|[ THE UNKNOWN'!
N MR. KENT ||
GEORGE H. DORAN OOw. Ull COPTRIGT. ^
j “Disapointed ?" queried the Ameri
can, with cool insolence.
“Not much,” same the ready reply
Vtth equal coolness. “The way you
passed the combination over was—
VeO—significant.”
1 TSuppose we sit down,” Kent sug
gested. “We’ve got quite a lot of
phings to discuss, haven’t we?”
“That depends on you. Of course
you are quite amenable- I seem
feo be in the position of strength. I’ll
platen to anything you’ve got to of
“You’ll listen? That’s good. If you
■cnly came to listen, why did you come
«t all? Say, I’rovarsk! You think
Tm fool enough to believe you came
feere merely on a polite visit, do you?
jjust because you wanted to hear the
ieweet sound of my voice? You came
<%ecause I’ve got things you want.
Things you think I might trade.
Things that if you don’t get, might
fcpset your little pile of bricks and tip
jPOU over into the gutter. Come, let’s
jmot try t0 flay blind man’s buff. What
fere you after? What card do you
ifeeed to fill your flush?”
“Pretty fair talk for a man who is
■but in his own room under arrest,”
commented Provarsk. “What is it the
Kngiish call it—Swank. Yes, that's
It. Bluff, I think you style It, you
Yankees."
“Not at all,” Kent Insisted, serious
ly. "A real bluff is where you haven’t
got the goods, but try to make the
•ther fellow believe you h^ve. Swank,
an the contrary, Is merely an ex
aggeration of what you possess.
Welther word is applicable, because
Yve got what you have to have. I
Umder arrest? Poof! That's nothing,
because I've got what is known as the
■noral supremacy, the Initiative. Also
because you are afraid of me and that
X might possibly kick your apple cart
■with a lot of freckled wares into the
*arbage pile.”
"Good!” gaily responded the baron.
•'Quite good! Nothing like frank ad
mission to get to a business basis, is
-■there? You can make it a lot more
•certain for me. And in return I can
•t least make It certain that you shall
Slave a ehanoe to wander farther
•field with a whole hide."
"And if I don't prove agreeable?"
Cut: Honed Kent.
':T'..en," declared the conspirator,
rwltl. .x great air of regret, "I am
• afraid you won't wander anywhere at
•all. About the cheapest thing in Mar
-.kcn 11 a lot in the cemetery."
"TTm-m-inh,' mused the 'American.
"*9f you are so certain of ycwr ground,
II can't volte see why you bother with
me. You wouldn’t do it. No, Indeed!
You’d order the lot."
“Jllght again," cheerfully agreed the
baron.
nuj, tncn lei s get uuwn to ornss
tacks. What are you after?"
Provarsk got up and began to move
about the room, much to Kent a dis
turbance.
'"Sit down," he said. “I don’t like to
talk business to a man who is run
ning a race with himself.”
-Provarsk sat down and came
straight to tho point.
“I can get your transfer of that
•lining concession whether you give it
•r not,” he said, meaningly.
"In the same way you got my signa
tures to letters I never wrote, eh?’’
"Exacfly,” admitted Provarsk, with
• grin. "But it might save some
further trouble with yoar employer,
John Rhodes, if I actually got the
transfer from you.”
T believe you are right about that,”
Kent agreed. “But you haven’t yet
explained where I come in. I'm not
fool enough to believe you are doing
ibis for the good of the state, you
know.”
"Of course I’m not!” Provarsk de
clared, contemptuously. Tin doing it
.for my own good and no one’s else.”
"How do ysu propose to handle the
.king?” demanded Kent.
"He’ll have to de what 1 want him
to, for the simplest of reasons, that I
•ball have the people behind me. He'll
get nothing! He can be king. That’s
•sough for Mm.”
"tea?" said Henl, Invitingly. "Row
•bout me. You have already written
to Rhodes. Do I get nothing, too?”
‘That’s just what I’m coming to,”
•bserved the baren. "You’ve been a
good gamester, bat you've lost, all tho
way round. You aud I agree on jnst
one thing, which is that either of us
keeps his word when ho can do so.
That’s right, isn't it?"
"Yes. I Oita* It is,"
Timi if I save you my word as a
genfleuMMi on anything, you’d accept
T ffihkl should.”
"Vwj wtti, that simplifies matters.
The Vhm has been getting 10 per cent.
