THE SUNDAY FICTIQN MAGAZINE, MARCH 26, 19Itt . 9
i way. The old things had not the same continually on the wretchedness of their house and child had, as usual, given at- ly to let her pass, but instead came aa
interest now; weeding and watering ithe marriage, changed from hatred to regret, tention to neither, and did not even know unsteady explanation of how the baby
garden was slight occupation for the Her reverie was interrupted by a sweet, '-'that -the former; mistress came into the had ome. It was hard to be stony when
woman whose hands for a few briJf shrill little cry that made her start sharp- hall and with light feet ran up the stairs, suddenly confronted by a not-dead love,
months had 1een so full. In spite of her- ly: "Mamma! V . The baby's .bed had not been made that In the midst of her confused words she
Belt, she sometimes listened for the chil- Down at the gate, peeking through the day. As Anna looked at It she could not hesitated, and he did not speak. He was
iron's voices when the hour approached bars, was Eloise, the baby. Again, softly, be sure that it had been made properly In looking at her with different eyes. '
for their return from school. Once she wistfully, "Mammal" several days. Love of cleanliness and or- Then he- stammered slowly, speaking
nearly passed her husband In the street, Anna rushed down the path, opened the der would not let her put the little crea- with dry throat: "Don't go, Anna. The
slipping Into a store just In time to avoid gate, and drew the little one to her arms, ture into such a resting place. She hesl- the children need you." 4
being seen by him; and the knowledge "Baby, darling! In your nightie! Oh, tated, then glanced quickly around. Her face hardened. "It seems that they
that his coat needed brushing and that how did you come?" ' Everything was in disorder nothing dust- do," she said. "If yon will let me pass, X
there was a button gone troubled her for "Not want to do to bed," said "the wide- ed, nothing to its place. IMnade her an- will say good night."
many days. If only she had never mar- eyed baby, touching her face and shoul- gry to remember how beautifully kept It "Anna!" .he cried, "I need you, too
ried him, she sighed, she might still take ders with loving pats of infancy. "Want had been In her little day. Forgetting .not only they. For myself I want you."
care of them all In little ways! But then my mamma. Runned away." time, she laid the child upon another bed. He caught her close In his arms as she
humiliating- recollections flashed over her. The baby wanted a mamma! She felt also unmade, and prepared to shake up approached the door, despite her feeble
She had given all that a true and loving a half -formed consciousness that perhaps the little mattress and cover it with clean resistance.
woman ever had to give, and he it was enough to be a mother to a man's linen. "I didn't know how I cared for yon.
She did not go to the evening services children, then put it from her. But she "It's wonderful to find they have any Anna. I thought it was just for them,
these days; but he did, and from behind cherished Eloise, speaking to her In the -washing done nowadays," she commented And it was at first, but now it is selfish
her curtains she saw him journey forth loving speech that is sweet in babies' grimly, as she found clean sheets; "but ness. I want you to stay forme."
every Sunday evening at twilight, a child ears, kissing the dear little innocent face, apparently they don't use them very She looked into his dumbly appealing
clinging to each hand, three more follow- strangely glad of the tiny caresses, and often." She made the bed, then laid the eyes, felt the touch of his lips upon her
ing behind, only 3-year-old Eloise absent by and by singing her to sleep. sleeping Eloise between the clean cover- forehead, and the warm color flooded her
In bed. After they had passed one such The little one had been lying happily m tags.' The baby stirred, and she bent to cheeks as It had that Sunday afternoon,
evening, unconscious of her eye of scornr-her arms for quite a time, when she lay a motherly hand upon the damp curls "Say say you love me," she whispered
she threw open the door with a sigh and awoke to consciousness of time and place, and to kiss the warnj. cheek. - eagerly, touching the soft, thin hair upon
seated herself on the step. It was a beau- How to get the child home before the "Good night, baby," she whispered, his brow. "If It Is true, tell me."
tiful night, and presently the full moon others arrived! She glanced hastily down "Oood-by." She turned to go out of the "I love you, Anna," he answered,
would flood the skies. The sweetness of the street, then sped toward the house in room. She smiled gladly, proudly,
the hanging Vines and the magic of the which she had spent so many never-to-be- , In the doorway stood her husband. "Then," she said, "I'll stay to be a
world began to dispel the bitterness In forgotten hours. The door was open. The watching her, and her heart stopped with mother to your children and, your wife."
her heart Her thoughts, which dwelt so servant whose duty It was to watch the a shock. She was about to ask him cold- CCopyright by The Frank A. Muney Co.
