The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-07-18

now Cnat ne was gong TO spend Christ
mas in Cairo; but it was too late to
change his booking without serious
loss Of time and money.
He had 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
begsars who instantly swarmed about
him and demanded, in the name of Al
ian, competence for the rest of their
days. He finally escaped them by
footing it down the incline to the ho-
tel gardens, where his horse stood
waiting.
1t was long after nine when he slid
from the saddle at the side entrance
of the Semiramis. He was on his way
to the bureau for his key, when an
exquisitely gloved hand lightly touched
his arm.
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 it up, bumped into the por-
ter 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 afire;
blushing was another o5 those uncon-
trollable asininities of his. 1t was
really she, come out of past he had
hoped to be eternally inresuscitant;
the droll, the witty woman, to whom
in one mad moment of liberality and
Galahadism he had loaned without Sc
curity one hundred and fifty pounds at
the roulette tables in Monte Carlo;
she, for whom he had always blushed
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 I 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 I should
meet him here!"
That her name had slipped his
memory, if indeed he had ever known
it, was true; but one thing fingered
was, he had written her, following
infinitely her own specific directions
and ilclosing his bankers address in
Paris, Naples and Cairo; and for many
passings of moons he had opened his
foreign mail eagerly and hopefully.
But hope must have something to
feed upon, and after struggle lasting
two years, she rendered up the ghost.
. It wasn't the loss of money that
hurt; it was the finding of dross metal
where he supposed there was naught
but gold. Perhaps his later shyness
was due as much to this disillusion-
ing incident as to his middle names.
isn't it droll, my dear?" the en-
chantTess repeated; and George grew
redder and redder under the beautiful,
grateful eyes. II must give him draft
this very morning."
But Why, my dear Ma
dame," stammered George. "You must
not l -"
Fortune laughed Somehow the quail
lily Of that laughter pierced Georges
confused brain as sometimes a shaft
of sunlight rips into a fog, suddenly.
stiletto-like. 1t was full of malice.