Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-08-16
CHAPTER VII.
The PurIolned caIla.


George. having made mis- bargain
with conscience relative to the Yhior9
des rug, slept the sleep Of the untrou-
bled, OF the Just. Of the man who nd
nothing in particular 10 get up'for. In
fact, after having drunk his breakfast
cocoa and eaten his bntteredstosst, he,
evinced his satisfaction by turning his
face away from the attracting morh-
ing light and passing of into sleep
again. And thereby hangs this tale.
So much depended upon Ais getting
his mail as 1t came in that morning,
that Fate herself must have reGsted
sturdily the desire to shake him By
the shoulder. Perhaps she w6uld have
done so but for the serenity Of his
pose and the infantile sAils that lin.
gered for while round his lips Fate,
as with most Of us, has her sentiment.
al lapses. .
The man next door, having no con-
science to speak OF Indeed, he hadde-
rallied her while passing his twenti.
eth meridIan!) was up betimes. He
had turned In atsfoE; StOsix he was
strolling about the deserted lounglng.
room, watching the entrances. II IL
inconceivable how easily mail may be
purlolned in large hotel. There are
as many ways as points to the wind.
Ryanne chose the simplest He waited
for the mailbag to be empded upon
the head-porter's counter. Nonchal-
antly. but deity. while the porter
looked on. the adventurer ran Shrough
the bulk. He found three letters and
q cable. the latter Asving been re-
ceived by Georges bankers the day
before and mailed directly to the ho-
tel. The porter had no suspicion that
q bold theft was being committed un-
der his very eyes. Moreover, circum.
stances prevented his ever learning
Of 1t. Ryanne stuffed the spOIls into
a pocket. :.
III any one asks for. me-" be said,
SAY that shall be at my bankers.
the Anglo-Egyptan bank, at 10 O'CLOCK.
Yes. sir" replied The porter, a. he
began to sort the rest Of the mail,
not forgetting to peruse the pospls.
Ryanne went out into the street.
walking rapidly into town. Mahomed-
El-Gebel shook the folds OF his cloak
and followed. The adventurer did not
slacken his gait till he reached Shep-
heard's hotel. Upon the steps he
paused. Some English troops were
marching past, on the way to thD rail-
way station; the usualanumber Of ma
uves were patrolling the sdewalks,
danglAg strings OF imitation scarabs;
caravan Of pack-camels, laden With
cotton, shufiled by haughtily; A blind
beggar sat on the curb In front,
munching a 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 desk and opened
the cable. It contained exactly What
he expected. It was a call for cad
vice In regard to the reRtal Of eHr.
George P. A. Jones mansion in NeGi
York and the temporary disposing Of
the loose valuables. Ryanne read II
over a dozen times. withs puckered
brow, and finally balled II fercely In
his fist. Foot. He could not, at that
moment. renember the most essen
tial point In the game. the name ana
once Of the agent to whom he must
this very morning send reply. Hur-
riedly he fshed out the letters; one.
chance In thousand. He swore. but
In relief. In the corner OF one Of the
letters. be sew that for Some unknown
reason the gods were still with him.
Reynolds ane Reynolds. estates. Broad
street; he remembered. He wrote out
reply on a piece Of hotel paper, IN
tending to copy II a ct the cable
ONCE. This reply covered the ground
convincing'y. Renting for two
months. Old friends. Leave things
as they are. p A." The initials
were a little stroke. From some
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