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About Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1909)
A AUTHOR Of "MRAaHE&eA ? "ARETHUM" CO. * 'YfUGHT J907 BY f. . . _ * V \ V - - ' % /N Mr. Van Torp Was Puzzled. SYNOPSIS. Baraka , a Tartar girl , became enamored of tt golden bearded stranger who was prospecting and studying herbs in the vicinity of her homo In central Asia , and revealed to him the location- a mine o rubles hoping that the stranger would love her In return for her disclosure. They were followed to the cave by the girl's relatives , who blocked up the en trance , and drew off the water supply , leaving the couple to die , Barnka's cousin Saad. her betrothed , attempted to climb down a cliff overlooking the mine ; but the traveler shot him. The .stranger wns 5 ! revived from a wutcr goutd Sand car- rled , dug hla way out of the tunnel , nnd t departed , deserting thn girl and carrying , n hag of rubles. Uaraka gathered all the gems she could carry , and started In pur- suit. Margaret Donne ( Margarita da Cordova ) , a famous prlma donna , became engaged In J ondon to Konstantln - 1J gothetl , a wealthy Gieek financier. Her intimate friend was Countess I > von , Unown as Lady Maud , wllo.se husband had been killed by a bomb 1U St Peters burg ; and Lady Maud's most Intimate friend was Ilufus Van Torp , an Amoil- can , who bad been a cowboy in earlv life , but had become one of the richest men In the world. Van Toip was In lovu with Margaret , and rushed to London as soon as ho heard of her betrothal. lie offered Iady Maud ? 3,000,000 for her pet charity If she would aid him In winning the singer from Logotheti. Raraka approached preached Logotheti at Veisaillus with rubles to Hell. He presented a ruby tn Margaret. Van Torp bought a yacht and sent It to Venice. He was visited by Baraka in male attire. CHAPTER IV. Continued. But Barak now understood what ho was going to do , and ran before him , and stood before the door in an atti tude which expressed entreaty so clearly that Mr. Van Torp was puz zled. "Well , " ho said , standing still and looking Into the beautiful imploring eyes , "what on earth do you want now , Miss Barrack ? Try and explain yourself. " A very singular conversation by signs now began. Barak pointed to the waistcoat pock et Into which ho had put the stone. The matter concerned that , of course , and Van Torp nodded. Next , though after considerable difficulty , she made him understand that she was asking how he had got It , and when this was clear , ho answered by pretending to count out coins with his right hand < r s on the palm of his loft to explain that | ' bo had bought It , There was no mis taking this , and Barak nodded quickly and wont on to her next question. She wanted to know what kind of a man had sold him the ruby. She im provised a pretty little dumb show In which she represented the seller and Mr. Van Torp the buyer of the ruby , and then by gestures she asked if the man who sold It was tall. Van Torp raised his hand several Inches higher than his own head. Ho had bought the ruby from a very tall man. Putting both hands to her chin and then drawing them down as if stroking a long beard , she Inquired if the man had ono , and again the an swer was affirmative. She nodded ex citedly and pointed first to Vun Torp's .eandy . hair and then to her own short black locks. The American pointed to bis own , and then touched his watch- chain and smiled. The man's hair was fair , and oven golden. By a sim ilar process she ascertained that hla eyes wore blue and not black , nnd her excitement grow. Last of all &ho tried to ask whore the man was , but it was some time before she could make Mr. Van Torp understand what she meant As if to help her out of her difficulty , the sun shone through the clouds at that moment and streamed Into the room ; she pointed to It at once , turned her back to It , and then held out her right hand to Indicate the cast , and her left to the west. "Oh , yes , " said Van Torp , who had seen Indians do the same thing , "it was west of here that I bought It of him , a good way west. " He pointed in that direction , and thrust out his arm as if ho would make it reach much further if he could. At this Barak looked deeplj disappointed. Several times , to show that she meant London , or at leasl England , she pointed to the floor al her feet and looked inquiringly at Van Torp , but he shook