3
JPO&Ur- -tAWLL CO.
t
8YNOP8IS.
At a private vlw of the Chatwnrtli per
sonal vHtate, lu bo rdIiI nt auction, thn
t'lmlwortU rtiiR inyHtMiiinnlv i!tHappont-n.
Marry ('rpfwy. who was prcHcnt, lfm-rlht'H
the rliix l Ills IIiiiii'ci'. Flora "Hlsiy, ami
her chaperon, Mrs. rhira llrlttnn, an br
ing llko a 1 1 1 1 1 1 i kihI. will) n honullfiil
sapphire m't in (lie head. Flora discov
ers an nnfanillltir mood in Hurry, etipe.
oialiy when the rln Is dlxcussml. Hlie
attends "linllea' nlRht" at the eltih and
meets Mr. Kerr, nn Knirliwhnmn. It cornea
out that the mlening ring lias unfit known
M the Crew Idol.
CHAPTER II. Continued.
Flora line n bewildered feeling that
this Judicial summing tip of facts
wasn't tho sort of thing the evening
had led up to. Kite couldn't soe. If
thin wan wliat It amounted to, why
lift Try had changed his inlnd alinnt
' telling them at the dinner tablo. She
could not oven understand where tills
belonged In the inarch of events In
their Rtory, hut Clara took It up,
clipped It out, and fitted It Into Its
place.
"Then there will be pressure
enormous pressure, brought to bear
to reeover It?"
"Ohooli!" Hnller drew out the syl
lable with unctuous relish. "They'll
rip the town Inside out. They'll do
worse There'll ho n string of detect
ives across the country yes, and at
Intervals to China so tight you
couldn't Rlep from Kalamazoo to Osli
kosh without running into one. The
thing Is too big to be covered. The
chap who took It will play a lone
game; and to do that Lord knows
there aren't many who could to do
that he'd have to be a a "
"Farrell Wand?" Flora Hung It out
as a challenge among these prosaic
people; but the effect of It was even
sharper than she had expected. She
fancied she saw them all start; that
Harry squared himself, that Kerr met
It as If he swallowed It with nlmnst
a facial grimace; that Judge Buller
blinked It hard In the face the most
bothered of the lot. He came at It
first In words.
"Farrell Wand?" 'He felt it over, as
If, like a doubtful coin, it might have
rung false. "Now, what did I know
of Farrell Wand?"
"Farrell Wand?" Kerr took It up
rapidly. "Why, he was the great John
nie who went through the Scotland
Yard men at Perth In '94, and got off.
Don't you remember? He took a
great assortment of things under the
most peculiar circumstances took the
Tilton emernlds off Lady Tllton's nock
at St. James'."
"Why, Harry, you " Flora began.
"You told us that," was what she had
meant to"say, but Harry stopped her.
Stopped her just with a look, with a
nod; but It was as if had shaken his
head at her. His tawny lashes, half
dropped over watching eyes, gave him
more than ever the look of a great,
still cat; a domestic, good-humored
cat, but In Bight of legitimate prey.
Her eyes went back to Kerr with a
senso of bewilderment. Ills voice was
still going on, expansively, brilliantly,
juggling his subject.
"He knew them all, the big-wigs up
In Parliament, the big-wigs on 'change,
the little duchesses in Mayfair, and
they all 'liked him, asked him, dined
him, and great Scott, they paid!
Paid In hereditary jewels, or the
shock to their decency when the thing
came out but, poor devil, so did he!"
And through it all Buller gloomed
unsmiling, with out-thrust tinderllp.
"No, no," he said ' slowly, "that's
not my connection with Farrell Wand.
What happened afterward. What did
they do with him?"
Kerr was silent, and Flora thought
his face seemed suddenly at Its sharp
est. It was Clara who answered with an
other question. "Didn't he get to the
colonies? Didn't he die there?"
Judge Duller caught It with a snap
of his fingers. "Got it!" he triumph
ed, and the two men turned square
upon him. "They ran him to earth In
Australia. That was the year I was
there '9G. I got a snapshot of him
at the time."
