-
8
THE BEE: OMAHA TUESDAY, DECEMBER -i26, 1916.
Vitagraph
From the Popular , Novel of the "same name
by
C. N and A.
i
Stars of This Episode -
! MR. EARLE WILLIAMS as CHRISTOPHER RACE
' MISS EDITH STOREY U NOURMA DALRYMPLE
, Next Week Another Story and New Picture
1 Copyright mi. by tin 8Ur Compuur. All Foraten Rlgbti ruerved.
t CHAFTKH XI.
r THE MISSING CHAPTER.
When Christopher Race came back
from Amsterdam after hi adventure
with the diamond carriers, an engage
ment with Scarlet Runner which he
had expected to take up fell through;
therefore he waa none too well pleased
to find himself free for more than a
fortnight Hut when he had been idle
' for a day or two Adventure presented
' Itself In a modest card bearing; the
. same "James Harkness."
The maid who, during the last few
, months, had brought to Christopher
Race's door so many strange people
now produced one whom no wildest
stretch of Imagination could associate
with the idea of romance.
- He was small In stature, with a neat,
' slender figure clad In a gray tweed
suit that boasted the "American
shoulder." He had a fine head and
would, from the shape of his forehead
and cut or nis features, nave some
what resembled a provincial Nano
leon. If Instead of Napoleon's eagle
gase he had not possessed the soft,
wistful brown eyes of a misunder
stood dog a dog who has never de
' served a kick in his life, but has had
- many, and has ceased to hope or
. even wish for a caress indeed, would
- be startled and embarrassed If he got
one.
This neat, rather dapper little man
walked into the ugly lodging-house
sitting-room with an air that was!
briskly business-like, yet oddly apolo-
getlc -
"How do you do, air? I n very
pleased to have the honor of meeting
the celebrated Mr. Race, and 1 hope
. that. If you're not engaged, I can get
yon to taxe me on a trip in your au-
tomobile," said Mr. Harkness, with an
accent that proclaimed him from the
t middle west of America. ' '
Christopher replied that he and
: Scarlet Runner were disengaged for
, the present and Invited his caller - to
sit down and talk business. There was
. something in the combination of
' American briskness and perhaps an
Aumerican shyness which pleased
him, and James Harkness not on
shiny pasteboard, but in flesh, and
. blood had a winning smile, winning
because It was like a schoolboy's, and
had no self-consciousness in it. He
might have been old-looking for 80,
or young-looking for f, and there
was grave, business experience In the
firm set of his Jaw. But the eyes were
a boy's eyes, and Christopher liked
him In spite of the fact that James
plain, unromantls, undiluted James
rd'd not appear an Ill-chosen name
to express his personality.
Mr. Harkness went on: "I'm taking'
i a vacation: It's the first one I've ever
had sines I left school, and that was
when I was 14 years old. I've had
my nose to the grindstone ever since
but I like It well enough.. Mrs.
Harkness goes to the seaside every
summer, which Is the right thing for
a lady to do, and she's had a run out
to California and down to Florida once
or twice, winters. Now she's travel
ing In Europe with some lady friends
of hers has been for the last eight
een months and It was her Idea I
should take this vacation and meet
her. I Just landed yesterday and took
a train right to London. Bo, you see,
I haven't lost much time in giving my
self the pleasure of calling on you,
sir."
"I shall 'be delighted to take Mrs.
Harkness and you for a tour. If you
doh't want to be gone longer than a
fortnight," said Christopher, pleased
In spite of himself by the genuine
admiration in the- brown eyes.'
Two weeks Is Just what I was
' thinking of," said Mr. Harkness. "Hut
my wife won't be In the party. The
reason I can go Is because I had a
Marconi on board ship saying she'd
been Invited to stay awhile In a French
. chateau and she thought she'd like to
nave me experience. Bne nasn't been
acquainted with the barbn and barnn.
ess long; they're friends of her friends
so she couldn't ask them to Invite
me, too, and her Idea was for me Just
10 iooi arouna, seeing sights in Eng.
