Evening star., 1912-01-08
CHAPTER VIII.
The Purloined Cable.

George, having made his bargain with
conscience relative to the Yhiordes rug.
slept the sleep OF the untroubled, OK the
lust, OF the man who had nothing in par
ticular to get up for In fact. after hav-
ing drunk his breakfast cocoa and eaten
his buttered toast he evinced his salts
faction by turning his face away from the
attracting morning light and passing or
into sleep again. And thereby hangs this
tale. ;-~
So much depended upon his getting his
mail as: it came in that morning. that
Fate herself must have resisted sturdiiy
the desire to shake him by the shoulder.
Perhaps she would have done So but Tor
the serenity OF his pose and tho intantiie
smile that fingered for while round his
Inns. Fate. as with most Of us. has her
sentimental lapses.
The man next door. having no con-
science to speak of Indeed. he had de-
rallied her while passing his twentieth
meridianD, was up betimes. He had
turned in at 4: at he was strolling about
the deserted lounging room. watching the
entrances 1t is inconceivable how easily
mail may be purloined in a large hotel.
There are as many ways as points TO the
wind. Ryanne chose the simplest He
waited for the mail bag to be emptied
upon the head porter's counter. Non
chalantly. but deftly, while the porter
looked on, the adventurer ran through the
bulk. He found three letters and q cable.
Georges bankers the day before and
mailed directly to the hotel. The porter
had no suspicion that bold theft was be-
ing committed under his very eyes. More
over. circumstances prevented his ever
learning OF II. hyanne StuHeo tHe SpoiiS
into a pocket.
.If any one asks for me- he said. SAY
that shall be at my bankers, the Anglo
Egyptian Bank. at 10 o'clock.
Eyes. sir" replied the porter, as he be-
getting to peruse the postals.
Ryanne went out into the street. walk
ing rapidly into town. Mahomed-El-Ge
shook the folds Of his cloak and followed.
till he reached Shepherds Hotel. Upon
the steps he paused. Some English troops
were marching past. on the way to the
railway station; the usual number or ma
tives were patrolling the sidewaiks. dan-
van of pack camels, laden with cotton.
shufled by haughtily; a blind beggar sat
on the curb In front. mnnching piece OF
sugar cane. Ryanne. assured that no one
he knew was about, proceeded into the
writing room, wholly deserted at this
early hour.
He sat down at a desk and opened the
cable. 1t contained exactly what he ex-
pected. 1t was a call for advice IN re-
Jones' mansion in New York and the tenn
porary disposing of the loose vaiuables.
Ryanne read it over a dozen times. with
puckered brow, and finally balled 1t herce.
ly in his fist. Fool! He could not. at
that moment. remember the most essen
tial point In the game. the name and OF
flee of the agent to whom he must. this
very morning send reply. Hurriediy ne
fished out the letters: one chance IN q
thousand. He swore. but In relief. IN
~ - M h0
that for some unknown reason the gods
were still with him. Reynolds & Rey-
nolds, estates, Broad street; he remem-
bered. He wrote out reply on piece
Of hotel paper to COPY M on tSs
ground convincingly Renting for two
months. Old friends. Leave things as
they are. P. A The initials were lit
tie stroke From some source Ryanne
had picked up the tact that Jones pus1-
those two initials. He tore up the cable
into small illegible squares and dropped
some into one basket and some into an
other. Next. he readdressed Georges
mail to Leipzig; another stroke. meaning
delay of two or three months; from the
head Office of his bankers there to Paris,
Paris to Naples. Naples to New York.
That Ryanne did not open these letters
was in nowise due to moral suasion;
whatever they contained could De OF no
vital importance to him.
Now, Horace We shall bend the crook
of our elbow in the barroom. The reae-
ton warrants q stimuiant."
An hour later the whole affair was nice
ly off his hands. The cable had cost him
three soyereigns. But what was that?
Niente, rien; nothing: mere bagateiie.
For the first time In weeks . sense OF Sc
curfty invaded his being.
It was by now 8 o'clock, and Percival
Algernon still reposed upon his bed OF
ease. Let him sleep. Many days we're to
pass ere he would again know the cem-
fort of linen sheets. the luxury OF down
under his ear.
What to do? unused the rogue. On the
morrow Mr.. Jones would leave for Port
Said Ryanne shook his head. and with
his cane beat q light tattoo against the
side of his shin. Abduction was rather
out of his sphere Of action. And yet, the
suppression Of Pereival was by all odds
the most important move to be made He
had volunteered this service and accom-
plish il he must. In face Of all obstacles,
or poof! went the whole droll fabric. For
to him 1t was droll. and never 1t rose In
his mind that he did not chuckle satur-
ninely. II was q kind OF nightmare. where
one hung in midair ones toes just be-
yond the flaming dragons jaws. The re-
wards would be enormous. but these he
would gladly surrender for the supreme
OF turning the poisoned arrow
in the heart Of that caHtfng hypocrtte.