The Weleetka American (Weleetka, Okla.), Vol. 9, No. 13, Ed. 1 Friday, June 24, 1910 Page: 3 of 8
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AUTHOR OF JMAC/S/rSM/' ARETHUM fTCffl.
JLLU<STfiATWS£Y tf.Wf/Ls
COPYRJGHT /907 &Y
n /VAR/OSf CRAWFORD
SYNOPSIS.
Baraka. a Tartar girl, became enamored
•of a golden bearded stranger who was
prospecting and studying herbs in the
vicinity of her home in central Asia, and
revealed to him the location of a mine
«>f rubies hoping that the stranger would
love her in return for her disclosure.
They were followed to the cave by the
girl's relatives, who bit eked up the en-
trance, and drew off the water supply,
leaving the couple to die. Baraka's cousin
Saad, her betrothed, attempted to climb
down a cliff overlooking the mine; but
the traveler shot him. The stranger was
Tevlved from a water gourd Saad car-
ried. dug his way out of the tunnel, and
departed, deserting the girl and carrying
a bag of rubies. Baraka gathered all the
gems she could carry, and started in pur-
suit. Margaret Donne (Margarita da
Cordova), a famous prima donna, became
••ngaged in London to Konstantin Lo-
gotheti. a- wealthy Greek financier. Her
intimate friend was Countess Leven.
known as Lady Maud, whose husband
had been killed by a bomb in St. Peters-
burg; and Lady Maud's most intimate
friend was Rufus Van Torp, an Ameri-
can, who had been a cowboy In early
life, but had become one of the richest
men In the world. Van Torp was In love
with Margaret, and rushed to London ns
soon as he heard of her betrothal. He
offered Lady Maud $5,000,000 for her cet
charity if she would aid him In winning
the singer from Logothetl. Baraka ap-
proached Logotheti at Versailles with
rubies to sell. He presented a ruby to
Margaret.
CHAPTER III.—Continued.
"I'm not sure. I never ask mynelf
questions about what I do. I hate peo-
ple who are always measuring their
wretched little souls and then tinker-
ing their consciences to make them
fit! I don't believe I wish to do any-
thing really wrong, and so I do exactly
what I like, always!"
"If you will only go on doing what
you like," Logotheti answered, "it will
give me the greatest pleasure in the
world to help you. I only ask one
kindness."
"You have no right to ask me any-
her face away, and when her hand felt
his upon it, she let him draw it slowly
to him; and half unconsciously she
followed her hand, bending towards
him sideways, from her seat, nearer
and nearer, and very near.
And as she put up her lips to his,
he would that she might drink his
soul from him at one deep draught—
even as one of his people's poets
wished, in the world's spring time,
long ago.
It had been a strange love-making.
They had been engaged during more
than two months, they were young,
vital, passionate; yet they had never
kissed before that evening hour under
the elm tree at Versailles. Perhaps it
was for this that Konstantin had
played, or at least, for the ceitaintv
it meant to him, if he had doubted
that she was sincere.
CHAPTER IV.
Without offending Mr. Van Torp,
Lady Maud managed not to see him
again for some time, and when he un-
derstood, as he soon did, that this was
her wish, he made no attempt to force
himself upon her. She was probably
thinking over what he had said, and
in the end she would exert her in-
fluence as he had begged her to do.
He was thoroughly persuaded that
there was nothing unfair in his pro-
posal and that, when she was con-
vinced that he was right, she would
help him.
But when he had taken the first
step towards accomplishing his pur-
pose, he was very much at a loss as
to the next, and he saw that he had
"Don't You Fuss About Burning Coal."
thing to-day. You've been quite the
most disagreeable person this after-
noon that 1 ever met in my life."
"I know I have," Logotheti answered
with admirable contrition. "I'll wait
a day or two before 1 ask anything;
perhaps you will have forgiven me by
that time."
"I'm not sure. What was the thing
you were going to ask?"
He was silent now that she wished
to know pis thought.
"Have you forgotten it already?"
■he inquired with a little laugh that
was encouraging rather than con-
temptuous, for her curiosity was
roused.
