THE EASTERNERS. OR MARRIAGE BY PROXY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10483, 21 November 1911, Page 2

THE EASTERNERS. OR MARRIAGE BY PROXY.

CHAPTFdfc X-XVlll—Continued "This : .s veiy, very good of you," said tho p;r.ineo > wringing Douglas hand. "International complications may result.'' ' "Let "flm result—eh, Douglas?" iaiifthed Sidney heartily. "We are in this venture to win. Old England and Uncle Sam forever! and—'hand

tho Turk! I Jicvcr did liko old Abdul's way of acting. Now lot us get an hour or two of sleep. Come on. Denton. There' 11 bo something doing inside of tho next forty-eight, hours. Isn't that so, prince?" The next day an. ominous air pervaded tho streets of Constantinople. Armenians, Greeks, Western Euro.pcans, and many Turks of tho more .progressive sort gathered together here and there in nervous, excitable groups that were ias constantly being dispersed by the police. Emissaries from secret Hunchagist societies wero mingling furtively with the people, distributing circulars regarding thoir propaganda, and encouraging the timid. Squads of troops, mounted and on foot, poured in from various points to reinforce tho garrison at Yikliz, at the Saraglio, and other central pivots of Abdul Hamid's absolute rulership. Dalmar and his aids, in various disguises, who had spent the day on tho streets .aaid elsewhere, came into tho Byzance Hotci and reported that almost tho entire guard from tho Bukdero Palace had marched through the I Chichli Gate on the way to tho Hamidieh Mosque, where on Friday the sultan attended the weekly ceremony of the Semalik. -To-day being one of the days, large bodies of troops, hourly being augmented, and under command of Os-man Pasha, hero of Plevna, and a devoted subject of the sultan, were concentrated there and along the route te the Yildiz Palace..

Hundreds of carts were sprinkling a lot of M'hite sand and water over the roadway, so that Abdul, oni Jus waj', might not feel the rough jolting of the ever-present cobble-stone pavement.

' 'Events are certainly going our way," said the prince to his friends Douglas and Greer. "The authorities evidently have only poor guesess of what may really happen to-night." "All well enough for you who are out and active, but tiresome for us who must stay cooped up here," grum-

bled Douglas, while Sidney looked bored and old Denton had gone to sleep in his chair.

"Patience, friends. Only—be ready. Have your weapons in good shape. Yon will have amusement enough before" midnight. Ah! who is tins?" ]

Dalmar rushed forward and shook the hand of a little* 1 wiry man, and dragged him into the sitting-room of the party. "Peronne, you are welcome. What is the latest news from Scutari?" "I went,-1 saw, and I think I conquered," smiled the detective, who looked .as if he had redeemed himself ill his own eyes.

Then he related the result of his trip that day with Sena Yapoul, to the abode of the Princess Aydoul. It appeared- that at first the head eunuch had refused them admission to the palace in the absence of the master Rotan Pasha.

"I do not want to see Rotan, but Her Higlmess the Princess. "It'ls important and concerns her husband."

"You will have to send your news through me," insisted the head slave. "Then I will return," said Pennine. "But mark you, wJien your royal mistress loams that I have been sent away, your head will fall! It is a matter of life and death." Filially the head eunuch surrendered. He served the sultan's daughter rather than the pasha. He did not want to risk his head and he liked the look of the gold with which Pennine and Sena supplemented their request. , When the princess, who was neither young nor beautiful, was told of Peronne's desire, she swathed her face in a thick veil and ordered the detective to be brought to an outer door of the harem. Here, through a screen of coai-.se wire the detective tcid the princess his news .

On hearing that Rotim had at Bukderq a new wife, young, lovely, and -a. rich American Frank, she flew into a passion and ordered Peronne to bQ arrested and imprisoned for slander. Bufc when, ho showed his official papers and proved bis foreign and official ■standing, she hesitated. Finally siho listened with a growing interest that presently verged on hysteria, as ho

DDR SEEIAL.

BY WILLIAM PEBitY BROWN,

coolly proved the faithlessness of !:or husband and his outrageous treatment of tho Burian sisters. Tho marriage by proxy was (apparently tho last straw, and she raged openly in her own tongue. "Bravo, Pcronno!" exclaimed Dalmar. "But what will sho do? Expose Rotan to her father as >a scheming, dishonest rogue?" "I suppose she will. Sena Yapoul, who interpreted for me, says sho was so overwhelmed and used such strong ; language that tho head eunuch finally hurried us off, so wo might not witness the unrestrained emotion of his ! mistress. Sena thinks that she really i loves her profligate husband." "Even so, .she will oertainly make it warm for Rotan ; and all tliat helps us in defeating a highly placed scoundrel, i and in getting my cousins away from 1 that cursed hole on tire Achu, is wel-

come." Before Dalmar and the detective again left the hotel, the prince admonished his English and American friends.

"Go to your legations, messieurs'. Seo that you stand well thore, so that, if necessary you can receive protection for you and yours. There is much more on foot in the streets hero than, meets the eye. The theft of our treasure and the fear that it will be used by the tyrants whose extortions and butcheries have shocked the Christian world, liave so stirred up my countrymen here, and others, that the consequences may l>e terrible and far-reaching. AVhat wo do ourselves must b done tonight. To-morrow even I cannot foretell what may happen. If a general uprising, takes place I must be in. the midst of.it, though my judgment nrny tell me that it is ultimately hopeless. If the Mist is delayed you and yours must look to the foreign Avar .ships hero for refuge, if necessary." "When do we .begin?" asked Greer, who was cleaning two revolvers with the care of an expert. "I can kill a dozen.men with these though I have to firo backwards, or standing on my head." He laughed at his conceit. "I know .something of the American skill with the pistol. Well, brother," Dalmar wrung Sidney's Land, "you will have chances,to show your skill. Be 2-eady at dark. Sena Yapoul or Sarlcis will come for you then or later so farewell!"

After an early supper Sarki#camei Bidding farewell to the Dentons and Madam lagilos, Douglas and Greer, having fully armed themselves, left the hotel wrapped in long cloaks similar to those worn by Mussulman merchants of Stamboul, and followed Sarins into the Armenian and Greek quarter to another rendezvous not far from where Dalinar had made his fiery speech the day before. TJiis was near the water front uuid in a most disreputable locality. Lean and hungry dogs disputed their passage and such was the gloom that only by keeping olose to : each other and by Sarkis, they could pursue their way in safety. (To be Continued.)