Page images
PDF
EPUB

timber from me to build obstructions upon the iron rail. I swear it. Now, Effendim, I implore you to stop the train, and allow this poor man to go in peace."

Greenfield jumped to the communicating cord and jerked it. The train began to feel at once the pressure of the brakes, and pulled up with a sudden jar alongside the platform of Mahal station. A sleepy railway official appeared, and stared with surprise at the sudden halt of the train-de-luxe. He stared even harder when he saw Darab Nishan Pasha, held by two Englishmen, advancing towards him.

"Wait a bit," exclaimed the District Superintendent, loosing his hold of the prisoner. "I'll get my trolley, and will go ahead of the train to reconnoitre."

The trolley was placed on the rails, and started at once. "Gently," cried the District Superintendent to his trolleyboys, as he swung a railway lamp to the front.

"What's that in front?" said White, peering into the obscurity of the night. "Bas

-enough," and the trolley halted at a formidable obstruction, consisting of two logs lashed crosswise, and secured to the permanent way by wooden pegs driven into the ground. Sheikh Ibrahim

had improved upon his chief's instructions.

"Of all devilish contrivances!" ejaculated the District Superintendent. "Oh, Pasha, you and your friends of Mahal have most accursed imaginations."

The great convict prison of Cairo presents many points of interest to the students of human nature, not the least being the equanimity with which some of the inmates support their misfortunes. One convict attracts special attention, not only on account of his dignified bearing, but also for the respect which he commands from his fellowsufferers. And if fame is to be acquired within a prison's walls, it may surely be accorded to a Pasha, who would cheerfully have destroyed a train-de-luxe in order to gratify his spite against a humble Omda. P. G. ELGOOD.

GEORGE WENDERN GAVE A PARTY.

BY JOHN INGLIS.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A QUARTER of an hour later Joe Parker came. He was in high spirits, evidently full of a matter that he considered important, and delighted to see her.

[ocr errors]

"Good evening, marm," he said. He always found it difficult to drop the "marm at the beginning of an interview. "I'm glad to be here again. I'd have come earlier, butHe stopped mysteriously. "I hope you got my post card from Yarmouth?"

"Oh yes; and it's so nice to see you, dear Mr Parker." She put out her hand, and tried not to wince at the strong grip he gave it.

"They tell me that George has been back and gone out again. But what's all this fuss about out yonder?" He nodded in the direction of the hall. "They seem to be doing something pretty extensive in the way of tablelaying; there are enough to stock a marketgarden."

And it was Wendern's affairs, not Mrs Berwick, that filled his thoughts at the moment.

"There's going to be 8 supper-party at eleven o'clock," she explained. "Mr Wendern wants you to come to it. He told me to invite you."

"George always does something you wouldn't expect. I should have thought it was about the last day he would have cared for party-giving— but what's upsetting you? You don't look up to much; nothing happened to George, I mean?"

"I'm not up to much-I'm so frightened and unhappy." She tried not to shiver with the dread that possessed her, and hesitated before she put it into words.

"Well, but don't take it as badly as that-buck up." "I will."

"Look here," he went on, "there are a few loose diamonds in my pocket"Ohflowers to articulate.

He was looking with surprise at her face. It showed signs of the agitation she had been going through; perhaps that was why he still held her hand, for it was not the sort of thing Joe Parker did.

[ocr errors]

Her lips refused

"You heard what I said, didn't you?"

"Yes, dear Mr Parker, I heard the diamonds?"

[blocks in formation]

Copyright in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

almost triumphantly.

"Look

She struggled again to whip up her spirits, and managed here," he said, "don't you fret; it doesn't matterdoesn't matter a lost

to give a sickly smile. "I've not seen a man I'd like better to wear them for," she said. "Then that's agreed." "Oh, but everything is going wrong-I'm so unhappy," she repeated helplessly.

"You're getting nervous, that's what it is," he answered in his strong kindly voice. "I expect George is down on his luck. He's had his cable, I suppose?"

"I don't know. Something came. He didn't tell me whether it was a telegram or the cable, and I was afraid to ask."

"Well, the Dock case is finished,-verdict against him, heavy costs."

It took her by the throat. A cry escaped her. "Against him? Oh, no, no!—are you sure?"

"It's in the evening paper, - you'd better look." He went towards the one lying on the sofa.

"It's not there. I looked all through it."

"It's an early edition," he threw it aside,-"you'll find it in the next one; that's where I saw it. No one reckoned it would go that way."

"Oh, what will he do?" She broke down utterly and sobbed.

He liked her for it. "This is a nice woman," he thought. "She's got a heart, and keeps it in working order."