They looked at each other at last,
and all at once she felt the deeply dis-
turbing sense of his near presence
which she had missed for three days,
though she was secretly a little afraid
and ashamed of it; and to-day it had
not come while her anger had lasted.
But now it was stronger than ever be-
fore, perhaps because it came so un-
expectedly, and it drew her to him.
Their eyes met and they looked
long at one another in the shade of
the elm tree on the lawn, as the sun
was going down Only a few minutes
had passed since Margaret had been
very angry, and had almost believed
that she was going to quarrel Anally,
and break her engagement, and be
free: and now she could uot even turn |
never undertaken anything so diffi-
cult since he had reorganized the
Nickel Trust, trebled the stock,
cleared a profit of thirty millions and
ruined nobody but the small-fry, who,
of course, deserved it on'the principle
that people who cannot keep money
ought not to have any. Some unkind
newspaper man had then nicknamed
it the Brass Trust, and had called him
Brassy Van Torp; but it is of no use
to throw mud at the Golden Calf, for
the dirt soon dries to dust and falls
off, leaving the animal as beautifully
shiny as ever.
Mr. Van Torp did not quite see how
he could immediately apply the force
of money to further his plans with
effect. He knew his adversary's finan-
cial position in Europe much too well
to think of trying to attack him on
that ground; and besides, in his rough
code it would not be fair play to do
that. It was "all right" to ruin a hos-
tile millionaire in order to get his
money. That was "business." But
to ruin him for the sake of a woman
was "low down." It would be much
more "all .right" to shoot him, after
fair and due warning, and to carry off
the lady. That was impossible in a
civilized country, of course; but as it
occurred to him, while he was think-
ing. that he might find it convenient
to go somewhere in a hurry by sea, he
bought a perfectly new yacht that was
for sale because the owner had died
of heart disease the week after she
was quite ready to take him to the
Mediterranean. The vessel was a
least as big as one of the ocean liners
of 50 years ago, and had done 22 1-16
knots on her trial. Mr. Van Torp took
her over as she was, with her officers,
crew, cook and stores, and rechris-
tened her. She had been launched as
the Alwayn; he called her the Lan-
cashire Lass—a bit of sentiment on
his part, for that was the name of a
mare belonging to Lady Maud's
father, which he had once ridden
bareback when he was in an amazing
hurry.
He had one interview with the cap-
tain.
"See here, captain," he said, "I may
not want to take a trip this season.
I'm that sort of a man. I may or I
may not. But if I do want you, I'll
want you quick. See?"
With the last word, he looked up
suddenly, and the captain "saw," for
he met a pair of eyes that astonished
him.
"Yes, I see," he answered mechanic-
ally.
"And if you're in one place with
your boat, and I wire that I want you
in another, I'd like you to get there
right away," said Mr. Van Torp.
"Yes, sir."
"They say she'll do 22 1-10," contin-
ued the owner, "but when I wire I
want you I'd like her to do as much
more as she can without bursting a
lung. If you don't think you've got
the kind of engineer who'll keep her
red-hot, tell me right off and we'll get
another. And don't you fuss about
burning coal, captain. And see that
the crew get all they can eat and not
a drop of drink but tea and coffee, and
if you let 'em go on shore once In a
while, see that they come home right
side up with care, captain, and make
each of 'em say 'truly rural' and 'Brit-
ish Constitution' before he goes to
bed, and if he can't, you just unship
him, or whatever you call it on a boat.
Understand, captain?"
The captain understood and kept his
countenance.
"Now, I want to know one thing,"
continued the new owner. "What's
the nearest sea port to Bayreuth, Ba-
varia?"
"Venice," answered the captain
without the least hesitation, and so
quickly that Mr. Van Torp was im-
mediately suspicious.
"If that's so, you're pretty smart,"
he observed.
"You can telephone to Cook's office,
sir, and ask them," said the captain
quietly.
The instrument was on the table at
Mr. Van Torp's elbow. He looked
sharply at the captain, as he un-
hooked the receiver and set it to his
ear. In a few seconds communication
was given.
