ii ll ii m i ! ; i i if ,i ; i' ' . by LOUIS JOSEPH WClM "S ILLUSTRATIONS BY " v?l'M COPYRICHT 1909 y LOUISOSEPHVANCE -' " J I 18 8YNOP8I3. . The utory opnns nt Monte Carlo with Col Terrnrn O'lloiirko. a tullltHry froo innce nnd nomptlilk' of 11 icnmbler. In Ills total. Leaning on tlio balcony ho seen n ifHiitlful lrl who middonly enters tlio clevnlor nnd pannes from alRlit At thn gmnint; tnulo O'llourku notlu'H two men WHtchlnK him. One Is tlio .Hon llertle niynn, while IiIh companion Is Viscount !e Trebes, n duellHt. The lsi'Oilnt tolls ilm the Trench government lias directed iliu to O'Hourko an a man who would Undertake a secret mission. At hit npnrt (nent O'Hourko, who had nKreed to un dertake the mission, finds a mysterious letter. Tlio vlBCount arrives, bands a realed package to O'Hourko, who Is not o open It until on the ocean. A pair of dainty slippers aro seen protruding from tinder a doorway curtain. The Irishman lnds the owner of the mysterious feet to 10 his wife, Ueatilx, from whom he had run away a year previous They nre leconclled, and opening thn letter he fliiut Ihnt n Rangoon law Arm offers him 100,000 pounds for n Jowel known as the 'ool of Kintno and leu to mm uy 11 oy- lug friend, but now In koeplng of one liHtned I'linmuret in Algeria, uuourne wotats tlio nobleman In a duel. The wire Jids O'Hourko farewell ami he promises r.i soon return with the toward lie dls- nverq oolli Uiyiin nnu me vnroum on loan! the ship As he finds Chainbrct here Is an uttnek by imndlts unci 1111 rlend dies telllnir O'Hourko that h lias eft the I'ool of Klnmo with the governor .eneral. who at sight of 11 mgnei ring lvi'ii the colonel will deliver over ui jewel. Arriving at Algeria the Irishman IIiiiIh the governor general away. Oes ''rebes makes a mysterious appointment. nd tells O'llourku that bo bus gained lossesilon of the Jewel by stealing It. In duel O'llourke maaters llin viscount, ectireH possession of the Pool of Mnino ind starts by ship for Hangoon. Ho Ilnus he captnln to be a smuggler who tries to deal the Jewel. It Is llnally secured by ho captain and O'Hourko escapes to and. With the nld of one Danny nnd lis sweetheart, O'Hourko rocovers the ool of Flame. On board ship onco more. Miuml for Hangoon, a mysterious lady ippears. O'Hourko comes upon a lascar ilmut to attack the lady, who Is 11 Mrs. rynne, nnd kicks tlio man Into tho hold. vim Prynno claim hIio Is on route for udlana on a mission for the king. O'Hourko Is nttacked by the lascar, who 1 ecu res the I'ool of Flame, the captain , shot and the lascar Jumps Into tho sea. I'lto ship arrives In port. I CHAPTER XXVI. (Continued.) 1 "Got on with your story. What about Mrs. Prynno?" demanded O'Rourke, eyeing his servant curiously nnd trying to fathom lila but half-die-Bulscd and wholly awkward air of self esteem. Plainly the boy thought highly of himself because of some thing ho had accomplished, some ex ilolt of nrowesB or stroke of diplo macy as yet undisclosed. "Ylsbor. ... I was tellln' ye It Roomed to mo the height of moneness pho was dlsplayln', tua'ntn' this mwno Mrs. Prynne, whin 'twitB mesllt knew, none bctther, how much yo'vo laid 'out on her account and hersllf not walttn' to settle up wld ye " "What bualnesB was that of yours?" " 'Twas nouo, sor. Hut ycrsllf had keeled over and wns did to lvrythlng, mill what am 1 for If not to look out for ye at such times? .... So J'm afther sthoppln' thlm two Just as they would bo lavln' their staterooms, and rz'I, 'Missus Prynno,' sz'I, 'mo tnasthcr's compliments and he'd llko a worrd wld yees before yo'rj gone en tlroly.' And 'What's thlB?' bz'b1i& wld it lino show of surprise tho dnyceyt Xul huzzy! though I'm watchln' hor nnd thlnkln' she wns frlgntoned about nomothln', from tho white turn nv tho face av her. Sz'slio: "TIs In tho dlvvlo's own hurry I nm tho mluulo,' or worrds to tho samo Iff let. Sz'slio: 'And puwnt will bo bo wnntln' nv mo?' 'A momlnt'a conversation wld ye,' bz'I. And Bz'shc: 'I've no time. Let mo pass.' 