It was now the whole table that
turned on him, and Flora felt, with
that unanimous movement, something
crucial, the something that she had
been waiting for; and yet she could
in no way connect it with what had
happened, nor understand why Clara,
why Harry, why Kerr above all should
be so alert. For more than all he
looked expectant, poised, and ready
for whatever was coming. .
"What sort of a chap?" he rauBed
and fixed the judge a moment with
the same stare that Flora 'remember
ed to have first confronted her.
"What sort? Sort of a criminal,"
the- judge smiled. "They all look
alike."
"Still," Clara suggested, "such a
man could hardly have been or
dinary" "In the chain-gang oh, yes," said
Buller with conviction.
"Qh! Then the picture wasn't
worth anything?"
"Why, no," Buller admitted slowly,
"though, come to think of it, it wasn't
the chain-gang either. They were
taking him aboard tbe ship. The
crowd was so thick I hardly saw him,
ajrl only got one shot at him. But
OOAST & CEJmCE '
the nnmo was a queer oue. It stuck
In my mind."
"But then," Clara Insisted, "what
became of him?"
"Oh, gnve them the slip," the Judge
chuckled. "He alwaya did. Reported
to have changed ships In mid-ocean.
Hal, Is that another bottle?"
Harry stretched bis hand for it, but
It stayed suspended and, for an in
stant, it seemed as If the w1m1o table
waited expectant. Had Duller's cam
era cntight the clear face of Farrell
Wand, or only a dim figure? Flora
wondered If that wns the question
Harry wanted to nsk. He wanted
nml yet he hesitated, as If be did not
quite tlare touch It. He lnuglied and
filled thn glasses. He bad dropped
bis question, and there was no one at
the table who seemed ready to put
another.
And yet there were questions there,
In all the eyes, but some impassable
barrier seemed to have come between
these enger people, and what, for In
calculable reasons, they so much
wanted to know. It wns not the geni
al indifference with which Buller had
dropped the subject for the approach
ing bottle. It seemed rather their
own timidity that withheld them from
touching this Bubject which at every
turn produced upon some one of the
eager three somo fresh startling effect
the others could not understand. They
were restless; Clara notably, even
under her calm.
Flora knew she was not giving up
the quest of Farrell Wand, but only
setting It asldo with her unfailing
thrift, which saved everything. But
why, In tilts case? And Harry, who had
been so merry with the mystery at
dinner why had bo suddenly tried to
suppress her, to want to Ignore the
whole business; why had ho hesitated
over bis question, and finally let It
fall? And why, above all, was Kerr
so brilliantly talking to Kilo, In the
same way ho had begun at Flora her
self? Talking at Klla as If he hnrdly
saw her, but like somo maglclnn fling
ing out a brilliant train of pyrotech
nics to hypnotize the senses, before
be proceeds with his trick. And the
way Klla was looking at him her be
wildered alacrity, the way sho strug
gled with that was being so rapidly
shot at her appeared to Flora tho
prototype of her own struggle to un
derstand what reality these appear
ances around her could possibly
shadow.
Often enough In the crowds she
moved among she hnd felt herself
lonely and not wondered at it. But
now and here, sitting among her close,
Intlmato circle, her friends and her
lover, it Bocmed like a horrible obses
sion yet It was true. As clear as If
It had been shown her In a revelation
she saw herself absolutely alone.
CHAPTER III.
Encounters on Parade.
Flora, before the mirror, gayly stab
bing In her long hat pins, confessed to
herself that last night had been queer,
as queer as queer could be; but this
morning, luckily, was real again. Her
fancy Inst night had yes, she was
afraid It really had run away with"
her. And she turned and held the
band-mirror high, tof be sure of the
line of her tilted hat, gave a touch to
the turn of ber wide, close belt, a flirt
to the frills of her bodice.