"Oh, dear Mr Wendern!" she wailed.

[blocks in formation]

"I can make a good guess

-guess even what he is to a woman."

She dried her tears, but her brain whirled. "But you don't understand," she said vehemently. "He meant to pay every one-people belonging to the Syndicate and all sorts of other people now - tonight; they were to have supper here first, and thenthat's what this party means.'

"Well! George was always a maniac, but I never thought he would count his chickens before they were hatched in this fashion. How did he think he was going to get the money if he wasn't sure of the Dock verdict, and that's been going off the rails for him the last day or two?"

It seemed part of the cruelty of the hour that he should take it so easily. "There's a man downstairs — a man in possession,"-it had a frightening sound to her, but it only seemed to amuse him.

"Hi!-George is going the whole way along while he's about it."

"But if things are wrong with the Syndicate and the Dock verdict is against him, he must be ruined."

"Yes, George is about ruined, I can tell you. Where has he gone, do you happen

He watched her distress know?"

to

"To the Grosvenor Hotel -to meet some one."

"Of course, I ought to have remembered, but I've been taken up with something just as exciting as George's business." "He said he had an appointment with Mr Lant-he told me to tell you so."

"Why, yes, he wrote about it told me himself, but I'd forgotten. Well, he won't find Lant. He took a train for Southampton as soon as he heard the Derryford verdict."

"But there's a meeting of the Syndicate to-morrow-I saw one of the notices lying about." "Lant won't be there. He's given it the slip, and means George to have it out with them alone."

"Oh, it's too much, it's too much!" she wrung her hands.

"Look here, Mrs Berwick, I tell you again not to worry so; it's just waste of good living time."

"But all sorts of people are coming to this mad partycoming to be paid, they expect it, he told me so; it is why he asked them." Then the meaning of the terror that had possessed her suggested itself. "He means, if everything goes wrong, to kill himself-perhaps he has alreadyI know it-I know it now, for he took something from that drawer, his pistols were in there. He meant to kill Lant if things went wrong, but if Lant has gone, he'll" she couldn't put it into words again.

"Well?"

"Oh, don't you understand," she cried, maddened and terri

fied, "he means to shoot himself."

"Not he. George is made of finer stuff than that."

"I can't think why he wants me to receive the guests and bring them down if he is not back." She told him of the telephone message.

"When did he start?" "Three-quarters of an hour before you came."

"Has he got the motor out?" "Yes-he went in it." "Wouldn't take him more than ten minutes to get there," Parker said thoughtfully. "He ought to be back here again. It's that telephone business I don't understand. What the mischief is he after?"

"Hark——" she said suddenly, "I thought I heard the door."

Parker went to the hall, opened the front door, and looked out. He came back shaking his head. "He's not there. Look here, I think I'd better go after him; I'll track him, trust me. Perhaps he's gone to his club. Anyhow, you may be sure of one thing, Mrs Berwick, I'll bring him back safe and sound." But his face had grown long and anxious. "I believe I'd give my life for George," he added. "And I would."

"Then there are two of us who'd do it.”

"You do love him," she said with a spasm of relief at something being done. "I can feel that."

[ocr errors][merged small]
[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

towards Wendern had done her good. If he found him all would be well.

"There's nothing to be gained by worrying," she said at last, "and if I have to receive these men I must pull myself together."

She looked in at the diningroom once more. They were busy removing the little platform that had been erected for the band. Rogers explained that the leader had been and said that the music would be too loud; it had better be put on the landing half-way towards the drawing-room, where a space projected roofed in with glass. There were palms, low much-cushioned seats, and brass hanging-lamps there that gave it a somewhat cheap Eastern suggestion.

"Yes, I think it will be much better," she said, and stood for a little time aimlessly watching the change being effected.

Eight o'clock struck. "You'll want your dinner, ma'am, even if you are coming in to supper. It will be ready, I expect." She hated the familiar tone of the servants.

"I don't want any. Or ask them to send me just a little soup to my room, and to tell me immediately if Mr Wendern returns." She went slowly upstairs.

She sat down again with her hands clasped and listened— listened. It wasn't possible to hear things passing the front of the house, but the room door was open, and a hoot or some extra sound from a motor might penetrate to ears as keen as hers were now; and she commanded a view of the hall, she would see him enter. "Oh, if he would come, if he this game myself, for I don't would come!" see how it's being played or what he's up to. But I mean to stand by him-well, as long as it's possible.”

But there was no sign. Gradually she grew calmer; Parker's visit and his attitude

"Looks a bit chippy," Rogers remarked; "daresay she feels like the rest of us. I must say I'm a good deal interested in

« PreviousContinue »