SYNOPSIS
John Spencer and his cousin, Geof
frey Bohun, are vacationing in Aus
tria. Geoffrey is a gifted portrait
painter but prefers to paint land
scapes. Strolling in the forest, John
hears voices and decides to investi
gate. From cover he finds four men
burying a man in green livery who,
evidently, had been murdered. Pha
raoh is the leader of the gang; the
others are Dewdrop, Rush and Bugle.
Unfortunately, John makes himself
known to the assassins by dropping
a letter with his name and address.
He tells Geoffrey and his chauffeur,
Barley, of his adventure. Geoffrey,
realizing that John's life is in dan
ger, declares he must vanish. Spen
cer discovers that the livery of the
murdered man corresponds to the liv
ery of the servants of Yorick castle,
and tells Countess Helena, mistress
of the castle, what he had seen.
With Geoffrey and Barley, John
starts for Annabel, a nearby village.
They encounter Pharaoh. In making
their getaway they exchange shots
with the gang, without serious re
sult. They arrive at the Yorick estate,
where Lady Helena had requested
John and his cousin to meet her.
She reveals that her father had con
verted his immense fortune into gold
and hidden it in a secret vault in
the castle. Knowing that his son,
Valentine, Helena’s brother, was in
capable of controlling the fortune,
he had revealed it to Helena alone
just before his death. The news
leaked out. and Pharaoh is after the
treasure. They planned that Geoffrey
and Barley would go to Salzburg to
watch for Pharaoh, while John was
to remain at Plumage. Several nights
go by without important incident.
John visits Yorick castle and finds
that Helena’s brother, Count Valen
tine, is there and with him, on most
friendly terms, is Pharaoh as Cap
tain Faning. Hearing that John is
stopping at Plumage, Pharaoh speaks
to his servant, Dewdrop. John sus
pects a plot. As dinner is announced,
Helena and John escape.
CHAPTER IV—Continued
—6—
Then the engine of the Rolls
coughed twice, and the car slowed
down.
As I frowned, the truth came
pelting—to sear my brain.
“What is it, John? What Is It?"
“Petrol,” I said hoarsely. “1
meant to fill up before we patrolled
this evening; but with all this Pha
raoh business—”
The nearest village lay roughly
11 miles off, and whether It boast
ed a pump we could not tell.
The road was a main highway. If
I locked her switch and her bonnet,
“What la It, John? What la lt?“
no man could take the Rolls, but,
left on the road, she was bound
to attract attention.
Some forty-five paces ahead a
track led into the forest—a decent
track; what was more, it ran slight
ly downhill. If I could manhandle
the Rolls as far as Its mouth, her
weight would help me to carry her
out of sight. But the road though
level, was cambered.
While Helena steered and stood
by to apply the brake, I moved the
Rolls by the spokes of one of her
wheels. The strain was great, for
the car was very heavy. In des
peration 1 moved her perhaps six
inches towards the crown of the
road, but then the weight of her
beat me. and she began to return;
and in my effort to hold her before
I could cry for the brake I strained
or tore some muscle in the small of
my back.
I smothered a grunt of pain—too
late for Helena’s ears, before I had
drawn myself up, my lady was
standing beside me.
“You’ve hurt yourself, John.'*
“A muscle," said I. “It’s nothing.
As long as I don't use it. I’ll be all
right.” Ruefully I regarded the
Rolls. “But we’ll have to leave her
here."
If we were now In no peril, our
case was sorry enough. Stay with
the Rolls we dared uot, for the
chance that some friend would
come by before some enemy seemed
to us very slight. Helena’s brilliant
plan was back In the melting-pot,
for her nurse would have kept her
counsel, but we could not now sum
mon Geoffrey until we were sure
of our host. And the Rolls had to
be recovered before we could move.
“Are you sure you con walk?"
said Helena.
“Comfortably,” said I. “And If 1
saw 1’haraoh coming, I quite ex
pect I could run. The burning
question is where to look for a
lodging that’s not by the side of
this road.”
Together, by the light of the
torch, we studied the map. Upon
this there was shown a form, called
Holy Tree. So far as we could make
out, it stood some seven miles off.
We had walked for an hour and
a half before the track we were
using came to an end. The going
was rough and, because I was
weary I stumbled, and every time I
did so the muscle which I had In
jured protested with all Its might.
