THE EASTERNERS. OR MARRIAGE BY PROXY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10459, 25 October 1911, Page 2

THE EASTERNERS. OR MARRIAGE BY PROXY.

BY "WILLIAM PERRY BROWN

CHAPTER IX—Continued, "Como instantly with me," whispered the supposed silk merchant. "M. Murahki is in a carriage on the dock, and must seo you for a moment.' Mustafa was clearly suspicious. Pavlidis spoke in. Turkish, and his dominating manner appeared to impress the man favourably. He accompanied the silk merchant part way do.wn the gangplank, then ho saw Marsovian gesticulating violently, amid the noise of escaping steam, for some one to descend. His suspicious grew into certainties, and again eying Pavlidis, he half recognised tho prince. "I will not go down," ssiid he, releasing his arm and darting up the gangplank. A warning cry arose and the big gangplank was drawn back on the dock, giving Mustafa time to leap 011 board (from the upper end. Pavlidis, borne backwards, saw his man escape, for he had no notion of returning to the steamer himself. He saw Mai'SOr vian turn away, and, glancing upward, beljeld Mustafa beside the' girl he had married by proxy. She was throwing a kiss to her uncle, who sorrowfully shook his head, and then accompanied her escort to the saloon. Meantime the Balearic was drawing out into the river. CHAPTER X. AT THE ASTOR HOUSE. The banker and Pavlidis drove sorrowfully to the silk merchant's rooms at tho Astor House, in lower Broadway. "We arrived too late," said Marsovian. "My neice is not yet troubled with fears. Had he reached the steamer half an hour sooner, we might have exposed Mustafa, and so alarmed Alma as to the real nature of Rotan's designs that, she would have given up this ill-omened voyage. She will be alone with that rascal; for, after what Yaghid confessed, there will be no lady there to care for the foolish girl. "It makes me wild to think of the possibilities awaiting her, so innocent, •so impetuous." is still a chance." The mind , °f Pavlidis was already turning over fresh methods of procedure. "I liave 'heard of a fellow named Marconi, who sends messages without wires. But the day will come, Hagop, when such things will ibe done. Meanwhile " Here he frowned again in deep cogitation. These things were in the days when wireless was even less understood than aviation is now. Pavlidis slapped > the banker's knee as he resumed. • "Oheer up, Hagop. We will cablo to Liverpool, and have Alma met b v v our agents. If she still refuses to listen, she can ibe followed. ' There are trusty detectives, my brother!" Once arrived at the prince's rooms, 'Marsovian in his arms a fine-looking young woman who, but for her strange Eastern indoor garb, might have bee.) taken for Alma herseif. "Twin of my soul 1" murmured Marsovian; "this meeting should console me much for the loss of poor Alma." "What {"exclaimed the girl. "Ami not to look upon my dear sister ?". Then, of course, the whole story of Alma's engagement and singular marriage had to be told. Thelma, a bright, warm-hearted girl, was much cast 1 down. She turned to Pavlidis, standing gloomily by. "Cousin Dalmar," she began. "Forgetful one. Am I not Pavlidis, the silk merchant? In the fastnesses ' of Dalvorig was left the shadowy name that watches over Armenia. Though my body sells silk; my soul is there — except that which hath time for thee and old Marsovian." "But what about no sister?" insisted Thelma. "Rotan passed through Dalvorig last winter on the way to Van. One of "his wives was with him, a fat, uncomely jade. I saw her —yes, I did. Rotan had an order from the Porte, to increase our already crushing taxes. Yon carried off some of his collectors, and woud have got tho pasha but for taking another road. Yes you did, cousin!"

She clapped her hands in glee, then instantly sobered. "I wish you had caught him, and somebody's gun had gone off, then poor Alma would nob have been caught by his chaff. But is nothing.to be done now?"

OUR SERIAL.

