Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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6 ILLUST: ELLSW< COPYRtCET 1<K>?) By LOUI^?OSEPH^ ILL?STRATIONS^BY ' ELLSWORTB^YODNG, BB the O'Mahoney foretold it would!" He sank back in his chair, and his wife went to him and perched herself upon the arm of. it, imprisoning his head with her arms and laying her cheek against his. "What.has come, my heart?" "One hundred thousand poundf;" ho said. . . . "Treble Its worth, double what the O'Mahoney expect ed. ..." "Who is the O'Mahoney, dear?" He roused. "An old friend, Beatrix ?-an old comrade. He died some years back, on the banks of the Tugela, fighting with a Boer commando. He was a lonely man, without kith or kin or many friends beside meself. That, I presume, is how he came to leave the Pool of Flame with me." He wound an arm round her and held her )lose. "Hearken, dear, and I'll bo telling ye the story of it" Behind them the infernal glare Ht up the portentous skies. Thunder echoed between clouds and sea like heavy cannoning. The wife shrank close to her beloved. "I am not at all afraid," she declared, when her voice could be heard-"with you. . . . Tell me about the Pool of Flame." "The O'Mahoney left it with me when he went to South Africa," ex plained O'Rourke. " 'Twas a paste board box the size of me fist, wrapped In brown naper and tied with a blt of string, that he brought me one even ing, saying he was about to leave, and would I care fer it in his absence. I knew no more of it than that 'twas something he valued highly, but I put lt away in a safe-deposit vault-which ho xnight've done if he hndn't been a. scatterbrain-an Irishman. . . . "Then he wrwte me a letter-I got "it weeks after his death-saying he felt he was about to go out, and that the Pool of Flame was mine. He went on to explain that the box con tained a monstrous big ruby and gave me its history, as far as he knew it. "It seems that there's a certain highly respectable temple in one of the Shan States of Burmah ('tis me pelf forgets the name of it) and in that temple there's an idol, a Buddha of pure gold, 'tis said. It would be a perfectly good Bm?db.a, only that it lacks an eye; there's"an empty socket In its forehead, and 'tis* there the Pool of Flame belongB-or come from. >. In the old days the natives called this stone the Luck of the State, and maybe they were right ; for when lt disappeared the state became a Brit ish possession. "In the war of 'eighty-five, says the O'Mahoney, a small detachment of British troops out of touch with their command, happened upon this temple we're speaking of and took It, dispos sessing priests and populace without so much as a day's notice. The officer In command happened to see this eye In the Buddha's forehead, pried lt out and put it in his pocket. In less than an hour the natives surrounded the temple and attacked in force. The British stood them off for three days and then were relieved; but in the meantime the officer had been killed and the Pool of Flame had vanished. . . . For several years it stayed quiet, so far as is known. Then the curse of the thing began to work, and it came to .the surface in a drunken brawl In the slums of Port Said. The police, breaking into some dive to Btop a row, found nobody in the place but a dead Greek; they say 'twas a shambles. One of the police found the big ruby in the dead man's fist and before his companions guessed what was up slipped away with the stone. ... He was murdered some months later In a Genoese bagnio, by a French girl, who got away with it somehow. . . . The O'Mahoney came across the thing In Algeria, when he was serving with the Foreign Legion. He was In Sidi Bel Abbas one night, off duty, and Wandering about, when he heard a man cry out for help in one of the narrow black alleys of the place.* He thought he recognized a comrade's voice, and surely enough, when he ran down to aid him, he found a Dutchman, a man of his own regiment, fighting with half a dozen natives. He was about done for, the Dutchman, when the O'Mahoney came up, and so were three of the Arabs. The O'Mahoney took care of the rest of them, and-left seven dead men be hind him when he went away-the ' six natives and the Dutchman, who had died in his arms and given him the Pool of Flame with his last whis per. . . . .That's how lt came to me," said O'Rourke. "And where is it now?" . '??Back in Algeria, if I'm not mistak en. . . . Ye remember Chaxnbret -he was with us in the desert and wanted ye to marry him afterwards? He has it-the dear mah; I love him like a brother. ... He sickened of ?Europe when he found his case with you was hopeless, and went to Al giers, joining the Foreign Legion." . "But how-?" : "Well, we were fond of each other, Chambret and I. I helped him out PJL spme tight cojn_ers^and_ he_helj?ed s me along when rae money ran short -as lt always dill, and will, I'm thinking. After a while I got to won dering how much I owed the man and figured it up; the sum total frightened the life out of me, and I made him take the ruby by way of se curity-and never was able to redeem it, for 'twas only a little after that that I came into me