"Cook's office? Yes. Yes. This is
Mr. Van Torp, Rufus Van Torp of
New York. Yes. I want to know
what's the nearest sea port to Bay-
feuth, Bavaria. Yes. Yes. That's
just what I want to know. Yes. I'll
hold the wire while you look It up."
He was not kept waiting long.
"Venice, you say? You're sure you're
right, I suppose? Yes. Yes. I was
only asking. No thank you. If I want
a ticket I'll look in myself. Much
obliged. Good-by."
He hung the receiver in its place
again, and turned to his captain with
a different expression, in which ad
miration and satisfaction were quit
apparent.
"Well," he said, "you're right. It's
Venice. I must say that, for an Eng
lishman, you're quite smart."
The captain smiled quietly, but did
not think it worth while to explain
that the last owner with whom he had
sailed had been Wagner-mad and had
gone to Bayreuth regularly. More-
over, he had judged his man already
"Am I to proceed to Venice at once,
sir?" he asked.
"As quick as you can, captain.
The Englishman looked at his watch
deliberately, and made a short mental
calculation before he said anything. It
was 11 in the morning.
"I can get to sea by five o'clock this
afternoon, sir. Will that do?"
Mr. Van Torp was careful not to be
tray the least surprise.
"Yes," he said, as if he were not
more than fairly satisfied, "that'll dr
nicely."
"Very well, sir, then I'll be oiT. It's
about 3,000 miles, and she's supposed
to do that at 18 knots with her own
coal. Say eight days. But as this is
her maiden trip we must make allow-
ance for having to stop the engines
once or twice. Good-morning, sir."
"Good-day, captain. Get in some
coal and provisions as soon as you ar-
rive in Venice. I may want to go to
Timbuctoo, or to Andaman islands or
something. I'm that sort of a man.
I'm not sure where I'll go. Good-by."
The captain stopped at the first tele-
graph office on his way to the Water-
loo station and telegraphed both to his
chief engineer, Mr. M'Cosh, and his
chief mate, Mr. Johnson, for he
thought it barely possible that one. or
the other might be ashore.
"Must have stenm by 4 p. m. today
to sail at once long voyage. Coming
next train. Owner in hurry. Send
ashore for my wash. Brown, Captain."
When the clocks struck five on
shore that afternoon, and the man at
the wheel struck two bells from the
wheelhouse, and the lookout forward
Repeated them on the ship's bell, all
according to the most approved mod-
ern fashion on large steamers, the
beautiful Lancashire Lass was steam-
ing out upon Southampton water.
Out of the merest curiosity Mr. Van
Torp telegraphed to Cowes to be in-
formed of the exact moment at which
his yacht was under way, and before
six o'clock he had a message.
"Yacht sailed at 4:39."
The new owner was so much
pleased that he actually smiled, for
Capt. Brown had been 21 minutes bet-
ter than his word.
"I guess he'll do," though Mr. Van
Torp. "I only hope I may need him."
He was not at all sure that he
should need the Lancashire Lass and
Capt. Brown; but it has often been
noticed that in the lives of born finan-
ciers even their caprices often turn
out to their advantage, and that their
least logical impulses in business mat-
ters are worth more than the sober
judgment of ordinar> men.
As for Capt. Brown, he was a quiet
little person with a rather pink face
and sparkling blue eyes, and he knew
his business. In fact he had passed
as extra master. He knew that he
was In the service of one of the rich-
est men in the world, and that he com-
manded a vessel likely to turn out one
of the finest yachts afloat, and he did
not mean to lose such a berth either
by piling up his ship, or by being slow
to do whatever his owner wished
done, within the boundaries of the
possible; but it had not occurred to
him that his owner might order *lm
to exceed the limits of anything but
mere possibility, such, for instance,
as those of the law, civil, criminal, na-
tional, or international.
Mr. Van Torp had solid nerves, but
when he had sent his yacht to the
only place where he thought he might
possibly make use of it, he realized
that he was wasting valuable time
while Logotheti was making all the
running, and his uncommon natural
energy, finding nothing to work upon
as yet, made him furiously impatient.
It seemed to hum and sing in his
head, like the steam in an express en-
gine when it is waiting to start.
