The Elbert County tribune., 1912-10-11

W o. anu cohle as 1 pieaseu. 10 90
th's and live meant precarious ex-
ploits. This rug represents one Of
them. ! am telling you the family
secret; l am showing you the skele
ton In the closet, confidentially. l
stole that rug: and when I say that
the seven labors of our old friend
Hercules We're simple diversions COM
pared, you'll recognize the difficulties
had to overcome You know some
thing of the Oriental mind hand
led the job alone. l may not be out
OF the jungle yet
George listened entranced. He could
readily construct the scenes through
which this adventurer had gone; the
watchful nights. the untiring patience,
the thirst, the hunger, the heat And
yet, he could hardly believe. He was
a trifie skeptical. Many a rogue had
made the mistake of playing Georges
age against his experience. He had
made some serious blunders In the
early stages of the business, how
ever; and everybody. TO gain some
thing in the end, must lose something
at the start.
IF that rug is the one l have in
mind, you certainly have stolen II.
And II it's a copy. I'll tell you quickly
| enough"
That's fair. And that's why"
Ryanne declared, 81 wanted you TO
look at 1t. To me. considering what
have gone through to get 1t. to me II
is the genuine carpet. To your expert
eye 1t may be only fine copy. know
this much. that rare rugs and paint
ings have many copies. and that some
one is being hooked, sold, bamboozled.
sandbagged, every day in the week. If
this is the real article. want you to
take It off my hands," the adventurerl
finished pleasantly.
| There will be a hue and cry"
mo doubt of It,"
| And the devils own Job to get II.
out OF Egypt" These were set phrases
of the expert, prelirninaries TO bar
gaining. "One might as well carry
round a stolen elephant"
But man who is as familiar with
the game as you are would have little
difficulty. Your integrity Is an estab-
lished fact, on both sides of the water.
You could take it to New York as
copy. and no appraiser would know
the difference. It's worth the attempt.
I'd take it to New York myself, but
you see. am fiat broke. Come; what
do you or l care about a son-of-a-gun
of Turk?" drolly.
What do you want for 1t, suppos-
ing it's genuine?" Georges throat was
dry and his voice harsh. His con-
science reused herself. feebly for It
had been long time since occasion
had necessitated her presence.
Ryanne narrowed his eyes, carefully
balancing the possibilities. Say. one
thousand pounds. 1t is like giving 1t
away. But when the devil drives, you
know. 1t is beysnd any set price; 1t
is worth what any collector is willing
to pay for 1t. l believe l know the
kind of man you are, Mr.. Jones, and
that is why, when l learned you were
In Cairo, came directly to you. You
would never sell this rug. No. You
would become like a miser over his
| gold. You would keep 1t with your
emeralds Il have heard about them,
tool; draw the curtains, lock the
doors, whenever you looked at 1t. Eh7
You would love 1t for It's own sake,
and not because 1t is worth so many
thousand pounds. You are sailing in
a few days; that will help. The Pasha
is in Constantinople, and 1t will be
three or four weeks before he hears OF
the theft. or the cost" with certain
| grimness.
you haven't killed any one?" whis-
pered George.
81 don't know: perhaps Christian
ity against paganism; the Occidental
conscience permits it," Ryanne made
gesture to Indicate that he would
submit to whatever moral arraignment
Mr.. Jones deemed advisable to make.
But George made none. He rose
hastily, sought his knife and. without
SO much as by your leave. slashed the
twine, flung aside the paper, and threw
the rug across the counterpane. 1t
was the Yhiordes. There was not the
slightest doubt in his mind. He had
heard 1t described, he had seen a
| photograph of 1t, he knew its history
and, most vital of all, he owned a
| good copy of it.
Against temptation that was robust
and energetic and alluring (like the
man who insists upon your having a
drink when you want 1t and ought not
to have IT., what chance had con-
science. grown innocuous in the long
period OF the young mans good be-
havior? Collectors are always honest
before and after that moment arrives
when they want something desperate
ly; and George was no more sanity
than his kind. And how deep Ryanne
and his oonfederates had delved into
human nature. how well they could
read and Judge it. was made manifest
in this moment OF Georges moral re-
lapse.