«f the mst revenue* frstn the mines.
SVpm sow on he vets nothing, and
you stall haj|» • per sent, hereafter,
ho be tps-sa-tap* be m wherever you
19
choose to hide from Khodes, provided
that you give me that concession.
Only, of course, you’ve got to stay
away from Marken. That’s under
stood in any event.”
With a studied air of deliberation
Kent looked up at the ceiling, until
Provarsk began to move restlessly.
The latter consulted his watch and
got hastily to his feet.
"I've no further time to waste in
politeness,” he declared, with sharp
emphasis. “I shall give you just five
minutes more in which to decide.”
“Why this haste? Got anything im
portant to do?” asked Kent in bland
surprise.
“I have,” asserted the baron, crisp
ly.
vitiii, iiuvairm, yu u apaio
yourself the trouble," said Kent with
the utmost sarcasm. “I know your
full plans. I even surmised you might
try to seize me and instructed Von
Glutz, who, by the way, will be on
hand with sufficient strength to act
this very morning, that unless it be
came a question of saving nay life he
was not to interfere with you. With
the exception of perhaps a half dozen
men, the palace guard is still loyal
and awaiting my orders. I could have
summoned assistance last night with
a single call!"
Provarsk looked Incredulous. He
concealed the fear that slowly gripped
him, and snapped his Angers.
“Bluffing again,” he said. “Come,
my time Is up.”
“Going to read a procalamatlon to
the people, or anything like that? If
so you may as well save yourself the
trouble. By this time the king Is
already reading his."
Provarsk’s face, at this statement,
went white with rage.
“You lie!” lie shouted.
“I don't,” calmly disputed Kent, In
his turn arising (o his feet. “I've al
ready returned him his concession
and he is by this time presenting the
manganese mines, gratis, to the citi
zens of Markon. Another thing! You
needh't worry about what John
Rhodes might do to me. I happen to
be John Rhodes, myself! You are—”
There was a shout, a curse, a wom
an's scream and a pistol shot sound
ing together in confusion. Provarsk,
infuriated, had whipped a gun from
his pocket so unexpectantly that [van
had not time to reach him; hut the
princess had. with desperation, flung
the screen heavily against Provarsk’*
arm, and the bullet, deflected from Its
mark, spattered Itself in minute
particles of flying lead over the tiled
floor. Outside, the sentry battered
clamorously on the stout door. In ibe
debris of the screen two men now
struggled furiously, Ivan and Pro
varsk, the latter striving with desper
ate intent t* twist his pinioned hand
cnce more in Kent's direction, and
swenring, that, no matter what hap
pened, he would at least kilt him. His
persistence angered the giant, who
l.ad seized his forearm, and threw him
to the floor. With a roar like (hat of
a charging lion he seemed for the Arst
time to exert his full strength He
was unswerving and pitiless. His
huge right shoulder suddenly lifted
until the muscles of his neck were
swollen and rigid, there was the harsh
siap of breaking bones, an agii,'?-d
scream from Provarsk, and Kent >eapt
forward.
ivan! ivan: ne snouteu, iorget
t-ng that the latter could not hear.
The princess backed away against the
wall, with 3 stare of fascinated, ex
pectant horror; for Ivan, with all the
hatred he had sustained for the chan
cellor unleashed, was intent on killing
him thU time, regardless of Kent’s
entreaties. He sni :>ed the pistol
from the floor and spite Kent's ef
itorte plant ul the n :e against Pro
varsk's temple, lit- tried to dis
charge it; bit 1 in nls haste had unwit
t'ngiy thiown the safety clutch. Pro
varsk, helpiess beneath him, glared
upward with eyes that did not quail.
The curious, reckless, fearless faring
of the man did not desert him in the
least now that ha was at the end.
Kent caught Ivan's arm in both his
own. but the enraged giant thrsw him
eff, dexterously dropped the pistol,
caught it by the muzale, and lifted his
arm high above his head intent on
crushing Provarsk's skull with the
butt of rile weapon. Quick as light,
Kent saw hie opportunity, and caught
the upraised wrist from behind, threw
ail his weight against it, and slowly
bent Ivan sldesrise from over his vic
tim. Th^ giant, though taken at this
disadvantage, yielded only inch by i
inch, overborn* by the strength ofl
Keiit that, with any ordinary man,
would have been overpowering. Kent's
jaws were set until the nvnecles of his!
cheeks shone in kntftu and his eyes!
were aflame.