Tho wind was lightly ruffling and
puffing out the muslin curtains of the
windows, and from the garden below
came the long silvery clash of euca
lyptus leaves. She leaned on the
high window-ledge to look downward
over red roofs, over terraced green,
over steep streets running abruptly
to the broken blue of the bay. She
tried to fancy how Kerr would look
in this morning sun. He seemed to
belong only beneath the high arti
ficial lights, in the thicker atmosphere
of evening. Would he return again,
with renewed potency, with the same
singular, almost sinister charm, as a
wizard who works his will only by
moonlight? When she should see him
again, what,- she wondered, would be
bis extraordinary mood?
It was Clara, standing at the foot of
the stairs, who belonged to the morn
ing, so brisk, so fresh, so practical
she appeared. She held a book In her
band. The door, open for her imme
diate departure, showed, beyond the
descent of marble steps, the landau
glistening black against white pave
ments. It was unusual for this formal
vehicle to put in an appearance so
early.
"I am going to drive over to the
Purdies'," Clara explained. "I have an
errand there."
Flora smiled at the thought of how
many persons would be having er
rands to the Purdies' now. It was re
freshing to catch Clara in this weak
ness. She felt a throb of it herself
when she recalled the breathless mo
ment at the supper table last even
ing. "Oh, that will be a heavenly
drive," she said. "Please ask me to
go with you. My errand can wait"
"Why, certainly. I should like to
have you," said Clara. But If she had
returned a flat "no," Flora would not
have bad a dryer sense of unwelcome.
Still, she bad gone too far to retreat.
Mischievous reflections of the doc
trine tbe Englishman had startled her
with the night before flickered In her
mind as they drove from the door.
Was this part of "the big red game,"
not being accommodating, nor so very
polite T Tbe streets were still wet
with early fog, and, turning In at the
Presidio gate, the cypresses dripped
"Harry, I Believe You Are Out
tlankly on their heads, and hung out
cobwebs pearled with dew. She was
sure, even under their drippings, that
tho "damnable dust" was alive.
Down the broad slopes that were
swept by tho drive all was green to
tho water's edge. The long line of
barracks, the officers' quarters, the
great parade-ground, set In tho fiat
land between 'hills and bay, looked
like a child's toy, pretty and little.
They heard the note of a bugle, thin
and silver clear, and they could .see
the tiny figures mustering; but In her
preoccupation it did not occuf to
Flora tlrat they wore arriving Just In
tlmo for parade. But when the car
riage hnd crossed the viaduct, and
swung them past the acacias, and
around tbe last white curve Into tbe
white dust of the parade-ground, Clara
turned, as if with a fresh idea.
"Wouldn't you like to stop and
watch It?"
"Why, yes," Flora assented. The
brilliance of light and color, the pre
cision of movement, the sound of the
brasses under the open sky were an
Intermezzo In harmony with her spir
ited mood.
Tho carriage stopped under the
scanty shadow of trees that bordered
the walk to the officers' quarters.
Clara, book In band, alertly rose.
"I'll Just run up to tbe Purdies' and
lenve this," she said.
"Then Bhe really did want to be rid
of me," Flora mused, as she watched
tbe brisk back moving away; "and
how beautifully ehe has done It!"
Her eyes followed Clara's little figure
retreating up tbe neat and narrow
board walk, to where it disappeared
in overarching depths of eucalyptus
trees. Further on, beyond the trees,
two figures, smaller than Clara's in
their greater distance, were coming
down. Flora almost grinned as she
recognized the large linen umbrella
that Mrs. Purdle invariably carried
when abroad in the reservation, and
presently the trim and bounding fig
ure of Mrs. Purdie herself, .under it
The Purdies were coming down to
parade at least Mrs. Purdle was. But
the tall figure beside ber that was
not the major. She took up ber lorgnon
It was no it could not be yet surely
it was Harry! Lazy Harry, up and
out, and squiring Mrs. Purdle to the
review at half-past ten in the morn
ing! "Are we all mad?" Flora
thought. '
The three little figures, the one go
ing up, the two coming down, touched
opposite fringes of the grove disap
peared within it On whicb side
would they come out together? Flora
wondered. They emerged on ber side
with Harry a little In advance. He
came swingingly down tbe walk
straight toward ber, and across the
road to the carriage, his bat lifted, his
band out '
"Well, Flora," he said, "this is
luck!"
