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I" SYNOPSIS. ]
Baraltn , a Tartar girl , bccnma enamored
oC a golden bearded stranger who WUH
prospecting anil studying herbs Iti the
vicinity of her homo In central Asia , anil
revealed to him the location of a mine
of rubles hoping that the stranKor would
Jove her In return for her disclosure.
They wore followed to the cave by the
Girl's relatlvpB , who blocked up the en
trance , and drew oft the wntor supply ,
leaving the couple to die. Baraku's cousin
Baud , her betrothed , attempted to climb
down a cliff overlooking the mine ; but
the traveler shot him. The stranger was
revived from a water gourd Saud car
ried , dug his way out of the tunnel , and
departed , deserting the girl and currying
u bag of rubles , Baraka gathered all the
Benin Bhe could carry , and started In pur
suit. Margaret Donne ( Margarita da
fr Cordova ) , a famous prlrna donna , became
engaged In London to Konstanttn Lo-
KOthctl , a wealthy Greek financier. Her
Intimate friend was Countess Leven ,
known as Lady Maud , whoso husband
had been killed by a bomb In St. Peters
burg ; and Lady Maud's most Intimate
friend was Rufus Van Torp. an Ameri
can , who had become one of the richest
men In the world. Van Torp was In love
with Margaret , and rushed to London as
soon as he heard of her betrothal. Ho
offered Lady Maud $5,000,000 for her pet
charity If. she would aid him In winning
the singer from Logothetl. Baraka approached
preached Logothetl at Versailles with
rubles to Boll. Ho presented . ruby to
Margaret. Van Torp bought a ynoht and
Bent It to Venice. Ho was visited by
Baraka In male attire. She gave him n
ruby after the American had told her ol
having seen In the United States a man
answering the description of the one she
loved. The American followed Margaret
to the Beyrouth "Parsifal" festival. Mar
garet took a liking to Van Torp , who pre
sented her with the ruby Buraka had
given him. Count Krallnsky. a Husslan.
arrived at Bayreuth. Van Torp believed
him to be the one Baraka was pursuing.
Baraka was arrested In London on the
charge -stealing from Plnney , a Jew
eler , the ruby she had sold to Logothcti.
Two strangers were the thieves. Lady
Maud believed that Logothetl's associa
tions with Baraka were open to suspi
cion , and so Informed Margaret. Van
Torn believed that Krallnsky was the
cowboy ho had known In his young man
hood. Logothetl secured Baruka's re
lease , and then , with her ns his guest ,
went to nea on his yacht Erlnna. Baraka
explains her plans for revenge on the
man who had deserted her and left her
to dip. Logothetl succeeds In moderating
her rage. Lady Maud arrived lit Bay-
routh. Margaret and Van Torp entered
Into an agreement to build a tremendous
opera house In New York. The thief who
stole the ruby from Mr. Plnnoy was ar
rested In New York and the stonu re
covered. Lady Maud confided to Van
Torp that nhe believed Krallnsky to bo
the husband she had believed dead. Van
Torp promised hl3 help to unravel the
mystery.
CHAPTER XIII. Continued.
Neither Margaret nor Mrs. Rushmore -
more had over seen Leven , and they
had not the least Idea of what was
really going on under their eyes. They
only saw that Lady Maud was making
n. dead set at the count , and If Mar
Caret wondered whether she had mis
Judged her friend's 'character , the elder
dor lady had no doubt as to what was
happening.
"My dear child , " she said to Mar
garet , "your friend Is going to console
herself. Widows of that ago general
ly do , my dear. I myself could never
understand how one could marry
again. I should always feel that dear
Mr. Rushraore was In the room. I
quite makes me blush to think of it'
Yet it Is an undeniable fact that many
young widows marry again. Marl
my words , Margaret , your friend is
going to console herself before long
If It Is not this one , it will bo an
other. My dear , I am quite positive
about it. "
When the sun went down that even
Ing the yacht had passed Otranto and
the cape , and her course had been
changed to head her for Cape Spartl
vento and the Straits of Messina
having done in 24 hours as much as
the little Italian mall steamers do in
48 , and nearly half as much again a
the Erlnna could have done at he
highest speed. As Mr. Van Torp had
predicted , his engines had "warmed
up , " and were beating their own
. record. The gale made by the vessel's
way was stronger than a woman could
stand in with any regard to her ap
pearance , but as the weather contin
ued to bo calm It was from dead
ahead , , and there was plenty of shel
ter on the promenade deck abaft the
wheelhouse , on condition of not going
too near the rail.
