Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-03-10

man ran Ou. DO you huOM, |
/ had you in mind at that moment, as
if / should see you directly.
How long are you here? Where are
you staying, old Jack? Wasn't
that strange, thought"
Jack thought his friends behavior
stranger. He was not W of the
card play, rumor of which had reached
as far as Liverpool. "Devonshire
he said, laconically. Got any
fish?"
Not very many" Poor old Sale.
How sick he looked! But now that
you're here-wait a minute, I'll let old
lib go home"
He came back smiling and with his
natural color, and Jack was cor
monty funny about the war. 1t did
not surprise the jester that his friend
put no more questions with respect to
the of their encounter. He
was a good deal touched, for, on the
other hand, Sales affectionate cordial
ity confessed relief from a great dis
tress. They went down to the hotel,
and there the afternoon was whiled
away with talk of old times, as if no
mystery had spun fine threads between
them.
1t was over the after dinner smoke
that both men came to an awkward
silence. For Jack, at any rate, this
was not endurable; he waited for some
more intimate talk, hoping good from
it, and then set about with elaboration
to put his friend at ease.
He said, very quietly: 81 know what
you're thinking of Art"
The colonel controlled himself with
difficulty. He had little doubt left just
at that moment that Jack had seen
through his bad acting, but he looked
up, saw him admiring the ash of his
cigar, and still kept silence, dreading
the word that would shatter self-re-
spect.
You're as superstitious as ever;
wondering what the deuce that coin
cidence' portends of my turning up SO
adroitly. Oh, I know you of old" He
laughed gently. "My dear fellow, I'm
sorry to disabuse you, but it's simply
no coincidence at all. I've been hunt
ing you about town for a week, off and
on; got your address from you're wife,
and here I am. on a most prosaic bust
ness mission! But confess. You've
been thinking it odd all day, haven't
your"
The comfort of this was worth a set
tlement Of all debts. But, as an ex-
PLANTATION, it did nothing to shake a
saved mans faith in the supernatural.
well, yes" he replied to the chal-
lenge.
Just SO. You're the same old
dreamer, and it isn't good for the
nerves, Art. * y y Are you game,'
proceeded Jack, in his very quietest
tones, ito do a big journey nowadays?
One of your old adventures"
Col. Sale gazed at his friend with
strange eyes.
tits this. You know the state of
the Egyptian fiber market? Or, of
course, you don't; that wouldn't inter-
est you. Egyptian fiber is at ten
pence a pound, and that's a famine
price; perfectly frightful! In Liver
pool we've formed the Imperial Cotton
Growing Extension association, pool
ing a little capital to look for new
fields and promote enterprise. l hope
it'll do some good. What we want
now, as soon as ever we can lay our
hands on him, is the right sort of mar
to go down the railway route from
Cairo to the cape-taking his own time
about it, of course-and spy out posi-
bilities. Well, I told the other directors
about you and the mahdi. I'm to ask
you if you'll undertake the trip, old
chap. It's dangerous, I know, but what
they offer to do, apart from cost of
equipment and all that, is to put down
$4,000 a year for, say, three years, and
am empowered to pay it into your
bank If you consent"
The man for whom this miracle was
worked leaned forward to put his face
in his hands. Jack saw his chest
heave.
What do you say, o, Benedick, the
married man? Will you go on this
wild goose chase for us, or would you
rather fish and play bridge at homer"
"You know I'll co." said the colonel,
at length. God bless you, Jack!" But
still he hid his face. when did you
hear about my bridge l~osses?"
"My dear fellow! Not so bad is it?
Why, when l got tc town l heard of
them, of course"
Tennyson errs. There are times
when half a truth may be Of all lies
the whitest.
"Then you are right; it was not a
coincidence at ALL" The colonel's eyes
were shining as he uncovered a face
composed and stern. "It was Gods
hand, old friend. \ I'll prove it to you.
IS y Il Jack, if you had been an in
slant later l was a dead man."
Thanks" said the incorrigible
Jack. 81 rather took credit for my