"What in the world has got you out
so early?" she rallied him.
"Came out to see Purdle on busi
ness, and here you are all ready to
drive me back."
"That's your reward."
He brushed his handkerchief over
his damp forehead. "Well, there's one
coming to me, for I haven't found
Purdie."
- Her eyea were dancing with mis
Here About the Crew Idol, Too."
chief. "Harry, I believe yon'ro out
here about tho Crew Idol, too!"
Ho shook his head at her, smiling.
"I wouldn't talk too much about that,
Flora. It flicks poor Purdie on the
raw every time that" Ills sentence
trailed on into something else, for
Mrs. Purdlo and Clara hnd come up.
. Tho book bad changed minds, to
gether, evidently, with several expla
nations, and Mrs. Purdle, with her
foot on the carrluge step, was ready
to make one of these over again.
"The major'll be so sorry. He's
gone in town. It's so unusual for him
to get off at this hour, but he said he
had to catch a mnn. As Mrs. Brltton
and I were saying, lie's likely to be
very busy until this drendful affair is
straightened out. If you can only
wait a little longer, Mr. Cressy," Bhe
went on, "I am expecting him every
moment."
"Oh, It's of no Importance," said
Harry, but ho looked at bis watch
with a fold between his brows, and
then at the car that was coming In.
"Well, at least, you'll have time to
Bee the parade," said Mrs. Purdle. "I
always think . It's a pretty sight,
though most of the women get tired
of It."
Clara's face showed that she be
longed to the latter class; but Flora,
too keenly attuned to sounds and
sights not to bo swayed by outward
circumstances, was content for the
time to watch, In the cloud of dust,
the wheeling platoons and rhythmic
columns.
Yet through all even when she was
not looking at him she was aware of
Harry's restlessness, of his impa
tience; and as the last company
swung barrackward, and the cloud
began to settle over the empty field,
he snapped bis watchcase smartly,
and remarked, "Still no major."
"Why, there he Is now!" Mrs. Pur
dle screamed, pointing across the pa
rade ground.
Flora looked. Half-way down on
the adjoining side of the parallelo
gram, back toward ber, the redoubt
able Kerr was standing. She recog
nized htm on the instant, as if he
were the most familiar figure in her
life. Yet she was more surprised to
see him here than she had been to see
Harry. She felt inclined to rub her
eyes. It took a moment for ber to
realize that his companion was indeed
MaJ. Purdie.
The major had recognized bis wife's
signaling umbrella. Now he turned
toward it, but Kerr, with a quick mo
tion of hand toward bat, turned in the
opposite direction. In her mind Flora
was with the major who ran after
him. The two men stood for a little,
expostulating. Then both walked to
ward the landau and the linen um
brella. The carriage group waited, watch
ing with flagging conversation, which
finally fell, into silence. But the two
approaching strolled easily and talked.
Even in cold daylight Kerr still gave
Flora the impression that the open
was not big enough to bold him, but
she saw a difference in his mood, a
graver eye, a colder mouth, and when
he finally greeted them, a manner that
was brusk. It showed uncivil beside
the major's urbanity.
The major was glad, very glad, to
see them all. He was evidently also a
little flurried. He seemed to know
they had U met Kerr before. Had it
been at the moment of his attempted
departure that Kerr had told hlui,
Flora wondered? And had he given
thorn as bis excuse for going away?
It hurt her; though why should Bhe be
hurt because a stranger had not
wanted to cross the parade-ground to
shako hands with Tier? He was less
interested In ber than he wns In Har
ry, at whom lie had looked keenly.
But Harry's nervousness had left
blm, now that Purdle was within bis
reach. Ho returned the glance Indif
ferently. He stood close to the major
his bund on Ills shoulder. The ma
jor, with his liland bluo eyes twin
kling from Clara to Flora, seemed the
only man ready to devote himself to
the service of tho ladles.
"And what's the news from the
front?" said Clara gayly. Kerr gave
gave her a rapid glance; but the ma
Jor blinked ns If the allusion hnd got
by him.
