Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-08-02
MANY happy rstnrn,.. ironie,llr

They finished the bottle . without
further talk. There was no convivial-
ity here. Both we're fond Of good wine,
but the more they drank, the tighter
grew their lips. Men who have been
IN the habit Of guarding dangerous
secrets become taciturn in their cups.
From time to time, fiittingly, there
appeared against one Of the windows.
just above the half-eurtain, a lean,
dark face, which, In profile, resembled
the hte-the hooked beak. the watch
ful, preyful eyes. There were two
hungers written upon that Arab face,
food and revenge.
Allah is good" he murmured.
He had but one eye in use, the 9TH
er was bandaged. In.fact, the face ex-
hibited general indications Of rough
warfare, the skin broken on the bridge
OF the nose, a freshly healed cut uIi-
der the seeing eye, aslong strip Of
plaster extending from the ear to the
mouth. There was nothing Il the beg
gar In his mien. His lean throat was
erect, his chin protrusive, the set Of
his shoulders proud and defiant. Ordi.
narily, the few lingering guides would
rudely have told him to be on about
his business; but they were familiar
with all turbans, and In the peculiar
twist OF this one, soiled and ragged
though It was. they recognized some
prince from the eastern deserts. Pres
emily he strobe away, but with a stiff.
ness which they knew came from long
journeys upon racing-camels.
George dreamed that night Of magic
carpets, Of sad-eyed maidens, OF fierce
Bedouins. Of battles in the desert, of
genii swelling terrihcally out Of squat
bottles. And once he rose and turned
on the lights to assure himself that
tie old Yhiordes was not a part Of
these vivid dreams.
He was up shortly after dawn, In
white riding-togs, for a final canter %
Mena House and return. In two days
more he would be leaving Egypt be.
hind. Rather glad in one sense, rath'
er sorry In another. Where to put the
rug was a problem. He might carry
1t in his steamer-roll; It would be
handler there than in the bottom Of
his trunk, stored away in the ships
hold. Besides, his experience had
taught him that steamer.rolls were
only indifferently inspected. You will
observe that the luster of his high
ideals was already dimming. He rea
soned that inasmuch as he was bound
to smuggle and lie, 1t might be we'll to
plan something artistically. He wished
now that he was going to spend Christ
mas In Cairo; but 1t was too late to
change his booking without serious
loss Of time and money.
He had a light breakfast on the
veranda Of the Mena House, climbed
up to the desert, bantered the donkey.
boys, amused himself by watching the
descent Of some German tourists who
had climbed the big Pyramid before
dawn to witness the sun rise, and
threw pennies to the horde of blind
beggars who instantly swarmed about
him and demanded, in the name of AL.
lab, competence for the rest of their
days. He finally escaped them by
footing 1t down the incline to the no
tel gardens, where his horse stood
waiting.
1t was long after nine when he slid
from the saddle at the side entrance
OF the Semlramis. He was on his way
to the bureau for his key. when an
exquisitely glovedhand lightly touched
his arm.
J Don't you remember me, Mr..
Jones% said voice Of vocal honey.
+ George did. In his confusion he
dropped his pith-helmet, and in stoop
ing to pick 1t up, bumped into the por.
tel. who had rushed to his aid. Re.
member her! Would he ever forget
her? He never thought Of her with.
out clubbing himself an outrageous ass
He Strengthened, his cheeks afSe;
blushing was another Of those VRcon.
trollable asininities Of his. II was
really she, come out Of past he had
hoped to be eternally inresuscitant
the droll, the witty woman, tc whom
in one mad moment Of liberality and
Galahadlsm he had loaned without sc.
curity one hundred and fifty pounds at
the roulette tables In Monte Carlo;
she, for whom he had always bhshed
when he recalled how easily she had
mulcted him! And here she was, Sc.
rene, lovely as ever, unchanged.
MY DEAR" said the stranger George
couldn't recall by what name he had
known herr; my DEAR" to Fortune
Chedsoye, who stood little behind
her, this is the gentleman I've often
told you about. You were at school
at the time. borrowed a hundred and
fifty pounds Of him at Monte Carlo.
And what do you think? When went
to pay him back the next day, he was
gone, without leaving the slightest
clue to his whereabouts. Isn't that
droll? And to think that should
meet him here!'
That her name had slipped his
memory, II indeed he had ever known
1t, was true; but one thing fingered
incandescently in his minL, and that
was, he had written her, following
unfnnfalv 49, au.-