Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-08-28

her hand and 0Imly preSso0 IL down
upon the money. I'm half an hour.
sister, Ill be back. You did not think
that was going to run away!"
mo"
do you understand nowi"
EYES,"
While he was gone shs remained
seated ct the table. She made little
pyramids Of the gold. divided the even
dates from the odd, arranged Maltese
crosses and circles and stars. .
Pity, pity! Well. why should she re-
bel against It? Was It not more than
she had had hitherto? What should
she dot She closed, her eyes. She
would trouble her tired brain no moro
about tho future tin they reached
Naples. She would let this one week
drift her how It would.
George came In under the time-limit
Of his adventure. He had been upon
the most difficult errand imaginable,
at least from q bachelors point Of
view. He carried two handbags. One
Of those he deposited in Fortunes lap.
"shall I open it,"
IF you wish"
She noted his embarrassment, and
her immediate curiosity was not to be
denied. She slipped the catch and
looked inside. There were combs and
brushe6, soap and tooth-powder and
tale. . manicure-set. a pair Of soft
wooden slippers. and She
glanced up quickly. The faintest rose
stole under her cheeks. It was droll:
It was pathetically funny. She would
have given worlds to have seen him
making the purchases.
"You are not offended" he STAN
mered.
'eWhy should -? am human; I
have slept and lived for days in .
dress, and worn my hair down my
back for lack Of hairpins and combs.
I am sure that It IL q very nice night
gown"
Laughter overcame her. He
laughed. too; not because the situa-
ton appealed to him as laughable,
but because there was something, an
indehnable something, in that laugh.
ter Of hers that made him wonderfully
happy.
INF. Jones
George" he interrupted deter
minedly.
Brother George. it was very kind
and thoughtful Of you Not one man
n thousand would have thought Of
of hair.pins!" More laugh
ter.
II didn't think Of them; it was the
clerk"
"She."
well, then, she will achieve great
things" lightly. though her heart was
full.
Tactfully he reached over and swept
up the money.
"shall ever be able to repay your"
she said.
Eyes, by letting me be your broth.
er; by not deciding the future till we
land In Naples; by letting me keep in
touch with you, whatever your ulti.
mate decision may be. That isn't
much. Will you promise that?"
"Yes."
They spoke no more Of Ryanne. It
was as though he had dropped out
of their lives completely. To Ger.
tain extent he had. They were to meet
him again, however, in the last act Of
this whimsical drama, which had
drawn them both out Of the common.
place and dropped them for a full spin
upon the whirligig Of life.
In due time they arrived at Alexan.
dria. There they found the great
transatlantic liner, homeward bound.
Ryanne would beat them into New
York by ten days. He had picked up
q boat of the p: & o. line at Port Said,
sailing without stop to Marseilles,
From there to Cherbourg was q tri
ding journey.
George knew the captain. and the
captain not only knew George, but
had known Georges father before
him. The young man went to the
heart Of the matter at once; and when
he had finished his remarkable tale,
the captain lowered his cigar. It had
gone out.
"And all this happened in the year
1909-1910! If any one but you, Mr..
Jones. had told me this, I'd have sent
him ashore as q luuatic. You have
reported it,"
what good would 1t do? We are
out Of 1t, and that's enough. More,
we do not want any one to know what
we've been through. II the news
papers got hold Of It, there would be
no living"
"You leave 1t to me-" said the big
hearted German. From here to Ma
pies she shall be a. mine own daugh
ter. You have not told me all?"
mo: only what had Of necessity tc
tell"
"well, you know best. shall dc
my share to make her feel at home
She Is as pretty as . flower"
To this George agreed. but not yer
bally.
The steamer weighed anchor at sis
O'Clock that evening. with only q
handful Of passengers for the trip te
Naples. George had wired from Da
mascus to Cairo to have his luggage
sent on. and he saw It put aboard him
self. Without letting Fortune know
he had also telegraphed the hotel te
forward whatever she had left; but
the return wire informed him tina,
Mrs. Chedsoye had taken everything
They were leaning against the star