AU7H08QF
AV
SYNOPSIS.
Bnrakn , n Turin r girl , became enamored
of a golden bearded stranger who wna
prospecting nnd studying herbs In th
vicinity of her home in central Asia , unil
rwealed to him the location of a mlno
of rubles hoping tlmt the HtnuiKcr would
love her In return for her disclosure.
They were followed to the caVe by the
' blocked the entrance
girl's relatives , who up
trance , and drew oft the water supply ,
leaving the oouplu to din. Uaraku's cousin
Sued , her betrothed , attempted to cllmli
down n , cliff overlooking tno mlno ; but
the traveler shot him. The Btrnngor was
revived from a water gourd Suad car
ried , dug his way out of the tunnel , and
-departed , drscrtng the Blrl and currying
n bus of rubles. Baraka withered nil the
Kcrna she could carry , nnd started In pur-
.suit. Margaret Donno ( Margarita da
I Cordova ) , u famous prlma dnnrai , became
engaged In I ondon to Koniitantln lo-
Kothctl , a wealthy Greek nnanclor. Her
Intimate friend was Countess Loven.
known ns Lady Maud , whoso husband
had been killed by a bomb In St. 1'oters-
Viurs : nnd Kady Maud's most Intimate
friend was Uufus Van Torp , an Ameri
can , who had bccomo ono of tlm richest
men In the world. Van Torp wan In love
with Margaret , and rushed to London as
noon as ho heard of her betrothal. Ho
offered TJidy Maud $3,000,000 for her pet
charity If she would nld him In winning
ho Binder from IxjgotheU. Bnruka approached
preached Logotlictl nt Versailles with
rubles to Bfll. I To presented a ruby to
Margaret. Van Torp bought a yacht and
sent It to Venice. Ito wan visited by
BarnUn In male attire. She gave him n
ruby after the American had told her of
htivlng seen In the United States a man
answering the description of the ono nho
loved. The American followed Margaret
to the Bayrouth "Parsifal" festival.
CHAPTER V. Continued.
Mr. Van Torp was fond of music ,
quite -apart from his admiration for
the greatest living lyrlo soprano , and
since it was his fancy to go to Bay
routh In the hope of seeing her , be
meant to hoar Wagner's masterpiece ,
and supposed that there would not bo
any difficulty about such a simple mat
ter , nor about obtaining tae sort of
rooms he was accustomed to , In the
sort of hotel he expected to Una
where so many rich people went every
other year. Any ono wno 1ms been
to the holy place of the Wagneriaus
can imagine his surprise when , after
infinite difficulty , ho found himself ,
his belongings and his man deposited
in ono small attic room of a Bavarian
tanner's bouse , with ono feather-bed ,
one basin and one towel for furniture.
"Stemp , " said Mr. Van Torp , "this
is a heathen town. "
"Yes. sir. "
"I suppose I'm thought close about
money , " continued the millionaire ,
thinking aloud , "but I call $5 a day
dear for this room , don't you ? "
"Yes , sir , I do Indeed ! I call It
downright robbery. That's what I call
it. sir. "
"Well , I suppose they call It busi
ness here , and qulto a good business ,
too. But I'd like to buy the whole
thing and show 'cm how to run It.
They'd make moro In the end. "
"Yes , sir. I hope you will , sir. Beg
pardon , sir , but do you think it would
cost a great deal ? "
"They'd ask a grc-ttt deal , anyway , "
Answered the millionaire thoughtfully.
"Sterap , suppose you get me out some
things and then take a look around ,
while I try to get a wash In that that
tea-servico there. "
Mr. Van Torp eyed the exiguous
basin and jug with some curiosity
and much contempt. Stemp , Impassive
, and correct under all circumstances ,
unstrapped a valise , laid out on the
"bed what his master might need , and
inquired if ho wished anything else.
"There isn't anything else , " an
swered Mr. Van Torp , gloomily.
"When shall I como back , sir ? "
"In 25 minutes. There Isn't half
nn hour's wash In that soup-plate ,
anyway. "
Ho eyed t'.ic wretched basin with a
glance that might almost have
.cracked It. When his man had gone ,
he proceeded to his toilet , such ns it
* fc was , nnd solaced himself by softly
whistling as much of the "Good Fri
day" music as ho remembered , little
dreaming * vlitit 11 was , or that his per
formance was followed with nervous
and almost feverish Interest by the
occupant of the next room In the at
tic , a poor musician who had saved
and scraped for years to sit at the
musical feast during three days.