After dinner Krallnsky and Mrs.
Rushmore walked a little , as on the
previous evening , and Lady Maud sat
with Margaret and Van Torp. But
before the two walkers went off to sit
down in the quiet corner they had
found yesterday , Lady Maud rose ,
went half way aft , and deliberately
placed herself where they were obliged
to pass close to her at each turn ,
standing and leaning against the
bright whlto side of the engine sky
light , which was as high as the wheelhouse -
house itself , and broke in aft , where
the big ventilating fans were situated ,
making a square corner inward.
She stood there , and as it was not
very dark in the clear starlight , Kra
llnsky saw in passing that she fol
lowed his face with her eyes , turning
her head to look at him when ho was
coming towards her , and turning it
very slowly back again as ho came
near and went by. It was impossible
to convoy more clearly an invitation
to get rid of his companion and join
her , and he was the last man in the
world to misunderstand it.
But Mrs. Rushmore saw it too , and
as she considered him a lion , and
therefore entitled to have his own
way , she made it easy for him.
' 'My ' dear count , " she said blandly
aftjor passing Lady Maud twice , " :
have really had enough now , and ! f
you will promise to finish your walk
alcmo , I think I will go and sit wltl
the others. "
He loft her with Margaret and Van
Torp and went back to Lady Maud ,
vho moved as ho came up to her ,
nado two stops hesldo him , and then
suddenly slipped into the recess
vhere the fnnhouso joined the engine
skylight. She stood still , and ho in
stantly ranged himself beside her.
They were qulto out of sight of the
others , and of the bridge , and oven If
t had been daylight they could not
mvo been seen except by some one
coming from aft.
"I want to speak to you , " she said ,
n a low , steady voice. "Please listen
quite quietly , for some of them may
begin to walk again. "
Krallnsky bent his Head twice , and
.hen Inclined It towards her , to hear
better what she was going to say.
"It has pleased you to keep up this
comedy for 24 hours , " she bCRati.
lie made a slight movement , which
was natural under Ute circumstances.
"I do not understand , " * ho said , in
ils oily voice. "What comedy ? I real-
y have no "
"Don't go on , " she answered , Inter
rupting him sharply. "Listen to what
I am going to tell you , and then de
cide what you will do. I don't think
your decision will make very mu6h
difference to me , but it will make u
difference to the world and to your
self. I saw you from a window when
you brought Mr. Van Torp to the
liotel in Bayreuth , and I recognized
you at once. Since this afternoon I
have no doubt left. "
"I never saw you till last night , "
said Krallnsky , with some little sur
prise in his tone , and with perfect as
surance.
"Do yon really think you can deceive -
ceivo mo any longer ? " she asked. "I
told you this afternoon that If you
could come back from the dead , and
know the truth , we should probably
forgive each other , though we had
many differences. Shall we ? " She
paused a moment , and by his quick
change of position she saw that ho
was much moved ; "I don't mean that
we should over go back to the old life ,
for we were not suited to each
other from the first , you and I.
