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Show ! gfa. ' - ' " 1 , 3 ' "FhAROLD MACGRATH J Author of HEARTS AND USKS ca AAN ON THE BOX ct&. lllusiral Sorts A . G . Kirna: i . . COPYRIGHT 1911 by J30E3 - J"IEURUL COMPANY gala tt sea thredt a canvaa. Ha felt a btt panicky. 11a bad alwaya planned a courtablp of a year or ao, meeting!, separations, and rcmeetlngs, pleasur-able pleasur-able expectatlona, Ilttla Juuketa to the-ateri the-ateri and country placet; In brief, to witness the roae grow and unfold. Somewhere be bad read or beard that courtship waa tba plummet which sounded the deptha of compatibility. He knew nothing of Fortune Ched-aoye, Ched-aoye, save that aha was beautiful to bli eyea, and that aha waa aa different from the ordinary run of glrla aa yonder yon-der moon waa from the atara. Again she atopped, leaning over tba parapet and atarlng down at tba water wa-ter swirling past tba atona embankment. embank-ment. He did likewise, retting upon hit folded trim. Suddenly bta tongue became alive; and quietly, without hesitancy or embarraatment. be began to tell her o! bla acbool life, bla life at borne. And the manner In which be spoke of bla mother warmed ber; and aha waa atrangely and wonder ing'y attracted. "Of courte, the mother meant the bel In the world when she gave ma Perclval Algernon; and because the meant the bent. I have rarely tried to bide them. What waa good enough for ber to give waa good enough for me to keep. It It simply tout I have been foolish about it, supersensitive. ! should bava laughed and accepted the thing aa a Joke; Instead, I made the fatal move of trying tp run away and hide. Hut, taking the name In full," lightly, "It sound at Incongruous aa playing Traunierel'on a steam piano." lie expected ber to laugh, but ber heart waa too full of the old ache. This young man, kindly, gentle, Intelligent, Intel-ligent, If shy, waa a love-child. And she? An offspring, the loneliest of the lonely, the child that wasn't wanted. want-ed. Many a time ahe had thought of flinging all to the winds, of running away and hiding where they never should find her, of working with ber own hands for ber bread and butter. Little they'd bave cared. Hut always the rebel spirit died within her aa she stepped outside the villa gates. To leave behind for unknown privations certain assured comforts, things of which ahe waa fond, things to wbleb she waa used, she couldn't do It, she Just couldn't. Morally and physically ahe waa a little coward. "Let na go In," she said sharply. Another moment, and she would bava been la tears. CHAPTER VII. Ryanne Tablea Hie Cards. During this time Mrs. Chedsoye. the major, Messrs. Ityanne and Wallace, These four persons w,ere about going forward upon a singularly desperate and unusual enterprise. From now oa they were no longer to fence with on a another, to shirt from this topic to that, with the Indirect maneuvers of a house-cat Intent upon the quest of tba Friday mackerel. The woman'e face was alive with eagerness; tbe oldest man looked from one to tba other with earnest calculation; Wallace Wal-lace no longer bid bla cupidity; Ryanne'a Immobility of countenance waa In lUelf a tacit admission to tba burning of all bla brldgea that be might become a part of this conclave. "Smuggling," aald the major, with prudent lowering of voice, evidently continuing aome previous debate, "smuggling is a fine art, a keen sporting sport-ing proposition; and tbe consequences of discovery are never aerlous. What'e a fine of a thousand dollars agalnat tha profits of many auccesttful excursions excur-sions Into tbe port of New York? Nothing, comparatively. For several years, now, we have carried on thte business with tbe utmost adroitness. Never bave we druwn aerlous attention. atten-tion. We bave made two or three blundera, but the auspicious of tbe se-cret-servtce were put to sleep upon each occasion. We have prospered. Here la a gem, let us say, worth on thla aide a thousand; over there we sell It for enough to give us a clean profit of three or four hundred. Forty per cent, upon our Investment That ought to be enough for any reasonable person. Am I right?" Mrs. Chedsoye alone was unresponsive unrespon-sive to this appeal. "I continue, then. We are making enough to lay by something for our old age. And that's tbe only goal which