"E sharp ! " cried an agonized voice
on the other side of the closed door ,
in a strong German accent. "I know
it Is E sharp ! I know It ! "
Mr. Van Torp stopped whistling at
once , lowered his razor , and turned a
mask of soapsuds In the direction
whence the sound came.
"Do you mean me ? " he inquired in
a displeased tone.
"I mean who whistles the 'Good Fri
day * music , " answered the voice. "I
toll you , I know it is E sharp in tlmt
place. I have the score. I shall show
you If you believe not. "
"He's mad , " observed Mr. Van
Torp , beginning to shave again. "Aro
you n lunatic ? " he asked , pausing aft
er a moment. "What's the matter
with you , anyhow ? "
"Shall I ? Well , now , that's a funny
sort of a rule for a hotel , isn't It ? "
"I go complain of you , " retorted the
other , and Mr. Van Torp heard u door
opened and shut again.
> In n few minutes ho had done all
] * " that the conditions would permit in
' ' the way of making himself present
able , and Just ns he left the room ho
was met by Stomp , the 23 minutes be
ing Just over.
"I air a TTslcIan , I tell you ! I am
a pianist ! "
"It's the same thing , " said Mr. Van
Torp , working carefully on his upper
Up , under h'l right nostril.
"I shall toll you that you are a bar
barian ! " retorted the voice.
"Well , that doesn't hurt , " answered
Mr. Van Torp.
IIo heard a snort or scorn on the
other side and there was silence
again. Hut before long , as ho getaway
away from his upper lip with the
razor , he unconsciously Degan to whis
tle again , and ho must have made the
same mistake as before , for he was
interrupted by a deep groan of pain
from the next room.
"Not fooling very well ? " ho Inquired
in n tone of dry jocularity. "Stomach
upset ? "
"E sharp ! " screamed the wretched
pianist.
Van Torp could hear him dancing
with rage or pain ,
"Seo 'here , whoever you are , don't
call names ! I don't UKO it. See ? I've
paid for this roovi and I'm going on
whistling If 1 like , and just as long as
I like. "
"You say you make noises you
like ? " cried the infuriated musician.
"Oh , no ! You shall not ! There are
rules ! Wo nro not In London , sir ,
wo1 are In Bayreuth ! If you make
noises , you shall bo thrown out of the
house. "
"Very good , sir. I'll do what 1 can ,
seated tliomsnlves aide by slilo on the
Imnl green Bofn. "I don't suppose 1
can explain , BO tlmt you'll understand ,
but I'll try. Different Itlnds of things
brought mo. I heard you wore hero
from Lady Maud , nml I thought per
haps I might luivo nn opportunity for
a llttlo talk. And then oh , I don't
know. I'vo seen everything worth
seeing except n bnttlo and 'Parsifal , '
and ns It scorned so easy , and you
wore hero , I thought I'd have a look
at the opera , since I can't BOO thu
fight. "
Margaret-laughed n little.
"I hope you will like It , " oho said.
"Have you n good seat ? "
" 1 haven't got a ticket yet , " an
swered Mr. Van Torp , In blissful Ig
norance.
"No seatThe. ! prlma donna's sur
prise was almost dramatic. "But how
In the world do you expect to get one
now ? Don't you know that the seats
for 'Parsifal' are all taken months be
forehand ? "
"Are they really ? " He was very
calm about It. "Then 1 suppose I
shall have to get n ticket from a spec
ulator. I don't see anything hard
about that. "
"My dear friend , there are no spec
ulators here , and there arc no tickets
to be had. You might as well ask for
the moon ! "
"I can stand , then. I'm not afraid
of getting tired. "
"There are no standing-places at
all ! No one Is allowed to go in who
has not a seat. A week ago you might
"I Tell You , I Know It Is E Sharp. "
sir , " said the excellent man , as Mr.
Van Torp pointed to the things that
lay about.
As lib went out , ho recognized the
voice of his neighbor , who was talk-
lug excitedly In voluble German , some
where at the back of the house.
"He's complaining now , " thought
Mr. Van Torp , with something like n
smile.
He had already been to the best
hotel , in the hope of obtaining rooms ,
and ho had no difficulty in finding it
again. Ho asked for Mine , da Cor
dova. She was at home , for It was an
off-day ; ho sent In his card , and was
presently led to her sitting room.
