The searchlight., 1912-11-08

| sition he set before me. He said he
| owned stock In a concern called The
United Romance and Adventure COM
pany;' and that for a specified sum Of
money, one could have any adventure
one pleased"
did you ever hear of such a
thing?" cried the mother merrily. For
tune searched her face keenly. The
United Romance and Adventure Com
pany! He must have been joking.
What did you say his name is!"
"Ryanne. Joking Is my Idea exact
ly." George agreed The scheme Is
to plunge the stockholder into real
live adventure. and then let him pull
himself out the best way he can.
Sounds good. He added that this rug
business was an instance Of the sue
cess Of the concern. There goes the
music. Do you dance. Miss Ched-
soye?"
"A little" Fortune was preoccu-
pied. She was wondering what lay
behind Mr.. Ryanne's amiable Jest.
Go along. both Of you," said Mrs.
Chedsoye. Il am too old to dance. ]
prefer watching people," She sat
down and arranged herself comfort
ably. She was always arranging her
self comfortably: II was one OF the Sc
crets of her perennial youth. She
was very lovely. but George had eyes
for the daughter only. Mrs. Ched.
| skl. hut ns In, ho lan naf
chagrined.
1T Is so many years since tripped
the light fantastic toe." George con-
fessed. reluctantly and nervously. now
that he had bravely committed him
self. 1T Is quite possible that the
accent will be primarily upon the
trip"
Perhaps. then" replied the girl.
who truthfully was out of tune. per
haps I had better get my wraps and
we'll go outside. The night Is glori-
GUS"
She couldn't have suggested any
thing more to his liking. And 30.
after a little hurrying about. the two
young people went outside and began
to promenade slowly up and down the
mole. Their conversation was desul
tory. George had dropped back into
his shell and the girl was not equal
to the task of drawing him out.
Once he stumbled over q sleeping
beggar. and would have fallen had she
not caught him by the arm.
Thanks. I'm clumsy"
It's rather difficult to see them In
the moonlight: their rags match the
pavements."
The Egyptian night. that sapphirine
darkness which the flexible imagina-
ton peoples with lovely and terrible
shades. or floods with mystery and ro-
nance and wonder. lay softly upon
this strip OF verdure aslant the des-
ert's face, the Valley OF the Nile. The
moon. round, brilliant, strangely near.
suffused the SCARED old visage of the
world with phantom silver: the stones
Of the parapet glowed DULY. the pave
ment glistened whitley, all things II
touched with gentleness. lavishing
beauty upon beauty. meliowing ugli.
ness or effacing II. The deep blue
Nile. beribboned with the glancing
lights from the silent feluccas. curling
musically along the sides OF the frost
like dahabeahs and steamers. rolled
on to the sea; and the blue-white
arc-lamps. spanning the Great Nile
bridge. took the semblance of a pearl
necklace. From time to time a cara
van trooped across the bridge into
Cairo.
DO you care for poetry. Mr.. Jones?"
II? I used to write It."
"And you aren't afraid to admit IT."
well, I shouldn't confess the deed
to every one" he answered frankly.
I'VE all write poetry at one time or
another: but It's generally not consti-
tutional. and We recover"
Il do not see why any one should be
ashamed Of writing poetry"
"Ah. but there Ii poetry and poetry.
My kind and Byron's Is born Of kin
dred souls; but he was an active
genius. whereas. I wasn't even a pas
sive one. In all great poets ! find my
own rejected thoughts. as Emerson
says: and that's enough for my slen-
der needs. Poets are rather uncom-
Portable chaps to have round. They
are capricious. irritable. temperament
al. selfish. and usually demand all the
attention"
The little vocal stream died up
again. and once more they listened to
the magic sounds Of the night. She
stopped abruptly to look over the para
pet. and his shoulder met hers. after
that the world to him was never 20
ing to be the Same again.
Moonlight and poetry; not the
safest channels to sail unchartsd. The
girl Was lonely. and George was lone
ly. too. His longing had now assumed
q definite form: hers moved from this
to that. still Indefinitely. The quick
ness with which this definition had
come to George rather startled him.
His frst sight Of Fortune Chedsoys
had been but yesterday: Jet. here he
was. not dsspsratsly but consciously
In love with her. The situation bore