Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-04-02

10 SINCE the DeaTQ OF In6 king OIL Spain
And capture another dean of Jaen
And sell him in Algiers.
"A Dutch Picture.
wAHE Sudan campaign and Dicks
broken head had been some
months ended and mended,
and the Central Southern syn
dicate had paid Dick a certain sum
on account for work done, which work
| they were careful to assure him was
not altogether up to their standard.
Dick heaved the letter into the Nile at
Cairo, cashed the draft in the same
town and bade warm farewell to Tor
| penhow at the station.
Il am going to lie up for awhile and
rest" said Torpenhow. Il don't know
where l shall live in London, but if
God brings US to meet, we shall meet.
Are you staying here on the off chance
| of another row? There will be none
till the southern Sudan is reoccupied
by our troops. Mark that Goodby,
| bless you. Come back when your
moneys spent and give me your adj
dress"
| Ishmailia and Port Said = especially
Port Said. There is iniquity in many
parts of the world, and vice in all, but
the concentrated essence of ell the in
iquities and all the vices in all the con-
tinents finds itself at Port Said. And
| through the heart of that sand bor-
dered hell, where the mirage fickers
dor 01n lob
move, if you only wait, most of the
men and women you have known in
this life. Dick established himself in
| quarters more riotous than respectable.
He spent his evenings on the quay, and
boarded many ships, and saw very
many friends gracious Englishwomen
with whom he had talked not too wise
hurrying war correspondents, shippers
of the contract troopships employed in
the campaign, army officers hy the
score and others of less reputable
trades.
He had choice of all the races of the
east and west for studies, and the ad-
vantage of seeing his subjects under
the influence OF strong excitement at
the gaming tables, saloons, dancing
| hells and elsewhere. For recreation
there was the straight vista of the ca
nal, the blazing sands, the procession
| of shipping and the white hospitals
| where the English soldiers lay. Dick
strove to pen down in black and white
and colors all that Providence sent him,
and when that supply was ended
| sought about for fresh material It
was a fascinating employment, but it
ran away with his money, and he had
| drawn in advance the f120 to which he
was entitled yearly.
"Now shall have to work or starve,"
thought he, and was addressing him.
self to this new fate when the mysteri-
GUS telegram arrived from Torpenhow
| in England which said: "Come back
| quick You have caught on. Come" A
| large smile oyerspread his face. $50
soon! That's good hearing" said he to
himself. "There will be an orgy
| tonight. I'll stand or fall by my luck.
Faith, it's time it Gamer He deposited
half of his funds in the hands of his
well known friends, Nj. and ATtae BIZ
nat, and ordered himself Zanzibar
dance of the finest. M. Bihat was shak-
ing with drink, but madame smiled
sympathetically.
| "Monsieur needs a chair, of course;
and of course monsieur will sketch.
Monsieur amuses himself strangely"
Binat raised blue-white face from
a cot in the inner room. Il under
gtand,'' he quavered. 1--WE all know
monsieur. Monsieur is an artist, as
| have been" Dick nodded. "In the
end" said Binat, with gravity, mon
sieur will descend alive into hell, as
have descended" And he laughed
''You must come to the dance too,"
said Dick. 81 shall want you"
For my face? knew it would be
so. For my face? And for my degrada-
ton so tremendous! 1 will not Take
him away. He is a devil. Or at least
do thou, Celeste, demand of him more"
| The excellent Binat began to kick and
scream.
"All things are for sale in Port Said"
said madame. "If my husband comes
it will be so much more. Eh, 'ow you
call-'alf a sovereign"
The money was paid, and the mad
dance came off that night in the walled
courtyard at the back of Nine. BinatS
house. The lady herself, in faded
mauve silk always about to slide from
her yellow shoulders, played the piano,
and to the tinpot music of a western
waltz the Zanzibar girls danced furi-
ously by the light of kerosene lamps.
Binat sat upon chair and stared
| with eyes that saw nothing till the
whirl of the dance and the clang of the
rattling piano stole into the drink that
took the place of blood in his veins, and
his face glistened. Dick took him by
the chin brlltally and turned that face
to the light. Nine. Binat looked over
her shoulder and smiled with many
teeth. Dick leaned against the wall
and sketched for an hour, till the kero-
sene lamps began to smell and the girls
threw themselves painting on the hard
beaten ground.
Then he shut his book with snap
and moved away, Binat plucking fee
bly, at his elbow. "Show me-" he whim-
pered. q, too, was once an artist, even
Iy' Dick showed him the rough sketch
cam l that?' he screamed. "Will you
take that away with you and show all
the world that it is l, Binat?" He
moaned and wept.
| "Monsieur has paid for all" said
madame. .sTo the pleasure of seeing
monsieur again"
The courtyard gate shut, and Dick
hurried up the sandy street to the
nearest gambling hell, where he was
well known. IF the luck holds, it's
an omen; If l lose, must stay here.
He placed his money picturesquely
about the board, hardly daring to look
at what he did. The luck held. Three
turns of the wheel left him richer by
f20, and he went down to the shipping
to make friends with the captain of a
decayed cargo steamer, who landed
him in London with fewer pounds in
his pocket than he cared to think
about
A thin gray fog hung over the city
and the streets were very cold, fol
summer was in England.
'It's a cheerIess wilderness and il
hasn't the knack of altering much,' !
4