never loses Its luster. But this affair!" Talk, talk," said Mra. Chedsoye impatiently. im-patiently. "My dear Kate, allow me to relieve my mind." "You bave done ao till tbe topio la threadbare. It la rather late In tbe day to go over tbe ground again. Time Is everything Just now." "Admitted. But this affair, Kate, la big; big with dangers, big with pitfalls; pit-falls; there Is a bidden menace in every ev-ery atep of It. Maybap death; who knows? Tbe older 1 grow, tbe more I cling to material comforts, to enterprises enter-prises of small dangera. However, aa you Infer, there's no going back now." "No," assented Ryanne, bis mouth bard; "not if I have to proceed alone. She smiled at blm. "You talk of danger," speaking to tbe major. "What danger can there be?" "Tbe unforeseen danger, tbe danger of which we know nothing, and there- SYNOPSIS. i Owe PrryJ Algernon Jones, vta- resident of the Metropolitan Oriental (us company of New York, thlratlnt for romance, la In Cairo on buatnaee trip. Jtnrmm Kyanne arrlvaa at th hotel In Cairo with a enrefuUy ruardnd bunrti. Kvsnna aalbi Joimm Iho famous holy T til -ordea ma which ha admit harlns stolon from a puht at fia;1a4. Jonas mata Major Callahan and later la Introduced to Fortune C.'hadanya by a woman to whom ha had loaned US pounds at Monte Carlo noma months pravloualy, and who turns out to bo Fortune's mother. Jonas takao Mrs. Cbadaoye and Fortune to a polo atna. Fortuna raturna to Jonaa the fnnnay borrawad by her mother. Mrs. Chedaoye appears to be anaaa-ad In soma mysterious eulerprUe unknown to the daughter. CHAPTER Vl (Continued.) Some one was sitting down beside him. It waa Ryanne, In evening clothes. Immaculate, blaae, pink-cheeked. pink-cheeked. There are aome men so bap-!lly bap-!lly framed that they can don ready-made ready-made aulla without calling your attention atten-tion to tbe fact George aaw at once that the adventurer waa one of these fortunate Individuals. " "Makes a rather good picture to look at; eh?" began Ityanne. rolling flaketobacco cigarette. "Dance?" "No. Wish I could. You've done quick work." with admiring Inspection. "Not a flaw anywhere. How do you do itr 'Thanks. Thanks to you, I might say. I did aome tall bustling, though. Hi range, bow we love these funeral toggeries. We follow the dance and we follow tbe dead. tltb never a variation In color. Tbe man who Invented In-vented tbe modern evening clothes must bave done good business during tbe day aa chief-mourner." "Why don't you Bend for your luggage?" lug-gage?" Kyanne.4 caressed bis chin. "My luggage la, I believe, In tbe bands of the enemy. It Is of no great importance. import-ance. 1 never carry anything of value, ' save my akin. I'm not like tbe villain In tbe melodrama; no Incriminating documents, no lost wills, no directions for digging up pirates' gold." "I suppose you'll aoon be off for America?" Ueorga aaked Indifferently. "I suppose so. By the way, 1 saw , you at tbe game today." "No! Where were your "Top row. I am going to fc'k a favor of you. It may sound rather odd to your ears, but I know those two ladles rather well. I kept out of the way till I could find aome clothes. The favor I ask Is that you will not tell them anything regarding the circumstances cir-cumstances of our meeting. I am known to tbem aa a globe-trotter and a collector." I That's too bad," said Qeorge con- "You don't believe . . . ?" "My friend, I believe In all things that haven't been proved Impossible. You've been knocking about here long enough to know something of the tenacity of tbe Arab and tho Kant Indian. In-dian. Given a Just cause, an Idol's eye or a boly carpet and they'll follow fol-low you round tbe world ten times, If need be. I never worry needlessly, but I lay out before me all the polnta of the game. There Is one man In Hag-dad Hag-dad who will never cease to think of me. Thla fellow Is an Arab, Mahomed-El-Oebel by name, tbe real article, proud and savage, into whose keeping tbe Holy Yhlordes was given; Ma-homed Ma-homed El Oebel, the Pasha's right-hand, right-hand, a sheik In bis own right" "Hut you haven't got the rug now." "No, Mr. Jones, 1 haven't; but on the other band, you have. 80 here we are together. When be gts through with me, your turn." George laughed. Ryanne grew thoughtful over this sign. Perclval Algernon did not seem exactly