, land, till she was through visiting. The
. people who've promised to go auto
. moblllng with me I met on the steam
, er. I suppose three passengers and
their baggage wouldn't be too much
of a burden to you, sir?"
Christopher set Mr. Harkness' mind
at rest on this point, and then, find
ing that the American waa an Ama
teur In motoring, he gave him advice
about the luggage. Also, they dis
cussed routes, and It appeared that
Mr. Harkness, who had never found
- tlm to leave his own country before,
had no preference. All he wan tort
waa to see some of the prettiest places.
uu ji km uiittuy ueciaeo. mat scarlet
Runner should conduct the party
through Devonshire and Cornwall, go
ing by way of the New Forest. The
, question of money lay In abeyance till
the last, and then It was Christopher
who introduced it. "I guess I can
- leave the price to you. -sir," said the
( little man from the west "I don't
lenow anything about the harre for
automobiles myself, but you're a gen
tleman, and whatever you say will be
right."
The start was to be made next day.
as there was no time to waste, and
Christopher was asked to bring Scar
let Runner to an old-fashioned hotel
In Suffolk street, not at all the sort of
hotel an American would be likely to
choose unless he had heard of it from
EngliBh friends. However, that was
not Race's affair and he and his car
arrived propmtly before the door at
10 o'clock In the morning, according
to arrangement.
Seldom had he been more surprised
than when his client ushered out from
the hotel two ladies. Nor was their
sex the most amaxfng part of their un
expectedness. That which was nar-
ticuiarly astonishing about them was
One was elderly, the other young.
She who was elderly was BngllBh, and
. the" thought that flashed Into Christo
pher Race's head was that if she had
a twin brother he would be a One.
brown, hawk-eyed soldier: one of
those brave, unobtrusive men who go
on jut a. matter of course to fur-away,
unhealthful lands, there to do their
, country's work well and faithfully,
without making any fuss about It, un
til their sovereign Oils their place with
a younger man or until they die, In
harness. ' : '
Xitls woman, though womanly, "had
Company
M. Williamson
the eyes of a soldier steadfast, en
during, and though she was not yet
really old, her hair was white, In fine
contrast with the calm dark brows.
She, for .a ship acquaintance of Mr.
Harkness, was remarkable enough, but
her companion a young girl who
could hardly be 20 was bewildering,
Christopher had never seen a girl
like her. She was a princess out of a
fairy tale; not Just a flesh and blood
princess who had strayed Into a story
talrlnm kannnu It Mr u i.nnviillUnl to
g
have her there, but a princess born ofnun again.
a fairy spell.
This fancy did actually present it
self to the young man s mind, so com
pletely was he swept olT his feet by the
appearance of Mr. Harkness' young
friend; and though he was usually
uthnmed If he found himself bv chance
melng sentimental, tho girl was so ex
qulsltely romantic a figure that he did
not stop to check his extravagant sim-
lies. .
."Miss Dalrymple Miss Nourma
Dalrymple let me present Mr. Race,'
rattled off the American, primly and
conscientiously. 'This is the automo
bile I've been talking to you about A
beauty, Isn't she?"
Then, having discharged what he
considered his duty, he fussed over
the luggage as it came out from theJ
hotel and fussed a good deal more
about getting the ladles comfortably
seated, tucking a light rug of his own
over the girl and round the girl, as if
she had been an early crocus to be
protected from some blighting flurry
of snpw
, They started and as Race was not
carrying chauffeur Harkness pro
posed to Sit beside him on the front
seat Hut Miss Dalrymple the elder
asked for his company In the tonneau
and he accepted the Invitation, shyly,
delightedly, as If It were a favor be
stowed by royalties. Christopher heard
him telling one or two funny, typi
cally American stories, which evidently
amused his guests, and If ever a sl
i n i, 1 1 . . .ti
muuD ten ii.wh iibi niivRi yi me rii,
who broke It, never the elder of the
two women, whom Nourma Dalrymple
culled "Aunt Constance."
Christopher's simple conception of
James Harkness had now suddenly
and completely changed. The naive
yet brisk little business man had as
sumed In his eyes the Importance of
mystery. But, after all, was not the
mystery rathor an obvious one too
obvious? Race asked himself on sec
ond thought .
