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Show ills IP MROLD MACGRATH AutW o HEARTS AND .MASKS Gi, MAN Ort THE BOX etc. . Illuslraiiorvs 4 M.G.Kkttiek . . COPYRIGHT 1911 by MERRILL COMPANY ; ' Ai ths Caravan Waa Passing &h Screamsd. church, think nothing of beating Uncle Sam out of a few dollara. Here's Jones, for Instance; he would have tried to smuggle In that rug. Iin't that right. JoneaT" "Of courae!" cried George eagerly, though scarcely knowing what he aald. "I'd bav done it." "And you wouldn't call Perrlval a thief." with a forced laugh. "It'e like thla, Fortune. Uncle Ram wanta altogether al-together too much rake-off. He doean't give ua sc.: ire deal; and ao we even up the matter by trying to beat him. Scruplee? Rot!" "It la stealing," with quiet conviction. convic-tion. "It I; n't, either. Llaten to me. Suppose Sup-pose I purchase a pearl necklace In Rome, and pay five-thousand for It. Uncle Sam will bocit up the value more than one-half. And what for? To protect Infant Industries? Rally rot! We don't make pearls In the States; our oysters aren't educated up to It." Ilia fllppan-y found no response re-sponse In her. "Well, suppose I get that necklace through the customs without paying the duty. I make twenty-five hundred or ao. And nobody no-body Is lurt. That's all your mother does." "It la ateallng." she reiterated. How wan she looked! thought George, "How can you make that ateallng?" Ryanne waa provoked. "The law puts a duty upon such thing! ; If you do not pay It, you steel. Oh, Horace, don't waste your time lu specious arguments." She made a geature, weariness personified. "It Is ateallng; all the arguments In the world can not change It Into anything else. And bow about my uncle who fleeces the lambs at carda, and bow about my mother who knows and permits per-mits It?" Ryanne had no plausible argument to offer egalnat these queries. "la not my uncle a thief, and Is not my mother an abettor? I do not know of anything ao vile." Her figure grew less erect. To George's eyes, dimmed by the reflecting misery In hers, she drooped, aa a flower exposed to sudden sud-den cold. "I think the thief In the night much honester than one who rheata at cards. A enrd sharp; did you not call It that? Don't lie, Horace; Hor-ace; It will only make me sad." "I ahon't lie any more, Fortune. All that you believe Is true; and I would to God that It were otherwise And No, I don't believe you have. Home ancealor of your father's baa been re Incarnated In you. You are without vanity and dishonesty ; and I have found that these usually go together. Well, at Mentone you had a little experience ex-perience with men. You were under protection then; protection It was of a sort. If you go out Into the world alone, there will be no protection; and you will find that men are wolves generally, and that the a port of the chaae Is a woman. Must I make it plainer?" "I understand," her thin once more reaolute. "I shall becoxe a clerk In a shop. Terbapa I can teach, or be come a nunte. Whatever I do, I shall never go lack to Mentone. And all men are not bad. You're not all bad yourself, Horace; and so far as I am concerned, I believe I might trust you anywhere." 1 "And God knows you could!" genuinely. genu-inely. "Rut I can't help you. If I had a sister or a oman relative, I could aend you to her. Rut I have no one but my brother, and he's a worse scoundrel than I am. I at least work out in the open. He transacts bit villainies behind closed doors." George listened, sitting aa motionless motion-less as a Ruddhlst Idol. Why couldn't he think of something? Why couldn't he come to the aid of tho woman be loved In thla her hour of trial? A fine lover, forsooth! To alt there like a yokel, stupidly! Could he offer to lend her money? A thousand times, no! And he could not ask her to marry him; It would not have been fair to either. She would have misunderstood; mis-understood; she would have seen not love but pity, and refused him. Neb-ther Neb-ther she nor Ryanne suffered more la spirit than he did at that moment. "Jones, for God's sake, wake up nnd auggest something! You know lots of decent people. Can't you think of aome one?" Rut for this rail George might have continued to grope In darknesa. In stantly he saw a way. He Jumped to his feet and seized her by the bands, boyishly. "Fortune, Ryanne Is right. I've found a way. Mr. Mortimer, the president pres-ident of my firm, Is an