Times had changed. Six months
earlier ho would have been told that
there had been a mistake and that she
had gone out.
She was alone ; a letter she had
been writing lay unfinished on the
queer little desk near the shaded
window , and her pen had fallen across
the paper. On the round iablo in the
middle of the small bare room there
stood a plain while vase full of corn-
( lowers and popples , and Margaret
was standing there , rearranging them ,
or pretending to do so.
She was looking her very best , ana
as she raised her eyes and greeted
him with a friendly smile , Mr. Van
Torp thought she had never been so
handsome before.
Margaret held out her hand and he
took it ; and though its touch nnjl her
friendly smllo were like a taste of
heaven just then , he pressed her fin
gers neither too much nor too llttlo ,
and his face betrayed no emotion.
"It's very kind of you to receive
mo. Miss Donne , " ha said quietly.
"I think it's very kind of you to
come and see mo , " Margaret an
swered. "Como and sit down and toll
mo how you got here and why ! "
"Well , " ho answered slowly , as they
possibly have picked up one in Muu
ich , given up by some one at the last
moment , but such chances are jumped
at ! I wonder tlmt you even got a
place to sleep ! "
"Well , it's not much of a place , "
said Mr. Van Torp , thoughtfully.
"There's one room the size of a horse
box , one bed , one basin , one pltchei
and one towel , and I've brought my
valet with me. I've concluded to lot
him sleep while I'm at the opera , and
ho'll sit up when I want to go to bed.
Dox and Cox. I don't know what he'll
sit on , for there's no chair , but he's
got to sit. "
Margaret laughed , for ho amused
her.
"I suppose you're exaggerating n little
bit , " she said. "It's not really quite
so bad as that , is It ? "
"It's worse. There's a lunatic in the
next room who calls mo E. Sharp
through the door , and has lodged a
complaint already because I whistled
while I was shaving. It's not n veiy
good hotel. Who is E. Sharp , any
way ? Maybe that was the name of
the last man who occupied that room.
I don't know , but I don't like the Idj.i
of having n mad German pianist for n
neighbor. IIo may get In while I'm
asleep and think I'm the piano , and
hammer the life out of me , the way they
do. I've seen a perfectly now piano
wrecked In a single concert by a fol-
law who didn't look as if ho had the
strength to kick a mosquito. They're
BO deceptive , pianists ! Nervous men
are often like that , and most pianists
are nothing but nerves and hair. "
IIo amused her , for she had never
seen him in his present mood.
"E sharp Is a note , " she said. "On
the piano it's the same as F natural.
You must have been whistling some
thing your neighbor know , and you
made a mistake , and nervous mu
sicians really suffer If ono does that.
But it must have been something rath
er complicated , to have nn 13 sharp In
It ! It wasn't 'Suwnnoo Urlver , ' nor
the 'Washington Post ' either
, ! In
deed , I should rather like to know
what It was. "
"Old tunes I picked up when I was
cow-punching , years ago , " answered
Mr. Van Torp. "I don't know where
they came from , , for I never asked ,
but they're not like other tunes , that's
certain , and I like them. They re
mind mo of the old days out west ,
when I had no money and nothing to
worry about. "
"I'm very fond of whistling , too , "
Margaret said. "I study nil my parts
by whistling them , so as to save my
voice. "
"Really ! I had no Idea that was
possible. "
"Quite. Perhaps you whistle very
well. Won't you let me hear the tune
that Irritated your neighbor , the pian
ist ? Perhaps I know it , too. "
"Well , " said Mr. Van Torn , " 1 sup
pose I could. I should bo n llttlo shy
before you , " ho added , qulto naturally.
"If you'll excuse me , I'll just go and
stand before the window so that I
can't see you. Perhaps I can manage
It that way. "
Margaret , who was bored to the
verge of collapse on the off-days ,
thought him much nicer than ho had
formerly been , and she liked his per
fect simplicity.
"Stand anywhere you like , " she
said , "but let mo hear the tune. "
Van Torn rose and went to the
window and she looked quietly at his
square figure and his massive , Handy
head and his strong neck. Presently
he began to whistle , very softly and
perfectly In tune. Many n street-boy
could do as well , no doubt , and Mrs.
Ilushmoro would have called It a vul
gar accomplishment , but the mag
nificent prinm donna was too true : i
musician , as well as a sluger , not to
take pleasure In a swoct sound , even
if It were produced by a street-boy.