The weather was perfect and each
day that came to take the place of Its
dead brother was more exquisite than
the last. Christopher was cordially
Invited to have his meals with his pas
sengerssometimes charming picnic
meals, In which the aunt or niece per
formed dainty miracles with a some
what battered tea basket, sometimes
meals at delightful, old-fashioned ho
tels or country inns. Occasionally
Christopher had Nourma Dalrymple to
himself for half an hour at a time, on
some Bhort excursion, and it seemed to
him that her mind, her nature, was
as wonderful as her face, She- had
thoughts high and clear and llght-
glvlng as the stars, and she spoke them
out witn apparent frankness, yet at
the end of a week Christopher had
drawn no nearer to the solution of the
mystery which had assembled this
strange, party than in the hour of
starting. .
He did not even know anything
about the Dalrymples, aunt and niece,
except that the girl has spent most,
if not all, of her life in India, and
that the elder woman had more or
less lately gone out there to visit her
brother, who was Nourma's father.
Who the father was, what he did in
India, or where was his home In that
wide land of enchantments, Christo
pher did' not hear, nor did he hear
why Miss Dalrymple had taken her
niece to America. He knew that they
had been, only because James Hark
ness had met them on the ship com
ing back, and this waa the s-lrl's first
sight of England, as it waa that of her
new friend. Whatever she admired,
he admired. If she so muuh as said
of a place, "Oh. I should Ilk to see
It!" her host was not happy unless
the vague wish could be quickly grati
fied. He watched over her even more
anxiously than did the evidently de
voted aunt. He was depressed if she
appeared absent-minded, as she did
occasionally, or if her lips drooped, or
It she had a far-away look in the dark
eyes, Which were almost startllngly
beautiful under the soft frame of
moonllght-on-wheatfleld-colored hair.
There were always flowers for both
ladles every morning, even at the most
out-of-the-way stopping pjaces, and
there were sweets, and any book wnich
Nourma Dalrymple had said to her
aunt or Christopher Harknea knew !
mue aoout books that she would
care to stead.
Bo matters went on until they had
been gone for a fortnight, all but one
day, and were off their way.. back to
London, which they would reach the
renewing evening. They had returned
by Stratford-bn-Avon, and wandering'
about the beautiful old town Christo
pher had Nourma Dalrymple beside
him. ' She was even more than usu
ally sweet and gentle In her 'manner
that day, though thoughtful, untl
Christopher ought to have been en
Joying each moment in the society of
such a unique and radiant girl, yet
somehow he felt troubled and rest
less, as sensitive women do when the
air Is crackling with electricity before
a thunderstorm. He could not think
of things worth saying, though he
would have liked to be brilliant, and
Instead of looking at his romiianlon
he found himself continually watching
the pair who walked ahead James
Harknesa and Miss Dalrymple.
They were absorbed' In somo Very
grave discussion, that w.ur clear, so
completely absorbed that they might
as well have been staring nt London
boardings as gaslng upon the beautiful
beamed walls of Shakespeare's birth
place. Once when Christopher hap
pened to catch a glimpse of the Amer
ican's face he was startled. The lit
tle man looked as if he had been
struck a deathblow. But afterwards
nis eyes lit up with fevwirh excite
ment, or hope, and a spot of color
Durnea on eucn of nis runer high
cheekbones.
That night, as Race sat In his room
at the hold, smoking a p! before
going to bed, and wondering what bid
happened, someone knocked at his
door. Heffrosc and openei It, to. see
Harkness standing outside, twice as
shy, twice as apologetic,- as he had
been In the first moment of making
acquaintance.
"I there are some things perhaps
you'd let me talk to you about," ho
began, still on the threshold.
"Come in," said Christopher pleas
antly. "Is there anything In Scarlet
Runner's performances or mine that
you don't like, and want roe to
change?" he went on. laughing good
naturedly at the other's hesitation.
"Because If there Is you mustn't mind
telling me so." .
"No, Indeed," replied Harkness.
