Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-07-26

science reused hersStf, feebly, for Il
had been long time since occasion
had necessithted her presence.
Ryanne narrowed his eyes, carefully
balancing the possibilities. Say, one
thousand pounds. II is like giving Il
away. But when the devil driNeA you
know. 1t 10 beyond any set price; II
is worth what any collector is willing
TO pay for It. believe ] know the
kind OF man you are, Mr.. Zones, and
that is why, when / learned you vert
in Cairo, | cane directly to you. You
would never sell this rug. No. You
would become like a miser over his
gold. You would keep It With your
emeralds Il have beard about them,
tool; draw the curtains, lock the
doors, whenever you looked at II. Eli!
You would 1--we 1t for ito own sake,
and not because 1t is worth SO many
thousand pounds. You are sailing in
a few days; that viii help. The Pasha
is in Constantinople, and 1t will be
three or four weeks bPfEe he hears O;
the theft. or the cost" with certain
grimness.
o ~You haven't killed any one?" whis.
pered George.
u don't know; perhaps. Christian.
ity against paRsnism; the Occidental
conscience permits It," Ryanne made
a. gesture to indicate that he would
submit to whatever moral arraignment
Mr. Jones. deemed advisable to make.
But George made none. He rose
hastily, sought his knife and, without
80 much as by your leave, slashed the
Irvine, flung aside tie paper, and threw
the rus across the counterpane. II
was the Yhiordes. There was not the
slightest doubt in his mind. q He had
heard y described, he had. seen a
photograph Of n, she knew its history
and, most vital Of all, be owned a
good copy Of II.
{. Against temptation that was robust
and energetic and alluring like the
man who insists upon ytus having a
drink when you gant II and ought not
to havesitb what chance had con.
science. grown innocuous in the long
period OF the young mans good be-
havi1? Collectors are aways honest
before and after that moment arrives
when they want something desperate.
ly; and George was no more sanity
than his kind. And howadeep Ryanne
and his confederates had delved into
human natures how well they could
read and Judge 1t, was made manifest,
In this moment of Georges moral re-
lapse.
Bagdad, the inns. sinbads the Thou.
sand and One Nights, Alibaba and the
Forty Thieves; George was transport.
ed mentally to thsa magic city, stand.
Ing between the Tigris and the Eu.
pirates, In all its white glory of a
thocsand years gone. RyaItne. the
room and Its Furnishings, all lad var.
ished, all save the exquisite fabyic pat.
termed sout Of wool and cotton and
fpotted with that mingling love and
skill and patience the world knows no
more. He l0 bis hard stray over II.
How many knees had pressed its thick
yet pliantS substahcei How many
strange scenes had It mutely wit.
messed, scenes Of beauty. of terror? It
shone under the light Ike the hide Of
healthy hound.
The nerves Of smoker aye general
" made apparenS by the rapidly of
bis exhalatons.' Thess two, in. the
several minutes had filed Re room |
with a thick. blue haze; and through |
this the elder man eyed the younger. |
The sign Of the wolf cleaned in his
eyes, but without animosity, modified
as 1t was By the half-friendly, half.
cynical smile
q I'll risk NJ MD GeoSke finally.
having stepped OF the magical carpet,
10 1t weres Il can't give you q tbou-
'and pounds tonigfh can Eve you
-hree hundred, and the balance tomor>