He had come over to England on an
impulse, as soon as he had heard of
Cordova's engagement. Until then he
had not believed that she would ever
accept the Greek, and when he learned
from Lady Maud's letter that the fact
was announced, he "saw red," and his
resolution to prevent the marriage
was made then and there. He had
no idea how he should carry it out,
but he knew that he must either suc-
ceed or come to grief in the attempt,
for as long as he had any money left,
or any strength, he would spend both
lavishly for that one purpose.
Yet he did not know how to begin,
and his lack of imagination exasper-
ated him beyond measure. He was
sleepless and lost his appetite, which
had never happened to him before; he
stayed on in London instead of going
down to his place In Derbyshire, be-
cause he was always sure that he
meant to start for the continent in a
few hours, with an infallible plan for
success; but he did not go.
He was meditating on the future
one morning, over an almost untouched
breakfast, between nine and ten o'clock,
when his man Stemp brought a visit-
ing card.
It was a rather large card, bearing
in the middle two or three odd-looking
signs which meant nothing to him,
but underneath them he read in plain
characters the single word "Barak."
"Barrack!" grumbled the American.
"Oh, the writing's on the back, I
see. Now, that's very curious, I must
say," he said, after reading the words.
"That's very curious," he repeated,
laying strong and equal emphasis on
the last two words. "Ask him to walk
in, Stemp."
"Very good, sir."
As the valet went out Mr. Van Torp
turned his chair half round without
getting up. so' that he sat facing the
door. A moment later Stemp had
ushered in the visitor, and was gone.
A slim youth came forward without
boldness, but without the least, timidi-
ty, as if he were approaching an equal.
He had an oval face, no mustache, a
complexion like cream, short and
thick black hair and very clear dark
eyes that met the American's fearless-
ly. He was under the average height,
and he wore rather thin, loose gray
clothes that had been made by a good
tailor. His hands and feet were
smaller than a European's.
"So you're Mr. Barrack," Mr. Van
Torp, said, nodding pleasantly.
The young face smiled, and the
parted lips showed quite perfect teeth.
"Barak," answered the young man,
giving the name the right sound.
"Yes. I understand, but I can't pro-
nounce it like you. Take a chair, Mr.
Barrack, and draw up to the table."
The young man understood the ges-
ture that explained the speech and sat
down.
"So you're a friend of Mr. Logo-
theti's, and he advised you to come to
e? Understand? Logotheti of Paris."
Barak smiled again, and nodded
quickly as he re nized the name.
The American watcued his face atten-
tively.
All right," he continued. "You can
trot out your things now, right on the
tablecloth here."
He had seen enough of Indians and
Mexicans in his youth to learn the
simple art of using signs, and ho easi-
ly made his meaning clear to his visi-
tor. Barak produced a little leathern
bag, not much bigger than an ordinary
purse, fastened with thin thongs,
which he slowly untied. Mr. Van Torp
watched the movements of the deli-
cate fingers with great Interest, for he
wab an nhaervant man.
^*
"With those hands," he silently re-
flected, "it's either a lady or a thief,
or both."
Barak took several little twists of
tissue paper from the bag, laid them
in a row on the tablecloth and then
began to open them one by one. Each
tiny parcel contained a ruby, and when
the young man counted them there
were five in all, and they were fine
stones if they were genuine; but Mr.
Van Torp was neither credulous nor
easily surprised. When Barak looked
to see what impression he had pro
duced on such a desirable buyer, he
was disappointed.
"Nice," said the American careless-
•y; "nice rubies, but I've seen better.
I wonder if they're real, anyway.
They've found out how to make them
by chemistry now, you know."
But Barak understood nothing, of
course, beyond the fact that Mr. Van
Torp seemed indifferent, which was a
common trick of wily customers; but
there was something about this one's
manner that was not assumed. Barak
took the finest of the stones with the
tips of his slender young fingers, laid
it in the palm of his other hand, and
held It under Mr. Van Torp's eyes,
looking at him with an inquiring ex-
pression. But the American shook his
head.
"No rubies to-day, thank you," he
said.