TOE ETERNAL LOVE
R
(Continued from Page 5) creased his temple clear to the skull had with suspicion and ill-disguised hostility, for Victoria's sake be should champion
Four half -naked blacks bore the rude become infected; but at last he com- He was positive that the man had mux- her dream-man in her absence,
stretcher. menced to mend, and after that his re- dered Victoria Custer; and failing to per- One of the first things that Barney
Upon one side walked Terkos, the wolf- covery was rapid, for his constitution was suade the others that they should take tried to impress upon the man was. thai
hound, and upon the other Barney Custer, that of untainted physical perfection. justice in their own hands and execute he was a prisoner, and. lest he should
Four Wazlrl warriors accompanied The several searching parties returned the prisoner forthwith he now Insisted escape by night when Barney slept, Grey
tnem one by one without a clew to the where- thai; he be taken to the nearest point at stoke set Terkos to watch over him.
. Ku, weak sick, was indifferent to abouts of Victoria Custer. Barney knew which civilization had established the ma- But Nu did not seem Inclined to wish
his fate. If he had been captured by that all was being done that could be ty chlnery of law and .turned over to the to escape.
enemies, well and good. He knew what to his friends; but he clung tenaciously to authorities. For two weeks after he was able to
expect-either slavery or death, for that the belief that the solution to the baffling Barney, on the other , hand, was Just quit his bed he devoted his time to lesrn
waa the way of men aa Nu knew them, mystery lay locked In the breast of the as firm In his determination to waitjin- Ing English. He had the freedom of the
If slavery, there was always the chance strange giant who was convalescing upon til the man had gained a sufficient com- ranch, coming and going as he pleased,
to escape. If death, he would at least no the cot that had been set up for him in mand of English to enable them to give but his weapons were kept from him, hld
longer suffer from loneliness in a strange Barney's own room. Curtiss had been him a fair hearing, and then be governed den In Lord Greystoke's study, and Baiv
world far from his own people and his relegated to other apartments, and Bar- accordingly. y. sometimes' with others of the house-
matchless Nat-ul, whom he only saw now ney stuck close to the bedside "of his He could not forget that there had ex- hold, always accompanied him.
in his dream. patient day and night. lsted some strange and inexplicable bond Nu was walling for Nat-uL
He wondered what this strangely His principal reasons for so doing were between this handsome giant and his sis- He was sure that she would come back
garbed stranger knew of Nat-uL The man his wish to prevent the man's escape and ter, nor that unquestionably the man had again to this cave that his new ac
had most certainly spoken her name. his desire to open some method of com- saved her life when Old 'Raffles had quaintances called a bungalow. Barney
Could It be possible tbt she, too, was munication with the stranger as rapidly sprung upon her. Barney had loved and was waiting for the man to mention his
a prisoner among these people? He had as possible. . lost because he had loved a girl beyond sister.
most certainly seen her in the garden Already the wounded man had learned his reach, and so his sympathies went out One day Curtiss came upon Nu sitting
before the strange cave where he had to make known his simpler wants in Eng- to this man who, he was confident, loved upon the veranda. Terkos lay at his feet,
slain the diminutive Zor that had been llslv and the ease with which he mastered his sister. Nu was clothed In khaki an old suit of
about to devour her. That had not been a whatever Barney attempted to teach him Uncanny as her areams naa.Deen, car- ureysiojce s oexng me largesx mat couia
dream he was positive, and so she must assured the American of the early success ney was forced to admit that there had be found upon the place, and that was
indeed' be a prisoner. of his venture in this direction. beenmore to them than either Victoria none too large.