old man, kindly and lovable. He and his wife are childless. They'll take you. Wby, it'a aa easy aa talking." She leaned back against the draw Ing of his hands. She was afraid that In his eagerness he waa going to take Ily Judicious Inquiries George ascertained ascer-tained that the trip to Ragdad, barring barr-ing accidents, would take fully thirty-five thirty-five days. The dally Journey a pro-reeded pro-reeded uneventfully. Mahomed maintained main-tained a taciturn grlmneaa. If be aimed at Ryanne at all, It waa in trifling annoyances, such as forgetting forget-ting to give him bis rations unleas be asked for them, or walking over the cards spread out upon the sand. Ryanno carried himself very well. Had he been alone, be would have broken loose against Mahomed; but he thought of the others, and restrained himself aome consideration waa due them. Rut into the blood o( the two men there crept a petty irritability. They answered one another aharply, and often did not speak. Fortune alone aeemed mild and gentle. Mahomed, since that night she bad braved him, let her go and come aa she pleased, nor once disturbed ber. Had she shown weakness when most she needed need-ed courage, Mahomed might not have altered hla plans. Admiration of courage cour-age Is Inherent In all people. So, without appreciating It, that moment had been a precious one, saving them all roue unpleasantness. Ry the twentieth day, the caravan as far Into the Arabian desert, and early In the afternoon, they came upon up-on a beautiful oasla, nestling like so emerald In a plaque of gold. 80 many days had passed since the beloved green of growing things had soothed their Inflamed eyea, that the sight of this haven cheered them all mightily. Once under the shade of the palms, h trio imukmj uv-vieart. Fortune sang a little, George told a funny story, and Ryanne wanted to know If they wouldn't take a hand at euchre. Indeed, In-deed, that oasla was the turning point of the oTlala. Another week upon the tJreary, profitless sands, and their spirits spir-its would have gone under completely. 1 This oasis was clone to the regular ramel-way, there being a larger oasis I iome twenty-odd miles to the north. 1 Hut Mahomed felt safe at this distance, I Mid decided to freshen up the caravan 1 by a two days' rest. ( George Immediately began to show I Fortune little attentions, lie fixed her 1 "addle bags, spread out her blanket. 1 brought her some ripe dates of hla I wn picking. Insisted upon golog to I he well and drawing the water she 1 ns to drink. And oh! how a eet and oo that water was. after the gritty 1 lat liquid they had been drinking! I lust before sundown, he and Fortune I let out upon a voyage of discovery; t ind Ryanne paused In hla game of pa- 1 tlence to watch them. There was 11 nore self abnegation than bitterness I n his eyes. Why not? If Fortune re- t urned to her mother, sooner or later f he thunderbolt would fall. Far better 1 hat ahe should fall In love with Jones 1 han to go back to the overhanging t ihadow. A smile lifted the corners of I lis llpa, a sad smile. I'erclval didn't 00k the part of a hero. His coat was I irarloualy apllt under the arms and t icross the shoulders; his trousers 1 vere ragged, and he walked In his -loth pads like a man who bad gout n both feet. A beard covered his 1 ace, and the bare spots were blistered ( ind peeling. Rut there was youth In 1 'erelval'a eyes and youth In his heart, ind surely the youth In hers must 1 tome day respond. She would know hla young man; ahe would know that idverslty could not cruah him; that t be promise of safety could not make t 1 coward of him; that be was loyal ind brave and honest. She would t mow in twenty days what It takes Ihe J iverage woman twenty years to learn, be manner of man who professed to ove her. Ryanne Wt the game unfln-shed, unfln-shed, stretched himself upon the t round. Ob, the bitter cup, the bitter 1 up! Round the Are that night, the camel toys got out their tom toms and reeds, ind the eerie music affected the white eople bauntlngly and mysteriously, i'or thousands of yeara, the high and ow notes of the drums t hollow earth- r njars or Urge gourds covered with l ;oat skin st one end) and the thin, me- e alllc wall of the reeds had echoed r icross the deserts, unchanged. j Fortune always remembered that r light. Wrapped in her blanket, she t lad lain down Just outside the circle, , md had fallen Into a dote. When