You wanted to marry me because i
was pretty and smart , and I married
you because I wanted to be married ,
and you were better looking than
most men , and seemed to have what
I thought was necessary fortune and
a decent position. No , don't Interrupt
me. Wo soon found out that we did
not care for each other. You went
your way , and I went mine. I don't
mean to reproach you , for when I
say you were beginning to bo tired of
me I did nothing to keep you. I my
self was tired of it already. But what
ever you may have thought , I was
a faithful wife. Mr. Van Torp had
given mo a great deal of money for
my charity , and does still. I can ac
count for it. I never used a penny of
it for myself , and never shall ; and
ho never was , and never will be , anymore
moro than a trusted friend. I don't
know why you chose to disappear
when the man who had your pocketbook -
book was killed and you were said to
be dead. It's not my business , and If
you choose to go on living under an
other name , now that you are rich
again , I shall not betray you , and few
people will recognize you , at least In
England , so long as you wear that
beard. But you had It when we were
married , and I knew you at once , and
when I heard you were to bo of the
party here , I made up my mind at
once that I would accept the invita
tion and como too , and speak to you
as I'm speaking now. When I be
lieved you were dead I forgave you
everything , though I was glad you
were gone ; frankly , I did not wish
you alive again , but since you are ,
God forbid that I should wish you
dead. You owe me two things in ex
change for my forgiveness : First ,
yours , if I tr.eated you ungenerously
or unkindly ; and , secondly , you ought
to take back every word you ever said
to mo about Mr. Van Torp , for there
was not a shadow of truth In what
you thought. Will you do that ?
ask nothing else. "
"Indeed I will , my dear Maud , " said
Count Krallnsky , In a voice full of
emotion. ,
Lady Maud drew a long breath , that
trembled a little as It left her heated
lips again. She had done what she
believed most firmly to bo right , and
it had not been easy. She had not
been surprised by his patient silence
while she had been talking ; for she
had felt that it was hers to speak and
his to listen.
"Thank you , " she said now. "I shall
never go back to what I have said ,
and neither of us need ever allude tq
old times again during this trip. It
will not last long , for I shall probably
go homo by land from the first port
we touch , and It is not likely that we
shall over meet again. If we do , I
shall behave as If you were Count
Krallnsky , whom I have mot abroad ,
neither more nor less. I suppose you
will have conscience enough not to
marry. Perhaps , If I thought another
woman's happiness depended on it , I
would consent to divorce you , but you
shall never divorce me. "
"No power could make mo wish to , "
Krallnsky answered , still deeply
moved , "I was mad In those days ,
Maud ; I was beside myself , between
my debts and my entanglements with
women not fit to touch your shoos.
I've seen it all since. That Is the chief
reason why I chose to disappear from
society when I had the chance , and
bccomo Boiiio ojio olao ! I swear to
you , on my mother's soul in heaven ,
that I thought of nothing but that
to Bet you free and begin life over
again ns another man. No thought of
marrying has over crossed my mind !
Do you think I could bo ns bad as
that ? But I'm not defending myself
how could I ? All the right is on
your side , and all the wrong on mine.
And now I would give heaven and
earth to undo it all and to como back
to youI"
Lady Maud drew ns far as she could
into the corner whcro the fnnhouso
Joined the engine skylight. She had
not expected this ; it was too much re
pentance ; It was too like a real at
tempt to win her again. Ho had not
seen her for moro than three months ;
she knew she wan very beautiful ; his
fleeting passion had como to life
again , no hehad. , But her old repul
sion for him was ton times stronger
than when they had parted , and she
shrank back as far as she could , with
out speaking. From far below the
noiseless engines Bent a quick vibra
tion up to the Ironwork of the sky
light She felt , it , but could hardly
tell it from the beatings of her own
heart. Ho saw her shrinking from
him and was wise.
Then Suddenly Slipped Into the Recess.
"Don't be afraid of me ! " he cried , in
a low and pleading tone. "Not that !
Ob , please not that ! I will not como
nearer ; I will not put out my hand to
touch yours , I swear it to you ! But
I love you as I never loved you be
fore ; I never knew how beautiful you
were till I had lost you , and now that
I have found you again you are a
thousand times moro beautiful than in
my dreams ! No , I usk nothing ! I
have no right to ask for what I have
thrown away ! You do not even pity mo ,
I think ! Why should you ? You were
free when you thought mo dead , and
I have como hack to be a burden and
a weight on your life. Forgive mo ,
forglvo mo , my lost darling , for the
sake of all that irlght have been , but
don't fear me ! Pity mo , if you can ,
but don't bo afraid of mo ! Say that
you pity mo n little , and I shall bo sat
isfied , and grateful , too ! "
Lady Maud was silent for a few seconds
ends , while he stood turned towards
her , his hands clasped in a dramatic
gesture , as If still Imploring her com
miseration.