'I'll be doing,' sz'I, 'nawthlu' Jllio thot,' for bo now I'm thlnkln' thoro's somethln' deeper behlnt her Ouster and flurry thin a mero desire to bilk yc p'rhaps 'twas this thing In-too-lshum I've heard yo mlntlon. And die next nilnlt I'm suro tv ut, for sho i;och white as snow In the face and the eyoB of her begins to bum like jcold grunn Arc nnd alio screams to Co rile iur holp and Is nfther whipping out n gun to blow mo out av her way wld; but 'tis mosllf thot's bo way nv heln' too quick for her and tnkln' tlio pistol away; and bo the mercy nv tho Saints MUtbcr Druvoa bears the Bhlndy and hops down Just In time to Biiatch another gun out of tho hand av that samo Cecllo, and he grabs tho guii nnd turns her Into a stateroom and shuts tho duro on her and " "Aud, Interrupted O'Hourko In a "black rage, rising and turning back his Blcovcs "And now I'm going to give yo tho father nnd mother of nil thrashings, yo Insolent puppy I How daro yo lay hands on n lady " "Ow, murtherl" chattered the boy, leaping away. "Ho nlsy, yer honor, 'nnd henr mo out, for 'tis thin yo'll not bu blamln' mo, but If yo do I'll take tlio batln' wldout a worrd, sor." "Very well," assented O'ltourko om inously. "But bo quick about" It, for I'm mistrustful of yo altogether. Got on, yo whelp I" Danny placed tho table betweon them with considerable expedition, "Aw, llsthen now," ho pleaded. "While Misther DjnvoB was 'tendln' to Ccclle, thU Ml83ls Prynno was Bcrappln' like a wildcat, scratching and bltlu', aud ''tis all I can do to kapo her by wrnp ulu' mo arms tight about ir und hvld- In' her so. and I'm makln' a grab nt her walnt whin bo nccldeiit llko what do I catch hold av hut something tin dernatho as big an a hln's egg a stono bIio'.. carryln' round her neck, the samo as yer honor did wld the Pool an Flame; and bo the feel av ut ut's tho hkiiio entirely; and thin I'm sure 'tis tho samo and thot some sail duggery's bo way av havln' been put upon ye " "What the dlvvlo!" "Wan momlnt more. . . . Now In llghtln' wld me the collar nv hor waist has conio unfastened and me solf can see tho string av ribbon that's holding tho thing there. So 1 sez to niesllf, hz'I, ' 'TIs strango enough to bear Investlgatln',' sz'I, 'an' I'll be takln' a chanst at this If the inasther do ho afther flayln' mo alive. So I calls Misther Dravos and gets him to hould her fast while I takes out me knife nnd cuts thot ribbon and pulls tho thing out wldout any Immodesty whatever; and there on thot ribbon Is a chamois-case, all sewed up, and I'm rlppln' It open an finding this!" "God In Heaven!" cried O'Rourke, stupefied and ngape; for Danny, hav ing worked up to his climax, had dra matically whipped from his pocket and cast upon the table between them the Pool of Finnic. Ho looked up, blind to the glee nnd triumph In Danny's face. "How did ye eome be thls7" he de manded, speaking slowly and steadily, as ono who, having drunk more thnn enough, listens to his own enunciation to detect In It the slur that liquor brings. "I moan I mean how could yo havo taken this from tho woman when It lay all the time at tho bottom of tho son six hundred miles nnd more bohlnd us?" "Ask MlBther Drnvos If ye do not bolao me, sor. How would I bo hav ln' It nt all, wldout I got It like I've told yo? . . . 'TIs the real Pool of Flamo yo'ro handlln'; that's suro. T'other one the stono the serang Hung Into the say, Bor, wns a counter felt." "How do ye know that?" 'Alsly enough, yer honor; bo puttln' tho maid Cecllo on tho witness stand. 'Twas this way: I tuk the stono from "God In Heavenl" Missus Prynno and Misther Dravos and mosllf locked her In her cabin. Thin aflher talkln' things over we let Cecllo out nnd bo dint nv throats and porauashlons, got hor to tell what tho know." "Go on." "Sho bcz thot Frlnchiiian ye kilt back thore In Algiers, sor, Is at tho bottom av It all, only he's not did b causo yo didn't mako a claue Job av ut, but lift blm wld the lasto suspic ion uv the breath av life In tho body av him." "I waa afraid of that," nodded O'Rourko. "Tho next time we meet, Des Trohcs and 1, thero'll be no mis take about It" "Sho sez Unit befur he fought wld a t. mm mrMTS 3 ftr-s-j5i n ' r 'iff flfr TF Fjllf'f ' vo ho'd taken monsurenilnts nv the stone and made a wax mould av ut, so thot whin ho fulled to kill yersllf nnd had got his strength back, he wlnt to Paris and had an Imltashun av ut mado there somehow bo fusing chape stones together and all thot, I belavo. 