But as Mr. Van Torp went on , she
opened her eyes very wide and held
her breath. There was no mistake
about it ; he was whistling long pieces
from "Parsifal , " as far as it wna _ pos
sible to convey an Idea of such music
by such means. Margaret had studied
it before coming to Hayreuth , In or
der to understand It better ; she had
now already heard It once , and had
felt the greatest musical emotion uf
her life one that had Btlrrod other
emotions , too , strange ones quite
new to her.
She held her breath and listened ,
and her eyes that had been wide open
In astonishment , slowly closed again
In pleasure , and presently , when ho
reached the "Good Friday" music , her
own matchless voice floated out with
her unconscious breath , In such per
fect octaves with his high whistling
thut nt first ho did not understand ;
biit when he did , the rough hard man
plfivored suddenly and steadied himself -
self against the window-sill , and
Margaret's voice went on alone , with
faintly breathed words and then
without then. , following the Instru
mentation to the end of the scene ,
beyond what ho had ever heard.
Then there was silence in the room ,
and neither of the two moved for
some moments , but at last Van Torp
turned , and came back.
"Thank you , " ho said , in a low
voice.
Margaret smiled nnd passed her
hand over her eyes quickly , as It to
dispel a vision she had seen. Then
she spoke.
"Do you really not know what tlmt
music Is ? " she asked. "Ucnlly ,
really ? "
"Oh , quite honestly I don't ! "
"You'ro not joking ? You're not
laughing at mo ? "
"I ? " IIo could not understand. "I
shouldn't dnro ! " ho said.
"You've been whistling some or
"Parsifal , " some of the most beauti
ful music that ever was w.rlttcn and
you whlstlo mavollously , for It'a any
thing but easy ! Whore In the world
did you learn It ? Don't toll mo tlmt
those are 'old tunes' you picked up
on n California ranch ! "
"It'a true , nil the same , " Van Torp
answered.
IIo told her of the two foreigners
who used to whlstlo together In the
evenings , and how O M v,8 supposed
to have been shot nnd the other had
disappeared , no ono had known whith
er , nor had cared.
"All sorts of young fellows used to
drift out there , " ho said , "and one
couldn't tell where thov came from.
though I can glvo a guens at whore
some of them must have been , nlnco
I've fjOen the world. There were
younger sons of English gentlemen ,
fellows whoso fathers were genuine
lords , mnybo , who had not bralnu
enough to got Into the army or the
church. There were cashiered Prus
sian officers , and Frenchmen who had
most likely killed women out of jeal
ousy , and Sicilian bandits , and brok
en society men from Now York. There
were all sorts. And there was me.
And wo all spoke different kinds of
English nnd had different kinds of
tastes , good nnd bad mostly bad.
There was only one thing wo could
nil do alike , and that was to ride. "
"I never thought of you as riding , "
Margaret said.
"Well , why should you ? But I can ,
because I was just a common cow-boy
and had to , for a living. "
"It's Intensely interesting what ti
strange life you have had ! Tell mo
more about yourself , won't you ? "
"There's not much to tell , It seems
to me , " said Van Torp. "From being
a cow-boy 1 turned Into miner , and
"If He's the Fellow We Used to Call Lev ! Lonnlegs on the Ranch. "
struck n 111 tie silver , and I sold that
and got Into nickel , and I made the
Nickel Trust what It Is , more by
financing It than anything else , and 1
got almost all of It. And now I've sold
the whole thing. "
"Sold the Nickel Trust ? " Margaret
was quite as much surprised as Lad }
Maud hud been.
