Evening star., 1912-01-04
THE CARPET
FROM BAGDAD
BY
HAROLD MAC6RATH
Copyright. 1911. BY the Bobbs- Merrill
Company
CHAPTER v.
The Girl Who Wasn't Wanted.

II any one wronged George, defrauded |
him of money or credit. he was alwaysl
ready to forgive, agreeing that perhaps
half the fault had been his. This was
not q sign of weakness. but of sense Of |
justice too well leavened with mercy HUI |
manity errs in the one as much as in the |
other, doubtless with some benign pur-
pose in perspective. Now, it might be |
that this charming woman had really |
never received his letter: such things |
have been known to go astray. In any
case he could not say that he had writ |
ten. That would have cast q doubt upon |
her word, an unpardonable rudeness. So, |
for her very beauty alone, he gave her |
the full benefit Of the doubt.
You mustn't let the matter trouble you |
in the least he said. his helmet now
nicely adjusted under his arm. 1T was
about Which AU was sSS very 'hosa %eIi said for @
George.
But haven. have often wondered
what you must ave thought of me. |
present my daughter. I am Mrs Ched |
| soye."
81 am glad to meet you. Mr. JONES'"
and in the sad eyes there was a glimmef
her hand.
1t was well worth while, that hundred
and fifty pounds. 1t was well worth the
pinch here and the pinch there which had
mined to return to America with a pound
or two on his letter of credit, and the
success Of this determination was based
upon many a sacrifice in comfort, sacri- |
1t was not in the nature Of things to con-
fess that the first woman he had met in
his wanderings should have been the last.
AS he took the girls hand, with the ul-
L>1A h 1~
part, he wondered why she had laughed
like that. The echo Of 1t still rang in his
ears. And while he could not have de-
scribed it, he knew instinctively that 1t
had been born Of bitter thought.
They chatted for quarter Of an hour
or more. and managed famously. It'll
seemed to him that Fortune ChedsoyeI
was the drst young woman ne had ever
met who could pull away sudden barriers
when he was about to founder into some
cul-de-sac. guided him adroitly into an
alley round 1t. Not once was It neces-
sary to drag In the weather. that peren-
NAL If threadbare topic. He was truly
astonished at the ease with which he sus-
tanned his part in the conversation and
began to think pretty well OF himself IT
did not occur to him that when two clever
and attractive women set forth to make
a man talk always excepting he Is dumb,
they never fail to succeed. To do this
they contrive to bring the conversation
within the small circle Of his work, his
travels, his preferences. his ambitions:
TO be sure. all this is not fully extracted
in fifteen minutes. but woman obtains
In that time q good idea OF the ground
plan.
Two distinct purposes controlled the
women in this instance. One desired to
interest him, while the other sought to
learn whether he was stupid or only shy.
At last, when he left them to change
his clothes and hurry down to Cooks. to
complete the bargain for the Yhiordes.
he had advanced so amazingly well tnat
they had accepted his invitation to the
polo match that afternoon. He felt that
invisible Mercurial wings had sprouted
from his heels, for in running up the
stairs he was aware Of no gravitative re-
sistance. That this anomaly ian &C
quaintance with two women about whom
he knew nothing) might be looked upon
askance by those who conformed to the
laws and bylaws Of social usages, Wor-
ried him not In the least. On the con-
trary, he was thinking that he would be
''Well?" said Mrs. Chedsoye, qu1zzical
smile slanting her lips.
''You wish my opinion?" countered the
aausd'sa stapid nor silly. and % when he smiles he
is really good looking"
my child" replied the woman. drawing
of her gloves and examining her shapely
hands. Il have looked into the very heart
ago. a red cross on his surtout, he would
have been beating his fists against the
walls of Jerusalem: 500 years later, ne
would have been singing chant-royales
under lattice windows; paladin and a
poet
How do you know that? Did he make
love to your"
purpose than having him make love to
me-" enigmatically. "Three days. and he
was SO guileless that he never asked my
name. But in Monte Carlo. as you know,
one asks only your bankers name.
And your purpose?
TT is still mine, dear. Do you realize
that we haven't seen each other in four
months. and that you haven't offered to
kiss me?" |
"Did he go away without writing to you
about that money!"
Mrs. Chedsoye calmly plucked out the
inturned fingers OF her gloves. II believe
er's address. but, unfortunately, in the
confusion of returning to Paris, lost 1t. |
NY memory has always been trial to |
.Since when?" coldly There is not a |
woman living with a keener memory than |
.You hatter me. In affairs that interest
me- perhaps"
you never meant to pay him. 1t is /
my dear Fortune. how you jump at |
conclusions! Did not OHef MIN draft
the very first thing?" II
KNOWING that at such q moment he |
could not possibly accept it?" derisively. |
Sometimes I hate you!
.In these days filial devotion Is q lost |
art"
mo. no; it is a flower parents have |
ceased to cultivate.
And there was in the tone a strained |
note which described an intense longing |
to be loved. For If George Percfval AL |
gernon Jones was q lovely young man, it |
was the result of his own blindness: |
whereas Fortune Chedsoye turned hithef |
and thither in search of that which she |
never could find. The wide Lybian deser, |
held upon its face loneliness. q descla-
ton. less mournful than that which |
reigned within her heart.
flush! We are growing sentimental"
warned the mother. Besides. l believe |
we are attracting attention. Her glanceI
swept a half circle complacently.
Pardon me! should be sorry to draw |
attention to you. knowing how you abhor
It."
my child, learn from me; temper is the /
arch enemy of smooth compilations. Jones |
lit makes you laugh.
TT is q homely, honest name"
"I grant that But a Percival Algernon |
Jones." Mrs Chedsoye laughed softly. 1t |
was one Of those pleasant sounIs that |
20 ,,cod porcopc within hearing n wait 1