The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-12-28

lSaiea nothing women sang at their
work. It was only at the close Of day
that despair and defeat stalked the
highways. So she was up with the
sun, whether in her own garden or in
these odd and mystical cities. Thus
she saw the native as he was, not as
ne later in the day pretended to be-,
for the benefit of the Feringhi about
to be stretched upon the sacrificial
stone. She saw, with fgladness, the
honey-bee Thrilling the rose, the ploW-
mans share barring the soil; the morn
ing, the morning, the two or three
hours that were all, all her own. Her
mother was always irritable and petu
liant in the morning, and her uncle
never developed the gift of speech till
after luncheon.
She had the same loYe of prowling
that lured Ryanne from the beaten
paths. She was not inquisitive but
curious, and that ready disarming
smile Of hers opened many a portal.
She was balancing upon her gloved
palm, thoughtfully, Soudanese head
trinket, a pendant of twisted gold
wires, dawed emeraldsg and second
pearls, really exquisite and not gen.
orally to be found outside the expen-
sive shops in the European quarters,
and there infrequently. The merchant
wanted twenty pounds for 1t. Fortune
shook her head, regretSully. It was
far beyond her MEANS She sighed.
Only once In great while she saw
something for which her whole heart
cried out This pendant was one of
these.
Il will give you five pounds for 1t.
That is all have with me-
"Salaam, madame, said the jeweler,
reaching for the pendant.
If you will send it tot the Hotel Sc
miramis this afternoon y But
she fa1tered at the sight Of the MGR
chants incredulous smile.
''I'll give you ten for 1t; not a pias-
ire more. can get enc like 1t in the
sharia Kamel for that amount"
B Both Fortune and the merchant
turned.
You, Horace?"
yes, my child. And what are you
doing here alone, without a drago-
man."
.'Oh, have been through here alone
many times I'm not afraid Isn't it
beautiful? He wants twenty pounds
for it, and I cannot afford that"
She had not seen him in many
weeks, yet she accepted his sudden ap-
pearance without question or surprise.
She was used to his turning up at un-
expected moments. OF course, she
had known that he was in Cairo;
where her mother and uncle were this
secretive man was generally within
calling. There had been time when
she had eagerly piled him with ques-
tons, but he had always erected bar
riers of evasion, and finally she ceased
her opportunities, for she concluded
that her questions were such. No mat
ter to whom she turned, there was no
one to answer her questions, questions
born of doubt and fear.
"Ten pounds" repeated Ryanne, q
hand in his pocket.
The merchant laughed. Here were
a young man and his sweetheart. His
experience had taught him, and not
unWisely, that love Is an easy victim,
too proud to haggle, too generous to
bargain sharply. Twenty" he re
iterated.
"salaam!" said Ryanne. Good
day." He drew the somewhat resist.
ing hand of Fortune under his arm
and made for the door. SSH" he wits
pered. Leave 1t to me" They gained
the street.
The merchant was dazed. He had
misjudged what he now recognized as
an old hand. The two were turning
up another street when he ran out,
shouting to them and waving the
pendant. Ryanne laughed.
"Ten pounds. I am poor man, eff
fendi, and need the money. Ten
pounds. am giving it away" The
merchants eyes filled with tears, a
trick left to him from out of the ruins
Of his youth, that ready service to
/ forestall the mer1ted ROD.
Ryanne counted out ten sovereigns
and put the pendant in Fortunes
hand. And the pleasure in his heart
was such as he had not known ii
many days. The merchant wisely hur-
ried back to his shop.
"But ~. )" she began protest
ingiy.
.eTut, tut! have known you since
you wore short dresses and tam-o-
snanters
81 really cannot accept 1t as gift.
Let me borrow the ten pounds. y
"And why can't you accept a little
gift from me 2"
She had no ready answer. She
gazed steadily at the dull pearls and
the faky enleralds. She could not ask
him where he had got those sover
eigns. She could not possibly be SO
cruel. She could not dissemble in
words like her mother. That gold she
knew to be a part of a dishonest bar
gain whose forester had been a theft