“Let me kill him! For God's sake,
don't Interfere!” Ivan shouted, and
then, pleading for the privilege of de
stroying Provarsk, was toppled over,
breathing hoarselpu-wod looking up in
to Kent’s face. "^iowly the rad
flame burned out of his eyes, as he
recovered control of himself. The
pistol fell from his hand, and the
princess, with a spring as graceful as
a leopard’s seized it and retreated to
a safe distance.
‘‘Promise me that you will not hurt
him, Ivan! I tell you not to! Are
you mad, man?”
"I promise," said Ivan, sullenly, but
relaxing himself, and Kent arose.
Ivan got slowly to his feet, with a
stare of hatred and defeated intent at
Provarsk, who was painfully trying
to extricate himself from the pieces
of splintered screen.
Kent put his hand firmly, but gent
ly, beneath him and assisted him to
his feet, and then to a chair. There
was no need to ask his condition.
The loosely swinging arm told its own
story.
The door gave way under a fresh
onslaught and several guardsmen fell
into the room. Behind them could be
seen two others holding Provarsk's
mercenary between them. Kent smiled
grimly and said, "Thank you men;
but I do not require your help. Pull
what’s left of the door shut and at
once go and arrest or kill Provarsk's
hired men. Leave one man on guard
outside in case I want him.”
They saluted and obeyed with con
vincing alacrity.
"Provarsk,” said Kent, “I’m very
sorry! I didn't wish that done to
you.”
“That’s all right, Rhodes, or Kent,
if you prefer It. It’s nothing to what
I wanted to do to you," gamely re
torted the baron,
“Or nothing compared to what Ivan
wanted to do to you,” remarked Kent.
“Why didn't you let him finish it?
In your place I should have done so,”
Provarsk asserted, without rancor,
and clutching his shattered arm.
"Because,” declared Kent, with
quite dignity, “I have punished you
enough. You are finished as it la.
Somehow, I'm sorry! You’re a game
man, Baron, and—I like them. I shall
send for a surgeon."
"Oh, may as well put that off for a
few minutes,” the chancellor said,
wincing with a physical pain that
barely exposed itself in his levetj
voice. “May as well tell me thff1
worst.”
“There’s not much to tell,” Kpnt
said, gently. “Only that I’ve beaten
you past any chance of your coming
back. By this time you are not even
the chancellor, I vfiink. I fancy Von
Glutz, the loyal, has come back to his
own. And you are broke. Broken like
an empty egg shell!”
Provarsk shut his teeth, tried to
get. his arm to a less painful position,
attempted a brave smile, and •aid, 'T
think not. The Marken Mineral com
pany. my dear Mr. Rhodes-”
"Is worthless! I couldn't quite for
give your trying to bribe my secre
tary, Provarsk. That wasr't playing
the game. I went after you on that.
It’s a rule of finance to get a man
who tries to bite your leg under the
table. I got you! The only un
profitable, completely worthless en
terprise in Marken, is the one in
which you've put eve*y dollar you
could got, I saw to that. I kept It
going at a totel loss Just for your
benefit. You’re not worth a copper
centime. You'll have to borrow money
to buy your railway ticket out—unless
—unless I relent. Maybe I shall. There
are a lot of things I like about you.
There are a lot of places where I can
use brave men, if they are wtlling to
be honest, and you are at least brave.”
"I don’t think,” said the baron, bit
ing his lip to hide his mental and
physical pain, “that I can accept any
thing from you; but I will say this—
just to show you that in my way I
am fair—if I can learn this game you
play—this thing of finance, and I can
find any way to have another go at
you, I'll do it! And—and while I'm
doing It, all the tim». I'll like and ad
mire you, and-” He shut his teeth
savagdly in a determined effort to
subdue the giddiness and weakness
that was mastering him, and then,
with a long sigh, fell sidewfcys anS
would have fallen to the floor had not
Kent leapt forward and caught him
in his arms.
He picked him up fes if he were of
no weight, and strode across the
room, followed by the princess, an«l
Ivan, whose eyes had roved from lis
to lip seizing the spoken words.
“Princess Eloise," the American
called anxiously over his shoulder,
"please summon some one to help me.
And also a surgeon. Send Ihetn to my
private room. And—and—” he stam
mered desperately—“wait for me
here!”
