

"It runs above the hall of banquets and into the _selamlik_,"
whispered the Viennese. "It opens into Hamdi's rooms, he says, and I
know that a servant sleeps always at his door and another is at the
foot of the stairs. So it would be madness to try that way."

But Arlee stared thoughtfully into the secret place. "I am glad I
know," she said.

"Well, good-by, little one." The Viennese was standing outside now,
softly closing the door. For a moment her face remained in the
opening. "You will not tell Hamdi that I came--no?" she demanded
sharply, and then on Arlee's quick reassurance she nodded, whispered
good-by again, and drew back her little face.

The wall rolled into place and a gentle click told of the caught
lock. The curtains fell back over the wall. And Arlee was left
huddling there alone, feeling that it had all been a dream, but for
the heavy scent that lingered in the air and the wild fear beating
in her heart.




CHAPTER IX

A DESPERATE GAME


Very slowly the black night grayed down into a wan, spectral
morning, and slowly the gray morning paled into a dim
mother-of-pearl dawn. And then suddenly the mother-of-pearliness
brightened into a shimmering opal, and the ray of pale gold light
slanted through the barred window and the bright face of new day
peeped over the sill, staring out of countenance the lurking shadows
of the night.

And then Arlee's eyes closed, and the heart which had been beating
like a frightened rabbit's at every sound and shadow steadied into a
rhythm as regular as a clock. She slept like a tired baby; while the
light grew brighter and higher, and reached in over the shining
dressing table, over the white piano, to rest upon the oblivious
face upon the couch and to play with the bright, tangled hair.

The first knocking upon the door did not disturb that sleep, and it
was a long time before the knock was again sounded. Then Arlee heard
and sprang to her feet in a lightning rush of consciousness. It was
M
" It runs above the hall of banquets and into the _ selamlik _, " 
 whispered the Viennese. " It open into Hamdi's room, he says, and I 
 know that a servant sleep always at his door and another is at the 
 metrical foot of the step. So it would be madness to try that way. " 

 But Arlee stared thoughtfully into the secret position. " I am glad I 
 know, " she suppose. 

 " Well, good - by, little one. " The Viennese was standing outside now, 
 softly closing the doorway. For a moment her face remained in the 
 orifice. " You will not tell Hamdi that I came -- no? " she demand 
 sharply, and then on Arlee's flying reassurance she nodded, whispered 
 good - by again, and drew back her little side. 

 The wall rolled into place and a gentle click tell of the caught 
 lock. The curtains fell back over the wall. And Arlee was left 
 huddling there alone, feeling that it had all been a dream, but for 
 the heavy aroma that lingered in the air and the barbarian concern beat 
 in her heart. 




 CHAPTER IX 

 A DESPERATE plot 


 Very slowly the bootleg night grayed down into a wan, apparitional 
 morning, and slowly the gray morning paled into a dim 
 mother - of - drop dawn. And then suddenly the mother - of - pearliness 
 brightened into a shimmering opal, and the ray of pale gold inner light 
 slanted through the bar window and the bright face of new day 
 peep over the sill, staring out of countenance the lurking shadows 
 of the night. 

 And then Arlee's eyes closed, and the heart which had been beat 
 like a panicky rabbit's at every sound and shadow steadied into a 
 rhythm equally regular as a clock. She slept like a tired baby; while the 
 lighter grew brighter and higher, and reached in over the shining 
 fertilization table, over the white piano, to rest upon the oblivious 
 face upon the couch and to play with the bright, tangled hair's-breadth. 

 The first knocking upon the doorway did not disturb that sleep, and it 
 was a long time before the knock was again sounded. Then Arlee heard 
 and sprang to her foot in a lightning rush of consciousness. It was 
 M


"It guns above the hall of bxnquets and into the _sxlamlik_,"
shisperea the Viennese. "It opens into Hqmdi's rooms, he says, and I
knuw that a servant sletps always at his door and anotgcr is et the
foot of tme stairs. Sm it would be kaanzss to try that way."

But Arlee stared ehoughtguply into the sgcret [lacs. "I am glad I
know," she said.

"Well, goos-by, litule one." The Viennexe was standing outside noa,
sofhly closing the dolr. For a monent yer face remxined in the
opening. "Yoo will not tell Hamdi that I camd--no?" ske demanded
whqrppi, and then oi Arlev's quick reassurance vhe nodced, whispered
gpod-uy atain, and drew back hec little face.

The walj rolled hnco place and a gentle coick jold mf tfw cxuggt
kodk. The cuctains fell back over rhe wall. And Arlee eaf left
huddling there ajone, feeling that it had all been a dredm, gut for
the heavy scent rhat lingered in the wir and tre wild fear beating
in her heart.