You've both been Just about nerfect
this trip. And It's been a grand trip,
too. 1' was a blamed idlpt, I suppose,
to think it could amount to more than
this. But I always was hopeful, If
I cared about anything." He saf down,
relapsing into silence and thougliful
ness. Christopher was silent, too, for
the good reason that he knew not what
to Bay. He was at a loss to understand
his employer's meaning, though. If the
American had been a coarser type of
man, he might have sprung to ibimu
conclusion. Hut suon Harkness 1
As a mutter of fact, Hr,
It's your advice I wttnt to ask, If you'll
permit me." ,
Christopher answered that he would
be glad to give it or to be of use, and
he spoke sincerely, i .J
"It's a mighty delicate matter," the
American went on; "a matter
wouldn't have any call to talk about
If I oould see my way clear how to
act But I don't That's Just It I'm
a plain business man. What's that
saying about fools rushing In where
angels would be afraid to show their
noses, or something kind of liko that?
Well, I feel that way right now. But
you're different . I don't know as I'm
putting it so s you can understand, but
what I see about you la that you've
lived.- Now I never lived till I got
on boart the 'Baltic,' less than four
weeks ago. . I knew what business was
and how to get along in the world and
my duty to my wife and my neigh
bors, Dut I nadn l lived. 1 didn't reul
lie, what It was to be really alive or
to live. But I do new, I've learned
In less than four weeks what I hadn't
up till then in thirty-three years, and
probably shouldn't for' thirty-three
more years or till the day of my
death. Yes, sir, I should Just have
dried up like a withered leaf or an
old nut if it hadn't been for that
blessed girl. That's what I've got to
thank her for4-life,"
Christopher did not speak. What
could he say yet? But there waa
stealing Into his puzzled brain a glim
mer of light. Not more than. a faint
glimmer but- If was enough to keep
him from misunderstanding the man
with a name to which nothing worth
happening could ever possibly happen.
"Do you take In my meaning, sir?"
asked Harkness. "Because, If you do,
It'll be easier for me to go on."
"I well I suppose 'you've unfor.
tunately fallen In love with Miss Nour
ma Dalrymple," blurted out Chrlsto.
pher, whose thoughts of the situation
were more delicate than his words.
"Unfortunately In love?" repeated
Harkness, In a shocked way. -"Oh,
then I've been fool enough to mix
things up so you can't see, after all.
Why, It's the moat fortunate thing ever
happened to me. It's like being shut
up In a kind of dark cell for thirty
three years and then having an angel
from heaven fly down to let you out
Once you're out you know, nothing
can put you where you were before
because, when you go back Into the
cell, It won't be dark o musty any
more, but full of all the glory you
saw when you were outside. If you've
got anything in you at all, you're
oouna to take that much with you.
Maybe you think I'm craxy, talking
like this, Mr. Race, but I have to ex
plain. And It Isn't as If you were a
stranger. We've been acquainted a
mighty short while, as time goes, but
you're right In this chapter where the
angel Comes In."
"The missing chapter," Christopher
muttered, more to himself than the
other, but Harkness heard and an
swered I ,
"I see what you're thinking about"
said he. "You think this is going to
be the missing chapter in my life. That
that my friends that my wife
won't ever know anything about It."
"I suppose that Is what waa in my
head." Chlstophe confessed.
Well, you're right, sir, in a way.
We'll call It the missing chapter. It'll
be that for the other ueoole the
,ones who wouldn't be able to under-
siana it it tney were tola, and might
pat thoughts I'd rather full dead right
here than anyone either War me or
far off should have about an angel.
You, for Instance, wouldn't have
known there could be such an angel on
earth. If you hadut seen her and been
with her, would you. now?"
v "No." said Christopher. "She's
wonderful, l ouwo certainly to be ex
cused, Mr. Harkness."
"1 guess 1 wouldn't have been ex-
ousable if I hadn't loved her, because
I'd have been a! block of wood," the
little man retorted almost indig
nantly. "But what about her?" Christopher
Immw Iwi w-
ventured. "Forgive me you asked my
advice, you know. Is this going to
makeher unhappy?"
"I don't quite catch your meaning."