the 1 nusle stopped and the boys left the c irlsonera to themselves. George and t tyanne talked. "1 never forget faeea." began eorge. "No? That's a gift." "And I have never forgotten yours r was In doubt st first, but not bow " j "1 never met yon till that eight at be hotel." "That'a true. Rut yoa are Horace Vadswcrth. all the same, the son of be millionaire banker, the r&aa I need o admire In the field," , "Yea still think I'm that chap?" 1 am sure of It. The first morning ( ow gsve yourself away." , -What did I seyr aatkwaly, , "You Bumbled foot ball phrases " r "Ah!" Ryanne was vastly relieved. He seemed to be thinking. "Do you persist In denying It?" "I might deny it, but I shan't I'm Horace Wadsworth, a!l right. Fortune knows something about that chapter, but not all. Strikes you odd, eh?" continued con-tinued Ryanne, Iron in bis voice. "Every opportunity In the world; and yet, here I am. How much do you know, I wonder?" "You took some money from the bank, I think they aald." "Rlght-O! Wine, I'erclval; cards, wine and other things. Advice and warning went Into one ear and out of the other. Always so, eh? You have heard of my brother, I dare say. Well, he wouldn't lend me two stamps were I to write for the undertaker to come and collect my remains, Beautiful history! his-tory! I've been doing aome lull thinking think-ing these lonely nlghta. Only the straight snd narrow way pays. Re good, even If you arc lonesome. When I get hark, If I ever do, It's a new leaf for mine. Neither wine nor cards nor women." HIN'iice. The Are no longer blazed; It glowed. "Who la Mrs. Chedaoje?" George finally began anew. "First, how did you chance to make her acquaintance?" "Some years ago. at Monte Carlo." "And she borrowed a hundred and fifty pounds of you." "Who told you that?" quickly. "She did. She paid you back." "Yes." "And she hadn't Intended to. You pU2jrJnnocent!" "Wiiy do you call me that?" "To lend money at Monte Carlo to a woman whoso name you did not know st the time! Green, green as a paddy field! I'll tell you who ahe la, because vou're bound to learn sooner or later. She Is one of the most adroit smug-tiers smug-tiers of the sge; Jewels and rare laoes. And never once has the secret-service been able to touch ber. Her brother, ihe Mejor, assists her when he Isn't Mclng tender lamba at - all known tames of chance. He's a card-sharp, )ii of the best of them. He tried to each me, but I never could cheat a nan at cards. Never makes any false 1 noves, but waits for the quarry to of-Vr of-Vr ttaelf. That poor child has always een wondering and wondering, but ihe never succeeded In finding out the ruth. Rrother and sister have made i handsome living, and many a time I lave helped them out. There; you mve me in the ring, too. Rut who ares? The father, so I understand, narrled Fortune's mother for love; he married him for his money, and te hadn't any. Drink and despair dispelled dis-pelled him quickly enough. She Is a emarkable woman, and If ahe had a leart, ahe would be the greatest of hem all. She has as much heart as his beetle," as he flipped the green Irl-lescent Irl-lescent shell Into the fire. "Rut, after ill, she's lucky. It's a bad thing to lave a heart. I'erclval, a bad thing. Some one Is sure to come along and 1 ring It. to Jab it and stab It." "The poor little girl!" "I'erclval, I'm no fool. I've been latching you. Go In and win ber; and od bless you both. She's not for me, he'a not for me!" "Rut whst place have I in all this?" ivaalvely. "What do you mean by that?" "Why did Mra, Chedsoye pay me nek, when ber original Intention had j em not to pay me?" "Youll find all that written In the , took of fate, as Mahomed would say. ilore. 1 cannot tell you." "Will not?" , "Well, that phrase express It." They both beard the sound. For-une, For-une, her face white and drawn, itood Immediately behind them. CHAPTER XVI. Mahomed Rides Alone. It wss as If the stillness of the dee-rt dee-rt Itself bsd encompassed the two nen. In their ears the slither of the irl'tle palm leaves agalnat one an-iiber an-iiber and the crackle of the fire were 10 longer sounds. They stared at "ortune with that speechless wonder f men who had come unexpectedly ipon a wraith. What with the faint , ;low of fW fire upon one aide of her t nd the pallor of moonshine upon the , it her. she did Indeed resemble man's inception of the spiritual. , Ryanne was first to pull himself to- 1 ;ether. I "Fortune, 1 am sorry; God knows 1 am. I'd have cut out my tongue 1 at her than have hurt you. I thought pu were asleep In the tent" -la It true?" ( "Yea." Ryanne looked away. "I had not quite expected this: the laughter, of a thief." 