“It is useless,” said I, halting.
“We must wait till the dawn comes
In.” I stepped to a mighty beech
and flung the clothes I was bear
ing down at its foot. “You must
lie down here, my lady, and take
some rest. And Sabre and I will
watch."
“I see,” said Helena, slowly.
Then she put up her hands and slid
my coat from my shoulders and
drew it clear of my arms. “You’ve
got to change,” she said and, de
spite my protests, insisted on help
ing me into dry clothing.
"Now you lie still," said Helena,
lighting my torch. “I’m going to
get some leaves.”
Three times she went and came
with her coat full of dry leaves.
These she poured into a hollow by
the side of the beech. I found
there an ease of body which I had
not expected that night. And she
sat down behind me, with her back
to the trunk.
“When we get to Holy Tree, I’m
going to borrow some lotion and
rub your back. 1 shall tell them
we’re brother and sister, so remem
ber to treat me rough. It's really
important, John, If you value my
name.”
• ••••••
The fluting of n bird woke me,
and a glance at the leaves above
me showed that the dawn was up.
At once I rolled on to my side,
but Helena’s lodgment was empty
and she and Sabre were gone.
My back was stiff, as was nat
ural, but to m.v relief I found I
could walk with ease, so I set off
towards the clearing, for there, the
night before, 1 had heard the song
of a rill.
When I had found this, I bathed
my head and my hands, but before
I had finished this very simple toi
let, Sabre gave tongue beside me.
A moment later my lady stepped
out of the woods.
“How’s his back?” said Helena,
taking her seat on a tree-stump.
“Stiff,” said I, “but better.”
“Rest is the medicine,” says she.
“We simply must find a farm. Be
sides, I want my breakfast.”
“God send It you quick," said I.
“We must go on walking east; but
If after half an hour we don’t
strike a path or something—”
"I’ve struck one,” says she. “I
don’t know where it leads to, but
I think we might try and find out.”
Nearly an hour had gone by when
we saw before us no farm, but a
little, time-honored cottage, stand
ing in a glade of the forest, with
a garden of flowers about It.
“Bread and milk,’’ said Helena,
turning a glowing face. “And
honey, perhaps—there's a beehive.”
We were 40 paces away, when a
young woman entered the doorway
and stood looking Into the garden
alight with the sparkling flowers.
For a moment she stared upon
them. Then she leaned against the
jamb, put her arm up to her eyes
and began to weep.
Helena and I stopped dead.
Then—
"You stay here," she said quietly,
“and I’ll go on and see what the
trouble is.”
Twenty minutes went by before
I saw her again, and then she came
out of the garden with the lass that
had stood at the door. The latter
was smiling now.
For a moment the two stood
speaking.
Then the woman dropped a curt
sey and, leaving Helena stnnding,
started across the forest in haste.
Helena beckoned to me, and I got
to my feet.
As I came towards her—
“The trick,” she said, “has been
done. Our nostess has gone for
petrol, and when she comes back
in two hours, she's going away for
good—for three days, at least, to
Salzburg."
I followed her Into the cleanest
of tiny kitchens, all bright with old
wood and copper and smelling of
sweet wood-smoke. Beneath the
open window a table was laid with
our breakfast.
Sabre was lying on the flags In
front of the hearth, and a pretty,
fair-haired bahy that might have
been two years old was sealed be
side the Alsatian.
Helena sat down by the infant
and drew him on to her lap.
"Max." she said, “this Is my
brother, lie's rather nice."
CHAPTER V
The Forester’s Cottage,
“CONVENTION Ite darned,” said
Helena.
“All right," I said. “I can’t help
It. Do what yon like. If the Count
ess Helena of Yorick is determined
to dwell In a solitary, two-roomed
cottage with an Imitation brother,
an infant-in-arms and a dog—"
“Till your cousin arrives, she Is.
And now listen to me. Freda’s man
is In Salzburg: lie’s lying in a hospi
tal there and gradually getting bet
ter of a fever which nearly carried
him off. Yesterday she got a letter,
saying that now she might visit
him, but that on no account must
she bring with her the child.
“I offered to care for the baby
and to give her a present as well,
if my ‘brother’ and I might stay
here until her return. She simply
jumped at the bargain—she’s gone
for petrol and when she leaves for
Salzburg she'll take a letter to your
cousin.
