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Show should ba. II threw off bla blanket SYNOPSIS. and ran to her. Fortune, yon mustn't do tbat. You wilt catch cold." Osorgs Fsretvsl ,Alfrnnn Jons. Ih Metropolitan ttrlsntsl I cannot Bleep," ah said simply, frli1nl of of Naur full, thirsting for romaiMa. la In Cairo on a basins took her by the hand and led lie trip. Harare Itxsnns arrlvaa at Ilia luiial la her to the lent. "Try," he laid. Then Cairo with n carefully (uarl4 bund), he did something be had never don itysnn aalla Jones to famous Italy rug srhlrh ha a1mlt having stolen before to any woman save hla mother. from a paaha at Hag'iad. J ntwia Malnr Callahan anil laiar la Introdumol to He kissed her hand, tamed quickly, Fortune flis-lsoby a woman to whom and went over to bis blanket. 8b Ita had lon4 1M hounda at Mania Carlo noma mom ha previously, and who lurna remained motionless befory lb lent oui to ha Fortunes muibar. Jons tahaa The hand fascinated her. From the Mrs, Chmlsoya and Kurtun to a polo gama, Fortune raiurna to Junaa lha band her gas traveled to the man monay bormwad by liar mnthar, Mr. settling himself comfortably under hla Chxlaova appaara to ba angaat In noma Illy, pltyl tbat mysterious anlarprlaa unknown to lha blanket. daughter. Ryanna Iniaraaia Junaa In lha was ever to ho her portion; pity! I'niiad Komaua and Adventure ComIn Damascus tb trio presented which for a prtrs will pany. a eom-erarrange aay hind of an adventure to or. themselves t tha one decent hotel, der. Mrs, Chadeoye, har brolhar. Major Callahan, Wallses and Ryanna, aa lha and but for Ackertnann'a charges upon called Romance and Adventure mniny. tho manager, it la doubtful If ho would Inn rlaky anlarprlaa Involving Junaa. lyanne makes known lo Mra Chedaoya havo accepted them aa guests; for u bla inianllon lo marry Fortune. Mra. more suspicious looking trio ha bad ChMlaaya davlnraa aha will not permit It. never set eyes upon. (A hold man riana are laid to pravant Joitaa tailing fur huroa. Ryanna stmls Jon-s- ' lallara weighs a person by tb quality of hla . and rnhla dlapal.-liaalie wlraa agent In Moreover, they carried no Raw York, in Jonas' nama, that ha la clothes.) York In hooaa New to oorne luggage. Ackermann went sponsor; ranting frisnil, Mahontad, kaapar of tha holy and knowing something of the Integla on Ryanna a trail. Ryanna rarHd, romlaae Fortune that ha wilt aaa that rity of tb rug hunter, the manager ne a raault of Ida surrendered. And when one romsa to no Imrm George preturahaae uf tha rug Maltnmod accoete Ryanna and demand tha Yhlurdaa rug. sented hla letter of credit at the ImRyanna talla him Jonea haa tha rug and perial Ottoman Rank, again It was suggests tha abdwtion of tho New York Ackermann who vouched for him. It Ita remarrhant aa a meant of turn. Tha rug disappearsecuring from Junea of the room. Fortune quarrela with liar mother bad been agreed to say nothing None when tha latter refuaea lo oxplaln her character of their adventure. myatarioua ad Iona, Koriuna aeta a me. of them wanted to be followed by cua.k-Ing ba from to aage purporting Ryanna har lo meat him In a secluded piece rious eye. that avenlhg. Junaa recelvea a tneaaaaa With a handful of Rrltlsh gold In bla lu meet Ryanna at tha Kniliili-Ba- r faking himanma lha evening. Junea la carrltd pocket, Georg faced the future hopeoff Into tha deeert by Mahuitiatt and bla fully. He took hla companion In accornpUcea after a daaiierata light, llo and about town, hunting tb shop for dlacuvera that Ryanna and Koriuna aleo are raptlvea, tha former la badly battered clothing, which after various difficuand unconecloua. Ryanna recovers was and tha eight of Koriuna In lties they succeeded In finding. It captivity reveale to him tha fact that 111 fitting and cheap, hut It would serve Mahomed Intends to get vengeance on till they reached Alexandria or Naples. him through lha girl. Kurtune acknowlasked RyHow are you fixed edges that aha etule tha rug from Junes' room. She offers to return It to Mahumed anne, surveying George's gloomily MaIf ho will free all three of tham, suit. homed agrees to liberal Fortune and ono shoddy cotton-woo- l of tha men In return fur lha rug. A courCash In band?" ier la aant to Cairo fur tho rug. but reYea. , turns with