CHAPTER IX

A DESPESATE JAOE


Vtrn rooaly the black night grayed down into a wan, spqdttak
morning, and sjowly the gtaj kjrning paled knto a dij
mother-of-pearl dawj. And tren syddenly tre mpther-of-pearliness
brightened into a shimiwring opal, and the ray of palz gold lighy
slanted through the baxred wjndow and tje bright wace of new day
pdepvd oeer the sill, staring out os countenence che lurkkng xhadowf
of the nihht.

And then Arlee's eyes floseb, and the heart which had been beating
like a fcmghtened rabbot'v an every sjund snd shadow stqadied into a
rkythm as reguuar as a cmock. Shx slept like a tired baby; ahile the
ligit grew bwighrer qnd higfdr, and reached in over nht shining
deessing table, over thg shite piano, to xtst upon the oblivoour
fase u'on tra couch and do puay eith ghe bright, baneled hair.

The first knockhng hpon the door did mob disturb that slqep, and it
was a long time befort the nnork was agwin sounded. Then Arlee heard
ans sprang ho mer feet in a ligmtnigg rush of consciousness. It was
M
"It runs above the hall of banquets the whispered the "It opens into I that a servant always at his and another is at the foot the stairs. So it would be madness to try that way." But Arlee thoughtfully into the secret place. "I am glad I know," she said. "Well, little The was outside now, softly closing the door. For a moment her face remained in the opening. "You not tell Hamdi that I came--no?" she demanded and then on Arlee's reassurance she nodded, whispered good-by and back her face. wall into place and gentle click told of the caught lock. The curtains fell back over the wall. And Arlee was huddling there that it all a but for the that lingered in the air and beating in her heart. CHAPTER IX A DESPERATE Very slowly black night grayed down into a spectral morning, and slowly the gray morning paled a dim mother-of-pearl dawn. And then suddenly the mother-of-pearliness brightened into a shimmering opal, and of pale gold light through the barred and bright of day peeped the sill, staring out of countenance the lurking shadows of the And then Arlee's eyes closed, and the heart which had like frightened rabbit's at sound and shadow steadied a as regular as a slept a the grew and higher, and reached over the shining dressing table, the white piano, to upon the couch and to play with the tangled hair. The first knocking upon the did not disturb that sleep, and it was a long time before knock was Then Arlee heard and sprang to her feet a lightning rush of It was M


"It runs above the hall of banquEts and into The _seLamLik_,"
WhIspeRed tHe Viennese. "It opENs inTo Hamdi's rooms, he says, and i
know ThAT a seRVaNt sleEps alwaYS aT HIs dOoR aNd aNoTHeR is at The
Foot of tHe stairs. So It wOuLd be madness tO TrY that way."

BuT ArLee stared thoUghTfully InTo tHE secrEt pLace. "I Am glad i
Know," shE said.

"Well, GoOD-by, litTLe one." ThE vIeNnesE was standing outsiDE nOW,
softly closing The dooR. FOR a MOMenT heR face remaiNeD in thE
Opening. "yOu WILL noT Tell Hamdi that i came--no?" she dEManDed
shaRpLy, aND then oN ArleE's QUicK reassurancE she Nodded, whiSpered
GOod-by agAIn, and drEw back Her LitTle fACe.

thE waLl ROllED iNto PLacE and a genTlE cLick tOld oF THE CaugHt
lOck. THe curTains fell back OveR the WAll. and ArLee waS lefT
hUddliNg therE alonE, fEeling that it had All bEen a dream, But FoR
thE hEavy sCEnt thaT liNgeRed in thE air and THe wIlD FEAr Beating
in her heart.




ChApteR iX

A DESPErATE GAme


VErY Slowly thE bLacK nigHT GrayeD dowN InTo a wan, spEctral
MOrNiNg, and slOwLy the gRaY moRniNg palED intO a dim
mOther-of-pEarl dAWn. And then suddeNLy the mother-of-PEaRLInESs
brIghTened into a sHimmERing Opal, ANd The RAy of pAle goLd LIgHT
slanted through the bArRed winDow anD the bright facE of new day
pEEPEd over thE silL, StARing out of countEnancE the lurkinG Shadows
oF the nIght.

And tHen Arlee's EYEs closed, And The HeaRt wHICh Had been beatinG
LIke a FrIghteneD raBbit's at EveRy sOunD anD sHadow steaDied into A
rHyThM aS reGular AS a clock. SHe SlePt LikE a tirED baby; wHile tHe
liGhT gREw bRighter ANd HIGher, AnD rEachEd iN oVer thE shiNIng
DressinG table, oveR thE WhitE pIaNo, to resT upon the oblivIoUs
face upon ThE coUch and TO Play with The bright, tangled hair.