“Now If, to serve convention,
you’d have thrown such a chance
away, we’d better say good-by here
and now. You’re jealous of my
honor. Well and good. If you
weren't, we shouldn't be here. It
is because you respect me, because
you’re so very anxious that I
shouldn’t put a foot wrong, that I
like you and trust you.”
"All right," I said slowly, and
hardly knew my voice. “I’ll play
the pretty game."
When Freda returned she was
heavy laden, for she bore two gal
lons of petrol which she had begged
of the farmer that sold her milk;
and as well she brought two chick
ens and a basket of new-laid eggs.
She hud little time to spare, If she
was to catch the train which would
bring her to Salzburg that night.
1 took my ease for the most of
the day, but while I am sure the
repose did much for my back, it
was Helena’s use of the lotion that
actually healed the strain.
"Tonight,” I said. “I am going
to get the Rolls. I’ll fill her up at
some pump and then find some
place near Witchcraft and park her
there.”
“1 shall come, too,” said Helena.
“Sabre can mind the baby and keep
the house.”
“1 think," said I, “that you’ve
done enough today. You’ve fetched
and carried and nursed me and
played with Max."
“Oh, John, why wasn’t 1 born to
a life like this? The life l lead
is a duty—and that's the truth."
“We’re not born to idylls," said
1. “We've no such luck.”
Helena crossed her ankles and
laced her delicate fingers behind
her head.
“D'you find it idyllic, too?”
"I tried to say so this morning."
Helena knitted her brow.
"Then you said it very badly,"
she said. “I thought you were jib
bing at being here alone with me.”
“For me, that’s the Idyll,” said I.
Helena turned her head and gavp
me a dazzling smile.
It was when we had eaten our
supper and the infant was fast
asleep that Sabre was given his or
ders and we set out with the pe
trol to seek the Rolls. The dusk
would come in, I judged, by the
time we had crossed the clearing
and gained the track, and that was
just what we wanted, for so we
could use the daylight, yet be
wrapped in the cloak of darkness
by the time we came to the road.
For all that, I was none too easy,
for if. by some evil chance, friend
Pharaoh had found the Rolls, his
instinct might well have suggested
that we should return at nightfall
to try to recover the car. And if
he wus lying there, waiting. , . .
Five minutes later, perhaps, the
darkness ahead was lightened, and
I knew we were approaching the
road.
With my right hand upon my pis
tol, I moved like any shadow along
the side of the track.
Arrived at its mouth, I waited,
straining my ears. So perhaps for
three minutes. Then I stole around
the corner and on to the edge of
the road.
The Rolls was gone.
• •••«•
I was up betimes the next morn
ing and had shaved and bathed and
dressed before Helena called to me
to know if I was awake.
In my note I had asked my cou
sin to bring some food. I judged
that my cousin would reach us
by five o'clock. And that would be
the end of my Idyll; with his and
Barley’s coming, my present estate,
my kingdom must be resigned, my
lovely hour would be over, and nev
er so long as I lived should I ever
be given another that smelled so
sweet.
Prom a covert which we selected
we could see the way to Witch
craft, yet could not be seen, for the
ground rose up a little, to make a
knoll.
As I turned to peer through the
fronds—
“Yon are very Impatient," said
Helena.
"That’s the wrong word," said I.
“I can't tell you what's the’ right
one, but it's rather like standing
on a platform, seeing somebody off
by train."
Helena knitted her brows.
“1 know the feeling." she said,
“but I don't see how It applies."
"You wouldn’t,” said I "Never
mind. The train will leave when
Geoffrey and Harley arrive."
Again I turned to glance at the
shadow way down which they must
come.
"1 like Mr. Bohun," said Helena.
"lie’s the best in the world," I
cried.
"Well, he’ll be here soon—If you
don’t keep on watching that path.
Watched pots never boil, yon
know."
"You don’t understand," I said,
and lay back on the turf. "I don’t
want Geoffrey at all. I’ll be glad
to see him, of course. Hut If he was
delayed or something, I—I shouldn't
mind.”
Some time later Helena suddenly
peered through the fronds. “At
We Could See the Way to Witch,
craft.
last,” she said. ‘‘Enter Mr. Bohun
and Barley.”
My beautiful dream was over,
and now, through misunderstand
ing, our lovely, precious relatloh
was going to come to an end. If I
did not speak out, it was finished.