enormous patri mony and squandered it riotously get ting married to the most beautiful woman living. "He warned me to hold the stone, the O'Mahoney did, saying that the time would come when some nati?e prince would offer to redeem the Luck of the State as an act of piety and pa triotism. He prophesied a reward of at least fifty thousand pounds. And now it's come-twice over!" "And now what can you do?" "Do?" cried O'Rourke. "Faith, what would I be doing? D'ye realize what this means to me, dear heart? It means you-independence, a little fortune, the r ght to claim my wife!" He drew her to him. "Do? Sure, and by the first train and boat I'll go to Algeria, find Chambret, get him to give me the stone, take it to Rangoon, claim the reward, repay Chambret and-" "And what, my paladin?" "Dare ye ask me that, madame? . . . Say, will ye wait for me?" She laughed softly. "Have I not waited, Ulysses?" "Tell me," lie demanded, "have ye talked with anyone about this letter?" "Only to Clara Plinlimmon!" "Good Lord!" groaned the Irishman. "Only to her! Could ye not have printed broadsides, the better to make the matter public?" " "Did I do wrong?" ? "'Twas indiscreet-and that's put ting it mildly, me dear. D'ye know the woman's ?i walking newspaper? How much did ye tell her? Did ye show her the letter?" "No." She answered his last ques tion first. "And I told her very little -only about this reward for a ruby I didn't know you owned. We were wondering where to find you." "And she told no one-or who. do you think?" . s f j, The woman locked, Belittle fjlght ened. "She told-she must have told that man-Monsieur des Trebes." "That blackguard!" ^ "He was with us on the yacht? one of Clara's guests." , * "She has a pretty ta'ste for'com pany-my word! How d'ye know she told him? He asked you about it?" "The letter? Yes. He wanted to know the name of the solicitors and their address. I wouldn't tell him. I -disliked him." "Had ye told Lady Plinlimmon?" "No . . ." "Praises be for that!" "Why?" "Because . . ." O'Rourke paaused, vague suspicions taking shape in his mind. "Why did he ask about Cham bret?" he demanded. "How could he have learned that the jewel was with him?" He jumped up and began to pace the floor. His wife rose, grave with conster nation. "What," she faltered-"what makes you think, suspect-?" "Because the fellow lied to me about you this very night. Ye were with Lady Plinlimmon in the Casino, were ye not? Faith, ard didn't I see ye? I was in chase of ye when the man stopped me with his rigmarole about representing the French government and having a secret commission for me. Ye heard him just now. . . . And when I asked him was he of your party, he denied knowing Lady Plin limmon. ... He made a later ap pointment with me here, to talk things over.. I'm thinking he only wanted time to think up a scheme for getting me out of the way. Also, he wanted to find out where Chambret was. D'ye not eee through his little game? To get me away from Monte Carlo by the first morning train, that we might not meet; to get me on the first Atlantic liner, that I might not interfere with his plot against Cham bret For what other reason would he give me sealed orders? Sealed or ders 1" O'Rourke laughed curtly, tak m-~" rnra She Flung Herself Upon Him, Sob bing. lng the long envelope from his pocket and tearing it open. "Behold his sealed orders, if ye please!" He shuffled rapidly through his fin gers six sheets of folded letter paper, guiltless of a single pen-scratch, crumpled them into a wad and threw it from him. "What more do I need to prove that he's conspiring to steal the Pool cf Flame and claim for himself the re ward? ... A bankrupt, discred ited, with nothing but his title and his fame as a duelist to give him standing; is It wonderful that he's grasping at any chance to recoup his fortunes?" He took a swift stride to ward the door, halted, turned. "And young Glynn?" he demanded. "Was he with you, and was he thick with this precious rogue of a vicomte?" "They were much together." "Faith, then it's clear as window glass that the two of them, both broke, have figured out this thing be tween them. . . . Well and good! I want no more than a hint of warn ing. . . .*' He was Interrupted by a knocking. With a start and a muttered exclama tion he remembered Van Einem, and stepped to the door and out into a cor ridor, shutting the woman in. She remained where he had left her, her pretty brows knitted with thought, fora time abstractedly con scious of a murmur of voices in the hallway. These presently ceased as the speakers moved away. She turned to one of the windows, leaning against its frame and staring at the ominous flicker and flare of sheet-lightning which lent the night a ghastly lumin osity. A cool breeze sprang up, bellying the curtains. The woman expand^ to lt, reviving in its fresh breath from the enervating influence of the even ing's still heat. Her Intuitive facul ties began to work more vivaciously; she began to divine that which had been mysterious to her ere now. Tho lightning grew more intense and Incessant, the thunder beating the long roll of tho charge. A heavy gust of air chill as death made