The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-10-20
CHAPTER NNIII.

'hE summer Is scarcely good
time to visit Egypt, but Monty
and his guests had Il desire to
- see even little OF the northern
coast of Africa. 1t was decided, there
fore, that after Athens the Filter
Should so south. The yacht had met
item at Naples after the automobile
p:occssion-a kind of trjumphal prog
icjS-'was diSbanded in Florence, and
t.:cy had taken Il hurried survey OF
Rome. By the middle of July the
party was leaving the heat of Egypt
and finding it not half bad. New
1ork Was not more than month
away -nS Brewster rcckoncd time and
distance, and there was still too much
money in the treasury. AS September
drew nearer he got into the habit
OF frequently forgetting Swcarengen
Jones until it was too late to retrace
his steps. He was coming to the
+ death struggle" as lie termed it, and
there was something rather terroriz
ing in the fear that "the million might
die hard And SO these last days and
nights were glorious ones, if one could
have looked ut them with unbiased
untroubled eyes. But every member
Of his party was praying for the day
when the Filter would be well into
the broad Atlantic ana the worst over
AT Alexandria Brewster had letters to
some Englishmen and in the few en.
tertainments that he gave succeeded
once again in fairly outdong Aladdin
A sheik from the intcrior was q
guest at one of Monty's entertain:
ments. He was burly, hot blootled
fellow. with densely populated
harem, and he had been invited more
as curiosity than as one to be hon.
ore1. AS he came aboard the Filter
Monty believed the invitation was
more than justified. Mohammcd was
superb, and the women Of the party
made so much Of him that it was small
wonder that his head was turned. He
fell desperately in love with Peggy
Gray OIL sight, ard with all the com
poSure OF Il po:cntatc who has never
been crossed he sent for Brewster the
next day and told him to "send her
around" and he would marry her.
Monty's blood boiled furiously for
minute or two, but he was quick to see
the wisdom of treating the proposition
automatically. He tried to make 1t
plain to the sheik that Miss Gray
could not accept the honor he wished
to confer upon her, but it was not Mo-
hammcd's custom to be denied any
thing he asked for, especially anything
feminine. He complacently announced
that lie would come aboard that after
noon and talk it over with Peggy.
Brewster looked the swarthy gentle
man over with unconcealed disgust in
his eyes. The mere thought of this
ugly brute SO much as touching the
hand of little Peggy Gray filed him
with horror, and yet there was some.
thing laughable In the situation. He
could not hide the smile that came with
the mind picture of Peggy listening to
the avowal Of the sheik. The Arab
misinterpreted this exhibition of mirth
To him the grin indicated friendship
and encouragement. He wanted to
give Brewster ring as pledge Of
affection, but the American declined
the Offering and also refused to carry a
bag Of jewels to Peggy.
"Ill let the old boy come aboard just
to see Peggy look a hole through him."
he resolved. NO matter how obnox-
ious it may be, it Isn't every girl who
can say an oriental potentate has ask
ed her to marry him. If this camel
herder gets disagreeable we may tum-
BILE him into the sea for change"
With the best grace possible he in
vited the sheik to come aboard and
consult Miss Gray in person. Moham-
med was a good bit: puzzled over the