his head and pointed to the west again , and made a gesture that meant crossing some thing. lie spoke to her as if she coult understand. "I've got your meaning , " he said "You're after the big man with the yellow beard , who Is selllnc rubles from the same place , nnd has very likely gone off with yours. lie lopked like a bad egg In spite of his hand some face. " Ho turned his eyes thoughtfully to the window. Barak plucked gently at his sleeve and pretended to write In the palm of her lolt hand , and then went through all the descriptive ges tures again , and then once more pretended tended to write , and coaxlngly pushed him towards a little table on whicl she saw writing materials. "You'd like to have his address would you , Miss Barrak ? I wonder why you don't call in your Interpretei and toll me so. It would bo mucl simpler than all this dumb crambo. " Once more he made a step towards the door , but she caught at his sleeve and entreated him In her own Ian guago not to call any ono ; and ho voice was so dellclously soft and be seeching that ho yielded , and sat down at the small table and wrote out ai address from memory. Ho handed he the half-sheet of paper when ho had dried the writing nnd had looked eve it carefully. "Poor little thing ! " ho said In a tone of pity. "If you ever find bin he'll eat you. " Barak again showed signs of grea emotion when she put the addres Into an in. d" pocket of her man' coat , but 't ' was not of the same kliu as bofora She took Van Torp's big hand In both her own , and , bendln down , H IO laid it on her liond.-inounln that he might dispose of her life eve afterwards. But ho did not under stand. "You want my blessing , do you , Mis Barrack ? Some people don't thin Brassy Van Torp's blessing worth much , young lady , but you're welcome to U , such as * U Is. " Ho patted her thick" hair and smiled aa aho looked" up , nnd her eyes wore dewy with tears. "That's all right , my dear , " he Bald , Don't cry ! " She smiled , too , because his tone vns kind , nnd , standing up , sno took nit her llttlo leathern bag again quick- y , emptied the twists of paper Into icr hand , selected one by touch , and slipped the rest back. She unwrapped i largo stone nnd hold It up to the Iglit , turning It a llttlo as she did BO. Van Torp watched her with curiosity , ind with an amused suspicion that she had perhaps played the whole scone In order to mollify him and In- luco him to buy something. So many icoplo had played much more elabo rate tricks In the hope' of getting uoney from , him. and the stones might ) e Imitations after all , In spite of Lo- gothetl's penciled line of rceommenda- .Ion. .Ion.But But Barak's next action took Van Torp by surprise. To his amazement , she pressed the ruby lightly to her icnrt , then to her lips , and last of all to her forehead , and before ho know what she wns doing she had placed It In his right hand and closed his fin gers upon It. It was n thank-offering. "Nonsense ! " objected the million- arc , smiling , but holding out the stone o her. "It's very sweet of you , but you don't mean it , and 1 don't take presents like that. Why , It's worth a thousand pounds In Bond street any day ! " But she put her hands behind her back.and . shook her head , to show that she would not take It back. Then with lier empty hand she again touched her heart , her lips and forhead , and turned towards the door. "Here , stop ! " said Mr. Van Torp , going after her. "I can't take this thing ! See here , I say ! Put It back into your pocket ! " She turned and mot him , and made a gesture of protest nnd entreaty , as If earnestly begging him to keep the gem. Ho looked at her keenly , and lie was a judge of humanity , and saw that she was hurt by his refusal. As a last resource , he took 6ut < hls pocketbook - _ et-book and showed her a quantity of folded bank notes. "Well , " he said , "since you insist , Miss Barrack , I'll buy the stone of you , but I'll be everlastingly jiggered if I'll take It for nothing. " Barak's eyes suddenly flashed In a most surprising way , her lower lip pouted , and her cheek faintly changed color , as a drop of scarlet pomegranate juice will tinge a bowl of cream. She made ono step forwards , plucked tbo stone from his fingers , rather than took It , and with a quick , but girlish ly awkward movement , throw it to wards the window as hard as she could , stamping angrily with her little foot at