THE EASTERNERS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10451, 17 October 1911, Page 2

THE EASTERNERS.

CHAPTER lll—Continued. "Welt, Marsovian," gasped Greer, "I did nob realize that you were so much of a—of a patriot. Thought you but perhaps, that, too, is for a higher purpose." "Yes. Money oils the machinery that keeps our hopes alive. Delmar, of Dalvorig, is the personification of that hope." "But I trust you have no objections to my doing what I can for Alma in the meantime?" "None at all. I trust you thoroughly. Did I not hope that she would marry you? If you make her see what the consequences she may be rushing on —good! . Perhaps reading Douglas' letter may have already put her on guard. You may bring her back. Stay!" Greer was rising in order to catch his train. Marsovian opened ia cheque book. But Sidney stopped him. "Rats! None of that. I have plenty 6i coin." ■ :. ! - ■?■ ,;'■'■ •/;•■'■■.;■■'!

' "But, my friend, Alma may need money." "If she does, I will supply her. It can be but as a loan —any old way. Good-bye, old man. You have given me a new insight into your character, and I honor you. I will wire or telephone you from New York." The two men shook hands and Greer left the house, taking his cab back to the hotel to. pack his suit case. Here a sober-looking, bewhiskered gentleman was awaiting him in the private parlor of Greer's suite. He made the Westerner an exaggerated bow. "I haf zee honaire to spik wiz zee Monsieur„Greer?" he lisped brokenly. "Eh —yes"? It is var' pleasing day." "Right you are. Excuse me for packing in your presence. I have to catch a train." While replying, Greer had hurried into an adjoining bedroom, and couki be seen hurriedly stuffing this and that into a grip; then he locked and strapped a trunk, took up an umbrella, and flung a light overcoat over his arm. "Pardon," exclaimed the stranger, somewhat perplexed, presenting his card. "I come in behalf of me friend Mustafa Bey. Will you kin'ly gif me zee name of some friend who will wiz me all matters arrange?" "What? A duel with that little

Turkish swipe?" Greer laughed loudly, then he consulted his watch. "See here, Mr Duvalle. I see-by your card that you are an attache of the" French Legation, and therefore a gentleman. Well, I won't fight this Turk for two reasons. One is because he is a scoundrel and a blackguard, and the other is I have to catch a train. Pardon my abruptness. Good-bye." ,^ And Sidney dived down the into the office, leaving the attache fairly gasping with amazement. "Zese Americainese!" he grumbled. "What do they know about honadre? N'lmporte! What for should I care?" He took himself off half sadly. Meanwhile Greer, after giving orders

I about his trunk and payine his. bill. j jumped into a cab arid droWhastily to ithV Raltimore:>4^^ ] Yorlf express' was on ine point .os, starting. He his ticket arid was presently seated 4 in one of the Pullmans, with a supply of papers, while the train glided through the undulating semiwooded stretches of country toward Baltimore. Three hours later they were in Philadelphia with ia stop for dinner. Greer "was returning to his car from the lunch room when -an altercation between a baggagesmasher and a tall, excitable man, attracted his notice. The-stranger, though richly and fashionably garbed, was chattering volubly, pointing at his luggage and using gestures that might have done credit to a demented donkey. The porter, after vainly trying to understand, had folded his arms with a 'you make me tired' expression. Suddenly Greer's amused look changed as he caught the stranger's peculiar (accent. He stepped close, at the same time saying in tolerably ncr curate modern Greek: "Permit me to assist you. You want your luggage put on the "Washington train?" • : The stranger almost hogged Sidney, and his coal-black eyes snapped fire as he broke into a storm of mingled thanks and objurgation. Thanks that he had met someone who understood an Eastern tongue, and objurgation against the unmoved porter.

After another word or ttvo, Greer rushed the stranger over to the ticket office, had something done to the other's ticket, rushed him back again, and stirred the porter up with a good, forcible United States talk. "Get Sling those trunks into the Washington train.' Look at this ticket. All right? Gt a move on. Now —the checks." Seizing these last, Greer finally rushed the bewildered stranger over to where a southern train was about to .start, and resigned the man to a P.ullman conductor. But the stranger clutclied him, screaming: "Where go you, most excellent?" ■This in clipped Greek. "To New York. Take these checks. Present them to the baggageman who will pass.through the train just before ' you reach Washington, together with a quarter. Give him the name of your hotel, and—don't bother. Your trunks will arrive." "Ah! most noble! How can I thank you enough? Now York —you go? Be pleaded to take this. See me when I return r" He thrust something into Greer's hand, which he wrung withfk strength i equal to the Westerner's hearty grip, I flashed his black eyes gratefully, and permitted himself to be pushed on

OUR SERIAL.