"I mean the mystery the Chat
worth ring," she explained.
"No news whatever, my dear Mrs
Brltton,"
She suillod. "We're all rather In
terested In the mystery, Flora has
made a dozen romances about It."
"Oh, yes, yes," said the major Indul
gently. "It will do for young ladies
to make romances about. It'll be a
two days' wonder, and then you'll sud
denly find out It's something very
tame Indeed."
"Why, huve they fixed the suspic
ion?" said Clara.
There was a restless movement
from Kerr.
"No, no, nothing of that sort," said
the major quickly.
Harry passed his hand through lib
arm. "May I see you for five min
utes, major?"
Tho excellent major looked har
assed.
"Suppose wo all step up to the
bouse," he suggested. "Why, you're
not going, man?" he objected, for
Kerr had fallen back a step, and, with
lifted hat and balanced cane, was sig
naling his farewells.
"Do let us go up to the house," said
Clara. "And Mrs. Purdle, won't you
drive up with mo? Flora wants to
walk."
Flora stood up. She had a confused
Impression that sho hud expressed no
such desire, and tliut there was room
for tlircn the landau; but the men
tal shove that Clara had administered
gave her an Impetus that carried her
out of the carriage before alio realized
what she was about.
1 lurry was already moving off up
the bourd walk with the major. The
cnrrlnge was turning. Kerr looked
nt the backs of the two women being
driven away, and then at Flora. "Very
good," he said, raising ber parasol;
"you aro the deposed heir, and I am
your faithful servant."
"Hut Indeed I do want to walk," she
protested, a little shy at the way bo
read her case.
"But you didn't think of It until she
gavo you tho suggestion, eh?" he
quizzed.
Her cheeks were hot behind her
thin veil. They were strolling slowly
up the board walk, and for a moment
she could not look at him. Sho could
only listen to the flutter of the fringes
of the parasol carried above her head.
She felt herself small and stupid. She
could not understand what he could
seo In her to come back to. Then she
gave a side glance at him. She saw
an unsmiling profile. The lines in his
face were indeed extraordinary, but
none was bnrd. She liked that won
derful mobility that had survived the
batterings of experience.
As if he were conscious of her eyes.
he looked down and smiled; but
vaguely. He did not speak; and she
was aware that it was at her appear
ance he bad. smiled, as if that only
reached him through his preoccupa
tion and pleased him.
But what was he thinking about so
seriously between ' those smiling
glances? Not her problem, she was
sure.
They bad almost reached the ma
jor's gate, and it was now or never to
find out what he thought of her. She
looked up at him suddenly, with in
quiring eyes.
"Do you think I am weak?" .'he de
manded.
The lines of his face broke up Into
laughter. "No," he said, "I think you
are misplaced."
She knitted her brows la perplexity,
but his hand was on the white picket
gate, and she had to walk through it
ahead of him as he set it open for
her.
Of their party only the two women
were in sight waiting on the diminu
tive veranda. Clara had a mild do
mestic appearance, rocking there be
hind tbe potted geraniums. All tbe
windows were open into the little
shell of a house. Trunks still stood
in the hall, though the Purdies had
been quartered at the Presidio for
nine months.
In this easy atmosphere, bow was
it that the thread of restraint ran so
sharply defined? Clara and Mrs. Pur
dle were matching crewels; and, sit
ting on the top step Flora Instructed
Kerr as to the composition of the
tropical glacier they were drinking.
Ten girls bad probably so instructed
him before, but it would do to fill up
the gap.
Like a stone plumped into a pool
the major and Harry re-entered this
stagnation. They were brisk and
buoyant Harry, especially, had the
air of a man who sees stimulating
business before him. Immediately all
talked at one. j
"Now that we've got you here, you
must all stay to luncheon," Mrs. Pur
dle determined.
It looked as if they were about to)
accept her invitation unanimously, but
Harry demurred. He had to be at
Montgomery street and Jackson by
ono o'clock. "I hoped," he added,
glancing at Mora, "that somo one was
to drlvo me part of the way, at
least."