"I do pity you , " she said at last ,
quite steadily , for Just then she did
not fear that ho would try to touch
even her hand. "I pity you , if you are
really in lore with mo again. I pity
you still more if this is a passing
thing that has taken hold of you
merely because you still think mo
handsome. But I will never take
you back to bo my husband again.
Never. That Is finished , for good and
all. "
"Ah , Maud , listen to mo "
But she had already slipped out of
the corner and was walking slowly
away from him , not towards the oth
ers , but aft , so that ho might Join her
quleUy before going back to them. Ho
was a man of the world and under
stood her , and did what was expected
of him. Almost ns soon ns he was bo-
sldo her , she turned to go forward
with her leisurely , careless grace.
"We've been standing a long time , "
she [ wild , ns If the conversation had
been about the weather. " 1 want to
sit down. "
"I am In earnest , " ho said , very
low.
low."So
"So am 1 , " answered Lady Maud.
They went on towards the wheelhouse -
house side by Bide , without haste , and
not very near together , like two or
dinary acquaintances.
CHAPTER XIV.
Willie the Lancashire Lass was ra
cing down to the Straits of Messina
the Erlnna was heading for the same
point from the opposite direction , no
longer dawdling along at half-apeed ,
but going her full 1C knots , after coal
ing at Naples , and any navigator who
know the positions and respective
speeds of the two yachts could have
calculated with approximate precision
the point at which they would prob
ably sight each other.
Logothotl had given up the Idea of
taking Baraka to Paris , if ho had ever
really entertained it at all. Ho as
sured her that Naples wa.s a great
city , too , and that there was a first-
class French dress-making establish
ment there , and that the Vllle do
Lyon would turn her out almost an
smartly as the Hue do la Palx itself.
He Sent Another Man to Walt Till
Midnight at the Office.
Ho took Baraka ashore and placed
her for half a day in the hands of
Mmo. Anna , who undertook to do all
that money could do in about a fort
night. Ho had the effrontery to say
that Baraka was a nleco of his from
Constantinople , whoso mother was on
board the yacht , but had unfortunate
ly sprained her ankle in falling down
the companion during a gale , and
could therefore not accompany her
daughter on shoro. The young lady ,
ho said , spoke only Turkish. Mmo.
Anna , grave and magnificently calm
under all circumstances , had a vague
recollection of having seen the hand
some oriental gentleman already with
g ni i\a'i T 'V' ' *
V
another niece , who spoke only
French ; hut that was none of her
business. When would the young lady
try on the things ? On any day Mmo.
Anna chose to name ; but in the mean
time her uncle would take her down
to Sicily , ns the weather was no won
derfully line and It was Btlll so hot.
Mmo. Anna therefore named a day ,
and promised , moreover , to sco the
best linen-drapers and seamstresses
herself , and to provide the young lacVy
with as complete an outfit as If she
were going to ho married. She should
have all things vlslblo ami Invisible
In the shortest possible time. Ixjgo-
thctl , who considered himself n stran
ger , insisted on putting down a thou
sand franc note merely as a guarantee
of good faith. The dressmaker pro
tested almost furiously and took the
money , still protesting. So that was
settled , and Baraka was to bo out
wardly changed Into a beautiful For-
inghl lady without delay. To toll the
truth , the establishment is really a
smart one , and she was favorably Im
pressed by the many pretty frocks
and gowns that were tried on several
pretty young woman In order that she
might miiko her choice.