'Twas Ixplnslve an' him tight up for money, so he takej Missus Prynno In to partnership and she puts up tho cash Thin they've been watchln' yersllf all the time, sor they sets Cap'n Hole onto ye to get tho stone away, nnd ho does It like yo know. Afther ye escaped from tho Pelican, ho gocB ashoro and mates the lady at her hotel and dayllvers the stone to her, getting his pay nnd the Imlta shun Into the bargain, he Inslstln' on thot hecnuso he knows ye'll bo comln' hack for the Pool nv Flame, and he's afraid av ye afraid ye'll kill blm if he enn't turn over a ruby to ye llko tho wan ho stole. 80 'twas tho faked stone we tuk from him thot samo night nnd the same we brought aboard the Ranee and the same the serang stholo from yo." M "I begin to see. Hut how about the serang? What did Cecil havo to say in explanation of him?" "Sho couldn't account for him at all. sor, save thot mebbe the natives In Rangoon had somehow got wind av tho fact that the atone was comln' back and a gang av thlm set out to stale ut. She sez MIbbub Prynno nlv er cud account for tho way thoy dis covered sho had ut, but they seemed to know pretty certain Bure, sor, for yo'll recall they nlvor bothered ye at all at first, nnd 'twas only be chanst, like, thot tho serang got tho Imltashun from ye." "Hut what about Des Trebes? Did tho maid say?" "No more than he'd been lift In Paris, sor" x "And what 'ev ye don with the two of them, Mrs. Prynne and the maid? Aro thoy still locked up safely?" "Dlvvle a hit, yer honor. 'Twas Im possible to knpe them so, Dravos said, wld Missus Prynne threatening to yell bloody murther out av the poort and kick up Bitch a row thot the authori ties wud bo down on us If we didn't let her go. Resides, we'd got what we Cried O'Rourke. wanted out av her, nnd. pwhat was tho use av holdln' her anny longer?" "So yo let thorn go?" "Ylssor." "I could kill ye for It." said O'Rourke, "and DravoB, too; for there's a deal of matters I'd like to be Inquiring Into with tho lady this blessed minute. Hut, Danny boy, there's nothing In tho world I can't forglvo yo now, for what yo'vo done for me, and 'twill be a strango thing if I don't servo yo handsomely when 1 como Into a fortune . . . Now don't be stnndln' thcro like a nlntiy, but bo oft with yo and pack mo things befoto I lift mo hnnd to yo. "Pis In haste wo aro with Doa Trebes allvo und Mrs, Prynno oa tho loose; and thero'll bo no bucIi thing na rest for I either of us until we reach Rangoon. CHAPTER XXVII. "Danny ..." said O'Rourke without looking up from the occupa tion which had engrossed his r.'tou Hon for tho last three hours; nnd for 'lip first tlmo in that period he spoke audibly, making nn end to tho mum bled ronfabulatlon ho had been hold ing with himself, a Murray's Guide, a Hiadshaw, an Indian railway guide, severul steamship folders and a largo colored map of tho Indian empire. "What day's this day, Danny?" Danny thought laboriously. " 'Twas this morn' wo lift th' Ranee, 3or? . Thin yestlddy was Wednes day" "And today Thursday, bo logical progress of reasoning, eh?" "Aw, ylss, sor." "And what'B tho tlmo?" Danny consulted O'Rourke's watch on tho bureau. "A quarter av twilvo." "Then bestir yourself, yo lazy good-for-nothing, nnd pack up mo things." "Aw!" cried Danny, expostuHnt. "Our train leaves at two. Ya havo an hour nnd a half." "Aw, but yer honor, Is ut no rlst at all wo'll Iver bo havln'?" "Ye can rest on tho train," said O'Rourke. "I've Just ten days left In which to roach Rangoon, whe-e I've an appointment to keep with a lady, Dan ny, to wit, Madame O'Rourko. D'yo mind hor, and do ye blame me, Dan ny?" Danny became suddenly evtraordln arlly btiBy. "Why did yo nut say as much to begin with, yer honor?" he complained. "Aa if I wouldn't work me hands