OR MARRIAGE BY PROXY.

BY WILLIAM PERRY BROWN.

board, as his car was moving off. Looking back, Greer saw him waving farewell from the vestibule. Two minutes later his own train was moving out of the Broad Street Depot. Sidney lit a. cigar in the smoker. "What gratitude the chump showed me," he reflected. "Yet he is no Greek. Striking looking chap—strong as an ox." Then thinking of that which his left hand still held, he smoothed out a orumpled business card. Upon it, in Modern Greek script, was:

"M. CONSTANTINE PAULIDIS, "Silk Merchant/ Eastern Curios."

Beneath this in pencil were the words: "Astor House. Lower Broadway, New York." Greer recalled the stature, strong features, and dominating manner of the stnanger, then "' shook his head perplexedly. ■ ''There's a puzzle.here somewhere. That ohap looks as much like; a silk and curio dealer as I do like a Baptist preacher. However, lam hardly likely to Hm again." The sun was in the west when Greer crossed the Hudson river, and took a handsom at the ferryhouse near Chambers Street. He leaned back in comfortable reflection when cabby, "who had waited respectfully, looked down through the window. "Come, now," said the man, with true American impudence. "Are we going to stand here ajl evening?" "Sure. Ah: —yes. I forgot. Let me see." Fumbling for his watch, he again encountered the. stranger's card. * "Drive to the Astor House," he ordered; then to himself: "It's pretty far down town, yet, considering the business I am on, it will answer as well as any." He resigned himself to more gloomy thoughts of Alma, though liis eyes mechanically rested on the streets and the passers-by. Just as the cab swung into Broadway, the sudden turn shook Greer into an upright position. The hansom drew up suddenly, and he heard the driver swear. Looking out h'e saw an elderly man dragging a young woman by the arm to the curb.

[ "I guess we must have nearly run over somebody. Hello!" Without another word, Greer flung open the cab door and leaped to the pavement, for- the vehicle was almost at the curb. "Well, I'm dommed!" ejaculated cabby. "Is he gone crazy?" Greer was striding up Broadway in the wake of the couple who had so nearly been run over,., shouldering much 'as an Atlantic liner pushes back the billows that are crossing its course. , r "What now?" he kept sayipg to - himself, keeping his eyes fixed on the couple. "What now? What next?" Cabby, finding it impossible to think that' a man of Greer's appearance would try to beat him "out of a fare, also turned up the street with a view to keeping Greer iri sight. .But, fast as, Sidney w6nt,' the oouple seemed to go faster. The man was urging the woman, a£pareiitly, to quicken her gait. Near the corner of Re>ade Street was a closed brougham, and with a private coachman and a span of natty horses. As the man Half lifted the girl with one hand While he opened the carriage door with the other, Greer rushed faster than, ever, nearly knocking over one or more passers-by with his broad shoulders. "Hclld ow!" he shouted so vehemently that the young woman looked out at one or the carriage doors. "Miss Alma I Stop, I say I" Then he received a shock. Could that indeed be Banker Marsovian's -niece regarding him with an amused, [ unrecognising smile ? Why did she ! not answer ?

CHAPTER IV

A SINGULAR CHASE

Sidney Greer was now within four paces of the carriage. The elderly man closed the door with a ibang, and in place of Alma's serene face, his glowering visage filled the open-window as he roughly ordered the coachman to drive on. The natty horses sprang forward at i the speed that a policeman would have hardly approved of, Greatly to ■Greer's discomforture. . "Why don't you wait?" he yelled, as people began to gather, attracted by .his vehemence. "Stop!" Then jhe gave up. "D it !' What's the use? She looked me straight in the eyes, and evidently doesn't want me about." i "Here we are, sir," interrupted a cheery voice, arid Greer, turning, heheld his own cab drawing in to the curb. "Couldn't let you go 'off- in that style." "S-s-t! See that closed brougham with the yellow wheels, tiiraing into Duane Street ?" Greer pushed a bank note into the cabby's hand. "Keep it in sight, even if you kill your horse." Cabby nodded wonderingly las Sidney reseated himself in the hansom, and wondered whether he had a lunatic or. a millionaire for his fare.

(To be Continued.)