1 "Oh, rem bow; dont look at It hat way. Smuggling Is altogether a ! Iifferent thing." protested Ryanne. Women were uncertain; he'e ahe ras. apparently the least saluted of 1 he three.) "WTiy, tondreds of men 1 1 w erven who regalarty go to "She Is One of the Most Adroit Smugglers of the A as." .11 SYNOPSIS. Oenri I'crirlval Alcrnnn Junes, vice-ipmaldnnt vice-ipmaldnnt of the Mlriiiolttnn Oriental ItuK cnmimny of New York, tliirmiit for rimnm-e. la III t'ulrci on it biinlnras trip, florae Itanna arrlwa at the Imlol In ir. Willi a artfully auanleil tmnilla. Itvann arlla Joiira lit fuiimiia holy Vlil--oMm rti whli-li ha aitmlla iavln alulon fnun a iahu al !niflrt. Jum-a mta yiajor Callahan ami li-r la lnlroluil In 1'orlun CliKilanva by a woman to whom t hail i,anJ I. Vi ii.imtila at M011I Cur hi mntnm timiifha preuoualy, ami who turna hj( lu bt I-crliini-a mother. Jurii-a laMra Mra t'hpilaii anl Korlona In a polo acaina. 1'i.riiiria rlurn In Jona lha tiMny borrow ! by her mollirr. Mra. 4'litilanva appi-ar to riiKaax! In aoina n ai f rlima fiiirrprlaa unknown In lha anahlrr Kyaiine Interrata Jonoa In Ilia Vnliri ItoiiiMii i an.l A'lveiilura rnni-v rnni-v 'paw, a mmrrn which for a price will armor" any klni of an alvanlura fi or-1-r. Mra. Chnlaoya, bar brothar, M.il'T . Callahan, Walla,- an1 Ityanna. aa lha Itnlioil Itonianca anil Ailvenitir company, tan a rlaky anlarprla Involving Jonaa. ltyanna makes known to Mra. Olicilaoya lila Iniantion In marry Forluna, Mra. t'harianya ri. Inrra aha will nut permit II. I'lana ara In hi to prevent Junes aalllna 'r iifima. ltyanna ataala Jonas' leitera Hint en Me d la pat 1 haa. lis wires agent In New York. In Jonea' name, thai lia la renting bona In New York In soma frtevula. Mahoineil. keeper of lha holy -arpe, la on ltyanna a trail, ltyanna .vruorilaea Kortuna that ha will see that . Jonea rmnra to no barm as a result of bis fnirchaae of lha rue Mahomed accosts tyanne and demamla lha Yhlordea rua. ltyanna tells Mm Jones has the rua and uaaeata the abductlnn of the Naw York merchant aa a ineana of aeciirlnc Its return re-turn 'Hi a rue disappears from Jones' room. Fortune quarrela with her mother wrha'n the latter rrfuees to eiplaln her -snyaleriona actlona. Fortune acta a tnes-ewae tnes-ewae p'irprtltv In be from ltyanna auk-Ins; auk-Ins; her In meet him In a secluded place that evenlna. Jnnes receives a meeaace aktn( him to meet Itvamie at the F.nalleh-llr F.nalleh-llr the Mint evening. Jonea la rarrled ff Into the desert by Mahomed and bis rrmmpllcee sfler a desperate flax lit. lie aSlwi-overe that ltyanna and Fortune alao are captlvea. Ihe former la badly I. .tiered sutA unconeclima. ltyanna recovers run-ex-fcoianeee and the alvhl of Fortune In -epllvliy revea'a to him Ihe fact that Mahomed Intende In e venues h.-e on him through the girl. Fortune acknowl--l (re that ahe atole the rug from Jonea' room. Hhe offers to return It tn Mahomed tf he will fiee all three of them. Ma-fomed Ma-fomed agrees In liberate Fortune and one -it (he men In return for the rug A cntir-1-r Is sent to Calm for the rug. but re. turn with the Information that Mrs r,Uov and her brother have sailed for New York. Fortune spume offered free-aloni free-aloni which dues not Include her two com-gtsnlnna. com-gtsnlnna. CHAPTER XV. (Continued.) When camp was made that night ft found the captives untalkatlve. The lrl and the two men sat moodily about the fire. Fatigue had dulled their bodies and hopelessness their tnlnds. The men were ragged now, unkempt; a stubble of beard covered Ibelr faces, gaunt yet burned. George tied lost his remaining pump, and aa Ma Blockings were now full of boles, Ie had, in the last flicker of personal pride, wound about them aome cast-off cast-off cloths be bad found. There was not enough water for ablutions; there waa scarcely enougL to aaauage thirst Py and by, Ryanne, without turning Ills bead, spoke to George. "You aay you questioned the courier?" -Yes." "He sirs be showed the note te so one?" "Yes." -And so no one will try to find asf So." Ityanne had asked thsse questions 4oaea tfmea snd George bad always Klvea the seme answers. t'p end away at dawn, for tbey mus reach the will thst night It