tha Information that Mra fur At About four hundred pounds. Chedaoya and her brother have Balledfree-doRaw York. Fortune epurna offered Naples I can cable. Do you want which does not Include her I wo companions The caravan continues the Jour- any?" ney toward Bagdad. Ryanna tells Jonea Would you mind advancing me that Mrs. Chedaoya la tha moat admit muggier Of the age, and la overheard bv two months kalaryt" Fortune. The three captives are rescued Ryanne, do you really mean to by Henry Ackermann, who la In charge a carpet caravan. Mahomed escapes. stick to that proposition? pt Mrs. Chedanye discovers the absence of Ita on my mind Just now.' Fortune and leaves for New York, taking Well, we'll go back to the hank lha girl's belongings with har. Through forged letters Mrs. Chadaoya, tha major and Ill draw a hundred pounds for and thvir accomplices lake possession of you! You can pay your own expenses Jonea New York horns. aa we go. Rut what are w going to CHAPTER XVIII. do In regard to Fortune?" Yiil-erd- y .... r m I j Th Man Wh Didn't MSKS &io AAAN ON THE BOX ct&. MeGeKrrrNEi- lllvisfralions k POPP3 MEWR1 tt COMPANY COPYRIGHT Author of 1911 HEARTS ky he'd have been alive today. Oh, damn It all; let's go back to tb hotgl and or the bail Imiorder tbat tation they have. I'm going to have ditch a pint of wine. I'm aa dull club-steak- In , a paddy flvld." A bottle or two will not hurt any For of us. Well ask Ackermann. God know where we'd have been today but for him. And let him do alt the yarning. It will please him." And while he gsba, well get the best of tho steak and wine!" For tb first time In days Ryanne' laughter had a bit of the erstwhile rollicking tone. The dinner was an event. No delicacy mostly canned) wag overlooked. The manager, aa be heard the guinea Jlnate In Georg' pocket, wag filled with shame; not over hla original doubts, hut relative to his lack Uf perception. The tourists who srt at the other table were eandatUed at tho popping of champagne-corkSanctimonious faces glared reproof. A Jovial spirit In the Holy Land was an aoachronlsm, not to he tolerated. Horrible! Doubtless, And wine! when they retired lo their native they retold with never-endinhorror of having witnessed such a scene and having heard such laughter upon the sacred soil. Even Fortune laughed, though ear, keenest then, detected the vague note of hysteria. If the meat waa tough, the potatoes greasy, the vegetable flavorless, the wine flat, non of them appeared to be aware of It. If Ackermann could talk he could also eat; and tbe clatter of forks and knives was the theme rather than the variation to the symphony. George felt himself drawn deeper and deeper Into those tragic waters from which, as In death, there Is no return. She was so lonely, so sad and forlorn, tbat there was as much brother as lover in hla sympathy. How patient she had been during all those Inconceivable hardships! How s bark-porche- s. g Ry-snne- 'a brave and steady; and never a murmur! Tbe single glass of wine had brought the color back to her cheek and the sparkle Into her eye; yet he Car, It wai tha first of February when Ackermsnng caravan drew Into the ancient city of Damascua. Tbat part cf tbe caravan deserted by Mahomed Iput out for Cairo Immediately they . For atruck the regular tune. George and Ryanne were in a pitiable condition, heart and body weary. In rage and tattera. George, mow tbat the haven waa ' aasured, dropped bla forced buoyancy, hia prattle, bla feats. He had done all a mortal man could to keep up the spirits ; and he saw of bla that, most of the time, he had waited ibis talents. Ryanne, fullen and morose, often told him to shut,up;n which wasnt exhilarating. And For tuna viewed hla attempts without sensing them and frequently looked at him without teeing him. Now, all this was not particularly comforting to the man who loved her and waa doing what ha could to lighten the dreariness of the Journey. He made allowances, howeverj besides suffering unusual privations, Fortune had had a frightful mental shock. A girl of her depth of character could not be expected to rise Immediately to the old level. Sometimes, while gathered about the evening fire, he would look up to find her sad eyes staring at him, and It mattered not if he stared in