Baraka would have liked a blue
satin skirt with a yellow train and a
bright green Bilk body , but In her
travels nho had noticed that the
taste of Fcrlnghl ladles was for
very Hohor or gcntlo colors , compared
with the fashionable standards of
Samarkand , Tlflls , and Constantinople ,
and she meekly acquiesced to every
thing that Logothotl and Mmo. Anna
proposed , after putting their heads to
gether. Logothotl Boomed to know a
great deal about it.
It was nearly < lark whoh the naphtha -
tha launch look thorn out to the yacht ,
which lay under the mole where the
big English and Gorman passenger
steamers and the men-of-war are
moored.
Logothcti had at last received Mar
garet's telegram asking him to meet
her at onco. It had failed to reach
him In Gibraltar , and had boon tele
graphed on thence to Naples , and
when ho read it ho was considerably
disturbed. Ho wrote a long message
of explanations and excuses , and sent
It to the prlma donna at Bayrouth ,
tripling the number of words she had
prepaid for his answer. But no reply
came , for Margaret was herself at
sea and nothing could reach hor. Ho
sent ono of his own men from the
yacht to spend the day at the tele
graph office , with Instructions for
llndlng him If any message camo. The
man found him three times , and
brought three telegrams ; and each
tlmo na ho tore open the little folded
brown paper ho felt moro uncomfor
table , but ho was relieved to find cacli
time that the message was only a
business ono from London or Paris
giving him the latest confidential news
about a government lean In which he
was largely interested. When ho
reached the yacht ho sent another
man to wait till midnight at the office ,
The diva was angry , ho thought ;
that was clear , and perhaps she hat
some right to bo. The tone of her
telegram had been peremptory In the
extreme , and now that ho had an
swered It after a delay of sovcra
days , she refused to take any notice
of him. It was not possible that sucl
a personage as Bho was should have
left Bayreuth without leaving clear in
structions for Bonding on any tele
grams that might como after she left.
At this time of year , as ho know , Bho
was beset with offers of engagements
to sing , and they had to bo answered.
From eight o'clock In the morning to
midnight there wore 1C hours , ample
tlmo for a retransmitted message to
reach her anywhere in Europe and to
bo answered. Logothetl felt a sensa
tion of deep relief when the man came
aboard at a quarter-past midnight and
reported himself empty handed ; but
ho resolved to wait till the following
evening before definitely leaving
Naples for the ten days which must
elapse before Baraka could try on her
beautiful Feringhl clothes.
Ho told her anything ho liked , and
she believed him , or was Indifferent ;
for the Idea that Bho must bo as well
dressed as any European woman
when she met the man she was seek
ing had appealed strongly to her , and
the sight of the pretty things at Mine.
Anna's had made her ashamed of her
simple llttlo rcady-mado serges and
bluuscs. Logothotl assured her that
Kralinsky was within easy reach , and
showed no Inclination to travel far.
There was news of him In the tele
grams received that day , the Greek
said. Spies were about him and were
watching him for her , and so far he
had shown no Inclination to admire
any Feringhl beauty.
Baraka accepted all these inven
tions without doubting their veracity.
In her eyes Logothotl was a great
man , something like a king , and vast
ly moro than a Tartar chieftain. Ho
could fiend men to the ends of the
earth If ho chose , Now that ho was
sure of where Krallnsky was , ho could
no doubt have him seized secretly and
brought to her , if she desired it earn
estly of him. But she did not wish
to see the man , free or a prisoner , till
she had her beautiful now clothes.
Then ho should look upon her , and
judge whether ho had dona well to
despise her lore , and to leave her to
bo done to death by her own pcoplo
and her body loft to the vtllturo that
had waited so long on n jutting point
of rock over her head three years ago.
It was a dreamy mid sonse-compoll-
ing llfo that oho led on the yacht , tuir-
roumlcd with every luxury she had
over heard of , and constantly waited
on by the only clover man she had
over really talked with , excepting the
old Persian merchant In Stamboul.
The vision of the Koldon-hcnrded giant
who had loft her to her fata nftor
treating her with Btouy Indlfforonco
was still before her , but the reality
was nearer In the shape of a vlslbln
"grcatnmn , " who could do anything
ho chose , who caused her to bo
treated like a queen , and who was un
deniably handsome.
