Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-12-19
1911 ~ BoBes -f1ERRILL COMPANY /.

~ SAOPos 4 uohOSa w ~ a. -
to go and come as l pleased. To do
this and live meant precarious ex-
ploits, This rug represents n OF
them. l am telling you the family
secret; l am showing you the skele
ton in the closet, confdentially. !
stole that rug; and when | say that
the seven labors Of our old friend
Hercules were simple diversions com-
pared, you'll recognize the difficulties
| had to overcome. You know some
thing Of the Oriental mind. hand
led the job alone. ] may not be out
of the jungle yet"
George listened entranced. He could
readily construct the scenes through
which this adventurer had gone; the
watchful nights, the untiring patience,
the thirst, the hunger, the heat. And
yet, he could hardly believe. He was
a trife skeptical. Many a rogue had
made the mistake Of playing Georges
age against his experience. He had
made some serious blunders In the
early stages Of the business, how
ever; and everybody. to gain some
thing in the end, must lose something
at the start.
"If that rug Is the one l have In
mind, you certainly have stolen 1t.
And If it's a copy, I'll tell you quickly
enough"
That's fair. And that's why"
Ryanne declared, II wanted you to
look at 1t. To me, considering what ]
have gone through to get 1t, to me 1t
Is the genuine carpet. To your expert
eye 1t may be only a fine copy. | know
this much, that rare rugs and paint
ings have many copies, and that some
one is being hooked, sold. bamboozled,
sandbagged, every day in the week. II
this is the real article, l want you to
take it off my hands," the adventurer
finished pleasantly.
There will be a hue and cry"
"No doubt of it."
"And the devils own Job to get it
out of Egypt" These were set phrases
! Of the expert, preliminaries to bar
gaining. "One might as well carry
round a stolen elephant"
But a maj who Is as familiar with
the game as you are would have little
difficulty. Your integrity Is an estab-
lished fact, on both sides Of the water.
You could take it to New York as a
copy, and no appraiser would know
the difference. It's worth the attempt.
I'd take 1t to New York myself, but
you see, l am fiat broke. Come; what
do you or / care about a son-of-a-gun
Of a Turk?" drolly.
what do you want for 1t, suppos.
ing it's genuine?" Georges throat was
dry and his voice harsh. His con
science reused herself, feebly, for il
had been a long time since occasion
had necessitated her presence.
Ryanne narrowed his eyes, carefully
balancing the possibilities. Say, one
thousand pounds. 1t is like giving II
away. But when the devil drives, you
know. 1t is beyond any set price; II
is worth what any collector is willing
to pay for 1t. I believe l know the
kind Of man you are, MI. Jones, and
that is why, when l learned you were
in Cairo, | came directly to you. Yor
would never sell this rug. No. Yor
would become like a miser over his
gold. You would keep it with you
emeralds Il have heard about them
tool; draw the curtains, lock thu
doors, whenever you looked at 1t. Eth
You would love 1t for its own sake
and not because 1t Is worth SO man.
thousand pounds. You are sailing ii
a few days; that will help. The Pash,
is Id Constantinople, and 1t will b,
three or four weeks before he hears 0
the theft, or the cost" with a certain
grimness.
"You haven't killed any one?" whif
pered George.
:. 81 don't know; perhaps. Christian
ity against paganism; the occidenta
conscience permits It." Ryanne mad
a gesture to indicate that he woul
submit to whatever moral arraignmen
Mr.. Jones deemed advisable to make
But George made none. He ros
hastily, sought his knife and, withou
|, so much as by your leave, slashed tn
Irvine, flung aside the paper, and tire,
the rug across the counterpart.
was the Yhiordes. There was not th
slightest doubt in his mind. He hai
heard 1t described, he had seen
photograph of 1t, he knew Its histor
and, most vital Of all, he owned
, good copy Of It.
! Against temptation that was robus
and energetic and alluring Cike til
man who insists upon your having
, drink when you want 1t and ought nc
to have it,, what chance had cor
science, grown innocuous in the lon
period OF the young mans good b,
, havior7 Collectors are always homes
, before and after that moment arrive
when they want something desperat,
ly; and George was M more saint
, than his kind. And how deep Ryan
and his confederates had delved int
|, human nature, how well they coul
T read and Judge 1t, was made NANTES
in this moment Of Georges moral II
I lapse.
I Bagdad. the Jinns, Sinbad, the Tho,
sand and One Nights. Alibaba and th
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