was a errMe iay for thetn HI Evea the toss's rt-iwed slfns Of distress. Antf iiy.x -orl cf " was. ilahomrd was :. . not quite sure of his route. Fortunately, Fortunate-ly, they fout.d the well. They drank ' like mail people. Ityanne, who had discovered a pack of carda In hla pocket, played patience upon a spot smoothed level with his hand. He became absorbed in the : game; and the boya gathered round , hlr.i curiously. Whenever he succeed- ed In turning out the fifty-two cards, he would smile and rub his hands together. to-gether. The boys st length consld- , ered him unbalanced mentally, and In consequence looked upon blrn aa a near holy man. . Hetween Fortune and George con- , vernation dwindled down to a query and an answer. . "Can I do anything for you?" "No, thanks; I am getting along nicely." To-night ahe retired early, and , George joined Ryanne'a audience. , "It averages about nine cards to the j play," he commented. , Ityanne turned over an ace. Ten or , fifteen minutes went by. In the sev- , eral attempts be had failed to acore the full complement. George laughed. j "What's in your mind?" cried Ry- j anne peevishly. "If f anything , worth telling, shoot it out. shoot It , out!" , "I was thinking what I'd do to a ( club steak Just about now." Ryanne stared beyond the fire. "A f club-steak. Grilled mushrooms." , "8auce tkirdelalae. Artichokes." j "No. Asparagua, Tlnalgrette." a "What's the mstter with endives?" , "That's so. Well, asparagua with butter sauce." , "Grilled sweets, coffee, Ilenedlctlne, ( and cigars." , "And s magnum of '1900' to start off , with!" R.ranne, with a sudden change of mood, scooped up the cards and 1 flung them at George's bead. "Do you 1 want ua both to become gibbering Idiots?" 1 George ducked. He and the boys 1 gathered In the fluttering pasteboarda. r "You'ie right. Ferclval." Ryanne admitted ad-mitted humbl;. "It will not hurt us t to talk out loud, and we are all brood- log too much. I am craty for the want t of tobacco. I'd trade the best dinner I ever cooked for a decent cigar". George put a band reluctantly Into his pocbt. He brought forth, with ei- 1 treme gentleneaa, a cigar, the wrapper t of which was broken In many plaea. 1 "I've aaved thla for days." be said. With his pen knife be sawed It dell- t cately Into two parts, and gave one to r Ryanne. "You're a good fellow, Jones, end r I've turned you a shabby trick. I t shan't forget this bit of tobacco." I "It's the last we've got. The boys, you know, refuse a pull at the water- C pipe; defiles 'em. they say. Funny ggara! And if they gave us tobacco, we shouldn't have paper or pipes " I "I always carry a pipe, but I lost It In tbe shuffle. 1 never looked upon t smoking as a bad habit. I suppose It's because I was Rfver caught txtfrire wlthcwt It And It Is a bad bablt. t since It knocks ap a chap thla way t for the lack of It Where do yoa get yiwr club steaks la old N. T.T" And for sa hour or more they sol- 1 emely discussed the cooking here aad there upon the face of the globe. I've been a partner in many of their piplotta. Put not at cards. Fortune; not at cards; I'm not thst kind of a heat" "Thank you. I should have known tome time, and perhaps only balf a I ruth. Now 1 know all there Is to know." 8he held ber hands out be-Fore be-Fore her and studied them. "I shall never go bat k." "Good Lord! Fortune, you must You'd be aa blpless as a babe. What routd you do without money and com tortr "I ran become a clerk In a shop. It sill be boneat Rread at Mentone aould choke me;" and she choked a little then aa she spoke. "My drar Fortune." aald Ryanne. railing Into life that persuaelve tweet nets which upon ocraalons he rtnttd put Into bis tones, "have yon iver thought bow b'SuUful yoa are? her In his arms. She wondered why, of a sudden, she bsd become so weak. "Ill table tbe moment we reach port." he aald, as If reaching port tinder tin-der the etlsilng conditions was thing quite possible. "Will yoa go te them? Why. they will give yoo ev-ery ev-ery care In the world. And tbey will t love you as ... as yoq ought to be loved!" Ryanne turned awsy bis ead. Fun une was too deeply absorbed by ber misery to Bote how net George bad come to committing hlmeelf. "Thank you. Mr. Jot; thank yoa. I am going to the tent I am tired. And I am not so brave as you think I sm." "Hut will yea?" "I shall tell yoa when we reach port.- And with that ahe fed to the tent (TO 0S CD. N'T J.ST ED |
