The Argosy, August 1905 — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

| . ee aera at the voice, raising g as s the morning sunbeams danced Raph as dropped on one knee, lifted the stray lock reverently, unob- served by the weeping girl, and pressed it once, twice, thrice in silence to his deco lips. Then he rose and said once more, in a voice that he strove in vain to render conventional: “ Good-by, Miss Farrar.” A quick patter of slippered feet along the gravel behind them caused Mohun to turn nervously and brought May to her feet. Imbarak came hurrying toward them. “ Howaji!” he eried, breathless with fear. “ Hide yourself! It is too late to go out by the gate, and there is no other exit.” * What’s asked Ralph. “That tall man! The detective you told me had crossed the seas to find you! He is coming. Hide!” “Shattuck!” gasped alarm. “Yes. I saw a man in feringhs clothes standing in the valley. He seemed to be waiting for the st#% He was too far away for me to see his face, but he started this way just now as if he was tired of waiting, and then I recognized him. Hide, howajz! Ah, it 1s too late!” A long shadow fell across the gateway, and Zenas Shattuck, looking even more emaciated and gray of face than on the previous night, slouched into the gar- den. May Farrar glanced keenly at Mohun and read in his face a panic-fear that changed her grief to a quick contempt. That one human being should thus shrink in dread of another filled her with disgust and robbed her of her one the matter?” Mohun in remaining vestige of pity for the cower- ing man before her. Meantime Shattuck, after one com- prehensive look among the shadows of the garden, strolled forward to where May and the two men stood. He noted her attitude of repulsion toward the nearer of the two supposed natives. “These heathens botherin’ you, Miss Farrar?” he drawled as he came up. leper! 83 ie hands to his face as if expecting a ow. But May, her eyes still fixed on him, noted that the gesture was made for the purpose of drawing one of the long silken ends of the kafieh across his face. But Ralph’s next moye struck her dumb with astonished disgust. Extending his lean brown hand humbly toward her, Mohun whined cringingly: ** Balesheesh, sit! Baksheesh! true Syrian beggar accent. “Gee!” vociferated Shattuck. “ It does beat all how these dirty Eastern beggars can pester one! Is’pose he saw * in the _you come in here alone and thought he could scare you into giving him money. “Here, you!” turning threateningly on the cringing Mohun. “Get out o’ here! Git, before I break this umbrella over yer heathen head! What’s he got his face all bundled up for, I wonder?” he added curiously, taking a step toward the supposed beggar. May gasped. But Ralph, desisting from his plea to her, addressed himself to Shattuck, never faltering for a sec- ond before the other’s shrewd scrutiny: * Baksheesh, howaji!” he whined in raucous, coughing accents: “ Baksheesh ! Abras! Abras!” (Alms! I am a A leper! ”’) “What’s he jabbering about snorted Shattuck. “If please,” volunteered Imbarak im very broken English as he came for- ward; “if please, he say———” “Who the deuce are you? Another beggar?” demanded Shattuck, eying the wiry groom with scant fayor. “T custodian of garden. Spik Inglese same as “Mer’can. Dis man as' alms. He say he leper.” “Leper!” yelled Zenas in horror, startled out of his usual profound self- control. “I want to know! A reat leper, eh? I’ve read a lot about *em in books. Don’t let him come near me. It may be contagious. Why does he cover up his faee, though? ” “That the law, howajt. Leper can- not show face. Law. He a “He’s coming up to me again!” snorted Zenas angrily. “Tell him to go away! _ um him out o’ here or Meee . now?” comicbooks.com