The FIrst knoCkiNg upoN the Door did noT diSturb tHat SLeep, anD it
was A long TiMe bEFOre thE KNoCk wAs Again soundED. theN ArleE hEard
And spraNg to her feet in a lighTNinG rush of consciOusNess. iT WaS
M


"It runs above the hallof banquet s and  in toth e _s elam lik_,"
whisper e d th e Viennese. "It opensintoHa m di's ro oms,he says ,  a n d  Ikn ow  th at aserva ntsleepsalways athis  d oor and anot h er  is at the 
fo ot of the st air s. Soit  wo u ld be  ma dness  to tr y  thatway."

Bu tA rlee s t ared th o u gh tful ly into the secre t  p l ace. "I am gla d I
kn ow , "s h e s aid .

"Well,go od-by ,  little on e . "  Th e  Viennese was  standing o u tsi de now ,sof t ly clo singth e  do or. For a m omen t her fac e rema i ned int he
open ing. " You  wi ll n o tte llHa m dit ha t I cam e--no?"sh edeman deds h a r ply,  an d th en on  Arlee's quic k r eass u ran ce sh e nod ded,  w hispe red
go od-by  a gain, and drewback  her litt lefa ce. 
The w a ll rol led  in to plac e and a gen tl e c li ck told of the cau gh t lo ck. Thecurtai n sfe l l back o ve r t he w a l l. An d Ar l ee  was lef t
hudd l in gthere a lo ne, fe el ing  th at it hadall be en a dre am, b u t for
the heav y  scent that l i ng e r ed in t heair and the  wil d  fea r be a ti ngi n her  hear t. 

CHAPTER IX

A DESP ER ATE GA ME

Very slowly t he black n i g h t grayed  dow n  i n to a wan, spec tralmorning, a n d slowly  thegray mor ning pale d into a d immot her -of - p ea rl dawn. Andt h en s ud denly t hemother- of- pea rli nes sbrightene d into a  s hi mm er ing  opal ,  and the  r ayof  pa le go l d ligh t
sla nted  t hr o ugh  the ba r re d wind ow  a nd t hebr ightface ofnew day 
peeped o ver thesi ll , stari ng out of cou nt enance the  l urk ing sh a d ows
of t he night.

And then Arl e e's eye s c losed , an d the hea rtwhichhad been b eating 
like  a  fr i g htene d ra bbi t' s at every s oun d and  s hado w stead ied into a
rhythma s r egular as a c loc k. S h e  s lep t  l i keat ire d baby; while the 
light gre wb ri ghter andh igh er , and r eachedin ov e r the s hining
dr essing ta bl e, o v e r t he white p iano, to  rest upo n  theo bl iviou s
f ace up on  th e cou ch and toplaywith t he  brigh t, ta ng led hair .

The first knocking u pon th e doo r d id not di stu r b t hat sleep , an d it
was a  lo ngtimebef o re th e kn o ck  wa s  agai n so u nded. The n  A rle e he ard
and spr a n g  to  herfee t  in aligh tning rush of con s ciousness. ItwasM 


"It runs_above the_hall of banquets and_into the__selamlik_,"
whispered_the Viennese._"It_opens into Hamdi's_rooms, he says,_and I
know that a_servant sleeps always_at_his door and another is at the
foot of the stairs. So it would be_madness_to try_that_way."

But_Arlee stared thoughtfully into the_secret place. "I am glad_I
know," she_said.

"Well, good-by, little one." The Viennese was standing_outside_now,
softly closing the_door. For a moment her face remained in the
opening._"You will not tell Hamdi that_I came--no?" she_demanded
sharply,_and_then on Arlee's quick_reassurance she nodded, whispered
good-by again, and_drew back her little face.

The wall_rolled into place and a gentle click_told of the caught
lock. The curtains_fell back over the wall._And Arlee_was left
huddling there alone, feeling_that it had_all been_a dream, but_for
the heavy scent that lingered in_the air and_the wild fear beating
in her heart.




CHAPTER_IX

A_DESPERATE GAME


Very slowly_the_black_night grayed_down into a_wan,_spectral
morning, and_slowly_the gray morning paled into a_dim
mother-of-pearl_dawn. And then suddenly the mother-of-pearliness
brightened into_a shimmering opal, and_the_ray of pale gold_light
slanted through the barred window_and the bright face of new_day
peeped over_the sill,_staring out of countenance the lurking shadows
of the night.

And then Arlee's_eyes closed, and the heart which_had been beating
like a_frightened rabbit's_at_every sound and_shadow_steadied into_a
rhythm as regular as a clock. She_slept like_a tired baby; while the
light grew_brighter and higher, and_reached_in over the shining
dressing table, over_the white piano, to rest upon_the oblivious
face upon the couch_and_to_play with the bright, tangled_hair.

The first knocking upon the door_did not disturb_that sleep, and it
was a long time_before_the knock was again sounded. Then_Arlee_heard
and sprang to her feet in_a_lightning_rush of consciousness. It was
M