return: a kind of clairvoyance blurred visibilities, for she was generally looking Into her garden at Mentone and wondering when this horrible dream would pass. Subjects for conversation were exhausted In no time. Dig as he might, George could find nothing new; and often he recounted the same tale twice of an evening. Sardonic laughter from Ryanne. Ackermann had given them up as hopeless. He was a strong, vain, domineering man, kindly at heart, however, hut impatient. When he told a story, be demanded the attention of all; so, when Ryanne yawned before his eyes, and George drew pictures In the sand, and the girl fell asleep with her head upon her knees, he drew off abruptly and left them to their own deyiccs. He had crossed and recrossed the silences so often that he was no longer capable of judging accurately another mans mental processes. That they had had a strange and numbing experience he readily understood; but now that they were out of duress and headed fee the Georg concluded ibat be must acquire patience . 8b was far too loyal to run away without first giving him warning. In the event of her refusing Mortimer's roof and protection, h knew what his plans would be. Rome on els rould do the buying for Mortimer 4 Jones; bis business would be to revolve round this lonely girl, lo watch and guard her without her being aware of It. Of what use were riche If he rould not put them to whatever ua he chose? 80 he would wait near her, to see that she came and went unmolested, till against that time when she would recognise how futile her efforts were and how wide and high the wall of the world was. That mother of hers! To bis mind It was positively unreal that on so charming and lovely should he at heart strong as the wind snd merciless ss the sea. Ills mother had been everything; hers, worse than none, an eternal question. What a drama she had moved about In, without un demanding! George did not posses that easy and adjustable sophistry which made Ryanne look upon smuggling as a clerer game between two cheats. His point of view coincided with For tune's; It was thievery, more or less condoned, but the ethics covering It He had were soundly established. come very near being culpable himself, True, he would not have been guilty of smuggling for profit; but none the less he would have tried to Ills sin had cheat the government. found him out; he had now neither tbe rug nor bis thousand pounds. All these cogitations passed through his mind, dlsjolnledly, as the dinner progressed toward Its end. They bade Ackermann good by and Godspeed, as he was to leave early for Beirut, upon hla way to Smyrna. Fortune went to bed; Ryanne sought tbe billiard-rooand knocked about the balls; while George asked the manager If he rould send a cable from the hotel. Certainly - he could. It took some time to compose the cable to Mortimer; and It required some gold besides. Mortimer must have a (air view of the eaae; and George presented It, requesting a reply to be sent to Cook's In Naples, where they expected to be wlthlu ten days. How much will this be? The porter got out his telegraph-booand studied the rates carefully. "Twelve pounds six, sir." The porter greeted each sovereign with s genuflection, the lowest being the twelfth. George pocketed the receipt and went In search of Ryanne. But that gentleman was no longer In the biUfard-room- . Indeed, he had gone quietly to tbe other hotel and written a cable himself, the code of which was not to be found In any book. For a long time he seemed to be In doubt, for he folded and refolded bis message half a dozen times before his actions became deceive. He tore it up and threw the scraps upon the floor and hastened Into the street, as If away from temptation. He walked fast and Indirectly, smoking Innumerable cigarettes. He was lighting hard, the evil in him against the good, the chances of the future against the Irreclaimable past. At the end of an hour he returned to the strange hotel. Ills lips were puffed and bleeding. He had smoked so many cigarette and had pulled them so impatiently from his me th, that the dry paper had cracked the delicate skin. He rewrote his cable and paid for the sending of It. Then he poked about the unfamiliar corridors till he found the dingy bar. He sat