Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1912 — The Pool of Flame [ARTICLE]

The Pool of Flame

By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE

--- - 1 4 UDutrtUßhd by Etliwrffc Y«n|

CO|>) rlfcUl i.«O, L>f Luuui lOiur SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I,—The story opens at M«Bte Carlo with Col. Terence O’Rourks In his hotel. O’Rourke, a military free lance and something of a gambler, is dressing far appearance in the restaurant below when the sound of a girlish, voice singing attracts nis attention. Leaning out on the balcony he seas a beautiful girl who suddenly disappears. He rushes to the corridor to see a neatly gowned form enter the elevator and pats from CHAPTER ll—O’Rourlte’s mind la tilled with thoughts of the girl, and when he goes to the gaining table he allows his remarkable winnings to accumulate indifferently. He notice# two men watching him. One Is the Hon. Bertie Glynn, while his companion- Is Viscount Des Trebes. a noted duelist. When O'Rourke leaves the table the viscount tells him he represents the French, government and that he has been directed-to O’Rourke as a man who would undertake a secret mission. * —CHAPTER Hl.—At -bls room O’RourVre. who had agreed to undertake the mission, awaits the viscount. O’Rourke finds a mysterious letter In his apartment. The Viscount arrives, hands a sealed package IO O’Rourke, .who is not' to open It untiion the ocean. He says the, French government will pay ORourke 25,000 francs for his services. A pair of dainty slippers are seen protruding fjrem' under a,, aoorwav curtain and the viscount charges O’Rourke with - having a spy secreted there. w.'-" CHAPTER IV-When the Irishman goes to his room he finds there the- owner of the mysterious feet It Is his wife, Beatrix, from whom he had run away, a year previous. They are reconciled, arid Opening the.letter he had received, he finds that a law firm In Rangomrr Irrdt*. ofTers him 100.000 pounds for an Indian Jewel known as the Pool of Flame, and left to him by a d>d'ng friend. O’Rourke tells his wife that tt Ts In the keeping of a friend named Chambret* In Algeria. CHAPTER V.—O'Rourke Is forced to fight a duel with the viscount. The braggart nobleman Is worsted in <he combat and acts the poltroon. CHAPTER Vl.—The loyal wife bids O'Rourke farewell and he promises to soon return with the reward offered for the Pool of Flame He discovers both Olvnn and the Viscount on board the ship which takes him to Algeria. CHAPTER VII —Chambret has left Algeria and O’Rourke has to gain a military detachment going across the desert t» reach his friend. As he finds the latter there Is an Attack by bandits -and Chambret Is shot. “You say,” the vteconite continued •lowly and evenly, "you ve destroyed the letter.’’ O’Rourke took up pipe and tobacco. ”1 told ye,” heP - ' replied, filling the bowl, "that the letter was non-exist-ent. Now, me man,” he continued, with an imperceptible change of tone, "drop thejiluff. Turn that pistol away from me. Well 1 know that ye won’t shoot, for u ye did ye would put beyond your reach forever the Information that would win ye the reward—always prov|dtng ye had got possession of the "ruby, be book or crook. ’T would crooks. I’m thinking." . V; : .'* He lit a ‘’match and applied the figiu£ ffJAthe tobacco. “There’s me last tb#i»nb)dft” he Added indlgtlnctlyf ptaßng ami eyeing: tile pair’ througb tbe clduil' of smoke. •'' ’The.fevolyisT %aved In the vfcomte'k hand;”he yen livid with disappointed, yet. inienable tp reailNt'Blili'btß and #hispe.rea brlefly in his ear, and the iioddlng acquiescence, laid abide his The Honorable Bertie continued to g.4vise with him irP whispers until b’Kourke. though quite at loss to‘ understand this phase of the affair, saw attention was. momentarily diverted and, with a swlft movement. leaned over, the .revolver and, with a flirt of his hahd, flung It out of the Window 4 V, ' ' 7 'Glynn started .hack with an oath, his hand going toward his pocket; but O’Rourke promptly closed with him. A breath second pistol was ejected from the carriage*;and the English, ‘man was sprawling over the knees of the vtcomte. , »- ..-v, : They disengaged themselves and, mad with rage, started up Vo fall upon and exterminate the wanderer. I think it must have been .the very ttnpertinene«! of his attitude that made thedi' pause in doubt, for he had resumed his seat as calmly as though nothing at all had happened and was pulling soberly at his pipe. As they hesitated he removed the latter from his lips and gestured airily with the stem; "Sit ye down,” hd invited them, "and take It easy, me dear friends. The mischiefs done, and naught, tflat ye can do will, repair it. - FWth/I. said I’d not strike back unless ye crowded me. t «• member me words to the let Ur. Your guns made w crowd out of cue happy reunion. I’ve merely dispensed with them; I call ?• both to witness that ye have neither of ye suffered. Sure, I'm as peaceable ms any lamb. 8U down, git ye down and take U like little men.’ The situatlqnfi.unchanged, pave that I’ve pat temptation out of your reach.” And as they wavered, plainly ol two minds, O’Rourke Pinched the ar* gument of his attitude. "I beg to can your attention,” he remarked.' “to £h* feet that ye" have left me own brace el revolvers here at me feet, when ye ■o Joyously turned me tiag Inside out I’m not touching them, mind ye, but mind ye fertker; ril brook no nonsense. If ye make e move as if to attack me 11l . . There! Thafi 1 better a.ara, Ntt

