Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-27

suits, even physical violence, but
some day he and Mahomed would play
the final round.
His past. his foolish, futile past: all
the follies, all the petty crimes, AL
the low designations in which he had
indulged, seemed trooping about his
camel, hooking and gibbering at
him. Why hadn't he lived clean like
Jones there? Why. hadn't he fought
temptation as he had fought men?
Environment was no excuse; bring.
ing-up offered no palliation; he had
gone wrong simply because his In
clinations had been wrong. On the
other hand, no one had ever tried to
help him back to decent living. His
mother had died during his childhood
and her influence had left no impress
sion. His father had been money
maker, consumed by the pleasure OF
building up pyramids OF gold. He had
never reasoned with his youngest
born; he had paid his bills without
protest or reproach; it was so much
month to be written down In the ex-
pense account. And the first born had
been his natural enemy since the days
OF the nursery. Still. he could not
acquit himself; his own arrangement
was as keen as any judge could have
made. Strong as he was physically.
brilliant as he was mentally, there was
mortal weakness in his blood; and
search as he might the history OF his
ancestors, their lives shed no light
upon his own.
In stating that his face had been
granted that dubious honor and con-
Germ Of the perpetrators Of the rogues'
gallery, he had merely given rein to
the seizure Of soul bitterness. But
there was truth enough in the state
ment that he had been short In his
accounts many thousands at his faith
er's bank; gambling debts; and IN
making no effort to replace the loss,
he was soon found out by his brother,
who seemed only too glad to dishonor
him. He was given his choice: TO
sign over his million, due him year
later (for at this time the father was
dead. or go to prison. The scandal
Of tho affair had no weight with his
brother: he wanted the younger out
of tho way. Like the hot-headed fool
he was, he had signed away his in.
heritance, taken a paltry thousand and
left America, facing Imprisonment II
he returned. That was the kind Of
brother he had. Once he had burned
his bridges, there came to him q doz-
en- ways by which he could have ex-
tricated himself. But once a fool, al
ways q fool!
Disinherited, outcast, living aby his
wits, ingenious enough; the hne-
senses callousing under the contact
with his interiors; gambler, a hard
drinker periodically; all in all, a fine
portrait for any gallery given over to
rogues. And he hadn't worried much
over tho moral problem confronting
him, that the way of the transgessor
Is hard. It was only when love rent
the veil Of his faulty that he saw
himself as he really was.
Love! He gazed ahead at Fortune
under the mammal. That guileless
young girl as she was should enchain
him! That the sight Of her should
always send longing into his soul to
60 back and begin over! His jaws
hardened. Why not? Why not try
to recover some Of the crumbs Of the
fine things he had thrown away? At
least enough to permit him to 60 aagin
among his fellows without constantly
looking behind to note II he were fol-
lowed? BY the Lord Harry! once he
was out Of this web Of his own wesv-
ing, he would live straight; he swore
that every dollar hereafter put in his
pocket should be an honest one For
tune could never be his wife. He
came to this fact without any round
about or devious byways. In the
first place, he knew that he had not
touched her; she had only been
friendly; and now, even her friendship
hung by thread All right. The
love he bore her was going to be his
salvation just the same; and at this
moment he was deadly in earnest.
1T was after nine when they were
ferried across the two canals, the
fresh water and the salt, several miles
below Serapeum. The three weary
captives saw a great liner slip past
slowly and majestically upon Its way
to the Far East. She radiated with
light and cheer and comfort; and all
could hear family the pulsations Of
her engines So near and yet so far;
q cup of water to Tantalus! At mid
night they made camp. There We~e
no palms this time; simply q wei, =
the center Of tumble of huge boul-
ders. The tents were pitched to the
southwest, for now the wind blew.
biting from the land Of northern
SHOWS; and q fire was q welcome
thing. This was Arabia, Africa had
been left behind. Here they awaited
the return of the courier, who arrived
two days later. dead tired. The per-
sons to whom the card had been sent
had sailed for Naples with the steamer
Ludwig. Mahomed turned upon the
three miserables.
II have you three then; and by the
beard of the prophet. you shall pay,
you shall pay! You have robbed and
beaten and dishonored me; and you
shall pay"
"Am guilty OF any wrong toward
you?" faltered the girl Her mother
had gone. She had hoped against
hope.
NO." cried Mahomed He laughed.
"You are free to return to Cairo.
y alone! Free to take your choice