Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1912-02-01
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CHAPTER XVI, (Continued.)
my dear Fortune said Ryanne,
calling into life that persuasive sweet
ness which upon occasions he could
put into his tones, "have you ever
thought how beautiful you are? NO,
/ don't believe you have. Some an
cestor of your fathers has been re-
incarnated in you. You are without
vanity and dishonesty; and | have
found that these usually, go together.
Well, at Mentone you had a little ex'
perience with men. You were under
protection then; protection it was OF
a sort. II you go out into the world
alone, there will be no protection;
and you will find that men are wolves
generally, and that the sport OF the
chase is woman. Must make 1t
|r1ainer?" r,t
II understand her chin once more
resolute II shall become clerk IN
shop. Perhaps I can teach, or become
a nurse. Whatever l do, / shall never
20 back to Mentone. And all men are
not bad. You're not all bad yourself,
Horace; and so far as am concerned,
1 believe l might trust you anywhere,
''And God knows you could!" gen.
uinely. But can't help you. If had
a sister or woman relative, could
send you to her. But have no one
but my brother, and he's worse
scoundrel than l am i at least work
cut in the open. He transacts MS
yillainies behind closed doors"
George listened, sitting as motion
LESS as Buddhist idol. Why couldn't
he think of something Why couidn, I
he come to the aid of the woman ne
loved in this, her hour of trial? A fine
lover. forsooth! To sit there like q
yokel, stupidity. Could he offer to leno
her money? A thousand times, no!
And he could not ask her TO marry
him: it would not have been falr 10
either. She would have mlsunder'
stood; she would have seen not love
hut pity. and refused him. Neither she
nor Ryanne suffered more IN spirit
than he did at that moment.
Zones. for Gods sake, wake up ana
suggest something You know lots OF
decent people. Can't you think OF
some one?"
But for this call George might have
continued to, grope in darkness IN,
stantly he saw a way. He jumped to
his feet and seized her by the hands
boyishly. 1 ,,,,o
found a way. Mr.. Mortimer, the presl
dent of my firm is an old man, kindly
and lovable He and his wife are child
less. They'll take you. Why, It's as
easyias talking ~ |
She leaned back against the drawing
of his hands. She was afraid that IN
his eagerness he was going to take hel
T in his arms She wondered why, OF a
sudden she had become so weak
Slowly she withdrew her hands IRON
his,
"I'll cable the moment we reach
port,'' he said, as if reaching port
under the existing conditions was a
thing quite possible. "Will you go tc
them? Why, they will give you every
care in the world. And they will love
Won as as you ought to be
loved!"
Ryanne turned away his head.
| Fortune was too deeply absorbed by
her misery to note how near George
had come to committing himself
THANK you, Mr.. Jones; thank you;
am going to the tent. am tired. Ano
! 7 am not SO brave as you think am
"But will your"
"I shall tell you when we reach
port" And with that she fled to the
tent.
Ryanne folded his arms and stared
at the sand. George sat down and aim
lessly hunted for the stub OF the cigar
he had dropped; kind OF reflex
action.
The two men were all alone. The
camel boys were asleep. Mahomed had
now ceased to bother about guard.
"I can't see where she gets this
ridiculous sense of honesty said
Ryanne gloomily.
George leaned over and laid his
hand upon Ryanne's knee. "She gets il
the same way I do, Ryanne = from
here touching his heart; and she is
, right"
"I believe Eve missed everything
worth while, Percival. Till met you
always had sneaking idea that
money made man evil The boot
seems to be on the other foot"
"Ryanne, you spoke about becoming
honest, once you get out of this. Did
you mean it,"
"I did, and still do
ct may be that l can give you lift
You worked in your fathers bank
You know something about figures.
own two large fruit farms in Cali
f,r,,;o yHrbof ID vo1, COW fo a h11ndrnd
and fifty month to start with, and
begin life over again?'
Ryanne got up and restlessly paced
Nonchalance had been beaten out Of
him; the mercurial humor which had
once been so pleasant to excite, which
had once given him foothold in such
moments, was gone. He had only one
feeling, keen, biting, bitter shame
i At length he stopped in front 'oi
George, who smiled and looked up ex
pectantly
Zones. when you stick your finger
into water and withdraw it. what han