Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-29

My one permanent impression vi you
is the young man who was always
forced to borrow carfare whenever he
returned from Monte Carlo"
"a fool and his money. But I'm 3
rich man now" he volunteered. And
briefly he sketched the exploit of the
Yhiordes rug.
cit was very brave Of you. But has
it ever occurred to you that 1t wasn't
honest?"
"Honest?" frankly astonished that
she should question the ethics ooh, l
say, Fortune; you don't call it dishon-
est to get the best of pagan! Aren't
they always getting the best Of u.s."
"If you had bargained with him and
beaten him down. 1t would have been
different But, Horace, you stole it.,
you admit that you did"
81 took my life In my hands. I
think that eyened up things
mo. And you sold 1t to Mr.. Jones' p,
"Yes, and Mr.. Jones was only too
glad to buy 1t. ! told him the facts.
He wasn't particularly eager to bring
up the ethics of the case. Why, child,
what the deuce Is a Turk? I shouldn't
cry out If some one stole my Bible"
Good gracious! do you carry one?'
"Well, there's always one on the,
room-stand in the hotels l patronize."
Il suppose it all depends upon how
we look at things"
That's 1t. A different pair Of spec
tacles for every pair Of eyes"
II only he weren't in love with herl
thought the girl. He would then be
an amusing comrade. But whenever
he met her he quietly pressed his suit.
He had never spoken openly of love.
for which she was grateful, but his at
tentions, his little kindnesses, his UNI
obtrusive protection when those other
men We're at the villa, made the read
ing between the lines no difficult mat
ter.
What shall you do If this Mahomed
you speak of comes?"
Turn him loose upon our friend
Jones'" with q laugh.
"And what will he do to him"
"Carry him of to Bagdad and chop
off his head" Ryanne TESTED.
"Tell me, is there any possibility OF
Mr.. Jones coming to harm2"
Cant say" Her concern for PERCH
val annoyed him
as it fair, when he paid you gen,
erously?"
He did not look into the grave eyes.
They were the only pair that ever dis
concerted him. ADry dear Fortune, it's
a question which is the moro valuable
to me, my skin or Percivals."
.'It isn't fair"
From my point Of view It's fair
enough. warned him; told him the
necessary facts, the eventual dangers.
He accepted them all with the Yhior-
des. I see nothing unfair In the deals
since l risked my life In the first
place"
And why must you do these des-
perate things?"
ooh, love excitement. My one idea
i'm life is to avoid the humdrum.
'Is it necessary to risk your life for
these excitements? Is your life moth
ing more to you than something to en-
pertinent within
/ Truth, sometimes I don't know.
fortune. Sometimes / don't care
When one has gambled for big stakes.
lit is hard to play for penny points"
"a strong, healthy man like you
fought not to court death"
81 do not seek 1t. My only tempta'
ton Is to see how near can get. to
the Man in the Stroud, as some poet
calls it, without being touched. III
make you my confcssor. You see. It
is like this A number OF wearied men
recently formed a company whereby
imonotony became an obsolete word
in our vocabulary. You must not think
I'm testing; I'm serious enough. This
company ferrets out adventures and
romances and sells them to men Of
spirit. I became member. and tho
"trip to Bagdad Ia the result. One new
erhas to share with the company. The
rewards are all yours. All one has to
do Is to pay lump sum. down for the
adventure furnished You work out
The end yourself. unhindered and I'M
assisted"
"Are you really serious9"
Never more so. Now, Percival al
gernon has always been wanting an
adventure, but the practical side OF
him has made him hold aloof. ] TOLD
him about this concern. and he refuses
to believe In it So ! am going to un'
dertake to prove 1t to him. This Is
confidential You will say nothing.
know"
"He will come to no harm physical
1y?"
Lord, no! 1t will be mild and in
nocuous. OF course, if any one ,tolc
him that an adventure was toward
for his especial benefit, it would spoil
. all. can rely upon your silence?
She was silent. He witnessed he
indecision with distrust. Perhaps ht
had said too much.
.eyyor,t vo,1 rromiSe7 Haven't / al