the same moment. Mr. Van Torp was extremely disconcerted , as lie sometimes wns by the sudden ac tions of the sex he did not under stand. Fortunately the stone hit the wall instead of going out of the win dow. "I'm really sorry , Miss Barrack , " he said in a tone of humble apology , and he wont quickly and picked up the gem. "I hadn't quite understood , you see. " She watched him , and drew back In stinctively towards the door , as If ex pecting that ho would again try to give ft back to her. But ho shook his head now , bowed with all the grace ho could affect , which was little , and by way of making her feel that he accepted the gift/ho pressed it to his heart , as she had done , and to his lips , but not to his forehead , because he was afraid that might cause some new mistake , as he did not know what the gesture meant. Barak's face changed Instantly ; she smiled , nodded , and waved her hand to him , to say that It was all right and that she was quite satisfied. Ther she made a sort of salute that he thought very graceful Indeed , as if she were taking something from near the floor and laying it on her forehead and she laughed softly and was out ol the room and had shut the door before ho could call her back again. He stood still in the middle of the room , looking at the gem In his hand with an expression of grave doubt. "Well , " he said to himself , and his lips formed the words , though no sound articulated them , "that's a queei sort of a morning's work , anyway. " He reflected that the very last thing lie had ever expected was a present of a line ruby from a pretty heathen girl in man's clothes , recommended to him by Logothetl. Though ho almost laughed at the thought when It oc curred to him , he did not Uko the idea ot keeping the stone ; yet ho did not know what to do with it , for It was more than probable that he was never to see Barak again , and if ho over did , it wns at least likely that she would refuse to take back her gift , and as energetically as on the first occasion. At that moment It occurred to him that he might sell It to a dealer and give the proceeds to Lady Maud for her good work , and taking his hat and gloves ho went out immediately , with out even tolling Stomp that ho was going. Ho walked up at a leisurely pace from his hotel by the river to Piccadil ly and Bond street , nnd entered a jew eler's shop of modest appearance but ancient reputation , which had boon in the same place for nearly a century , and had previously been on the other aide of the street. Outside , two well-di jssed man were looking at the things In the window ; within , a broad-shouldered , smart- looking man with black hair nnd dressed in perfectly now blue Eorgfi was Bitting by the counter with hla back to the door , talking with the old jowolcr himself. He turned on the chair when ho heard the new-comor's step , nnd Mr. Van Torp found himself face to fnco with Konstantln Logo- thell , whom he had supposed to be In Paris. "Well , " ho said , without betraying tbo surprise ho felt , "this is what I call a very ploasunt accident , Mr. Lo gothotl. " The Greek rose and shook hands , and the American did not fall to observe - servo on the counter a small pleco of tissue paper on which lay an uncut stone , much larger than the ono ho had in his pocket. "If you arc In any hurry , " said Lo gothetl politely , "I don't mind waiting In the lonst. Mr. Pinnoy and I are In the midst of a discussion that may never end. and I believe neither of us has anything in the world to do. " Mr. Plniu-y smiled benignly and put in a word | n the mercantile plural , which differs from that of royalty In being UHod every day. "Tbo truth lu , wo are not very busy just at this time of the year , " ho said. "That's very kind of you , Mr. Ixigo- tbotl , " said Van Torp , answering the latter , "but I'm not really In a hurry , thank you. " The stress ho laid on the word "real ly" might have led ono to the conclu sion that he was pretending to be , but was not. He sat down deliberately at a llttlo distance , took off his hat , and looked at the gem on the counter. "I don't know anything about such things , of course , " ho said In a tone of reflection , "but 1 should think that was quito a nice ruby. " Again Mr. Pinnoy smiled benignly , for Mr. Van Torp had dealt with him for ycais. "It's a very fine stone , indeed , sir , " ho said , ana then turned to Logo theti again. "I think we can