Barak nodded quietly, and at once
began to wrap up the stones, each in
its own bit of paper, putting the twists
back Into the bag one by one. Then
he drew the thongs together and tied
them in a neat sort of knot which Mr.
Van Torp had never seen. The young
baldheaded. What's the matter with
you, anyway? Your eyes are popping
out of your head. Do you feel as If.
you were going to have a fit? I say!
3temp!"
Barak was indeed violently affected
by the sight of the uncut ruby, and
his face had changed in a startling
way; a great vein like a whipcord sud-
denly showed itself on his smooth
forehead straight up and down; hia
lida had opened so wide that they un-
covered the white of the eye almost
all around the iris; he was biting his
lower lip so that it was swollen and
blood-red against the little white
teeth; and a moment before Mr. Van
Torp had called out to his servant, the
young man had reeled visibly, and
would have collapsed If the American
had not caught the slender waist and
supported the small head against hla
shoulder with his other hand.
Stemp was not within hearing,
therefore Mr. Van Torp called to him
in vain, and meanwhile stood where
he was with his arm round Barak,
and Barak's head on his shoulder; but
as no one eame at his call, he lifted
the slim figure gently and carried it
towards the sofa, and while he waa
crossing the large room with his bur-
den the palpable truth was forced
upon him that his visitor's sllmnesa
was more apparent than real, and an
affair of shape rather than of pounds.
Before he had quite reached the
lounge, however, Barak stirred, wrig-
gled in his arms, and sprang to the
lloor and stood upright, blinking a lit-
tle, like a person waking from a
dream, but quite steady, and trying to
smile In an apologetic sort of way.
#
The Man at the Wheel Struck Two Bells.
man then rose to go, but the million-
aire stopped him.
"Say, don't go just yet. I'll show
you a ruby that'll make you sit up."
He rose as he spoke, and Barak un-
derstood his smile nnd question, and
waited. Mr. Van Torp went into the
next room, and came back almost im-
mediately, bringing a small black mo-
rocco case, which he set on the table
and unlocked with a little key that
hung on his watchchain. He was not
fond of wearing jewelry, and the box
held all his possessions of that sort,
and was not full. There were three
or lour sets of plain studs and links;
thero were half a dozen very big gold
collar studs; there was a bit of an old
gold chain, apparently cut off at each
end, and having one cheap little dia-
mond set in each link; and there was
a thin old wedding ring that must
have been a woman's; besides a few
other valueless trinkets, all lying loose
and in confusion. Mr. Van Torp shook
the box a little, poked the contents
about with one large finger, and soon
found an uncut red stone about the
size of a hazelnut, which he took out
and placed on the white cloth before
the visitor.
"Now that's what I call a ruby," he
said, with a smile of satisfaction. "Gotj
any like that, young man? Because
if you have I'll talk to you, maybe.
Yes," he continued, watching the ori-
ental's face, "I told you I'd make you
sit up. But 1 didn't mean to scare you
though evidently still deeply dls«
turbed. Mr. Van Torp smiled, too, as
if to offer his congratulations on the
quick recovery.
"Feel better now?" he inquired In a
kindly tone, and nodded. "I wonder
what on earth you're up to, young
lady?" he soliloquised, watching Ba-
rak's movements.
He was much too cautious and wise
to like being left alone for many
minutes with a girl, and a good-look-
ing one, who went about London
dressed In men's clothes and passed
herself for a ruby merchant. Mr. Van
Torp was well aware that he was not
a safe judge of precious stones, that
the rubies he had seen might very
well be imitation, and that the girl's
emotion at the sight of the rough
stone might be only a piece of clever
acting, the whole scene having been
planned by a gang of thieves for the
purpose of robbing him of that very
ruby, which was worth a large sum,
even in his estimation; for It was
nearly the counterpart of the one he
had given Lady Maud, though still un-
cut.
Therefore he returned to the table
and slipped the gem Into his pocket
before going to the door to see wheth-
er Stemp was within hail.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
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James, Edwin W. The Weleetka American (Weleetka, Okla.), Vol. 9, No. 13, Ed. 1 Friday, June 24, 1910, newspaper, June 24, 1910; Weleetka, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc155240/m1/3/: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.