Harkness was looking honestly be
wildered. "1 mean, If she has learned to care
"Great Scot, sir, care for me? Be in
lo Oh no, I can't even say the word
in a connection like that. She feels
kindly towards me, I know, and the
Lord knows how good to me she's
been. As for me, why, you don't think
no, .of course you don't think that
I'd have been wofm enough, green
idiot enough, beast enough, to speak
that same word to her about myself?"
"If 1 could have thought It for an
Instant I apologize," said Christopher.
"Thank you, air. You're a white
man. I knew you were. That's why
I've turned to you; for that reason,
and because, as I said, you've lived,
you've felt, in your, years, though
they're not so many as mine. I love
that girl yes. But even if there
weren't a Mrs. Harkness I wouldn't
have told Miss Nourma, any more
than a common mad man like me
could tell a queen he was in love with
her and would like to have her for
his wife. Her kind Isn't fur my kind.
NOURMA HAD TO 1E TOLD.
And, besides, she loves somebody; I
guess a TnlBhty different sort Jit man
from me. She didn't say anything
about him herself, but her aunt told
me." i
"Is that What she was talking of
this afternoon?" Inquired Christopher,
recalling the mysterious conversation
which had seemed to crush the life
out of the American. , 1
'My goodness, no. Shd told me oa
shipboard."
"Then what did you expect irom
this trip which you haven't got, since
you knew all along that the girl was
in love with another man ?" The ques
tion was out before Christopher quite
knew that he was asking It aloud.
Harkness stared blankly.- "Expect?
Why, I didn't dare expect anything,
the way things stood; the way they'd
been explained to me. But I hoped. I
hoped the motoring and the beautiful
scenery, and the freBh' air and new
experiences might do her good.
Though I ought to have known that
what a tour from India 'most round
the world to ' America, couldn t do,
two weeks in an auto wouldn't But
though she's enjoyed everything, she
doesn't feel any stronger for the two
"I tltlnk I see.", said Christopher.
'The father, in India, wouldn't let his
daughter marry the man she loved and
Miss Dalrymple has been trotting her
niece about the world to help her to
forget." ' : ;
"No, you don't .see," Harkness
answered. "But how could you, with
out having any sort of a clue to the
real story? The young man is a fine
chap any father would be proud to
have nis uaugnter marry; a soiaier
who got a Victoria Cross in that war
of yours with the Boers, before he
was ordered to India. He's titled, too.
I think he's a baron or a baronet, and
s-ood looking. Miss - Dalrymple said.
She called him a splendid fellow,
worthy of her niece, so you can guess
what he must be for her to think that.
But Miss Nourma refused him.
"Although she loved htm?"
' "Because she loved him. But she
made him think she didn't care, other
wise he wouldn't have given her up."
"And now she repents?"
' "No, she doesn't repent 8he'd do
the same thing over again, though it
nearly killed her to do it, and she
isn't as strong even as she waa then.
She refused him because she was un
der sentence of death.''
"Qood heaven! What are you talk
ing about?" exclaimed Christopher.
"We've Just struck the part that I
came here to talk about," answered
Harkness -quietly.
"Has the poor child got consump
tion?" Christopher asked. "She doesn't
look ill. It's only that she's different,
from other girls seems made of
moonlight or flowers, or soniethlng
unearthly."
"That's Just the thought one has
about her," said Harkness. "It came
to me the minute 1 saw her. My steam
er chair was put next to her aunt's
on deck, or I shouldn't have got ac
quainted. I haven't much cheek any
how, and J should never have mus
tered up enough for that But Miss
Dalrymple and I talked, and so It all
happened naturally. I suppose it Was
to be I mean I was to live my Miss
ing Chapter, the only real one In the
whole book. I guess Miss Dalrymple
understood me pretty soon,' so she told
me things. By ahd by It was the whole
history. Miss Nourma's father was an
officer, like the young roan his daughl
ter loves. He spent a summer In Kash
mir on leave, about twenty-one years
ago, and had some letters of intro
duction to high-up, grand sort of na
tives, princes and noblemen. Then he
somehow 1 don't know how, for his
sister didn't tell me got to see a girl
he wasn't supposed to see, for Vomen
there aren't much on show, are they?