“As Geoffrey's here, you may as
well know the truth. I think of
you as ‘Nell’ deep down In my in
most heart. It’s the pretty name
I’d call you If we were engaged.
You see, I’m mad about you. I love
you—I've always loved you, from
the moment I met your eyes. I
love you walking and riding and
sitting here on the grass. I love
your head and your shoulders and
that tiny vein in your ankle that
looks like a thread of blue silk.
I love everything about you and all
you do. I love your voice and your
laughter and the glorious light In
your eyes. And I love your shin
ing nature, as 1 love the smell of
your hair and the breath of your
lips. . . . And to be with you here
like this—well, now perhaps you
can see what It's meant to me and
why I clung to my secret and why
I was handicapped In trying to play
your game.” I got to my feet.
“Good-by, Nell," I said gently.
I turned to the path and the smil
ing cottage below.
For a moment 1 stood, blinking.
Then—
“Have they gone In?" I asked.
“I—I made a mistake,” said Hel
ena. “It wasn’t them.”
• ••••*•
I was sitting on the settle in the
kitchen, with my head in my hands.
And I do not know how long I
sat there, but all of a sudden 1
knew that I wag not alone.
I could smell the faint perfume
that Helena used.
As I started up. I found she was
sitting beside me. looking very
grave and gentle, with her precious
hands in her lap.
*'I tricked you," she said. “I’m
sorry. But it was the only way.
You are very—reticent. John. And
very, very humble — and rather
blind. Old Florin knew in an in
stant, and Pharftoh, too.”
“Knew that I loved you?” *
cried.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Irish Retire Ancient Bell
Used In the pork market, on a
church, and then ns a fire alarm,
an ancient bell has been honorably
“retired" in the Urban council
rooms of Dungannon, Irish Free
State. City employees removed It
from a pole near the R. U. C. bar
racks, where it had done duty for
many years ns a fire alarm. For al
most a century the bell was used In
the pork market, then In Market
Square, and when the parish church
was being rebuilt In 1808-09 It sum
moned the congregation to worship
In the primitive Wesleyan preach
ing house, which was lent for two
years to the Church of Ireland au
thorities.
Quilt of Blocks That
Picture Nursery Rhymes
Br GRANDMOTHER CLARK
Quilts made of blocks that picture
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Outfit No. 40-1 consists of four 0
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The embroidery work is In the out
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Address Home Craft Co., Dept. A
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Now You See It. Now You
Don’t; and Then Chief Does
A San Francisco lunch stnnd pro
prietor counted his money—$19 short.
He counted It ngaln—O. K. He re
pented the process and called Police
Captain Thomas B. Foster.
“You count It,” he said. “Pm going
crazy.”
Foster counted the money—O. K.
lie counted it again—$10 short. Then
he found a bill, $20 on one side, $1
on the other.
Inebriate Youth Should
Have Been Tossed Anchor
He Is what, for lack of a better
name. Is sometimes called a young
man about town. On the morning
after he Is clinging for support to a
lamp post
An Individual connected with the
street clennlng department walks up
to a hydrant, dragging a length of
hose behind him, and, fitting a
wrench to the cap, proceeds to un
screw It.
“Don’t—please don’t 1" cries the
youth anchored to the lamp post.
“Don’t do what?" asked the func
tionary. halting in astonishment.
“Don't wind up this street any
tighter. She’s splnnln’ round too
fast as It is!"—Bystander.
Escape by Dying
That cancer Is not common among
primitive people Is now explained
mainly on the ground that they do
not live long enough to die of this
disease.
FRIEND SOLVED
HEADACHES
“Try Famous
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Don't be
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by rtj|Opll' unbelievable
tgU Rv*relitf follows Ihe
iT^Resmol
Scientists Relieve Ice
Layer in Air Storm Cause
French scientist* whn have been
conducting experiments in east
Greenland say there is a layer of
ice in the air over the polar regions.
This Ice ceiling (congealed atmos
phere a million times finer than wa
ter) Is situated approximately tW
miles above the earth.
The discovery was made when
electrical Impulses from an electric
sounding machine were reflected
hack. Time of the Impulses In tran
sit was recorded and computations
made which gave the height of the
ice layer. This Ice Is believed to be
the cause of the storms at sea.—Path
finder Magazine.
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Doan’s are especially for poorly
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0
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FOR CARS
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