Slaves of the Lamp; Being the Adventures of Yorke Norroy in His Quest of the Four Jade Plates a Manhattan Nights' Entertainment (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1917. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... up in the shadows beyond the station. From it, Crawe alighted and disappeared in the darkness. chapter vii The Secret Of Hung-tshi-ling the train from the South lingered at the little station of Aura just long enough for the breathless two to clamber aboard one Pullman and for Crawe to dart forth from his hiding place and to swing on the steps of another. Norroy engaged a drawing-room, ordered brandy and soda for himself, and hot chocolate for the girl. Then he pressed her for particulars. "I've just done a little simple arithmetic," said Holly. "First you said poor Captain Strong" Her eyes filmed with tears again, but she mastered the sob in her voice, and continued, striving for a businesslike tone: "You said poor Captain Strong had been ki--killed by someone hired by the same man who sent that other one to me to-night. Then you said afterward that it was done to make money. That showed me that the plates weren't valuable because--well," she added apologetically, "I've read books, detective stories, you know, about the eyes of idols stolen from sacred temples, things that Chinese and East Indians and Persians and people worshiped. I thought it was that way. Those two things added together showed me the plates weren't er--sacred or anything like that. See?" "I understand," Norroy corrected gravely. "I meant 'understand.'" She flushed; then to cover her confusion: "What a pretty cigarette case " She smiled. "Go on," directed Norroy, returning the case to his pocket, and twirling the thin cigarette between fingers comparatively as slender. The girl hid her own spotlessly clean but somewhat ill-kept hands at this close sight of his, and continued hurriedly: "Then you said something like this: 'To make mischief to the world in general.' Still I didn't have any idea...