按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
behind us forever。〃
〃Amen；〃 replied Bulan； 〃but yet； had it not been for Borneo I might
never have found you。〃
〃We should have met elsewhere then； Bulan；〃 said the girl in a low
voice； 〃for we were made for one another。 No power on earth could have
kept us apart。 In your true guise you would have found meI am sure of
it。〃
〃It is maddening； Virginia；〃 said the man； 〃to be constantly straining
every resource of my memory in futile endeavor to catch and hold one
fleeting clue to my past。 Why； dear； do you realize that I may have been
a fugitive from justice； as was von Horn； a vile criminal perhaps。 It is
awful； Virginia； to contemplate the horrible possibilities of my lost past。〃
〃No； Bulan； you could never have been a criminal；〃 replied the loyal
girl； 〃but there is one possibility that has been haunting me constantly。 It
frightens me just to think of itit is；〃 and the girl lowered her voice as
though she feared to say the thing she dreaded most； 〃it is that you may
have loved anotherthat that you may even be married。〃
Bulan was about to laugh away any such fears when the gravity and
importance of the possibility impressed him quite as fully as it had
155
… Page 156…
THE MONSTER MEN
Virginia。 He saw that it was not at all unlikely that he was already a
married man； and he saw too what the girl now acknowledged； that they
might never wed until the mystery of his past had been cleared away。
〃There is something that gives weight to my fear；〃 continued Virginia；
〃something that I had almost forgotten in the rush and excitement of
events during the past few days。 During your delirium your ravings were；
for the most part； quite incoherent； but there was one name that you
repeated many timesa woman's name； preceded by a number。 It was
‘Nine ninety nine Priscilla。' Maybe she〃
But Virginia got no further。 With a low exclamation of delight Bulan
caught her in his arms。
〃It is all right； dear；〃 he cried。 〃It is all right。 Everything has come
back to me now。 You have given me the clue。 Nine ninety nine
Priscilla is my father's addressNine ninety nine Priscilla Avenue。
〃I am Townsend J。 Harper； Jr。 You have heard of my father。 Every
one has since he commenced consolidating interurban traction companies。
And I'm not married； Virginia； and never have been； but I shall be if this
miserable old mud scow ever reaches Singapore。〃
〃Oh； Bulan；〃 cried the girl； 〃how in the world did you ever happen to
come to that terrible island of ours？〃
〃I came for you； dear；〃 he replied。 〃It is a long story。 After dinner I
will tell you all of it that I can recall。 For the present it must suffice you to
know that I followed you from the railway station at Ithaca half around the
world for a love that had been born from a single glance at your sweet face
as you passed me to enter your Pullman。
〃On my father's yacht I reached your island after trailing you to
Singapore。 It was a long and tedious hunt and we followed many blind
leads； but at last we came off an island upon which natives had told us
such a party as yours was living。 Five of us put off in a boat to explore
that is the last that I can recall。 Sing says he found me alone in a row
boat； a ‘dummy。'〃
Virginia sighed； and crept closer to him。
〃You may be the son of the great Townsend J。 Harper； you have been
the soulless Number Thirteen； but to me you will always be Bulan； for it
156
… Page 157…
THE MONSTER MEN
was Bulan whom I learned to love。〃
157