Her face flushed, an if, in this 'ur
mo«, she had interpreted aome hidden
significance in his worefc; but she ran
across the room, called the sentry
from the corridor, and Kent heard her
word*.
"Send two men them the guard
room at onoo to assist Mr. Kent. T ien
go—quickly—as fast as you c»r., and
summon the court surgeon. Hurry!
Mr. Kent aieks you to. Go quickly!“
Ivan cloned the dotrr, dumbly, and
the Bound of her volee was cut off.
"Hera, rvan,” Kent's ftps meved as
tu> tilrDed his hsad toward his ■ >1
i lower tram the tilde of Tu* own lied on
which he had deposited the chancel
lor. "Hell) me to get hi3 clothe3 oft
while he i* unconscious. You should
net hav^done this. I can't Are you;
because after a fashion you and I
are pals. But I'd give $1,000 in be
big enough to take it out of your hi At,
you big, ill tempered chump!"
And Ivan, knowing a lot waj not
embodied in his employer’s speech,
and having absorbed that strange but
true philosophy of Owen Wister’s
conveyed through the Virginian,
merely grinned and began uniacing
the baron’s shoes.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
The Princess Eloise tiptoed to the
shattered hall door, and, with infinite
care, passed through and closed it be
hind her. Then, hesitant, perturbed,
distressed, she looked down the long
reaches, lonely as a deserted avenue,
as if considering a direction for
flight. She paused, torn between the
tugging hand of convention and de
sire, that dragged her in diverse ways.
Convention urged her that she was
of the blood of p^oud and lasting
kings, certain to find her place upon
some potent throne, inevitably des
tined to rule, endowed by nature, and
trained religiously to that small caste
whose slightest wish becomes a
necessity with the people beneath.
But desire cried aloud that all was
vain, all happiness lost, the world bar
ren, the future a desert, if now she
closed her ears to the cry of her heart.
A choice of queendom lay before her;
one over a vast number whom she
might serve, and assist, with a high
nobility of purpose, and the other over
cne subject, a strange, brusque, many
s'ded man who would give of strength,
and soul, and fealty, all that he had to
give and if need be, uncomplainingly
as a duty, reverently as a sacrifice, his |
life.
Life stretched before her like the
corridor, in two directions, each lead
ing from the other. Steadily, with
clear eyes and clarity of mind, she.
weighed one route against the other,
and then, with bent head, and tremu
lous breath, she made her decision.
She turned, retraced her steps, opened
the door very gently, stepped inside
the room she had left, and closed the
door behind. Kent, grave, embar
rassed, and yet determined, came but
a moment later from his sleeping
chamber, and closed the door leading
to it; but not with his habitual direct
ness and decison. This was not the
man She had seen confidently strid
ing his way, staring direct with the
radiation of personal power and pur
pose, intent on some goal beyond oth
er eyes. Instead, there was about
him a curious altitude of awkward
ness, appeal and reverence, a strenge
lack of confidence. For an instanj on
ly she forced herself to meet his eyes.
They cried their message to hers
across the silent, waiting room. The
sounds of fhe outside world, in which
that day the future of a nation was
being irrevocably decided, became
bushed and still. She seemed to hear
in that same soundress silence the
struggle of his mind as it fell upon
and conquered his tongue. Forced by
decision to meet this portentous is- i
sue, she heard him coming toward
her. His voice sonnded as if reach
ing her from a long distance, so qu^et,
so gentle, so grave it was in this de
cisive moment of its existence.
“You," it said, “are a prfpcess. I
am nothing, save that which I am—
a man wh« has done his best. A
plebeian man, Princess Eloise, be
cause # all that I have tried and all
tl at ITiave done, may seem insignifi
cant in your eyes. But what I am, I
am."
The voIcq, paused in that time she
stood with hands crossed above her
breast not daring to lift her eyes to
hi^j paused as if gathering power to
find the way.
"I should not dare to speak,” It pro
ceeded, more firmly, "had yau not
sarfd what youodid a white ago. You
said that you would hove glwsn any
thing-" he hesttatod and spoke
scarcely above a whisper, as if a
repetition of her words were profana
tion, as if he, a panttent, approached
slowly oh hnnds and lmee* to cor -
sion. "Yon said that you won' 1
given anything for my frierx’.
my esteem! That you had .
help mo—always!” ’Fie spo!
word like one reading th
word of life from the ope
destiny, laid once before us ;
Eloisei” he cried with a t; •>,
beyond all she had dreamed,
like that poor, foolish juggler oi
Notre Dame, w#»o, unable to do more
than juggle gay ball* upon his hands
and feet, jret dared toss them at the
shrine of Our Lady, a*id thus gave all
he Mad to give! I aan helpWes! I am
nothing, in thin fight—th* only one
trom whieti I’ve ewer flfwehed. I
wanted te go before I swats myself
away; but you said you *aid——**
(To be cewHnued newt
The Rent Offense.
