The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-11-06

Ryanne presented his card.
"How do you pronounce it?" asked
George naively.
las they do in Cork"
~ never saw it spelled that way be-
FORE" .
Nothing surprising in that" replied
Ryanne. mo one else has, either"
George laughed and waited for the
explanation.
"You see, Ryan is as good a name
as they make them; but 1t classes
with prize-fighters, politicians and bar
chemists. The two extra letters put
the finishing touch to the name. A
jewel Is all right, but what tells Is
the way you hang it round your neck.
To me, those additional letters repre-
sent the jewel Ryan in the hands Of a
Lalique."
you talk like an American"
81 am; three generations. What's
the matter?" with sudden concern.
George was %frowning. Haven't l
met you somewhere before"
Not to my recollection" A specu-
lative frown now marred Ryanne's
forehead. 1t did not illustrate a search
in his memory for such a casualty as
the meeting Of George. He never for
got a face and certainly did not re-
member Georges. Rather, the frown
had its source in the mild dread that
Percival Algernon had een him some
where during one of those indisposi.
lions Of the morning after. mo; I
think you have made a mistake"
Likely enough. 1t just struck me
that you looked something like a chap
named Wadsworth, who was half-back
IN the varsity, when I entered my
freshman year"
"A university man? Lord, no! I
was turned loose at ten; been hustling
ever since" Ryanne spoke easily, not
a tremor in his voice, although he
had received a slight mental jolt.
mo; no college record here. But
want to chat with you about rugs.
I've heard Of you, indirectly"
From the carpet fellows? We do
a big business " here. What have
you"got?"
well, I've a rug up In my room
I'd like to show you. I want your judy
ment for one thing. Will you do me
the favor?"
Since the girl had disappeared and
with her those imaginary appurte-
lance that had for a space trans
formed the lounging-room into a stage,
George saw again with normal vision
| that the room vas simply a common
meeting-ground for well-dressed per-
sons and addressed persons, of the
unimpeachable, the impeccable, the
doubtful and the peccant; for in Cairo,
as in ancient Egypt, there Is every
class and kind Of humans, for whom
the Decalogue was written, tran
scribed, and shattered by the turbu-
lent Moses, an incident lore or less
forgotten these days. From the tail
Of his eye he gave swift scrutiny to
his chance acquaintance, and he found
nothing to warrant suspicion. 1t was
not an unusual procedure for men to
hunt him up in Cairo, in Constantinople,
in Smyrna, or in any Of the Oriental
cities where his business itinerary led
him. The house Of Mortimer & Jones
was widely known. This man Ryanne
might have been anywhere between
thirty and forty. He was tall, we'll set
up, blond and smooth-skinned. True,
he appeared to have been ill-fed re-
Gently. A little more flesh under the
cheek-bones, a touch Of color, and the
Irishman would have been a handsome
man. George could read a rug a league
off, as they say, but he was a child in
the matter of physiognomy, whereas
Ryanne was a postmaster in this re-
gard; it was necessary both for his
business and safety.
Certainly, I'll take a look at 1t.
But I tell you frankly" went on
George, that to interest me it's got
to be a very old one. You see, it's a
little fad Of mine, outside the business
end Of 1t. I'm crazy over real rugs,
and / know something about every
rare one in existence, or known to ex-
list. Is it a copy"