Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 1 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

n12 “You are beautiful, Edith,” he whis- pered. ‘“ You are worth arisk. Bah, what is risk, or danger? You do not believe I love you. Well, you will see what I will risk for you. I tell you, there will be dead men lying about Yahka Arik, on your ac- count. And you will know how powerful I am.” The girl had met his hot gaze steadily. Her scorn only served to inflame his fancy the more, and, perceiving the verdict of her anger, he dropped the now useless pretense of acting for Arthur Rand. “EF would not have you otherwise, Edith. When we leave Yahka Arik, you will see the garden that I have prepared, near Kash- gar. I am master there—” Edith laughed, her nerves high-strung. “Are you?” She pointed to Abbas. The Alaman had been studying them, one eye wide open. When Monsey turned, the man appeared to be as soundly asleep as before. “ Major Fraser-Carnie said that slave mes- chant has you in his debt. You see, the major learned something about you, from Captain Donovan.”’ _ All at once she felt very lonely, very much in need of the Englishman’s presence. Her life in the world of Yahka Amnk had been built around him. She could not be- lieve that he would desert her. “Donovan?” Monsey swore under his breath. ‘‘ We will attend to him.”’ The sudden set to his full lips left no THE ARGOSY. doubt of the sincerity of this remark, at least. Time passed. One of the lamps went out. Abbas was snoring in earnest now. The chill that comes with the last hours of the night crept into the teakwood chamber. Monsey, the stimulus of the drug dose gone, paced the floor restlessly, pausing to fiddle with the reeking stove. Edith gave herself up to the inertia that comes with fatigue. Quiet had settled upon the Aurgan. To Edith, this silence was redolent of ma- turing events. Out of this quiet she felt that something would come to pass. Why had not Monsey tried to leave the castle while the coast was free? He must have expected to be followed. How was Abbas -content to sleep when the Sayaks had ap- peared in the vicinity? A glint of crimson light pierced one of ‘the cracks in the walls. Edith’s ears had been strained for a certain sound. Some- where, beyond the mountains, the sun was rising, and she had not heard the familiar trumpet blast that resounded in Yahka Arik at dawn. Its absence was vaguely disturb- Unseen, she felt the presence of unknown forces mustering around her. This feeling ‘was not premonition, or fear—it was cer- tainty. The world of Yahka Arik had been disturbed. The trumpets were silent. Out of this silence something would come to the kurgan. (To be coneluded NEXT WEEK.) NEVER AGAIN WILL sing with you, I will jest with you, — I will dance with you down the year; But trudge a day on a weary way? Never again, my dear. I will feast with you when the lights flare high And the hall is warm with cheer; But share a crust in a garret’s dust? Never again, my dear. For the gold of the heart is given once— Yes, once, and but once, I fear; And a true love slain comes back to reign Never again, my dear! Theodosia Garrison. JT Arcosy comiclboool< C©