From the Washington Etar.
T hear yon were arrested for dfsvb
1 garding one of the traftfe sighs."
-1 don't think it was exactly fhat.”
• bed Mr. Chngglm*.
Then what were you anrwTWl *yrr‘
'Not spsaklns with proper pAItteneas
to the officer.”
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She Knew!
Teacher (to new girl)—Now, Dolly,
I’ll give you a sum. Supposing your
father owed the butcher fifteen pounds
eleven shilling and twopence half
penny, seven pounds three shillings to
the bootmaker, fourteen pounds and
nlnepence to the milkman, and thirty
one pounds nineteen shillings and
threepence three farthings to the coal
merchant—
Dolly (confidently)—We should
move!—Edinburgh Scotsman.
USE “DIAMOND DYES”
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, Buy “Diamond Dyes” —
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Druggist has “Diamond
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WAR AGAINST THE BELUGA
French Oceanograph Society Starts
Fight on Enemies of the
Fishermen.
A campaign against the beluga or
white whale was recently started from
Douarnenez to Conearneau, in Brit
tainy, by the French Oceanograph so
ciety, in which nets and poison tubes
were used. The beluga, pest of the
fishermen, is generally cream white in
color, feeds mainly on marine fish and
commits lavages among the shoals.
The average length of the adult male
is about 18 or UO feet. To hunt down
the white whale a net 1,100 yards long
was set up at Dotirnenez, while an
other was placed In a suitable position
by the fishermen at Conearneau. Fur
thermore, the skippers of the sardine
boats used 4,000 Yves deluge poison
tubes against the belugas.—Indianapo
lis News.
Iron Ores Formed by Bacteria.
Geologists are realizing more fully
as they extend their studies the mag
nitude of the work done by plants and
animals in building up and tearing
down parts of the crust of the earth.
Even microscopic organisms perform
a large part of this w’ork. Pasteur
long ago showed us the deadly power
of bacteria in disease and their effi
ciency in promoting fermentation, but
their Influence on the fertility of soils
and tlielB work In expediting rock de
cay are still subjects of scientific
study.
Use Both Hands.
A French surgeon has'recommended
the French Academy of Medicine to
advocate teaching school children to
make equal use of both hands.
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Best stomach corrective known—Adv.
No Cause for Kick.
“Oh, ray tooth aches dreadfully. I
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you look up some authority on that
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are I”
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TO KEEP EXPERIENCED HELP
Colorado Beet Sugar Company Plan#
to Provide Houses for Mexi
cans Next Season.
At least one big sugar company in
Colorado is already planning a nu
cleus of Mexican beet workers for
next spring. It has just ordered the
construction of 25 small frame build
ings in the outskirts of Montrose for
the Mexicans to occupy this winter, so
that they will not drift to other dis
tricts and force the sugar company to
bring in inexperienced beet workers
again next spiing.
This year the company imported
several hundred Inexperienced work
ers from Mexico. Many of these have
become valuable beet workers and tne
company Intends to do all it can to
keep them In this locality.
Tornadoed.
Traveling Man—Some tornado that
was we had around here last night.
Do any damage to your new barn?
Phlegmatic Farmer—Dunno. Haln’t
found the dura thing yet.—American
Lqgiou Weekly.
No, I Can’t.
“I (Am read my wife like a book,”
braggoU Mr. Naybor.
“I’ll bet you can’t shut her up like
one," growled Mr. Gab.—Cincinnati
Enquirer.
1 lour table drink
I will never bother )j imstaW © i
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* i ■»* u djr„*i p*rti of «w< ;
ifjou Qiiit coffee ; ULSSL. i
and drink.
NSTANTl I
liSTUM
if co£fee trouBkf you, isn't
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health results and
you’ll appreciate? the econ
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*Tker*& m Me&sonfor Postern
*W&3eb^lfeaitr»€ienl Co.fa»» Batde CreAJfceh.