down before a peg of whisky, which waa followed by many more, each a bit stlffer than Ita predecessor. At last, when he had had enough to put a normal mans head upon the table or to cover his face with the mask of Inanity, Rysnne fell Into the old habit of talking aloud. Horace, old top, whr.t's the use? Wed Just like to be good if we could, eh? But they wont let us. Wed grow raving mad In a monastery. We were honest at the time, but we couldnt stand the monotony of watching green olives turn purple upon the silvery hough. Nay. nay!" He pushed the glass away from him and studied the as they formed, rose to the surface, and were dissipated. "No matter what the game has been, somehow or other, theyve bashed us, and weve lost out. He emptied the ghiss and ordered another. He and the bartender were alone. "After all, love Is like money its better to live frugally upon the interest than to squander the capital and And who cares, anygo bankrupt. how? He drank once more, dropped a upon the table, and pushed back his chair. His eyes were bloodshot now, and the brown of his skin had become a slaty tint; but he walked steadily enough Into the read k camel-way- coast, he saw no reason wky they should not act like human beings. They Btlll put up the small tent for Fortune, but the rest of them slept upon the sand,' under the stars. Once, George awoke as the dawn was gilding the east. Silhouetted agalnst'the sky he saw Fortune. She was stand- AND Ryanne, Do You Really Mean See that she gets safely back to Mentone. Suppose' she will not go there?" Its up to you, Percival; Its all up to you. Youre the gay Loclilnvar from the west. Im not sure no one ever Is regarding a woman but I think shell listen to you. She wouldnt give an ear to a scalawag like me. This caravan business has put me outside the pale. Ive lost caste." Youre only desperate and discouraged; you can pull up straight. Much obliged!" "You haven't looked at life normally; that's what the matter is." Solon, youre right. Theres that poor devil back In Bagdad. Ive killed a man, Percival. It doesnt mix well In my dreams. "You said that it was in ing straight, her hands pressed at her sides, her head tilted back a tense attitude. He did not know it, but "And God knows it was. But if I ishe was asking God why these things hadnt gone after that damned rug. to Stick to That Proposition?" was sure that behind this apparent liveliness lay the pitiful desperation of the helpless. He had not spoken again about old Mortimer. He would wait till after he had sent a long cable. Then he would speak and show her the answer, of which he had not a particle of doubt. As matters now stood, he rould not tell her that he loved her; his quixotic sense of chivalry was too strong to permit this step, urge as his heart might upon it. She might misinterpret his love as born of pity, and that would be the end of everything. He was confident now that Ryanne meant nothing to her. Her lack of enthusiasm, whenever Ryanne spoke to her In these days; the peculiar hortzontality of her Ups and brows, whenever Ryanne offered a trifling courtesy all George felt a pointed to distrust. After all, why guilty gladness. shouldnt she distrust Ryanne? where be wrote a short letter. It was not without a perverted sense of humor, for a smile twisted hla lips till he had sealed tbe letter to the envelope and addressed George Percival Algernon Jones. He stuffed It Into a pocket and went out whistling "The Heavy Dragoons" from the opera of "Patience. Before the lighted w Indow of a ehop he paused. He swayed a little. From a pocket of his new coat he pulled out a glove. It was gray and am&U and much wrinkled. From time to time he drew it through his fingers, staring the while at the tawdry trinkets In tbe Finally he looked down at tbe token. He became very still. A moment passed; then he flung the glove into the gutter, and proceeded to his own hotel. He left the letter with tbe porter, paid his bill, and went out again Into the dark, chill night. He waa now what be had been twd months ago, the man who didnt care ing-roo- shop-windo- CHAPTER XIX. Fortune Decides. George and Fortune were seated at brtakfast. It waa early morning. At ten they were to depart for Jaffa, to take the tubby French packet there to Alexandria. They could Just about make It, and any delay meant a week or ten days longer upon this ragged and Inhospitable coast. "Ryanne has probably overslept After breakfast I'll go and rout him out. The one thing that really tickles1 me, George continued, as he pared the tough rind from the skinny bacon, Is, we shan't have any luggage. Think of the blessing of traveling without a trunk or a valise or a steamer-roll!