Adventure Magazine Cover — page 121: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Sled Wheeler and the Nameless Order naval officers. The Victoria and the Kron- prinz are both in the bay, and there’s a big masquerade ball tomorrow night at the hotel. All the officers will be there. But I know you’re not interested.” “Not? Aren’t we, though?” Drake shot a startled glance at Brendon. ‘What did the commander of the Aronprinz talk about, for instance?” ‘‘He was very anxious to know when you would return—wanted to meet Mr. Garth, I believe—something about—oh, I don’t know what!’ “T am afraid I do,” said, Drake, “‘and if you will pardon me, I believe I will not go to look over the new house until I have seen Lu Yan. This puts another face on the matter. Brendon will stay here with you.” The pair of lovers were off in a land of their own already, far out of reach of such dry-as-dust matters as the plotting for possession of a pair of gems—luckily uncon- scious that their very existence depended on the outcome of that uninteresting per- formance. Ignorance is bliss because it saves a lot of worry. ae office, surrounded by his clerks and assistants—large,- serene-faced Chinamen with the manners of courtiers, quite unlike the laundryman who typifies the race for most of us. The great merchant answered Drake’s most pressing question before it was asked—as he took his hand in welcome—in an undertone. ‘‘Yes—Dan is still asleep in his room up- stairs. We shall go to my apartments where we shall be undisturbed.” Tranquilly he gave his parting instruc- tions to the attentive staff who accom- panied him to the door; bowing him and his honored guest out with fine ceremony before returning to their work. It seemed to Drake that he had entered a world of tranquillity and contemplation where no hurry or worriment could follow, when he followed his host into the up-stairs apartments and was seated cross-legged like the Buddha. But Lu Yan was very serious as he gave him the details of Dan’s doings, and revealed what he had learned concerning the events of the last four days since the arrival of Drake’s letter. ‘‘T had no means of informing you regard- ing the Twins, and the plot of the pretender LU YAN was in his oddly furnished II! and his aids, since Garth had access to the mails,” Lu Yan closed his exposition. ‘It seems that Garth has been offered a great reward—money and a title abroad—for the delivery of the two gems aboard the Kron- pring. “Tt is enough to buy him body and soul, and the man’s head is turned, no doubt, by the prospect of realizing all his ambitions. He will convert all his property into cash and leave the country, the moment he can get his hands upon the other gem.” Lu Yan showed no sign of reproach or of faultfinding, blaming himself as usual. ‘That would be all we could ask, if I had not made the mistake of selling him one of the gems,” said Drake. ‘But I had no ink- ling of the coming of the war-ships—no idea that the matter would be rushed to such a sudden climax—and I had a chance to make a fortune for Brendon. I did it—seized the opportunity to get Garth’s claims, and his lordship’s fortune is made. “IT hoped to be able to buy back that gem from Garth, after he found that he could not find the mate to it. I imtended to deliver the second one to you as I had promised. Then, after it was safely in the hands of your principal—Prince Iotu—and he was safely aboard the Belle of Nippon bound for Hong Kong, I expected to get back the first one from Garth. I had no knowledge that the time was so short nor Garth’s plan so desperately dangerous. But perhaps that would be the best plan now—lI can. deliver that second stone to you or the prince within a few hours, if you think best.” Drake lowered his voice almost to a whisper, and Lu Yan hastened to assure him. “I have sent out all servants—we are alone. No—I should not want to take charge of the gem, even with a strong body- guard. Garth zs desperate, and remorseless, © and his power is great in this city even yet. The prince agrees with me. He does not want the Twins delivered into his hands even, until after midnight tomorrow night.” “Why?” asked Drake in surprize. ‘“‘At that hour the captain of the Belle of Nippon will receive him on board his vessel and guarantee to protect both him and the gems. Before that time he can not be prepared, and the chances of robbery would be too great,” said Lu Yan. After some thought he continued: COM DOOKS (© iin