THE EASTERNERS. OR MARRIAGE BY PROXY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10460, 26 October 1911, Page 2

THE EASTERNERS. OR MARRIAGE BY PROXY.

CHAPTER X--Continued

"If I could only reconcile you to >t certain sailor, along with that kind of life, I wouldbbee —er —oharmed, really," quoth Douglas. To hide this mutual confusion of compliment, M. Bunan, a hard-bead-ed business man, urothor to the father of tho girls, and who hr.d emigrated like the banker, many years back, explained still further

"I saw that img captain. In fact, I know where he ties up; l . Be told me that a big man, much excited fr.irly showered money upon him to bave him overhaul your yacht.' And still Marsovian, who hnfc listened rather listlessly, did :;ot connect the largo man with Sidney Greer, whom he knew must be somewhere in

or about the city. Finally, after ntore talk, especially between .Douglas i-nd Thelma, tlhe captain departed, after receiving an invitation to '*b*-» i?;ire and come to dinner that evening".

The Scotchman pressed her tatid warmly, with a gaze that brought blushes to her face. "Will I come?" ho exclaimed. "Will I breathe? Will I live? That dinner and you will be a life'*elixir." "Thelm'a," cautioned her uncle'who lingered on a while longer, "that Scotch-Englishman is in love with .you. Well, I have made enquiries. Dalmar, though a great man in Armenia, is hardly up t<f things over here. Like your father, he <has too much confidence in human nature, though a host in himself "when battling iv v itll the" Kurds of his native mountains. Marsoviah has done well for your sister.. I hear she has made a great match. ' You must do the same; therefore, keep a weather eye on this Captain Douglas."

"Enough, Uncle. Ido not wish to marry, yet I respect Douglas far more than I do a man like Rotan Pasha, despite his influence with the sultan and his wealth and—other wives. Poor Alma!"

"Pooh, pooh," Elias Buriari, as a hard-headed, practical man, had yet a vast respect fpr a favourite of Abdul Hamid. He was from the East, (where meekness under tyranny comes with the mother's milk to babes. "I made my money here, But in our land a pasha is a very great man."

Here Sarkis announced the decorator of the dining-room where the dinner .would take place, and M. Burian went off, .promising -'to returning later. The girl, 'going to her own room, slowly, dressed herseif for this function, adhering to her taste for Far Eastern costumes, wherein a,brocaded skirt, a tight-sleeved bodice, a fichu of canarycoloured silk fringed and,embroidered, were the main features. She also wore a 'belt of [filagree silver, curiously wrought rings, and gold and silver bangles. A number of grotesque and, l ichly inlaid chains were looped and caught here and there about her person, in her hair, and even in her slippererd feet. Why not? All of the expected guests biifc three would be Armenians, and Thelma herself looked %> picture of the East, translated into «an appropriate- apartment here, amid the 'bustle and tumult of life in lower Broadway. , When Sidney Greer, later on, enitered the reception room, Thelmafs Oriental garb was the one bizarre about the girl that he supposed was Alma. But when she opened her ■ (lips and spoke English -with.' an accent aiot less charming than unique, Greer understood the difference. s Douglas averred that, of all the dialects he had ever heard. Thelma''s was the * sweetest,

Explanations ensued. Thelma turned to M. Burian, who had entered just after Greer.

"Uncle," said she, "here is the tall stranger who chased us in the cab and in a tug. Is it not funny?" "It was because I mistook you for youtf sister even more then than now," volunteered Sidney.' "That; is if you are the girl my hansom nearly , rah over. When I followed you; you must have thought me crazy." ' "Well, Mr Greer," explained Burian, "I had my niece out walking. Awaiting us was the carriage" of my friend the Turkish consul. I knew the coachman. He was at liberty for an hour, so I gave him a dollar and borrowed the outfit. When you followed, not knowing you, I made him hurry to the pier, having an appointment with .Captain- Douglas, whose boat

T)UR SERIAL.

BY ' i WILLIAM PERRY BROWN

took us to tbo yacht. When you kept on in the tug, we kept on, for to tell you the truth, we fearod that yoa were one of the paid emisaries of the Porte Kvhom they keap in New York to watch Armenians. Though personally friendly to the consul, I am too nearly allied to my countrymen who are not. Then I happened to know that Prince Dalmar was here, and also the object of his coming, that is one cause of our meeting hero to-night."

"Right you are, M. Burian," said Douglas. "We shook you in great shape, Greer; had our spin down #he bay and came back." "Then you know Mr Greer?" M. Burian looked surprised.

"Well, rather. I know him now, but did not yesterday, or I guess we would have let him come on board."

"Douglnx, my boy," said Sidney, after the two had shaken hands, "I am more than pleased that you are here with your fast yacht. Marsovian •has told you to-night that I am trailing one of hia nieces, not knowing that he had another one, equally charming, and wonderfuly like h r x, already in

New York. What brought you over ?'' "Well, I wanted to try the -'Mist' against the Atlantic rollers. New style of motive power—turbines, you know. I thought that a trip or two in the States would db me good; and here, on the threshold, so to speak, I meet my fate again. Dalvorig—l mean an old Eastern friend is here, and with him the prettiest pirl. This way, old

man." These two friends had drifted to one side, exchanging confidences, while M. Pavlidis, with Marsovian, bad with-: drawn with M. Pilian and M. 'Gprgo:*-' ian, of the Armenian board, in order to complete the transfer of funds thit Dalvorig -was to take back to ■ his stricken countrymen. Thelma,.,with M. Burian and an elderly Greek lady, Madam lagilos, had'reverted to Alma and her perilous Y ■ ■ venture. The girl's sisterly fears were •uppermost. M. Burian, allied to DaXblood, though a plain American merchant, now, thought Alma would pull through all right. Madam lagilos did not know, having the native Greek's suspicion' of all things Turkish. In America girls could do nearly anything, she; had heard. Alma was, to all intents', an American girl, and had, as such, a natural fearlessness.

Captain Douglas, returning to escort Thelina to the table, overheard enough to make him realise her anxiety,and inspired in him a bold thought He had known the girl two days, but he felt as if it were months. Fondness made him bold; Lovers are *iot particular about lapses of time.

"I hope you will count on me", Miss Bruiari," he ventured;: "and on the 'Mist,' my boat." Greer and I have been talking." He is even more anl xious about yoiir sister than l you are. If she looks so much like you, hcjp'couldhohelpit?" j "Help, what, captain?" Though she Jooked at bim innocently, he could ; see the rich colour mantling her face. I "Remember— no flattery." „. 1 "You see, Greer and I knocked about Europe a good deal together. He introduced me to your sister and M. Marsovian. I was the means of introducing Rotan Pashia to them, in London. Rotan and myself had met When I was in. the East. I rather took to Miss Alma, but soon saw that I had no chance. Rotan knocked me out, Greer says that he did, and Greer ought to know, for he bad been hit the same way himself, and had known your sister and 1 her uncle in the West." :

"But what has this to do ,with yo.ur dropping your plans here, and devoting yourself to ours—that is, if I understand your right?" "Everything. First I have no definite plans of my own. Xext, I want to help you. I know the.East. lam a lazy, rich, half-idle,dog, whom, it is a charity' to keep in worthy enn ployment. Then again, if I had no** induced Rotan, perhaps your sisiier might not have met him and gotton herself into this peril. Lastly"—here Douglas hesitated as he looked into Thelma's clear, oalm eyes —"lastly, I —well, you see, you look very much like your sister. I—l—oh, hang it! No, I don't mean that; but I want to further your plans, to help you—and lam going to help you. See?" (To be Continued.)