Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-18


l have never written you note or any
kind. You do not know my handwriting
from Adams In Gods name. why didn't
you ask your mother or your uncle? They
would have. recognized the forgery at
once. Who gave II to yOu:'
"Mahomed himself
Damn himr' Ryanne grew strong
under the passing fit OF rage. mo. don't
tell me to be silent. / don't care about
myself: I'm the kind of IA man who pulls
spine out of me. I'm to blame; it's all
my fault
Say no more about it She believed
MIN. She really hadn't thought him
time of her abduction she had been in
clined to accuse him. That he was here,
a prisoner like herself. was conclusive
evidence, so far as she was concerned.
of his innocence But she knew him to
be responsible for the presence of Jones;
knew him to be culpable of treachery OF
the meanest order; knew him to be lack
ing In generosity and magnanimity to-
ward man who was practically his
benefactor. What does Mahomed
want?"
The bally rug. Fortune. And Jones
here, who had. it, says that it is gone"
vanished. rhagtc-carpet-wise," supple
mented George.
/. And thousand like it, IL we could
nave bought you out Of this
Jones and could have managed to
get along"
I'VE shouldn't have mattered"
And would you have returned to Mr..
Jones his thousand pounds?"
Yes. and everything else have" quite
honestly
Don't worry any more about the rug.
then. / know where 1t is
Your cried the two men.
Yes. l sto.e 1t. I did SO, thinking to
avert this very hour; to save you from
harn,' to George, land you from doing
contemplate thing" to Ryanne. 1T is
in my room. done up in the big steamer
roll. And now I am glad that stole it,"
Ryanne laughed weakly.
temptible thing?' He recoliected Ma
homeds words In regard to Ryanne as
the latter lay insensible in the sand.
tunfty o: solving, to his own advantage,
the puzzle for George, and at the same
time guiding Fortune away from topic
the danger of which she knew nothing,
kidnap you. Jones. Don't be impatient.
You laughed at me when L laid before
you the prospectus of the United Ro-
nance and Adventure Company. / wished
to prove to you that the concern existed.
And so here is your adventure upon APP
prevail. l thought of course, you still
had the rug. Mahomed was to carry you
into the desert for week. and by that
time you would have surrendered the rug.
returned to Cairo, the hero of a full
or 1t I've made. I forgot, next to his
hally rug, Mahomed loved me-"
The hitherto credulous George had of
late begun to look into facts instead of
dreams He did not believe word Of
this amazing confession, despite the addi-
tional testimony Of Fortune relative to
Ryanne's statements made to her In the
baZaars.
THE bitter bitten,'' was Georges sole
Ryanne breathed easier.
why not tell Mahomed at once and
have him send a courier back for the
rug?" suggested Fortune.
by Joye, that clears up everything.
better than he had at any stage of the
adventure. Here was a simple way out
of the difficulty
Softly said Ryanne LET us come
down to the lean facts. II that rug is in
your room, Fortune, your mother has dis
covered it long before now. She will turn
it over to your estimable uncle. None
of us will ever see 1t again. I'm thinking
The major knows that Jones gave me a
thousand pounds for it." Struck by a
gan to tumble In his pockets. Gone!
Every shilling of it gone! He's got that.
too; Mahomed; the cash you gave me.
Jones. Wait a moment: don't speak
things are whiriing about some. Over
nine hundred pounds; every shilling of it.
We mustn't let him know that I've
missed it. I've got to play weak in
order to grow strong . But they will
at least start up row as to your where
abOuts. Fortune"
No" thoughtfully: mo. do not think
they WILL
The undercurrent was too deep for
George. He couldn't see very clearly
just then. The United Romance and Ad-
venture Company: was that all? Was
there not something sinister behind that
name. concerning him? He looked pa
tiently from the girl to the adventurer
Ryanne stared at the yellow desert be-
yond. His brain was clearing rapidly
under the stimulus of thought He him
self did not believe that they would send
out search parties either for him or for
Fortune. He could not fathom what had
given Fortune her belief; but he realized
that his own was based upon the recol-
lection of that savage mood when he had
thrown down the gauntlet. Now they
would accept 1t. He had run away with
Fortune as he had boldly threatened to
do. The mother and her precious brother
would proceed at once to New York with
out him. He had made a fine muddle OF
it all. But for a glass Of wine and a
grain too much Of confidence, he had not
been here this day.
Mahomed. himself astir by this time,
came over to the group, leisurely. The
three lOOheu ike COnSplTdJOTS 10 his SuS-
picious eye. but unlike conspirators they
made no effort to separate because he
approached. He understood-as yet they
were not afraid of him. That was one of
the reasons he hated white men; they
could seldom be forced to show fear, even
when they possessed 1t. Well, these three
should know what fear was before they
saw the last of him. He carried a kur-
bash, u cowhide whip, which he twirled
idly, even suggestively. First, he came
to George.
IF you have the Yhiordes. there is still
chance for you. Cairo is but fifty
miles away. Bagdad is several hundred"
He drew the whip caressingly through his
fingers.
II do not lie.'' replied George. a trucu-
lent sparkle in his eyes. II told you that
l had it not. 1t was the truth"
A ripple of anxiety passed over Ma
homed's face. And you?" turning upon
Ryanne, with suppressed savageness.
How he longed to lay the lash upon the
dog!
waspishly. IF had It should not be
here All, for bit OF his old strength!
He would have strangled Mahomed then
and there. But the drug and the beating
had weakened him terribly.
IF give you the rug" interposed For
tune, twill you promise freedom for us
all?"
Mahomed stepped back, nonplussed He
hadn't expected any Information from
this quarter.
IT have the rug" declared Fortune