to tho stumps av thlm. . . ." " 'TIs now Thursday noon," con tinued O'Rourke thoughtful y. "Tho two o'clock train's scheduled to land us In Calcutta at ten Saturday night. At eight Sunday morning a steamer leaves Diamond Harbor for Rangoon, scheduled for a fair-weather pa .sage of three days That'll leave us ,1 lit tle leeway, barring accidents, we've ..0 time to waste." "But how'Il we bo catchl'-g steamer nt Dl'mlnd Harbor, sot ? But thot how- far's that from Calcutta, now. an' will there he thralns at that hour av tho night?" "That's to be dealt with n5 'it turns up, Danny. There's only lorty miles between tho two places, and if there's no train, we'll charter a motor-car or a boat down the Hughll. . . ." The latter expedient O'Rourko final ly adopted, although ho could have af forded a comfortablo night In a ho tel at Calcutta, had he deemed It wise. Hut In tho fifty-six hours of unmitigat ed sweltering that ho and Danny en dured in their (light across India he had leisure to think matters over very carefully, with tho result that, all things considered, he felt justified In assuming tho world to be In league against him and In shaping his course accordingly. Therefore It were un wise to permit himself to bo seen nnd recognized In Calcutta, or oven to lin ger on the soil of India an Instant longer than absolutely necessary. Within nu hour, then, of his arrival at Howrah, ho had, by dint of per sistence and rupees, succeeded In hir ing a launch to take him from the ter minus by water to the steamer at Dia mond harbor chapter xxviii. At a small hour of the morning they made Diamond Harbor In pitch dark ness and without misadventure wero successful In causing themsolves to be transhipped, bag and baggage, to tho twlnscrow steamship Poonah, which vessel rode at anchor in midstream. Toward eight o'clock of the white hot forenoon that followed, O'Rourke, In tho shadow of a long-boat on the Poonah's promenade deck, stood fin ishing a matutinal cigar and watching narrowly a tender ferry out n final boatload of passengers from tho east ern river bank. ' Slowly tho tendor forged toward tho steamer's side; and as It drew near, O'Rourko forgot to smoke and bent over tho rail to Inspect with unremit ting Interest those upon Its decks. Tho forward deck of the tender hold his regard but briefly; those who waited thore, eyeing impassively tho towering flanks of the liner, were one and all of the east, of races, creeds nud types too numerous to catalogue. These tho adventurer might not read, save Individually upon personal con tact. If trouble was to come from them, collectively or Individually, he would not know uatll the blow had fallon On tho other hand, ho might be nblo to hazard shrowd surmises ns to tho potential animus Inherent In any ono of tho Europeans who woio to bo his fellow passengers. The latlor wero 11 mero handful; half n dozon commercial travelers from London, Paris, Berlin, their avo cations evident bevond dispute; n sal low English missionary with his with ered wife, sombro figures In the stark sunlight, a red-faced doputy-subsomo-thlngorother of tho Indian govern ment, complacent In white drill nnd now pith helmet with a gay puggaree; a lone English girl, and a Frenchman. Tho two latter held the Irishman's attention, tho girl because, even at a distance, her slim whito-clad figure and woll-polsod head scorned singu larly fresh and attractive; tho man booause-Mvoll, because O'Rourko wns suscoptlblo to premonitions. Ho was a tall man and broad, the Frenchman well-mnde, well-groomed, carrying himself with an Indefinable air of distinction. His faco was rath er pale (and therefore notablo In that concourso of dark skins). Its features strongly modeled, the mouth and chn masked by r neatly trimmed and pointed beard and mustache O'Rourko could not havo sold that ,he had ever seen tho man before; yet there wns this nnd that about him which struck a spark of reminiscence from his memory. A suspicion flashed through his mind which he put aside with. disdain, as absurd and far-fetched. On the other hand ... Ho