worried. wor-ried. "Aren't you a little afraid?" "I? Why ahould I bar Inquired George Innocently. "Certainly, whatever what-ever your Arab friend's arguments may be, moral or physical, I'm going to keep that Yhlordes." Was he bluffing? Ryanne wondered. Did he really bave nerve? Well, within forty-eight boura there would come a test. "Say, do you know, I rather wish you'd been with roe on that trip that Is, If you like a rough game." Ryanne said this In all sincerity. "1 have never been In a rough game, as you call It; but I've often bad a strong desire to be, Just to find out for myself what sort of a duffer I am." Ityanne bad met this sort of man before; be-fore; tbe fellow who wanted to know what stuff be was made of. and waa ready to risk his bide to find out. Ills experience bad taught him to expect nothing of the man who knew Just what be waa going to do In a crisis. "Did you ever know, Mr. Jones," said Ryanne, bis eyes humorous, "that there la an organization In thla world of ours, a company that offers a try-out try-out to men of your kidney?" t "What'B that? What do you mean?" "What I say. There Is an established concern which will, upon application for a liberal purchase of stock, arrange ar-range any kind of adventure you wish." "What?" George drew In bla legs and sat up. "What sort of a Jolly Is this?" "You put your finger upon the one great obstscle. No one will believe that auch a concern exlata. Yet it la 1 a fact. And why not?" think of last aummer at Paris, at Rhelma, at Frankfort; tbe Continental air waa full of flying machlnoa. llab! It'a pretty difficult to Impress the average av-erage mind with something new. Why shouldn't we cater to the poetic, the romantic side of man? We've concerns con-cerns for everything else. Tbe fact la, mediocrity la alwtya standing behind be-hind tbe corner with brickbats for tbe Initiative. Believe ma er not Mr. Jones, but this company exlsta. Tbe proof la that you bave tbe rug and 1 have tbe scare." "But In these prosaic times!" murmured mur-mured George, still skeptical. "Prosaic times!" sniffed Ryanne. "There'a oue of your brickbats. They swung U at the head of tbe first printer. print-er. Prosaic times! My friend, this is the most romantic and bewildering age bjiuanlty baa yet seen, There'a more romance and adventure going about on wheels and steel bottoms than ever there was In tbe days of Drake and tbe Spanish galloons. There's an adventure lurking round the nearest corner romance, too. What thla organization doea Is to direct you; after that you bave to ablft for yourself. your-self. But, like a first rate physical Instructor, In-structor, they never map out more than a man can do. They gave me the rug. Your bones, on such a quest, would bave been bleaching upon the banks or the Tigris." "What the deuce Is this company called?" George waa enjoying the conversation con-versation Immensely 'The 1'nlted Romance and Adventure Adven-ture company, Ltd., of London, Paris, and New York." "Have you any of tbe company's paper with you?" George repreWsd his laughter because Ryanne'a face was serious enough. "Unfortunately, no. But If you will give me your banker's address I'll be pleased to forward you the prospectus." prospec-tus." "Knauth, Nachod and Kuhne. I am ahortly leaving for borne. Better send It to New York. I say, suppose a chap buys an adventure that Is not up to the mark; can be return It or xchange it for another?" "No. It's all chance, you know. Tbe rules of tbe game are steel-bound. steel-bound. We find you an adventure; It's up to you to make good." "But, once more suppose a chap gets a little too rough a game, and doesn't turn up for his dividends; what then?" "In that event," answered Ryanne sadly, "tbe stock reverts to the general gen-eral fund." George lay back in bla chair and let go his laughter. "You are mighty good company, Mr. Ryanne." "Well, well; we'll say nothing more about it. But a moment gone you siok as If you were game for an exploit." ex-ploit." "1 still am. But If I knew tbe adventure ad-venture was prearranged, aa you ssy, and I was up against a wall, there would be the Inclination to cable tbe firm for more Instructional Ryanne himself laughed this time. "That's a good Idea. I don't believe tbe company ever thought of such a contingency. But I reeat our busl-nesa busl-nesa In to