A.ahe recalled the lion he smiled. What Curtiss continued to view the stranger or he had Imagined, and now he felt that As Curtiss approached the wolfhound
a runt of a beast It had been, indeed! - , turned his wicked little eyes upon him.
Why-old Zor, who hunted In the forest v A 1 -R without moving his head from where it
of the ape-people and dwelled In the caves OlStOFy OI AimanaCS, . lay stretched upon his forepaws, and
upon the hither slopes of the Barren Hills, ; - ; . growled. Nu extended a booted foot
3ad have snapped that fellow up In two HpHE Arst almanacs-that Is to say, the dig up and dissect In the interest of sci- the Vs neck to hold him In
wouia nave buv historical were of Arabian or- ence and literature. Next after this In chect
bitSd Oo! A sneeze from Oo would have W. reflected the local genius of the point of age among the existing specimens The of hosUmy
,t him scurrying into the Dark Swamp, P0 m a very. striking way. They of ancient almanacs are some composed In
Curtiss. He hated the brute, and he hated
where 60 cTnot venture because of ryed "V fcr tt.;..et?iy. They are Boman conJ t n,
his eaVwdghf. ' hundreds of years. church calendars, giving the names of the ft medVthat hls ef the
Iwaa an oad world in which Nu found The oldest known copy of such a work, saints and other reUglous information. ' WM apart from his
himself. The country seemed almost bar- w Vu.w,w " r""" " rtghteousnger in his belief that the man
,1 .. the British Museum and dates back to versed to papyrus making, had calendars . . .
- - & rAt ma vb 1 t t nH f ism ri 111 t - - r nan 1-w rnnwiAn tra av rnsi vara jit v lru
ren 10 mm, u ... . . . ,--V,rW it.u-v .
trooical Africa; the creatures seemed - ., r- " toria Custer.
smau - - g it is written on papyrus, in red days were notched with a broad mark for "c U1UUSU 1U Aroui m man-
had killed was one of the largestthat V , av. " want to ask you a question." h
Brown ' -s relate to religious ceremonies, to bolized in various devices, auch as a harp coldly. been wanting to do
he shivered, even in the heat of the a g,, for SL lAW.s for a long ttac. but there baa always
equatorial aun. to the regulation of business enter- rence a lover-, knot for St. Valentine', teen ms one ,s d."
He longed for the worMr nis Wrth. accordance planetary to- and ab on. The Saxon almanacs are nu- . Nu nodded. .
with Its mighty beasts, ita gigantic fiuences. . merous and contata lustoric "What can. Nu teU you?" be asked.
- tation, and its hot, bumld atmosphere, . nothinff at ii this day." is me of ecclesiasUcal entries. "Ton can ten me where &Osav Custer'
through which Its great, blurred sun an- 'toimiainga. "If thou aeest anytWng It la possible to trace In these curious Is," replied Curtiss. '
pea red , grotesquely large, and eloee at teTltyM.WtortmatZ.1& "Miss Custer? I do not know what yoo
hand.- ' . other entry.
'T" 'fWash not with water this day." "Go out the eurrent demand and to constitute a - "You lie!" cried Curtiss, losing control
CHAPTER VJU. not. before tha dayUght this day,? ar systematlo story of what took place la of himself. "Her jacket was found be-
A Prisoner. - twin fhf tfr MlH(mi oitmy . J -.-.-A mtwumhra prioda and how knowledgw fav- tvonth . your head ln : that - foul den ol
FOB a- week they doctored Nu at the ' This almanac was found la an old tomb crea ' , ;
"bungalow of the Greystokes. v and Is supposed to have been buried with owe to them most that we know of the . Nu came slowly to hla feet ) 1-
There were times' when they despaired its Egyptian owner when ho was convert-, people for whom they were nude and by u-; -. - (T0 h totUimmed next week)
f bis life, for 'the bullet-wound that ed into- iatunmyor future explorera to whom they, were .indorsed. vtiX'i-y lCopyriht, W6, Vy W. Cbtpata) ,