knit his brows In puzzlement. The very fixity of his regard drew tho eyes of Its object upwards. Thoy encountered O'Rourke's, lingered brief ly In nn unveiled, Inquiring stare In which there w.ib not to bo detected the least hint of recognition, nnd passed onward casually, indifferently, Ignoring the Impertinence. The tender's passengers began to stumble up the gnng-plank to a lower dock of the liner; and O'Rourko, with a sober face, went below, tnklng somo care to avoid contact with tho Incom ing crowd. Ho found Danny was In his state room, engaged with somo details of. repair to tho adventurer's wardrobe. O'Rourko tcmalned for a brief spaco standing in the middle of the cabin, visibly abstracted. Then abruptly some whimsical consideration seemed to resolve his dubiety ns lightning will clear sultry, brooding air; a smllo deepened the corners of his mouth, tho flicker In his oyo merged magically into n twinkle, tho shrug of his broad shoulders conveyed an impression of casting care to tho winds. "Danny, lad," ho remarked reflect ively, throwing himself ungracefully upon the cushioned transom opposite to his borth. "Danny, ye wouldn't Ho to me, would yo now?" "Aw-w!" reproved Danny. "Shuwv yer honor knows ut Isn't lu mo at all." And to himself; 'That tho dlvvl now?" "Then tell mo, Danny, truthfully; did ye ever Bee a ghost?" "Aw-w!" seeing cause to take the query as a Joke. "A ghost that had grown a beard since It had become a ghost, Danny?" "Aw-aw-w!" still willing to bo amused, If "himself" chose to bo face tious. "Because," continued O'Rourke with a slight frown, "I have, and that not five minutes since." "Aw?" "Wance I left a man for dead, Dan ny, with a clean sword-thrust through the body of him a misbegotten black guard he was; but I killed him In fair fight, sword to sword, and no fa vor. . . . And this bright and beautiful morning, lo and behold ye! who should come tripping up the gang plank but his ghost, ns lively ns ye please, and with a neat new beard!" "Aw-w?" Incredulously. O'Rourke frowned Impatiently. "Des Trebes," ho explained. "Aw " "Stop It, yo parrot! Stop It, I say! Havo jo no word In the dark lexicon of your Ignorance other than 'Aw-aw'? Get up, ye omadhaun, and take mo re spects to tho purser and ask him pleaso will ho show yo tho passon-gor-llst." The valet left with circumspect ala crity. Alone, O'Rourko rose and turned thoughtfully to a revolver that made a conspicuous black spot on the white count orpane of tho berth, with nerv ous, strong fingers unllmberlng the weapon nnd tnklng account of the brnss dials of tho cartridges that nestled snug in Its six-chambered cylinder. The machine was In perfect condition; O'Rourko snapped the breech shut and thrust It In his pock et. Then he sat down to think, sub consciously awaro from noises with out thit the tender had swung off and the anchor was being tripped. Could the resemblance bo acciden tal? It seemed hardly possible. The Des Tiebes he had known had been a typo distinct, so clear and aloof from the general Frenchman that not even tho ndditlon of a beard to his physiog nomy could havo proven a thorough dlEgulBe. And it seemed reasonable enough to assume that, Mrs. Prynne having failed in hor undertaking, Des Trebes would resume his office as ac tivo head of their conspiracy. If It wero Indeed ho whom O'Rourko had just seen, there was every chance Im aginable that the final chapter In tho history of tho Irishman's connection with tho Pool of Flamo would provo an eventful ono. "Maybe not." ndmltted O'Rourko. "maybe I decelvo mesolf. But I'm persuaded I'll do well to keep both me eyes open until the day I'm rid of tho damned thing!" At this juncture Danny's knock took him to tho door. "Mongsero Rnoul do Ilyeres." announced tho valet breath lessly. " 'tis thot tho pursor says his namo Is, yer honour." "Yes," assented O'Rourko dubious ly "Hut perhaps tho purser's mista kenmisinformed." ITO nB CONTINUED.) Bucking Horses. A touch of tho spur or a flick of the quirt slgnnls tho start, says tho Ameri can Macazlne. In an nrticle oa our