give you the kirk off. After that you have to fight for your own downa." "Tbe stock Isn't listed?" ag.li laughing. "Scarcely. One man teila another, aa I tell you, and ao on." "You send 111 the prospectus, I'm rather curious to bave a look at tt." "I certainly shall do so." replied Ryanne. with gravity unassumed. "Ah? Here come Mrs. Chedsoye and her daughter. If you don't mind. !H make ntf self scarce. I de not rare to see them Just uow. after your having hav-ing told them about tbe stolen Yblordes." "Pm sorry," aald . George, rising eagerly. It's all In the game." gallantly. George saw him gracefully maneuver ma-neuver bis way round tbe crush toward to-ward tbe stalra leading to the bar. Really, he would like to know more about this amiable freelance. As the old fellows used to say, he little dreamed that destiny, one of those things from Pandora's box, wss preparing pre-paring a deeper and more Intimate acquaintance. "And what haa been amusing you. Mr. Jones?" asked Mra. Chedsoye. "1 1 aaw you laughing." "I was talking with the rug chap. I He's a droll fellow. He said that he 1 bad met you somewhere, but con-1 con-1 eluded not to renew the acquaintance, r since I told blm that his adventure la part was known to you." "That Is foolish. I rather enjoy 1 meeting men of bla stamp. Don't you, . Fortune?" 1 "Sometimes." with a dry little ; smile. "I believe we have met him. v mother. There waa aetnethtng familiar fa-miliar about bis bead. Of eoerae, we t saw him only from a distance " "I do not think there la any real a ham la him." aald George. "What t made ma laugh waa t atogular propo sition be set before me. He said he owned stock In a concern called 'The United Romance and Adventure company;' com-pany;' and that for a specified sum of money, one could bave any adventure one pleated." "Did you ever hear of such a thing?" cried the mother merrily. Fortune For-tune searched ber face keenly. 'The United Romance and Adventure Company! Com-pany! He mutt bave been Joking. What did you say bis name Is?" "Rysnne. Joking Is my Idea exactly," exact-ly," George agreed. "Tbe acheme la to plunge tbe stockholder Into a real live adventure, and then let htm pull hlnitelf out the best way be can. Sounds good. He added that this rug business wat an Inatance of the success suc-cess of the concern. There goes the music. Do you dance, Miss Chedsoye?" Ched-soye?" "A little." Fortune waa preoccupied. preoccu-pied. She was wondering what lay behind Mr. Ryanne'a amiable Jest. "Go along, both of you," said Mra. Chedsoye. "I am too Old to dance. I prefer watching people." She aat down and arranged berelf comfortably. comfort-ably. She was alwaya arranging herself her-self comfortably; It waa one of the se-crett se-crett of ber perennial youth. 8he was very lovely, but George had eyes 1 for the daughter only. Mm. Chedsoye Ched-soye taw this, but waa not in tfie least chagrined. "It Is so many yeara since I tripped tb light fantastic toe." George confessed, con-fessed, reluctantly and nervously, now that he bad bravely committed himself. him-self. "It la quite possible that tbe accent will be primarily upon the trip." "Perhaps, then." replied the girl, who truthfully waa out of tune, "per-hnpt "per-hnpt I bad better get my wraps and we'll go outside. Tbe night la glorious." glori-ous." , She couldn't have suggested anything any-thing more to bis liking. And so, after a little hurrying about the two young people went outside and begun to promenade slowly up and down the mole. Tbelr conversation waa desultory. desul-tory. George had dropped back Into bla shell and tbe girl waa noL equal to the task of drawing blm out. Once be stumbled over a sleeping beggar, and would bave fallen bad the not caught blm by tbe arm. "Thanks. I'm clumsy." "It's rather difficult to aee them In the moonlight; their rags match tbe pavements." The Kgyptlaa night, that sapphlrlne darknets which tbe flexible Imagination Imagina-tion peoplea with lovely and terrible shades, or floods with mystery and romance ro-mance and wonder, lay softly upon thla strip of verdure aslant the desert's des-ert's face, the Valley of the Nile. The moon, round, brilliant, atrangely near, suffused the scarred old visage of the world with phantom silver; the stones of the parapet glowed dully, the pavement pave-ment glistened whltely, all