The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-11-03

/ me westward and set me down any
| where on Broadway, he can have all my
| share of pyramids, sphinxes and blood |
! red desert sunsets This is all right for
/ wail-eyed folks with undershot brains,
/ but what is there in it for me?'
/ In spite of myself / could not repress
a grin at the big fellows hOmesick mis-
/ cry We were sitting on the stone ter
race Of Shepherds, whittier we had re-
paired 10 minutes earlier, when, by the
merest chance, we had met in the
! crowded. dusty highway Of cairo.
/ Jack Penn and 1 had parted after the
! commencement dinner at Harvard six
months earlier. In college we had been
| roOmmates and. in a measure. chums,
| though never, l think, We're two men
! less alike Another bond had been the
/ fact that he PLAYED center on the var
sity eleven. while 1 was half back on
| the same team.
! He was a New Yorker. with far more
! fortune than brains. I was a Concord
man, and I should hate TO think my
! brain was as inconsiderabIe as my for
| tune So our roads had not seemed
/ likely TO cross again.
/ Yet. here we were, together in Cairo;
d l.
Penn in his newest tale of paternal OPT
I preston. His family had actually forced
/ him to make the grand tour. in spite Of
/ his eloquent pleas that he could discover
more real life on Manhattan Island.
Walter" cried Jack. breaking off I'M
/ his plant. as with one hand he pointed
dramatically at our empty glasses and
with the other summoned a stately AID
] 49,
/ form your mission, and don't rouse all
! that's worst in US by unseemly delay"
| The servant caught the idea rather
than the words and departed with tray
and glasses.
And you're globe-trotting, too?"
| queried Jack, having come 70 a mo-
mentary hiatus in his grievance and sud
denly remembering me Now. it won't
be so slow. Wen do the rest of the
measly trip together, eh?"
The idea is frst-rate,' l agreed. 1T
] only had TWO flaws one Is I'm not
| globe-trotting, and the other is we can't
! go on together
The deuce We can't, Why not?'
Chiefly because I'm over mere on a
Good old quest. Me for it! Hand in
hand we'll
And because" I added, My quest
promises to be rather full Of danger"
! Danger" he echoed in glee. Why
didn't you say 50 before You can't lose
me now If you crawl into knOt-hO!e.
/ was just wondering today if 1 couldn't
! get share in that stir of Kitchener in
! the sudan But as I'm a Yankee / don't
suppose they'll let me enlist. What's
/ your Danger
1t chances to lie in that same direc-
/ tIoE,' said /.
/ THE Sudan?'
yes. The tribes out there are up.
and 1 hear it isn't very safe to"
When do we sJart2'
We don't start at all. Old man.
/ Tn going next
/ Now. Tn bet nine dollars that's a
! snub. if only l had sense enough 10
/ grasp it," unused Jack. But why
/ shouldn't I join yOu2 Itd be great
/ sport. I read q book all about il once
/ Under Two Flags i was called. About
{ an English chap, with white hands and
I an eyeglaSS, who used TO Kill Arabs be-
. fore breakfast every morning because
I they called MIN Berthe And a girl
/ named Cigarette was in it. She Selpgd
/ him pay the mortgage on the old farm
( Just as they were going 10 shoot him
/ up. II was a great bOSk- L"
/ MY hands aren't whAe enough, I'm
| afraid, for such prodigles as BERTHE
i Cecil performed 1 answered, and, be
/ sides, I'm not going up-cOunuy III
| search Of trouble Tn
You never do he grinned, but I
ing YOU. Just the same What are you
going for2'
To look for Professor Keyes."
/ Lord What an anti-cllmaX- Is he
1 Iost?''
No But he's travelling in the Sudan
on a scientific trip Of some sort
Il met his daughter once at a senior
prom. Splendid girl. Met her last year,
. and"
7 haven't seen her since she wore
braids. She and her father were often
. at our house years ago. It's her father
I'm looking for not her That's why
I'm in Egypt instead of in Boston"
But why should any sane man so
chasing after old keyes2 I had one Of
his courses in freshman year. Measly
bore, lie seemed to me All full Of
archaeology and
He was dear friend Of my fathers"
I interposed, and he's a splendid old
fellow. besides"
But why not wait here for him?
Sooner or later he's bound To-
/ I can't hang on here a year or so on
chance. I'm not blessed with your pie
thOTa Of cash nv income keeps me in
tOleTable comfort at Concord. but not at
Cairo. I've already spent on this quest
Of mine more Of it than l can oifOrd.'
Quest is q fine word. Spells mys-
terry and all that kind Of interesting
hOdgepCcge- Don't make a secret of II,
Hugh. What's up"
1 / hesitated. ! am not given to show
ering my friends with condolences. But
I knew and liked Jack Penn better than
anyone else Of all my rather narrow &C
Quaintances. Under his bumptious eX-
terror there was nothing but true metal
Besides, ii would be a real relief TO
have some one with whom 10 talk over
The miserable story. He could not help
me. But listener sometimes is a boon
So. on sudden impulse, / spoke
! I'm looking said I, awkwardly
enough, for my mother"
Your mOtherI' he repeated all the
banter gone from his voice and his face
losing its inQuisitive look. why, Stand
ish, I thought that your mother died
when you were little"
She did" I replied. Then. in en-
baTraSSment, paused again.
Say, old man." blurted out Jack
I'm sorry. I didn't mean TO butt in on
private matters. Let's talk about some
thing else
NO" I contradicted, reddening.
! There's no reason why I shouldn't go
on, IL il won't bore you. You were al
ways awfully decent about being in
terested in my affairs. If you care to
hear this
"Of course care. Fire away"
! VIII you who read this be patient
while I set down, in as few words as
may be, the giSt of the story I told
Penn that day on Shepherds terrace?
It is necessary 10 my tale, and I will
make il very brief.
| It has been said irreYerently OF nv
people. the StandiSheS, that their blood