western horsos. His knowledgo of what to do must bo a heritage from his ancestors, for all horses do It, and all Amorlcan wild horsos are sprung from horses that once carried men. He pops down his head and levitates straight heavenward. Whllo he and you nre high In tho air ho arches his back and stiffens hi3 body to-Iron rig idly. Thus ho comes back to earth. The sensation to tho rldor Is as It hit Bplnal column had been struck by a plledrlver. Tho Impression Is not an alyzed at the tlmo. for tho horso goes Into tho air again Immediately. He swings to right or left, or he "changes ends" completely whtlo In tho air, and you como down facing southward, wheroas you wore facing northward when you asconded, HARD FOR THE HOUSEWIFE It's hard enough to keep house if In porfoct health, but n woman who Id weak, tired and suffering nil of tho tlmo with nu aching back has u heavy burden to carry. Any woman in this condition has good cause to Btispect kidney trouble, especially IT tho kidney action seems disordered at all. Doan'a Kidney Pills havo cuied thousands of women suffering in this way It la tho best-iecom-mended special kidney remedy. A Mnrth DalCotl! CMO rv.Pt,.t,IM srXSi Mra.CT.Tyter, TlVjylX'l? Ol?l Caudo.N.Uak., """""' ? -4. .....im.h.il otul limbs were swollen and I could not sleep on account of tho kidney tveaknesi. My back waslame and Hore, nnd I felt miserable. Dnnn's Kldncr I'llli froetl mo of tho tninbln and whenllmre bail occasion to ue ttirm since tber hareneYor (ailed me," Gtt Doan's at any Drug Store, 50c a Box 1 Doan's K1fir POPULAR SYMBOL OF VALUE Young Man Evidently Was Lacking In His Appreciation of the Coun try's Statesmen. There Is plenty of food for cynical thoughts In the national capital, as is shown by tho following Incident which happened on a Washington street car: A worldly young man, prone to crlt Iclso, was gazing at the advertise ments which decorate tho Interior of tho car. Ono ndvettlsed a new kind of collar for men. The dome 'of the capltol was represented encircled by ono of the collars, and on tho sen ate and house wlus of tho build ing wero placards giving prices and sizes. Tho placard on the Benato end of the capltol read, "Quarter size," t.nd that on the ttker end said, "Two for a quarter." The worldly cynical young man turned to hi companion. "That," ho remarked, "Just about expresses my opinion of somo of these hero congressmen." Judgo. Carrying It Too Far. "Scientific management, like any other good thing, may be carried to excess." Tho speaker was R. Marriott Thompson, ihe San Francisco scienti fic management expert. Ho continued, sys the New York Tribune: "We scientific managers musn't go as far as Ilussler went. "Husslor was tho proprietor of a tremendous factory where scientific management had reduced the mo tlons of every hand from S00 to 17. ilussler attended a very fashionable wedding one day, a wedding where the ceremony was performed by a bishop, assisted by n dean and a canon, and In tho most lmpresslvo part of tho writ Hussler, overcome by his scientific management Ideas, rush ed up to tho altar and pushed tho bishop and canon rudely back. " 'Hero, boys,' he said, 'one's quite enough for a little Job like this.'" Instinctive. "So you took your wife to the base ball game?" "Yes," replied Mr. Meekton. V. "Did she enjoy It?" "Only part of It. She thought they wasted a great deal of time running around tho lot, but she thought tho ar guments with the umpire were quite Interesting" Washington Star As to Kissing. Jack Do you believe thero's crobes In kisses? Gwen You can search me. ml- There are lots of funny things to bo seen in this world, and among them is a fat woman sitting on a llttlo piano stool. "That's Good" Is oft d of en sai Post Toasties when eaten with cream or rich milk and a sprinkle of sugar if desired. That's the cue for house keepers who want to please the whole family. Post Toasties are ready to serve direct from the package Convenient Economical Delicious 'The Memory Lingers" Sold by Crocers. Phun CVf1 1 Company. Liioilel, B.ttl Crk, Mich. i 1 t