things It touched wHh gentleness, lavishing beauty upon beauty, mellowing ugliness ugli-ness or effacing It. Tbe deep blue Nile, berlbboned with tbe glancing lights from tbe silent feluccas, curling musically along the aldee of the frostlike frost-like dahabeahs and steamers, rolled oa to the sea; and tbe blue-white are-lamps, spanning tbe Great Nile bridge, took the semblance of a pearl necklace. From time to time a caravan cara-van trooped across tbe bridge Into Cairo. "Do you care for poetry, Mr. Jones?" "I? I used to write It." "And you aren't afraid to admit It?" "Well. I thoukln't confess tbe deed to every one." he answered frankly. "We all write poetry at one time or another; but it'a generally not constitutional, consti-tutional, and we recover." . "I do not see why any one ahould be ashamed of writing poetry." "Ah. but there Is poetry and poetry. My kind and Byron'a Is born of kindred kin-dred souls: but he waa an acttva genius, whereas, I wasn't even a passive pas-sive one. In all great poets I And my own rejected thoughts, aa Ktnerson says; and tbat'a enough for my Blender Blen-der needs Poets are rather uncomfortable uncom-fortable chaps to have round. Tbey are capricious. Irritable, temperament al, selfish, and usually demand all the attention." The Ilttla vocal stream died up i again, and once more they listened to the magic sounds of the night 8h stopped abruptly to look over tbe parapet, para-pet, and his shoulder met hers; aftei that the world to blm waa never going go-ing to be the aame again. Moonlight and poetry; not tb aafeat channels to sail uacharted. Th girl waa lonely, and George was lone y, too. Ills longing bad now assumed a definite form; bers moved from thli to that still Indefinitely. The oulck Bees with which this definition ha come to George rather atartled him His first algbt of Fortune Chedsoyt had been but yesterday; yei, here b waa, not desperately but cwoscioualj la love with her. The altaatloe bon s gainst all precepts; It ripped up bli preconceived Ideas of romance at 1 ' "And You Arsn't Afraid to Admit Itr "It's the Excitement of Getting It and Coming Away Unscathed." tritely. "But I have already told them." "The devil you have!" Ryanne dropper drop-per his cigarette Into tbe ash tray. "If t remember rightly, you aaked me to say nothing " "J know." Mid George, visibly em-arraseed. em-arraseed. "I forgot" "Welt the fat la In tbe fire. I dare ay that I caa get round It It waa tisky. Women Ike to talk. I expect every hour te bear of some one arriving ar-riving from Bagdsd." There'a no boat from that direction tiff tint week." Informed George, who waa a etlcWr oa timetables. There ere other waya of getting tat Fsn4 Know aaytblcg about rachBsj earroVs?" "Because It wouldn't be real; II would be going to the moon a It Coney Island." "Wrong, absolutely wrong. If I told you that I am a stockholder It this company, and that the adventurt of tbe Yhlordes rug waa arranged foi my special benefit "hat would yoi aay?" "Say?" George turned a eerloui countenance toward the adventurer "Why, the whole thing la absurd 01 the face of It As a Joke, It might go but aa a genuine affair, utterly Impot alble." "No." quietly. "I admit that I sounds absurd, yea; but tea years ag' they'd have locked a p. aa taeaae, 1 maa who aald that he eould fly. Bu , officers and dlrectora la the United 1 Romance and Adventure Company. . Ltd.. aat la the major's room, round I the botidolr-ataad which had tempo- , rarlly been given the dignity of a . table. Tbe scene would not have been I without Interest either to the speculative specula-tive physiognomist or to the dramat- I 1st Te each It would have repreeeat- t ed one of those aalonlsbtns momenta t when the aoul cf a pereoa cornea out 1 Into the pea. aa oae might express It. 1 incautiously, to be revealed ta the ei- i presslooa of the eyea and the anouth. fore are unable to prepare for It Tow de not aee It my dear, but It la there, nevertheless." Wallace nodded approvingly. Rw, aane shrugged. "Failure Is practically Impossible. ' And I want excitement; I crave it M you men crave your tobacco." 1 "And there we are. Kate. It really Ita't the gold; It's the excitement of. getting It and coming away aaaeathed. tt I eould only get you te look at alt aldea of the affair! It'a the Wiiblcsjav (TO BE CONTJJCCED.) a |