The Adventures of Kathlyn

During the last week in December there arrived at the Palace Hotel in

San Francisco an East Indian, tall, well formed, rather handsome.

Except for his brown turban he would have passed unnoticed. For Hindus

and Japanese and Chinamen and what-nots from the southern seas were

every-day affairs. The brown turban, however, and an enormous emerald

on one of his fingers, produced an effect quite gratifying to him.

Vanity in the Oriental is never conspicuous for its absence. The

reporters gave him scant attention, though, for this was at a time when

the Gaikwar of Baroda was unknown.

The stranger, after two or three days of idling, casually asked the way

to the wild animal farm of his old friend, Colonel Hare. It was easy

enough to find. At the village inn he was treated with tolerant

contempt. These brown fellows were forever coming and going, to and

fro, from the colonel's.

At five o'clock in the afternoon of the thirty-first day of December,

this East Indian peered cautiously into the French window of the Hare

bungalow. The picture he saw there sent a thrill into his heart. She

was as fair and beautiful as an houri of Sa'adi. She sat at a desk,

holding a long white envelope in her hand. By and by she put it away,

and he was particular to note the drawer in which she placed it. That

the dark-haired girl at the tea tabouret was equally charming did not

stir the watcher. Dark-haired women were plentiful in his native land.

Yonder was the girl of the photograph, the likeness of which had fired

his heart for many a day. With the patience of the Oriental he stood

in the shadow and waited. Sooner or later they would leave the room,

and sooner or later, with the deftness of his breed, he would enter.

The leopard he had heard about was nowhere to be seen.

"Winnie," said Kathlyn, "I dread it."

Winnie set down the teacup; her eyes were brimming.

"What can it all mean? Not a line from father since Colombo, five

months gone."

"Do you think----"

"No, no!" replied Kathlyn hastily. "Father sometimes forgets. He may

be hunting miles from telegraph wires and railroads; it is only that he

should forget us so long. Who knows? He may have dropped down into

Borneo. He wanted some pythons, so I heard him say."

The elder sister did not care to instil into the heart of her charge

the fear which was in her own.

"Who knows but there may be good news in the envelope? Dad's always

doing something like that. New Year's!"

The collie, released from the kitchen, came bounding in. In his

exuberance he knocked over a cloisonne vase. Both girls were glad to

welcome this diversion. They rose simultaneously and gave chase. The

dog headed for the outdoor studio, where they caught him and made

believe they were punishing him.