- " Without even a comb or a hairbrush!" "It's grt-afun." Geoige broke his toast. Anil Fortune wondered how she could tell him. She was without any toilet articles. She hadnt even a too hhrush; and It was quite out of the question for her to bother him about trifles, much as she needed them. She would have tc live In the clothes she wore, and trust that the ship's stewardess might help her out In the absolute necessities. r Here the brought George a letter. The address was enough for George. No one but Ryanne could have written It. Without excusing himself, he ripped off the envelope and read the contents. Fortune could not resist watching him, for she grasped quickly that only Rvar.ne could have written u letter here in Damascus, At first the tan upon G edges eheeks darkened the sudden effusion of blood; then It became lighter, anil the mouth and eyes and nose became stern. Is it had news?" It all depends upon how you look nt It. For my part, good riddance to had rubbish. Here, read It yourself." She read. My Dear Percival: After all, I find that I can not reconcile myself to the dullness of your I shall send the five hundred to you when I reach New York. With me It is as was with the devil. When he was sick, he vowed he would be a but when he got well, devil a saint; saint l head-waite- olive-grove- 1 was he. Tber used to be a rhyme about It, but I have forgottea thit Anyhow, there you are. I feel fiat I am conceding a point In regard to the money. It Is contrary to tbs Uti and of the United Romua and Adventure Company to refill Still, I Intend to bold myself to It . With hale affection. a "RYANNE What do you think of that!" A manded George hotly. T never W a good action In my Ufa that win? served HI. I'm a soft duffer. If there ever was one." I shall never be ungrateful to your kindness to me." Youre different; Oh, bang ltl not like any other woman to you're the world," be blurted; and Immediately was seized with a mild spedee of fright Fortune atlrred her coffee snd delcircle icately scooped up the swirling of foam. "Old malda call that money said understanding, eager to cover need up his boldness. "My mother to tell me that there were loti " wonders in a "Tell me about your mother." To him It was a theme never When M in new expressions. the altered It mother. of bis spoke his vol; In note clear and boyish It became subdued, reverent n would never be auRht than guileless; It wns not In his nature to divine wale thing save his own Impulses, he thought he was pleasing her ea tender recollection, each praise, In fact a nail added to her crucifix, However, she lowered her eyes, but kept tw o bravely directed Into his. In the he of one of his panegyrics cay he sight of his watch which . placed at the side of bis plate. J "By Jove! quarter to nine, got an errand or two to do, theres no need of your running J feet off on my account. I'H be He dug inW quarter after. pocket and counted out fifty Pu in paper and gold. "You keep . till I get back." She pushed it aside, half . from her chair. Fortune, listen. Hereafter a George, your brother George; do not want you ever to question I ' am leavlnff action of mine. money In case acme accident me. You never can tell." H her hand and firmly pressed it 80 upon, the money. "In not ,hlI1 did You sister, Ill be back. that I was going to run away"No. "Do you understand now . Yes." While he was gone she remawj seated at the table. She 188 pyramids of the gold, dlvWv'a dates from the odd, arranged crosses and circles and starsshould Pity, pity! Well, why more not It Was be against It? Whs she had had hitherto? she do? She closed her of would trouble her tired brain tea-cup.- Ik-In- . . - 1 about the future till th,py She would let this drift her how It would. Naples. (TO BIS CONTINUED.) Everybody says, "Go up to the man who la getting week 0 , - higter1 1 |