Adventure Magazine Cover — page 122: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

686 astonished gaze. In wondering silence he read the eloquent message sent to reassure him, the written promise that no other woman should ever share the life given back from the tomb. For a while the old man appeared too overcome for speech as he caught Loti to his breast and held her there. Strained to his heart, she knew at least he forgave, how- ever deeply he suffered. At last his voice returned. Very feebly he murmured: . “Has King Maldio actually sailed? Is it not possible I could have a word with him before he goes?” Loti shook her head. “He is on the sea now,” she answered. ‘“‘He could not delay.” “Can you write to the King?” asked her father eagerly. “I wish to send him a letter at once!” His attitude was one of tension, as, lean- ing forward, he put the short, sharp ques- tion. His voice was no longer dreamy or absent-minded. It seemed as if his facul- ties were almost painfully roused. Loti had never seen him so alert or keenly inter- ested in any subject unconnected with science. “Oh, yes,” she answered quickly, “we can write to him under cover of Count Bis- toffi’s name. I know it will be a great relief to Maldio if you send him a kind word.” The Professor sat with his hands clasped tightly together. Now he seemed far away again, and Loti knew instinctively he had forgotten her presence. His lips were mov- ing—he was muttering to himself words she tried to catch without avail. “‘Father,” said Loti, tapping him on the shoulder, “‘tell me your thoughts. Don’t you feel well?”’ He caught the note of fear in her voice. “T was thinking,” he said, “‘of the long ago. I forgot you were there, my child. I was living again in the old days before you were born, contemplating the long arm of coincidence—the strange, twisted paths of what men call Fate. I am trying to accustom myself to these startling truths. My Loti is allied to royal blood, the royal blood that in my eyes spells the ruin of hap- piness. But it is her own doing—she has chosen her destiny. God grant that, by a miracle, she may be saved from misery! As sure as I am speaking to you now, Lambasa will claim a queen, and Maldio will be forced to seek a partner for his throne.” Adventure The old man rose. No sympathy rang in his voice as he spoke the cruel prophecy. Instead, a look of triumph glowed in his eyes. ‘““Where are you going, father?” asked Loti, as he moved to the door. “To my room. I must be alone. Don’t follow me. I must be alone!”’ Puzzled by the strangeness of his manner, Loti dared not follow. Instead of going to his room, the Pro- fessor mounted slowly to a loft at the top of the house. He paused on the threshold and stood staring at trunks and lumber as if uncertain which way to turn. Then, witha little cry, he fell upon a long iron case and drew a bunch of keys from his pocket. CHAPTER XXXVI A LETTER TO KING MALDIO HROUGH the narrow window of the loft the setting sun sent faint gold rays to shine upon the Professor’s bent figure. The kindly light made a halo round the silver head and pierced the dark re- cesses of the mysterious iron box. To Loti it was familiar only from the outside, for she had never been allowed to open the lid on which the word “‘private’”’ had been pasted long ago. Both Martha and her young mistress knew well the dusty iron case was precious in the eyes of its owner. Once when a small fire broke out on the ground floor of College View, before he gave a thought to his own safety, the Pro- fessor had hurried to the loft to make sure of rescuing the box which held his most valued papers. Now his eyes sought eager- ly for a faded pile of legal-looking docu- ments, fastened together with sealed tape. As he drew them forth, he bit his lips and stifled a sigh that was almost a sob. Fora moment he held them up and read the words clearly written on the outside of the paper, yellow now with age: To be destroyed at my death, unless, ere I breathe my last, I change my present opinion and with my own lips tell Loti to read the contents. ‘Always the fear,’ he muttered, “al- ways the fear that in the end I would make it known! God help me if I am acting wrongly!” He broke the tape. and scattered the secret papers on the floor, sorting them COMICOOOKS aC S|