The Sauk Centre herald., 1912-09-19
The Carpet |
From Bagdad
Bv Harold MacGrath, Author of
Hearts and Masks The Man on the Box etc.
Illustrations by M. c. kettner
Copyright 1911 by Bobbs-Merrin Company


marry nm; II would not have been
fair to either. She would have mis-.
understood; she would have seen not
love but pity, and refused him. Mel
ther she nor Ryanne suffered more in
spirit than he did at that moment.
Jones, for Gods sake, wake up and
suggest something! You know lots
Of decent people. Can't you think OF
some one?" Is.
But for this call George might have
continued to grope in darkness. In.
etantly he saw a way. He jumped to
his feet and seized her by the hands,
boyishly.
fortune, Ryanne is right. I've
found a way. Mr.. Mortimer, the pres.
ident of my firm, is an old man, kindly
and lovable. He and his wife are
childless. They'll take you. Why, it's
as easy as talking"
She leaned back against the draw.
ing Of his hands. She was afraid that
in his eagerness he was going to take
her in his arms. She wondered why.
of a sudden, she had become so weak
Slowly she withdrew her hands from
his.
"I1l cable the moment we reach
port" he said, as If reaching port un-
der the existing conditions was a
! thing quite possible. "Will you go to
them? Why, they will give you ev.
cry care in the world And they will
love you as as you ought to
be loved!"
Ryanne turned away his head.
Fortune was too deeply absorbed by
her misery to note how near George
had come to committing himself.
Thank you, Mr.. Jones; thank you.
! am going to the tent. 1 am tired.
And I am not so brave as you think
am"
"But will you?"
II shall tell you when we reach
port" And with that she fed to the
tent.
Ryanne folded his arms and stared
| at the sand. George sat down and
ainlessly hunted for the stub of the
cigar he had dropped; kind of reflex
! action.
The two men were all alone. The
camelboys were asleep. Mahomed
| had now ceased to bother about a
guard.
81 can't see where she gets this
ridiculous sense of honesty" said Ry-
anne gloomily.
George leaned over and laid his
hand upon Ryanne's knee. "She gets
1t the same way do, Ryanne-from
here" touching his heart; "and she
Is right"
81 believe I've missed everything
worth while, Percival. Till I met you
| always had sneakingl idea that
money made a man evil. The boot
seems to be upon the other foot"
"Ryanne, you spoke about becoming
honest, once you get out Of this. Did
you mean it,"
Il did, and still do"
"It may be that Lean give you
lift. You worked in your fathers
bank. You know something about fig.
ures. I own two large fruit-farms
In California. What do you say to a
hundred and fifty a month to start
with, and begin life over again?" -
Ryanne got up and restlessly paced.
Nonchalance had been beaten out Of
bim; the mercurial humor which had
bnce beeK So pleasant to excite,
which had once given him foothold
Ia such moments. was gone. He had
only one feeling, keen, biting, bitter
shame. At length he stopped in front
Of George, who smiled and looked up
exp9ctant1y. ~ s::;z: ;ssass.,a
Zones, when you stick your finger
into water and withdraw it, what hap
pens? Nothing. Well, the man who
gives me benefit is sticking his
finger into water. I'm just as un-
stable. How many promises have I
made and broken! mean, promises
to myself. l don't know. This mo-
| ment I swear to be good, and along
comes a pack Of cards or bottle of
wine, and back I slip. Would it be
worth while to trust man so damned
weak as that? Look at me. am six
! AOOI lWO, AOI uduy uuuuIcu duO
eighty pounds, no fat. I am as sound
as cocoanut. There isn't boxer In
the States I'm afraid Of. I can ride,
shoot, fence, fight; there isn't a game
/ can't take a creditable hand in. So
much for that. There's the other side.
Morally, I'm putty. When it's soft you
can mold it any which way; when it's
hard, it crumbles. Will you trust q
man like that?'
Eyes. Out there you'll be away
from temptation"
Perhaps. Well, I accept. And If
one day I'm missing, think kindly of
the poor devil OF an outcast who want
ed to be good and couldn't be. I'm
tagged. I'm going to turn in. Good
night"
He picked up his blanket and saddle
bags and made his bed dozen yards
away.
George set his gaze at the fire, now
! falling in places and showing incan-
descent holes- A month ago. in the