing stuff. He hated himself for the leap of j
his blood and for tho Puritanical discomfort
of his nature. flk jl
Her arm about his neck was pressing '
closer. It was the moment for action and L
Ryder acted. Very firmly he put his hand
upon her hand, withdrew it from its clasp
about him, and raised It to his Hps. it lI
His kiss was respectful gratitude and an ijf )
abdication of the delights of dalliance. I,
" Good by, my dear." he murmured " Now, jf
If you will show m the way out " "
Her eyes a gleam betw een half closed lids. t, '
she studied him. It occurred to Ryder that
probably never before had her hands been .
detached and kissed and put away. Ho 'y
must be a phenomenon, an enigma. lH
Then her lips parted ln a faintly scornful jj
smile
" You afraid you? You want run? "
" I'm horribly afraid." he said earnestly. j iH
" 1 want to get out of here as quick as I 4' I
That was putting, he considered, the very
wisest construction upon It.
Negligently her gesture reminded him of
the opening in the window. "Here you are w,
safe." she murmured in the ernacular. , iB
" And the doors are lockeel " , JH
yes. but but Aimee isn't safe, you know li jH
and 1 must get her out of here."
to be coaranroiD i i H
iBsR H