The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-09-26
The Carpet
From Bagdad
Bv Harold MacGrath, Author of
Hearts and Masks. The Man on the Box etc.
illustrations by M. G. Kettner
Copyright 1911 by Bobbs-Merril Company

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soon find out where she is" The Ma
Tor wasn't worried.
"Have you seen Horace?" with dis
eernible anxiety.
"No. didn't wait up for him. He's
sleeping off a night Of it. You know
his falling"
Find out II he is in his room. Go
10 the porter's bureau and inquire for
both him and Jones'"
The Major, perceiving that his sister
was genuinely alarmed, rushed over
to the bureau. No, neither Mr.. Ry-
anne nor Mr.. Jones had been in the
hotel since yesterday. Would the por-
ter send some one up to the rooms
Of those gentlemen to make sure? Ger
tainly. No; there was no one in the
rooms. The Major was now himself
perturbed. He went back to Mrs.
Chedsoye.
'Kate, neither has been in his room
since yesterday. If you want my
opinion, it is this: Hoddy has seques-
tered Jones all right, and is some
where in town, sleeping off the effects
Of night of it."
"He has run away with FOrtune!"
she cried. Her expression was tragic.
She couldn't have told whether it was
due to her daughters disappearance
or to Horace's detection. did he not
threaten?"
Ssh! not so loud, Kate"
"The little simpleton defied me yes
terday, and declared she would leave
me-"
"Oho!" The Major fingered his i'm
perial. "That puts a new face to the
subject. But Jones! He has not
turned up. We can not move till
we find out what has become of him.
] know. I'll jump into carriage and
see if he got as far as the English
Bar"
Mrs. Chedsoye did not go upstairs.
but paced the lounging-room, 1.-THE and
pantherish. Frequently she paused,
rs If examining the patterns in the
huge carpets. She entered the recep-
tion-room, came back, wandered off
the announcement hanging upon the
bulletin-board, returned to the win
dows and watched the feluccas sail
past as the great bridge opened; and
during all these aimless occupations
but single thought busted her mind:
what could man like Horace see in
q chit like Fortune?
1t was an hour and half before
the Major put in an appearance. He
was out Of breath and temper.
"Come up to the ROOM" Once there,
he sat down and babe her do likewise.
There's the devil to pay. You heard
Hoddy speak Of the niger who guard
ed the Holy Yhiordes, and that he
wanted to get out of Cairo before he
turned up? Well, he turned up. He
fooled Hoddy to the top of his bent.
So far as could learn, Fortune and
Hoddy and Jones are all in the same
boat, kidnapped by the Mahomed, and
carried out into the desert, headed,
God knows where! Now, don't get ex.
cited. Take it easy. Luck is with
US, for Hoddy left all the diagrams
with me. We need him, but not so
much that we can't go on without him.
You see, these Arabs are like the Hin
dus; touch anything that. concerns
their religion, and they'll have your
hair of. How Fortune got into it
can't imagine, unless Mahomed saw
her with Hoddy and jumped to the
conclusion that they were lovers. All
this Mahomed wants Is the rug; and
he is going to hold them till he gets
It; No use notifying the police. No
Cle would know where to find him.
None Of them will come to actual
harm. Anyhow. the coast Is clear.
Kate, there's big thing in front. No
nerves. We've got to go to-day. Time
is everything. Our butler and first
man cabled this morning that they
had just started in, and that every.
thing was running like clock-work.
Well get into New York in time for
the coup. Remember, I was against
the whole business at the start, but
now I'm going to see it off,"
Feverishly Mrs. Chedsoye prepared
bOT Tie journey. Sn6 was irritable 10
Celeste, she was unbearable to her
brother, who took seat in a forward
compartment to be rid of her. It was
only when they went. aboard the
steamer that night that she became
recOnciled to the Inevitable. At any
rate. the presence Of Jones would
counteract any influence Horace
might have gained over Fortune. That
the three Of them might suffer un-
heard-of miseries never formed
thought In her mind. It appealed to
her In the sense of comedy which
annoyed rather than amused her.
They were greeted effusively by
Wallace, he of the Dubious nose: and
his first inquiry was of Ryanne. Brief
" the Major told him what had hap
pened and added his fears. Wallace
was greatly cast down. Hoddy had
20 set his heart upon this venture that
1t was shame to proceed without
him. He had warned him at the be
ginning about that Internal rug: hm.