Flora, with an unruly sense of dis
appointment, yet opened hor lips for
the courteous answer. But Clara was
quicker. She rose.
"Yes," sho said, "I'll drive you baeli
with pleasure." '
Harry's glimmer of annoyance was
comic.
"I have to be nt the bouse for lunch
eon," Clara explained to her hostess
as she buttoned her glove, "but there
Is no reason why Flora shouldn't
stay."
"Oh, I should love to," Flora mur
mured, not knowing whether she was
more embarrnssed or pleased at this
high handed dispensation which plaeed
her where she wanted to be.
nut the wny Clara had leaped at
her opportunity! Flora looked curi
ously nt Harry.
He seemed uneasy at being pounced
upon, but that might be merely be
cause he was balked of a tete-a-tete
with herself. For while Clara went
on to the gate with their hostess he
lingered a moment with Flora.
"May I see you tonight?"
"All you have to do Is to come."
She gave him nn oblique, upward
glance, and hnd a pleasant sense of
power In seeing his face relax and
smile. Sho hud a dance for that even
ing; but she thrust It asldo without
regret. For suppose Harry should
have something 16 tell her about the
f'hatworth ring? She wondered If
Clara would get it out of him first on
the way home.
The four left on the veranda watch
ed the two driving away with a sud
den clearing of the social atmosphere.
In vain Mora told herself It was only
thn relief she always felt In getting
free of Clara. For In thn return of
the major's elderly blandishments, inl
I." . I .. .1 1 ! 1 , , .
ukii o niuuiiiTi iiiuuu, iia won as in
her own lightened spirits, Bhe had the
proofs that, with them all, some ten
sion hnd relaxed. It seemed to her as
If those two, departing, were bearing
away between them the very mystery
of tho Crew Idol.
(TO JJKJ CONTINUED.)
MUMMY THAT OF ROYAL COOK
Importation That Has Interested
Egyptologists Evidently Was
Wrongly Labeled.
It develops that the mummy, the
importation of which has aroused pub
lic interest, Is not that of Rameses II.,
but of his cook.
The discovery need not occasion dis
appointment Cook or conqueror, they
are now alike, and, Indeed, the desic
cated remains of the chef of the
monarch who from all accounts was
the Louis XIV. of iJgypt are in many
respects' a more valuuble antiquarian
possession than the mummified hrulr
of Pharaoh. Antiquity has bequeathed
us a surplus of memorials of kings,
but only too few of cooks. We could
well spare a bust of Caesar or ex
change any amount of dry-as-dust
chronology for an effigy of Lucullus'
cook or of that Vatel of his day for
whose supplies Aplclus found $400,000
too little.
The interest of the modern wnrM
in history Is concerned less with the
great conquerors than with the lesser
lights, the artists and craftsmen who
planned aqueducts and built cathed
rals, even those who were charged
with the preparation of Caesar's cut
lets, me world is tirtd of kinea. hut
what would it not give for a cuneiform
tile containing the menu of Bnliihnx.
zar's feast? Meantime a cook of the
Rameses dynasty is something.
First Newspaper Had Short Life.
The first cewspaper ever published
in America never got beyond its first
issue. It was called Publick Occur
rences and appeared in Boston, Sep
tember 25, 1690. It contained a prom
ise to publish in its next issue the
names of :.U the liars In Boston, and
the authorities, taking cognizance of
the threat wisely forbade the publi
cation. The Boston News Letrnr wo.
the first Journal to be regularly pub-
iisnea on uus continent It was start
ed in 1704 and was follower! h h
American Weekly Mercury, In Phila-
aeipnia, in English Journalism
is only 35 years older than American,
the London Gazette, an official publi
cation, having been founded in 1665.
Bath Street, Bath, In Danger.
Some time ago great indignation
was expressed by antiquarians and
artists throughout the country at the
threatened destruction of one side of
Bath street Bath, with its Georgian
colonnade, and it was hoped that tha
threatened danger had been verted,
says the London Standard On Satur
day morning, however, a firm of local
contractors, acting on an order from
the owners of the property, began tha
work ot demolition,