her shiver. She shrank away from the windows, a little awed, wishing for O'Rourk?V " V?rUrn','""wondering what had made him leave*1ier so abruptly. Then suddenly she knew. . . . She could have screamed with hor ror. "Almost simultaneously the door slammed; h.er husband had returned. With a little cry she flung herself upon him, clinging to him, panting, sobbing. . "Tell me," she demanded, "what you Intend to do? Do you mean to fight] ! him-Des Trebes?" -aw "In the morning," he answered lightly, holding her tight and comfort ing her. "'Tis unavoidable; I pro voked his challenge. He was obliged to fight But don't let that worry ye-" "Oh. my dear, my dear!" She sobbed convulsively upon his breaBt " 'Twill be nothing-hardly that; an annoyance-no more. Believe me, dear." "What can you mean-?" "That the man will never consent to weapons worthy the name. He values his precious hide too highly, and he's not going to put himself In the way of being Injured when he has the Pool of Flame to steal. Be easy on that score, darling-and have faith in me a little. I'll not let him harm me by so much as a scratch." "Ah, but how can I tell? . . . Dearest, my dearest, why not give it up-not the duel alone, but all this life of roaming and adventure that keeps us apart? Am I not worth a little sacrifice? Is my love not recom pense enough for the loss of your ab solute independence? Listen, dear, I have thought of something; I will make you independent, I will settle upon you all that I possess. I-" "Faith, and I know ye don't for an instant think I'd dream of accepting that!" "But give it up. What is the world's esteem when you have me to love and honor you? . . . Come to me, Ter ence. I need you-I need you desper ately. I need the protection of your arm as well as your name. I need my husband!" "I will," he said gently; "sweetheart, I promise ye I will-In ninety days. Give me that respite, give me that time In which to m?ke or break my fortunes. Give me a chance to take the Pool of Flame to Rangoon-nay, meet me there in ninety days. I will come to you as one who has the right to claim his wife; but if I have lost, still will I come to you, a broken man but your faithful lover-come to you to be healed and comforted. . . . Dear heart of me, give me this last chance!" . With an eldritch shriek and a mighty rushing wind the storm broke over the mainland and a roaring rain came down. Impulsively the Irishman turned off the lights, and, lifting his wife in his arms bore her to an armchair by the window. The storm waned in fury, passed, died in dull distant mutterings. Still she rested in his embrace, her flushed face, wet with tears, pillowed to his cheek, her mouth seeking his. Vague murmurings sounded lu the stillness, sighs. . . . CHAPTER V. At five In the morning a heavy mo tor car of the most advanced type stole in sinister silence out of the courtyard,of the Hotel, d'Orient? at. the. (Continued on Next Page) Edgefield Baptist Association Apportionment for Benevolent Work for 1912 Churches u o < Qi X W u e u o IM S to Antioch Berea Betban3r Bethlehem Bold Springs Ebenezer Edgefield 1st Edgefield 2nd Gilgal Horn's Creek Little S. Creek Big S. Creek M od oe Mt. Creek Parksville Plum Branch Rehoboth Red Hill Red Oak Grove Republican Mt. Zion $25.00 25.00 60.00 35.00 70.00 75.00 350.00 10.50 45.00 25.00 65.00 25.00 30.00 60.00 125.00 50.00 50.00 60.00 36.00 35.00 20.00 $18.00 18.00 35.00 20.00 60.00 55.00 250.00 5.00 25.00 20.00 40.00 18.00 25.00 50.00 75.00 30.00 35.00 45.00 30.00 30.00 12.50 $25.00 22.00 65.00 42.00 90.00 80.00 500.00 10.00 35.00 30.00 65.00 22.00 35.00 70.00 135.00 45.00 50.00 70.00 40.00 35.00 20.00 $20.00 18.00 35.00 20.00 40.00 50.00 350.00 5.00 20.00 15.00 30.00 21.00 25.00 40.00 80.00 30.00 30.00 35.00 30.00 20.00 12.00 $8.00 8.00 10.00 8.00 15.00 20.00 85.00 2.00 8.00 5.00 8.00 8.00 5.00 15.00 35.00 7.50 7.50 10.00 7.00 5.00 5.00 $3.00 3.00 4.00 2.00 5.00 5.00 30.00 2.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 3.00 3.00 5.00 7.50 3.00 2.00 5.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 $7.00 5.00 10.00 6.00 5.00 10.00 25.00 1.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 10.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 3.00 3.00 $2.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 2.00 2.00 5.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 LOO 1.00 1.00 1.00 "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God." 0. SHEPPARD, Chairman Executive Committee P Combahee Fertilizers are Real Full of available Plant Food Lots of Organic Matter to form Humus They smell bad, but they're Good Positively no filler used Fish and Blood used largely in our goods Combahee Fertilizer Company SOUTH CAROLINA NORMAN H. BUTCH, President R. WILLIAM MOLLOY, General Manager ROWER FERTILIZER HITS THE SPOT EVERY TIME The explanation is simple};fhey are madeirttn the greatest care md every ingredient has to pass the test of our own laboratories ; theresnohilormiss'about?qyster FsrtiEzers. Sold 3jr Reliable Dealers Everywhere F.S. ROTSTER GUANO CO, belles Offices Norfolk Va. TarboroNX. Columbia SC. Baltimore Md. Mont?omeryAla. Sparenburg 5C; Macon. Ga. Columbus 6a.