She wondered whether ho had a
wife. Judging marrlago from her
point of vlow , there probably had
been ono put away In that beautiful
house in Paris. Ho was an oriental ,
she told herself , and ho would not
parade his wlfo as the Ferlnglrtn did.
But she was ono , too , and aha consid
ered that it would bo nn Innult to unit
him about such things. Spire know ,
no doubt , but she could not demean
herself to Inquire of n servant. Per
haps Gula had found out already , for
the girl had a way of finding out !
whatever she wanted to know , ap- .
parcntly by explaining things to the
second mate. Possibly Gula could bo ,
made to toll what oho had learned1
without being directly questioned. ,
But after all , Baraka decided Hint it
did not matter , Blnco Bho meant to
marry the fair-beard as soon as shoi
had her pretty clothes. Yet Bho became - '
came conscious that If ho had not ex
isted , she would think It very satis
factory to marry the great manj
who could do anything ho lllced ,
though if ho had a wlfo already ; as '
ho probably had , oho would refuse to
bo the second In his houso. The
Koran allowed a man four , it was
said , but the idea was hateful to her ,
and moreover the Persian merchant's
wlfo had told her that it was old fash
ioned to have moro than ono , mainly
because living had grown so expen
sive. .
Logothotl sat beside her for hours
under the awnings , talking or not , ns
she chose , and al vays reading when
Bho was silent , though ho often looked' '
up to see If she wanted anything. Ho
told her when they left Naples that
ho would show her beautiful Islands
and other sights , and the great flro-
mountalns of the south , Etna and
Stromboll , which she had heard of on
her voyage to Marseilles , but had not
seen because the steamer had passed
them at night. The fire-mountain at
Naples had boon quiet , onry Bonding
out thin wreaths of smoke , which Ba
raka insisted came from fires made by
shepherds.
"Moreover , " she said , aa they
watched Vesuvius receding when they
loft Naples , -your mountains are not
mountains , but ant-hills , and I do not
care for them. But your sea has the
colors of many sherbets , rose-leaf an'd
violet , and lemon and orange , and
sometimes oven of pale yellow peach-
sherbet , which is good. Lot mo al
ways see the sea till the fine dresses
are ready to bo tried on. "
"This sea , " answered Logothcti , "la
always most beautiful near land and
amongst Islands , and the big lire-
mountain of Sicily looks as tall as
Kasbek , because it rises from the wa
ter's edge to the sky. "
"Then take mo to it. and I will tell
you , for my eyes have looked on ths
Altai , and I wish to see u real moun
tain again. After that wo will go back
and got the fine dresses. Will Gnln
know how to fasten the fine dresses at
the back , do you think ? "
"You shall have a woman who does ,
and who can talk with Gula , and the
two will fasten the flno dresses for
you. " Logothetl spoko'with becoming
gravity.
"Yes , " Baraka answered. "Spend
money for me , that I may bo good to
see. Also , I wish to have many serv
ants. My father has a hundred , per
haps a thousand , but now I have only
two , Gula and Splro. The man I seek
will think I am poor , and that will bo
a shame. While I was searching for
him , It was different ; and besides , you
are teaching mo how the rich Franks
live In their world. It Is not like ours.
You know , for you are moro like us ,
though you nro a king here. "
She spoke slowly and lazfly , paus
ing between her phrases , and turning
her eyes to him now and then without
moving her head ; and her talk amused
him much moro than that of European
women , though It was so very simple ,
like that of a gifted child brought
suddenly to a now country , or to see 3
a fairy pantomime.
"Tell me , " he Bald after a time , "if
It were the portion of Kralinsky to bo
gathered to his fathers before you
saw him , what would you do ? "
Baraka now turned not only her
eyes to him but her face.
"Why do you ask mo this ? Is It be
cause ho Is dead , and you are afraid
to tell mo ? "
( TO BE CONTINUED. )
