Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-09
Coats and Suits for Girls
and for Children-little Bows and Girls

ramis this afternoon ." But. she fall
tered at the sight of the merchants in
credulous smile.
I'll give you ten for it: not piastre
more. ] can get one like 1T in the Sharia
kamel for that amount.
Both Fortune and the merchant turned.
You, Horace
ing here alone, without dragoman?
'.Oh, | have been through here alone
many times. I'm not afraid. Ism t II
beautiful? He wants twenty pounds FOR
it and 1 cannot afford that.
She had not seen him in many weeks.
yet she accepted his sudden appearance
without question surprise. She was
used to his turning up at unexpected mo-
ments. OF course, she had known that he
was in Cairo-where her mother and uncle
were this secretiye man was generally
within calling. There had been a time
when she had eagerly piled him with
questions. but he had always erected bar
riers of evasion, and finally she ceased
her opportunities, for she concluded that
her questions were such. No matter to
whom she turned, there was no one to
answer her questions, questions born of
doubt and fear.
"Ten pounds" repeated Ryanne. hand
i'm his pocket
The merchant laughed Here were
young man and his sweetheart. His ex-
perience had taught him, and not unwise-
~, that love is an easy victim. too proud
to haggle too generous to bargain sharp
ly. Twenty" he reiterated.
"Salaam' said Ryanne. Good day!
He drew the somewhat resisting hand OF
Fortune under his arm and made for the
door. '.Sh.' he whispered. Leave it to
me-" They gained the street.
The merchant was dazed. He had mis-
Judged 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. l am poor man. enendl;
am giving it away" The merchants eyes
filled with tears, a trick left to him from
out the ruins Of his youth. that ready
service to forestall the merited rod.
Ryaune counted out ten sovereignS ana
put the pendant in Fortunes hand. And
the pleasure in his heart was such as he
had not known in many days. The mer-
chant wisely hurried back to his shop
But =" she began. protestingiy.
Tut, tut! / have known you since
shanters.''
Il really cannot accept it as gift. Let
me borrow the ten pounds"
And why can't you accept this little
gift from me?"
She had no ready answer. She gazed
steadily at the dull pearls and the flaky
emeralds. She could not ask MN where
he had got those sovereigns. she couid
not possibly DC Sd CIuci. oiC o'. .i0A
dissemble in words like her mother. That
gold she knew to be part of dishonest
bargain whose forester had been'a theft-
more, a sacrilege. Her honesty was like
pure gold, unalloyed, unmixed with So
phistic subterfuges. That the young man
who had purchased the rug might be mild
ly peccable had not yet occurred to her.
why not, Fortune?" Ryanne was very
earnest and there was a pinch at his
heart.
..RocouSa . . -,
Don't you like me, just a little?"
"Why, I do like you. Horace. But do
not like any man well enough to accept
expensive gifts from him. l do not wish
to hurt you, but it Is impossible. The
only concession I'll make Is TO borrow the
money
"Well. then, let it go at that" He was |
too wise to press her.
"And can you afford to throw away ten |
pounds?" with assumed Hghtness. my |
one permanent impression of you is the |
young man who was always forced to |
borrow car fare whenever he returned |
from Monte Carlo"
"A fool and his money. But I'm rich
man now" he volunteered. And briefly |
he sketched the exploit OF the Yhiordes |
rug.
ever occurred to you that 1t wasn't hon.
est?"
.'Honest?' frankly astonished that she
should question the ethics. "Oh. I say.
Fortune; You don't call it dishonest to
get the best Of a pagan! Aren't they al
ways getting the best of us?'
IF you had bargained with him and
beaten him down. it would have been diff
ferent. But, Horace. you stole it: you adj
Il took my life in my hands. ! xhank