or ye! graceful in defeat Let me see: We’ve a long ride together, though ye did come uninvited, I trust ye will help me beguile the tedium with society chatter, me friend," with a twinkle at the discomfited vicomte, "I’m in danger of forgetting me manners. Pardon me, I pray, but—but T trust your nose is convalescing?” In high feather with himself, O’Rourke entertained his companions with a running fire of pleasantries for the balance of the darkened hours And he touched both more than once with the rapier-point of his wit and irony, and, had the pleasure of seeing both squlrtp in Impotent rage. They cutvWrttched figures, two against one, yet failures, while he taunted them la one breath, with the next declared himself their captive Toward the end the reserve which the vicomte, im posed upon the Honorable Bertie was worn down: the Englishman turned with raw nerveß upon his tormentor “You damned ass!” he stammered, all but Incoherent. “You sit tbers and —and gloat, damn you! When all the time’we've got the upper hand!"

"Be quiet!” Interposed the vicomte. *T won’t!” raged the-honorable. “He thinks himself so infernally clever! What ’dyou say, you Irish braggart, il 1 told you you’d never see the Pool of Flame again?*’ "I’d eay,” returned O'Rourke, "that you were either lying or a fool. Io either case a fool. If, as y* seem to be trying to make me believe —which I don’t for one instant —ye have succeeded in stealing the Pool of Flame, .131 hunt the pair of .ye to the ends oi the earth, If need be.”

He eyed them reflectively during a moment or two made interesting by Glynn’s desperate attempts to blurt out Indiscretions against the prohibition of the vicomte: something which the older man enforced crudely by clapping his hand across the Englishman’s mouth, as well as by whispering savagely in his ear. ; “But, there’ll be no need,” continued the Irishman, when Glynn was calm, "Let’s consider the matter dlspaasion.-. ately, presupposing that ye have the stone. Well, what then? Ye dare not attempt to sell it —’twould result In Instant detection. It would not pay ye to have It secretly cut up into smaller stones —the loss In value would be stupendous, the whole not worth your while, as I say. Ye cannot take the Pool of Flame (don’t get excited: I’m not going to tell ye where) to claim the reward, for ye don’t know where to go. ‘Tis a white elephant it would be on your hands.” “It does not seem to strike monsieur that there are other ways ol finding out who offers the reward," the vicomte suggested Icily. *T can see ye wandering around asking somebody please to relieve ye of the Pool of FTame* and pay ye a commission. I wonder hoy? long ye think ye’d last. But 'tis no use trying to hoodwink me: 1 don’t believe one word ye say. I’ll wait until I find out the truth before I bother meßejlf with ye-" * •• Their persistence in hinting that they had gained possession of the ruby perplexed and discomfited him. He did not believe it; ’twas inconceivable!. yet—he had known stranger things tb happen. Still, without a clue, to have stumbled upon the secret, to have made off with It from under the very nose of the GovernorGeneral—! No; it was not reasonable to ask Mm to believe all that "‘ Nevertheless, when he arrived at Algiers, his anxiety had grown so overpowering that he called a cab and desired to be conveyed post-haste to the Palace de. lu Government. ' (To be continued