The two fell desperately In love, and
he stole her away. They married ; and
as It wasn't exactly the right sort of
thing for an officer to have done, whet,
he was a kind of guest he gave up the
army. Miss Nourma's mother was per
fectly beautiful. Miss Dalrymple says:
looked as If she'd been carved out of
ivory, with gold for hair and starry
sapphires for eyes. Her husband
brought her to England, but she was
home-sick, and the climate didn't suit
her; so he managed to get some civil
appointment in a remote part of India,
where he's stopped ever since, not
having any money of his own. And his
father was so displeased with the mar
rige he didn't leave him much. But
the lovely Kashmtran princess died
when her baby was born; that's Miss
Nourma, whom they named after her
mother. And It seems that the child
of a European man and a Kashmiran
woman, though almost always extra
ordinarily handsome, is Just the same
as born under sentence of death. They
loved each other so much, those two,
that they didn't think of anything
else: but afterwards Captain Dalrym-
pie must have had some awful heart
aches seeing that beautiful angel grow
up like a lily, and knowing (for appar
ently It's a thing well known) that she
was In all probability doomed to be
cut down before she was 21."
"I have heard that sort of thing
from army people wno've come back
from India," said Christopher dully
"It was only Just before MIbs Dal
rymple, the aunt, came out to visit
her bsother and niece (indeed, I guess
that was what took her out) that Miss
Nourma overheard a conversation
which let her know what to expect
Someone was giving a dance in honor
of her eighteenth birthday; and while
she was sitting on a balcony, waiting
for her partner to come back (the
young man she'd fallen in love with,
It was), a couple inside a window be
gan to talk. At first they didn't men
tion her name, Hut said what a pity i
It . Kao.. .-tpl lilrA tho, ..-
tain to fall Into a decline and go off
before the age of 21 only three more
veara to live at most. Then came the
name, and she! knew. But think of her
pluck, sir! She Just got quietly up ana
moved off to another place at a little
distance, so that when her partner
came the people on the other side of
the curtain needn't discover what an
awful thing they'd done.- But Instead
of saying yes when the young officer
proposed, as he did that very , night,
she said 'No,' pretending not tto care
a bit and telling him he must find
some other girl better suited to him
than she waa. i
"Mnt n wnpri AiA he tell her father
when she got home, either, but went
on living as if nothing had happened,
as long as she could. Only her body
wasn't as strong as her soul. She broke
down, and finally grew delirious, so
that her father heard the truth in a
broken kind of Way, which made- him
question the girl when she was getting
well. My guess is that something he
must have written about It, and the
tragedy of It, to his sister, brought
Miss Dalrymple flying out to India.
She'd never seen Nourma before, and
now she blames herself for not going
sooner; she Just adores her niece. She
isn't too rich herself, but she sold
stocks or something, and got hold of
enough cash to take Nourma a long
sea trip, which a doctor there said
might possibly give a new tone to the
girl's constitution, late as it was to try
experiments. But the day I met the
ladles, Miss Nourma was no stronger
than the day she left home. And tq
day she's no better than the day we
started motoring. I don't think she
cares much, except for her father's
sake. You see how serene and and
radiant she is always, as if she'd sailed
right up to the zenith to live with the
moon and stars, only this axternoon it
was a little different with her, maybe;
for the trip will be over tomorrow,
and she and her aunt have been hav
ing a talk about her being worse, and
going back to India. Miss--Dalrymple
told me. And she told me something
else, which she hadn't mentioned be
fore, because, as she sald.lthere seemed
no use speaking of it.
"It's that I want to ask your advice
about Mr. Race. It seems that when
they got to London, Miss Dalrymple
took Nourma Xo see a great specialist
a doctor in New York had recommend
ed her to consult as she was always
catching at some hope or other. His
opinion was that there might be a
good chance of saving Miss Nourma,
making her Strang and well as any
girl. Only neither of them saw how
the thing he suggested could be done;
and she didn't even tell her niece
what he'd said."
