Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-07-24

nitely. He rsturned 10 New York
with thirty.two pounds sterling out Of
the original thousand. fact that reju-
Ivsnatsd his paternAl parent by some
ten years.
"Jane. that boy u IN right. Perci-
val Algernon could not kill boy like
that"
do yeu mean to infer that Il svsr
could7" Sometimes Qualm wrinkled
her conscience. Her mothers heart
told her that her son ought not to be
shy and bashful, that It was not In
the nature Of his blood to suspect
ridicule where there was none. Per
haps she had handicapped him with
those names; but II was too late now
to admit Of this, and useless. since
1t would not have remedied the evil.
Jones hemmed and hawed for .
space. NO." he answered: "but l
was afraid he might try to live up
to II; and no Percival Algernon who
lived up to it could put his nose down
to a Shah Abbas and tell how many
knots It had to the square inch. I'll
start him in ON the job tomorrow.
Whereupon the mother sat back
dreamlly. Now, where was the girl
worthy Of her boyf Monumental ques-
ton. besetting every mother. from Eve
down. Eve, whose trials In this direc-
ton must have been heartrending!
George left tho cellar in due time.
and after that he went up the ladder
in bounds, on his own merit, mind
you. for his father never stirred q
hand to boost him He took the in
terest in rugsfhat turns buyer into
a collector; 1t became fascinating
pleasure rather than business. He
became invaluable to the house, and
acquired some fame as q Judge and
an appraiser. When the chief-buyer
retired George was given the position.
with an itinerary that carried him half
way round the planet once year, to
Greece, Turkey. Persia, Arabia, and
India, the lands of the genii and tho
bottles, Of arabesques, Of temples and
tombs, OF many-cofored turbans and
flowing robes and distracting tongues.
He walked and always in kind Of
mental enchantment
.ThA suave and elusive Oriental,
with his sharp practices. found his
match In this pleasant young man,
who knew the history of the very
woods and cottons and silks woven
In rug or carpet. So George pros
pered, became known in strange
places, by strange peoples; and saw
romance, light of foot and eager Of
eye, pass and repass; learned that
romance did not essentially mean fall
Ing in love or rescuing maidens from
burning houses and wrecks: that, on
the contrary. true romance was kalei-
doscopic, having more brilliant facets
than q diamond; and that the man
who begins with nothing and ends
with something IL moro wonderful
than any excursion recounted by Sin
bad or any tale by Scheherazade. But
he still hoped that the iridescent god
dess would some day touch his shout
der and lead him into that maze Of
romance SO peculiar to his own fancy.
And then into this little world Of
business and pleasure came death
and death again. leaving him alone
and with twisted heart Riches
mattered little, and the sounding title
Of vioepresident still less. It was
with distinct shock that he realized
the mother and the father had been
with him 70 long that he had forgot
ten to make other friends. From
ono thing to another he turned In
hope to sootho the smart. to heal the
wound: and after time he drifted,
% all shy. intelligent and imaginative
men drift who arc friendless, into the
silent and intimate comradeship Of in
animate things. such AZ jewels, ivories.
old metals. rare woods and ancient
embroideries, and perhaps more COM
forting than all these, good books.
Tho proper tale Of how the afore.
said iridescent goddess jostled (for IL
scarce may be said that she led) him
into q romance lacking neither com.
edy nor tragedy. now begins with a
triflins bit Of retrospection. One of
who looked into the clear pool of the
boys mind saw the harmless longing
there. and made note, hoping to find
profit by her knowledge whom tho per-
tinent day arrived. She was q woman
30 pleasing, 20 handsome, 20 adroit.
that many man, older and wiser
than George. found her mesh too
strong for him. Her plan matured,
suddenly and brilliantly. - projects
Of men and women Of her class and
caliber without variation do.
Late one December afternoon Ito
Bio precise. 1so9), George sat ON the
tea-veranda OF the Hotel Semiramis
in Cairo. A book lay idly upon his
knees. 1t was one OF those yarns
in which something was happening
every other minute. As adventures
go. George had never had Z real one
in all his twenty-eisht years. and he
believed that fate had treated him
rather shabbily. He didn't quite ap.
preciate her reserve. No matter how
late he wandered through the mysteri-
Gus bazaars. either here In Egypt or
over yonder In India, nothing ever be-
Tell more exciting than an argument
With carriagedriver. He never car.
ried smallarms, for he would not
have known how to use Thorn. The
only deadly things In his hands were
bass.rods and tsnnis-racqusts. No,
nothing ever happened to him; yet
he never met Q man In ships SMOKE
room who hadn't run the gamut Of
thrilling experiences, A. George
wasn't n liar himaalf ha helfavad All