] "A way will bo found, cousin Thel|ma Meantime you will want to talk { to your uncle, who has ir. charge for the same amount of money that is now |in Alma's hands. I sent him ycur father's savings after your mother's death. Out of that small sum he has made you and Alma each a 1 handsome fortune. He has given much to me ~ for our holy cause. Lov-3 him, Thelma. He is the 'best man I ever knew." Pavlidis turned away, his strong features working, while the lean face of old Marsovian actually looked silly at hearing so much praise from his native prince. Thelma kissed t'hem both and then hugged her uncle. Then she became sad again. "Poor Alma. If that hateful Botan gets her money, Little will he care for the giver. One thing is sure, Uncle Hagop: I will be no man's second wife or his concubine." She blushed. "If I cannot have some good man's entire heart to myself, I will " She hesitated. "Die an old maid, ''".suggested Uncle Marsovian, making a wry face. "How about Captain Douglas," said Pavlidis, grinning shrewdly. "You are both as mean as you can be," retorted the girl, whom the banker noticed had blushed at the mention of Douglas's name. "I will love my country and I won't marry anyone. There!" She flounced off, unaccountably confused. Pavlidis smiledj and took Marsovian's arm. "I think she is learning to like this Douglas, and I know he likes,her," vouchsafed the disguised prince. "He is a good man, of independent fortune and through much living in the East, J seems to prefer Easterii girls as well I as Eastern ways." , "Yes, yes!" Marsovian was fchnkI ing then •of Alma, and his reply was characteristic. "If the girl who remained in oUr unhappy land with you marries happily, and the one who came to this free country wrecks. her happiness f or an empty title, truly the Fate:; are olind. Let us hope, my prince, that each ot our doves will find a congenial n'' st . Whom have we to dinner to-night ?"] "M. Filian and M. Gorgonian will meet you here, Hagop. We must conclude our business then, for some of lis will, I think; take passages on the Sardinia wj-morow." ' 'That means that we are to hasten after Almai does it not?" r ' 'Yes. The Sardinia is one' day faster than the Balearic' So, ill addition to cabli'i,?. we may overhaul your niece at Liverpool." - . "Weil, you already have my, draft. If these financial officials are as prompt with their money, there need be 110 further delay." Pavlidis shortly after this left the hotel.. Returning later on, he saw. Sidney Greer's name on the register,;anu, after calling, obtained, as we havj seen, the presence at the proposed din'ner. ] In the interim, hardly lialf-an-hour after Pavlidis went cut, arid while Thelma was still talking to her uncle'/ two gentlemen were iishered in by the tall servant Sarkis. One was elderly, of a severe cast of countenance, whom the girl greeted cordially. . The other was a tall, Scottish-looking man with reddish hair, drooping moustache, and a clearly evident admiration for MiSi Thelma herself, v ' '■ "Here you are again > Captain Doug-: las," remarked the girl to the latter person. "I thought, from the way you talked yesterday, that you would hardly leave your darling yaoht again; at least not so soon." The captain smiled under his moustache curled up under his nose. "Mettle more attractive," he began, but she interrupted. , " "Did you not say sir, that your boat was botili wife and home to you?" "Er —that depends, Miss Chelma." He turned diffidently to the elder man. "Odd, was it not, M. Burian, how that tug followed us so closely day? But I fancy we showed him a trick of speed that he had not witnessed before.'' "That reminds me, Uncle Elias," said the girl to the man addressed as. 'Burian' by Douglas. "Have you found out anything about the man wh i followed us so persistently yesterday. We did not explain that fully to you, captain. Uncle here had borrowed tlvi carriage from a friend, to give me a ride down to the pier nearest to your yacht. We left the carriage a moment, and were returning, when a large man jumped from a liansom cab and followed us so closely that I was alarmed, and made uncle hurry me back to our carriage." "We drove oft', the big man calling! on us to stop or do something,and then when we kept on, he followed in a cab. Wo drove fast to the pier, found your boat and went on board the yacht. My alarm seemed so silly then that I said little or nothing, even after the tug started. Well, we easily ran away from the tug, steamed about in the lower bay and came back after midnight. That lovely sail did much to reconcile me to a —a sailor's life " she broke off in pretty confusion. (To be Continued.)