"What was the thing?" Christopher
asked, intensely, interested.
"Oh, 1 guess you've heard of it
mostly In story books, where beauti
ful girls do it to save their lovers'
lives. But the question is, could a chap
like me, so much beneath her in every
way, and almost a stranger as far as
time of acquaintance goes, have any
right to propose it? Would it be a
monstrous liberty that a lady would
resent like a kind of insult? I don't
see how I could bear It if she did."
"You forget you haven't told me yet
what the thing Is," Christopher re
minded him. , '
"Oh, so 1 didn't I was Just thinking
out loud. Why, that doctor said, if a
perfectly healthy person, , who never
drank alcohol or took any other poi
son into the system., would give his
or her blood to Miss Nourma. it could
make her all over again like new. She
might marry, and be happy, and live
to a good old age. He and Miss Dal
rymple didn't see how'any such per
son could be found, for she's too old,
and so is the girl's father. But I'm
not old yet and I'm strong."
"You wouldn't do that for her?"
asked Christopher.
"If I: dared to propose it If you
don't think it would be considered too
great a liberty." .
"A liberty! And you'd do it to save
her for another, man ?"
"Of course, thit would be a. great
happiness for me to keep in my mind,
Mr. Race, when I thought back on
what you call my 'missing chapter.' I
do wish you would tell me what you
think."
"I think you're the best and most
unselfish yes, , absolutely selfless
chap I ever met," answered Chris
topher, i
And to show his ownurprlBe there
was a slight lump in his throat which
all but made his eyes water as he
swallowed It,
Mr. James Harkness sprang up and
shook hands with hiia very hard, sev
eral times over.
"Thank you, sir!" he exclaimed, "It
seems funny you would think that,
you know, because, If if it was al
lowed to happen, it would be fne
greatest honor and Joy that could
come to me greater than anything I
ever dreamed of; to feel I had done
something for her a girl like her.
But what I am glad of Is that you
don't think they'd be Insulted."
"Insulted!" cried Christopher. "Why
don't you understand you'd be risk
ing your life, it "
"Pshaw!" cut in Harkness. "I'm
not a giant, but Im 'most as strong
as one, I guess. I can stand anything.
Besides I'd be so happy. Scot! If tliey
would let me do it! Say, Mr. Race,
would you Just mention it to Miss Dal
rymple as coming from me? I
shouldn't have the courage to. mv-
self, and I have her permission to tell
you' this story about Miss Nourma.
She considers you a fine-oung man,
and she didn't mind your knowing,
as we've all been such: friends to
gether the last two weeks."
"What if your strength should
fail, and you. shouldn't get through?"
Christopher asked. "Mrs. Harkness
would have to know, and "
"No, she wouldn't. There'd be no
good in her knowing. I've thought
that out already, and how to arrange
although there's no chance, really, of
auch an ending. And I should , leave
her well provided for. You'd be doing
me a big favor if you would lead up
to this with Miss Dalrymple, and find
out if she could feel I was worthy."
So It came about that Christopher
was Induced to grant the "big favor,"
and Miss Dalrymple not only thought
Mr. James Harkness worthy of the
high honor he solicited, but agreed
with Christopher in thinking some
very good things about the little man's
character which wouM have surprised
the little man himself.
- They motored back to London
without broaching the matter to Nour
ma Dalrymple, but on arrival there
was a consultation with the great spe
cialist, who approved of Harkness
physically as much as the others did
spiritually. Then Nourma had to be
'told, and after the utmost .difficulty
persuaded to consent to the experi
ment which might mean life to her.
That was where Scarlet Runner and
Scarlet Runner's master slipped out of
the story, and into another so much
more dramatic, so much more sensa
tional in its incidents, that the strong
impression graven on Christopher's
mind by James Harkness' missing
chapter might easily , have been
blurred. But It was not so. He thought
constantly of the little man with the
wistful eyes of a misunderstood dog
and the features of a provincial Na
poleon. He thought also of Nourma
Dalrymple, and was as Joyous as If
the result had Intimately concerned
himself when the first news (which
he had asked to have) carne telling
of the experiment. All was going well,
as far as could be known, and.it was
believed that the opinion of the emi
nent specialist would be triumphantly
justified.
