The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-11-06
CHAPTER HI.-(contlnued.)

cairo With q carefully Suaroeo ooao-e'
CHAPTER IIi.-(Continued.)
Georges romance gathered itself Tor
a flight. Perhaps 1t was love thwart-
ed and the gentleman with the mus,
tache and imperial, in spite Of his ami
ability, might be the ogre. Perhaps
it was love and duty. Perhaps her
lover had gone down to sea. Perhaps
(for lovers are known to do such
things) he had run away with the
other girl. If that was the case,
George did not think highly Of that
tentative gentleman's taste. Perhaps
and perhaps again; but George might
have gone on p%erhapsing till the
crack O. doom, with never a solitary
glimmer Of the true state Of the girls
mind. Whenever he saw an unknown
man or woman who attracted his at.
tention, he never could resist the i'm,
pulse to invent a romance that might
apply.
Immediately after dessert the two
rose; and George, finding that nothing
more important than a pineapple ice
detained him, got up and followed. Mr..
Ryanne almost trod on his heels as
they went through the doorway into
the cosy lounging-room. George
dropped into a vacant divan and wait.
ed for his cafe a la Turque. Mr..
Ryanne walked over to the head-por.
ter's bureau and asked if that gentle.
man would be SO kind as to point out
Mr.. George P. A. Jones, If he were
anywhere in sight. He thoughtfully,
not to say regretfully, laid down q
small bride.
"Mr. Jones?" The porter knew Mr.
Jones very we'll. He was generous,
and treated the servants as though
they were really human beings. Mr.
Ryanne, either by his inquiry or as
the result Of his bride, went up sew.
eral degrees In the porter's estima,
ton. mi. Jones is over there, on the
divan by the door"
Thanks"
But Ryanne did not then seek the
young man. He studied the quarry
from a diplomatic distance. No; there
Was nothing to indicate that George
Percival A%lgernon Jones was in any
way handicapped by his A%rthuresque
middle names.
mo fool, as Gioconda In her infinite
wisdom hath said; but romantic, ter
ribly romantic, yet, like the timid
bather who puts a foot into the water
finds it cold, and withdraws it. 1t will
all depend upon whether he Is a real
collector or merely a buyer Of rugs
Forward, then, Horace; a sovereign
has already dashed headlong down the
far horizon" The curse Of speaking
his thoughts aloud did not lie heavily
upon him tonight, for these cogitations
were made in silence, unmarked by
any facial expression. He proceeded
across the room and sat down beside
George. II beg your pardon" he be
gan, "but are you not MI. Jones?"
Mildly astonished, George signifie6
that he was.
George P. A. Jones?"
George nodded again, but with some
heat in his cheeks. yes. What is
it% The girl had just finished heI
coffee and was going away. Hang this
fellow! What did he want at this mo
ment?
II Ryanne saw that he was toe
much, as the French say, he also per
ceived the cause. The desire to shake
George till his teeth ratified was in
stantly overcome. She haunt seen
him, and for this he was grateful
You are interested in rugs? ] near
old ones, rare ones, rugs that are
bought once and seldom if ever SOLD
again"
why, yes. That's my business
George had TO silly ideas about trade
He had never posed as a gentleman's
soo in the sense that 1t meant idle
ness.