"Yes. I wasn't made to do one
thing long , I suppose. If I were , 1
should still bo a cow-boy. Just now ,
I'm hero to go to 'Parsifal , ' nnd Hlnco
you say these tunes nro out of that
opera , I dare say I'm going to like it
very much. "
"It's all very uncanny , " Margarui
Bald thoughtfully. "I wonder wno'
- - . * v ,
these two men were , nnd what became
of the ono who disappeared. "
"I'vo a strong Impression that I DRW
him in Now York the other day , " Von
Torp answered. "If I'm right , ho'a
made money doing qulto well , I
should think. It wouldn't surprlso mete
to hoar he'd got together n million or
so. "
"Really ? What Is he doing ? Your
stories grow moro nnd moro Inter
esting. "
"If he's the fellow wo used to call
Lovl Longlegs on the ranch , ho'a n '
Russian now. I'm not perfectly sure , ' ' *
for ho had no hair on his face then ,
and now ho has a beard llko a French
sapper. But the eyes and the nose
and the volco nnd the accent are the
same , and the ago would about cor
respond. Handsome man , I suppose *
you'd call him. His name is Krallusky
just nt present , nnd he's found u wholu
mlno of rubles fiomowhoro. "
"llonlly ? I love rubles. They nro
my favorite atones. "
"Are they ? That's funny. I'vo got
an uncut one In my pocket now , 1C
you'd llko to aeo It. I believe It cornea
from Krullnsky's mlno , too , though I
got It through a friend of yours , two
or three days ago. "
"A friend of mlno ? "
Ho was poking hla largo flngera
Into ono of the pockets of his waist
coat In search of the stone.
"Mr. Logothotl , " ho said , Just as ho
found It. "He's discovered a hand
some young woman from Tartnry , or
somewhere , who has n few .rubies to
sell that look very much llko Kra-
Husky's. This io ono of them. " ,
IIo had unwrapped thu 'stone now
and ho offered It to her , holding It out
in the paint of his hand. She took It
delicately and laid It In her own ,
which waa so white that the gem
shod n delicate pompcgranato-colorod
light on the skin all round It. She
admired it , turned it over with ono
linger , hold It up towards the window ,
nnd laid It in her pnltn again.
But Van Torp hud set her thinking
about Logothell and the Tartar girl.
She put out her hand to glvo back
the ruby.
"I nhould llko you to keep it , it1
you will , " ho said. "I shan't forget
the pleasure I've had in seeing you
llko this , hut you'll forgot all about
our meeting here the stone may Just
make you remember it sometimes. "
IIo spoke so quietly , so gently , that
she was taken off her guard , and wan
touched , and very much surprised to
feel that she was. She looked Into
his eyes rather cautiously , remember
ing well how she had formerly soon
something terrifying In them If oho
looked an Instant too long ; but now
they made her think of the eyca of n
large affectionate bulldog.
"You'ro very kind to want to give'
It to mo , " she answered after a mo
ment's hesitation , "but I don't llko to
accept anything so valuable , now that
I'm engaged to bo married. Konstantln
might not llko It. But you're so kind ;
glvo mo any llttlo th'ug ' of no value
that you have in your pocket , for I
mean to remember this day , Indeed
I do ! "
"I gave nothing for the ruby , " saW
Van Torp , utlil M > t taking It from hort
"so It has no valiio for mo. I wouldn't
offer you anything that cost mo
money , now , unless It was a theater
for your own. Perhaps the thing's
glass , after ail ; I've not shown It to
any jeweler. The girl made mo Uvko
It , because I helped her In a sort of
way. When I wanted to j > uy for It she
tried to throw It out of the window. So
I had to accept It to calm her down ,
and she went off and left no address ,
and I thought I'd like you to hnvo it.
If you would. "
"Aro you qulto , quite sure you did
not pay for It ? " Margaret asked. "If
wo are going to bo friends , you must
please always be very accurate. "
"I'vo told you exactly what hap
pened , " said Van Torp. "Won't you
take it now ? "
"Yes , I will , and t'.nnk you very
much indeed. I love rubles , and this
Is a beauty , and not preposterously
big. I think I shall have it set as it is ,
uncut , nnd only polished , so tlmt 't
will always be Itself , just as yotf
gave it to me. I shall think of the
'Good Friday' music and the chimes ,
and this hideous llttlo room , and your
clover whistling , whenever I look
at it. "
"You'ro kind to-day , " said Mr. Van
Torp , after a moment's debate as to
whether he should say anything ut
all.
"Am 1 ? You mean that I used to bo
very disagreeable , don't you ? " She
smiled as she glanced at him. "I
must have been , I'm sure , for you
used to frighten mo ever so much.
But I'm not in the least afraid of you
now ! "
"Why should any one bo afraid of
me ? " asked Van Torp , whoso smllo
had been known to terrify Wall street
when a "drop" was expected.
Margaret laughed a llttlo , without
looking at him.
"Toll mo all about the Tartar girl , "
she said , instead of answering hla
question.
Van Torp told her Baraka's his
tory , as far as he know It from Logo-
theti.
( TO SB CONTINUED. )