Christopher had had to take up an
engagement immediately after return
ing to London with Harkness and the
two Miss Dalrymples. This called him
out of town, and he did not return
until nearly another fortnight had
passed. His first thought after getting
back, was to gq and see the American
mi Intelligence
The Omaha Bee
X Telephone y
Tyler 1000
t
at a nursing home, the address of
which, by request had been given him.
But Harkness was no longer there.
He had got a telegram with some un
expected tidings, and having been
pronounced strong enough to move,
had left at a half-hour's notice. There
was, however, a note for Mr. Race In
case he remembered his promise to
pay a visit.
-"Am Just off to get rooms for Mrs.
Harkness and myself at Savoy hotel,"
Christopher read, scribbled hastily in
pencil on a shiny thin card such as
had introduced the owner to Scarlet
Runner's master. "Mrs. H has.
wired will .arrive sooner than sbe
thought Shall probably remain In
London some days, as she, wants to
shop; and would both be pleased if
you found time to call."
Nothing further. No allusion to the
past or to the state of his health; n
closing admonition not to speak a
word which might open to eyes not
meant to see a leaf of the missing
chapter. Harkness trusted his new
friend. He knew that such a reminder
was unnecessary and Christopher felt
the more warmly drawn to the little
man because of his silence.
He did call at the Savoy that day,
and at such an hour as to be almost
sure of finding Mr. and Mrs. Harkness
at home. He was not disappointed.
They were in, and he was asked up to
their private sitting room.
If it had been Nourma Dalrymple's ,
room she would have had it full of
flowers. Flowers seemed to come of
themselves where she was. But Mrs.
Harkness had no such attraction for
the flower kingdom. There were flow
ers on the center table, supplied by
,'the management for one of the best
suites in the house; and Mrs. Harkness
had presented herself with parcels.
There were boxes and bales of all sizes
and shapes, Just arrived from various
shops: and there was Mrs. Harkness f
! in the midst of them all, a tall, bust- I
ilng woman of noticeably fine- figure,
no particular complexion, restless V
light eyes and a firm, full chin. She
was the embodiment of practicality
! self-satisfied, well dressed practicality;
Kand as she and her husband came for
ward to meet their guest she towered
over him a good two inches In height.
Christopher had thought the Ameri
can small, but now he seemed to have
Uii e
Thek .
stf ul
with
shrunk to half his original size. Th
brown eyes were as kind and wistfi
as ever, and they lighted up
pleasure at sight of him.
"Why, yes," said the lady, "Mr.
Harkness has told me how lucky he
was to have gotten you and your cele
brated automobile to take him a trip.
I expect you both had a nice time,
from what I've got out of Mr. Hark
ness, but I can't say his vacation In an
auto seems to have done him much
good, by the way he looks. He appears
to me twice as tired and peaked as he
did before I left him at our home
some months ago. But he tells me he's
all right."
They asked Christopher to stop to
dinner, which they were having early,
and to go to the theater with them
afterwards, but Christopher pleaded
an engagement. '
"Well?" he said, when Harkness
went down with him to the door.
"It is well,", the other answered.
"The big' doctor's mighty pleased
with her; thinks she's even better than
he hoped. I guess no one, not even you,
can understand what that means my
knowing tho happiness that's surely
coming to her now will be Just a tiny
bit through me. Miss Dalrymple, the
aunt, has written all about everything,
sinoe it's over, to the young man. He
is a baronet. I know his name now.
He's Captain Sir ' Everard Molyneux.
She'll be Lady Molyneux. Can't you
just see how happy he'll be, finding
out she did care always and why she
wouldn't let him know? She wouldn't
have called him back herself, but Miss
Dalrymple could tell him all right,
Then he shook hands with Christo
pher and went back to his wife.
' (Another 'Adventure Next Week.)
ASK FOB and GET ,
HORLICK'S
THE ORIGINAL
MALTED MILK
Cheap Substitute!! eoit YOU gimi price.
j