under take to cut tt for you In London , " he said. "I will weigh It and give you a careful estimate. " As a matter of fact , before Van Torp entered , Logotheti had got so far as the question of setting the gem for a lady's ring , but Mr. Pinnoy , Uko , all the great jewelers , wns as discreet and tactful as a professional diplo matist. How could ho be sure that ono customer might like another to know about a ring ordered for a lady ? If Logothetl preferred secrecy , ho would only have to assent and go away , as If leaving the ruby to bo cut , and he could look In again when It was convenient ; and this was what bo at once decided to do. "I think you're right , Mr. Pinney , " ho said. "I shall leave it in your hands. That's really all , " ho added , turning to Mr. Van Trop. "Really ? My business won't take long either , nnd we'll go together , If you like , and have a little chat. 1 only came to get another of those ex tra large collarstuds you make for mo , Mr. PJnnoy. Have you got another ? " "We always keep them in stock for your convenience , sir , " answered the famous jeweler , opening a special lit tle drawer behind the counter and producing a very small morocco oase. Mr. Van Torp did not oven open It , ami had already laid down the money , for he know precisely what it cost. "Thanks , " lie .said. "You're always so obliging about little things , Mr. Pinnpy. " "Thank you , sir. We do our best. Good-morning , sir , good-morning. " The two millionaires went out to gether. Two well-dressed men stood iisido to lot them pass and then entered - terod the shop. "Which way ? " asked Logothoti "Your way , " answered the Amer ican. "I've nothing to do. " "Xor have J , " laughed the Greek. "Nothing in the world ! What can anybody find to do In London at this lime of year ? " "I'm sure I don't know , " echoed Van Torp , pleasantly. "I supposed you v/oio on the continent somewhere. " "And I thought you were In Amer ica , and so , of course , wo meet at old Pinney'3 in London ! " "Ileally ! Did you think I wns In America ? Your friend , the heathen girl in boy's clothes , brought me your card this morning. I supposed you know I was here. " "No , but I thought you might be , within six months , and I gave her sev eral cards for people I know. So she found you out ! She's a born ferret she would find anything. Did you buy anything of her ? " "No. I'm not buying rubles to-day. Much obliged for sending her , all the same. You take an interest in her , 1 suppose , Mr. Ixgothoti ? Is that so ? " "I ? " Logothoti laughed a llttlo. "No , Indeed ! Those days were long ago. I'm engaged to bo married. " "By the bye , yes. I'd heard that , and I meant to congratulate you. I do now , anyway. WJicn Is It to be ? Set tled that yeC ? " . "Somo time In October. I think. So you guessed that Barak Is a girl. " "Yes , that's right. I guessed she was. Do you know anything about her ? " Logotbotl told his companion the story of the ruby mine , substantially as It was narrated at the beginning of this tale , not dreaming that Van Torp had perhaps met and talked with the man who hud played so large a part in it , and to find whom Dnrnku had traversed many dangers nwlxn-or- como many difficulties. "It sounds like the 'Arabian Nights' , " said Mr. Van Torp , as If ho found it hard to believe. I "Where's She Hiding from You ? " "Exactly , " assented Logothotl. "And , oddly enough , the first of those stories Is about Samarkand , which Is not so fnr from Bnraka's native village. It seems to have taken the girl about a year to find her way to Constantinople ple , and when she got there she natur ally supposed that It was the capital of the world , and that her man , being very great and very rich , thanks to her , must of course live there. So she searched Stamboul and Porn for him , during seven or eight months. She lived In the house ol a good old Per sian merchant , under the protection of his wife , and learned that there was a world called Europe where her man might bo living , and cities called Paris and London , whore people pay fabu lous prices for precious stones. Per sian mercnants are generally well-edu cated men , you know. At last she made up her mind to dress like a man , she 'picked up an honest Turkish man servant who had boon all over Europe with a diplomatist and could speak some French and English as well as Tartar , she got a letter of recommen dation to mo from a Greek banker , through the Persian who did business with him , joined some Greeks who were corning to Marseilles by sea , and hero she Is. Now you know as much as I do. She Is perfectly fearless , and as much more sure of herself than any man over was , as some young women can bo In this queer world. Of course , she'll never find the brute who thought he was leaving her to bo mur dered by her relations , but if she over did , she would either marry him or cut his throat. " "Nice , amiable kind of girl , " re marked Mr. Van Torp , who remem bered her behaviour when he had re fused her proffered gift. "That's very interesting , Mr. Logothctl. How long do you count on being in London this time ? Three or four days , maybe ? " "I dare say. No longer , I fancy ! " "Why don't you como and take din ner with mo some night ? " asked the American. "Day after to-morrow , perhaps. I'd bo pleased to have you. " "Thank you very much , " Logothetl answered. "Since you ask me , I see no reason why I should not dlno with you , If you want me. " They agreed upon the place and hour , and each suddenly remembered an engagement. "By the way , " said Mr. Van Torp , without apparent Interest , "I hope Mine. Cordova Is quite well ? Where's she hiding fiom'you ? " "Just now the hiding-place is Bay- reuth. She's gone there with Mrs. Kushmoru to hear 'Parsifal. ' I be lieve I'm not musical enough for that , so I'm roving till It's over. That's my personal history at this moment ! And Miss Donne Is quite well , I believe , thank you. " "I notice you call her 'Miss Donne' when you speak of her , " said Vai. Torp. "Excuse mo If I made a mis.- take Just now. I've always called her Mine. Cordova. " "It doesn't matter at all , " answered Ixjgolhetl carelessly , "but I bellovo prefers to bo called by her own name amongst friends. Good-by till day after to-morrow , then. " "At half after eight. " "All right half-past I shall re- member. " Hut at two o'clock , on the next day but one , Logothotl rorolvcd n note brought by hand , In which Mr. Van Torp said that to his great regret ho had been called away suddenly , and hoped that Logothctl would forglvo him , as the matter was of such urgent Importance that ho would have al ready left London when the note waa received. This was more than true , If pos sible , for the writer had left town two days earlier , very soon after ho had parted from Logothotl In Pall Mall , although the note had not been delivered till 48 hours later. CHAPTER V. Mr. Van Tori ) know no more about Bayrouth than about Samarkand , be yond the fact that at certain stated times performances of Wagner's operas were given there with as much solemnity as great religious festivals , and that musical people spoke of the Bayrouth season in a curiously rever ent manner , lie would have been much surprised If any one had told him that ho often whistled fragments of "Parsifal" to himself and liked the sound of them ; for ho had a natural car and n good memory , and' hail whistled remarkably well' when ho was a boy. The truth about this seemingly Im possible circumstance was really very simple. In what ho called his cow- punching days , he had been for six months In company with two young men who used to whistle softly to gether by the hour besldo the camp fire , and none of the other "boys" had ever heard the strange tunes they seemed to like best , but Van Torp had caught and remembered many fragments , almost unconsciously , and he whistled them to himself because they gave him a sensation which no "real music" ever did. Extraordinary natures , like his , are often endowed with unnoticed gifts and tastes quite unlike these of most people. No one knew anything about the young men who whistled Wagner ; the "Lost Legion" hides many secrets , and the two were not popular with the rest , though they know their business and did their work fairly well. One of them was afterwards said to have been killed In a shooting affray and the other had disappeared about the same time , no one know how , or cared , though Mr. Van Torp thought ho had recognized him once many yearn later. They were neither Amer icans nor Englishmen , though they both spoke English well , nnd never were heard to use any other language. ( TO Jin CONTINUKp. ) Just Suited Him. The Landlady "At our tnble , Mr. njlnks , It Is the custom to return thanks at each moal. " The Now Hoarder "That's line ! I Uko U lota better than paying cash. " /