The searchlight., 1912-10-18

10 so and come as i pleased. 10 90
this and live meant precarious ex.
plolts. This rug represents one Of
them. I am telling you the family
secret; ! am showing you the skele
ton in the closet. confidentially.
stole that rug; and when | say that
the seven labors Of our old friend
Hercules were simple diversions COM
pared, you'll recognize the difficulties
I had to overcome. You know some
thing OF the Oriental mind. hand
led the Job alone. 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
q trine 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
Mt the start.
''If that rug Ia the one 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 II. To me, considering what
have gone through to get 1t. to me 1t
is the genuine carpet. To your expert
eye It 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. IL
this Is the real article. want you to
take It of my hands," the adventurer
finished pleasantly.
There will be a hue and cry"
mo doubt Of IT,"
"And the DEVILS own job to get It
out OF Egypt" These were set phrases
Of the expert. preliminaries to bar
gaining. "One might as well carry
round . stolen elephant"
But a 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 II to New York as a
copy. and no appraiser would know
the difference. It's worth the attempt.
I'd take II to New York myself. but
you see, ! am fat broke. Come: what
do you or ! care about son-of-a'gun
OF Turk?" drolly.
what do you want for 1t. suppos.
ing it's genuine7" Georges throat was
dry and his voice harsh. His con-
science reused herself. feebly. for II
had been a long time since occasion
had necessitated her presence.
Ryanne narrowed his eyes. carefully
balancing the possibilities. Say. one
thousand pounds. II is like giving II
away. But when the devil drives. you
know. II Ia beyond any set price: II
Is worth what any collector is willing
to pay for II. ! believe ] know the
kind Of man you are. Mr.. Jones. and
that is why. when / learned you were
in Cairo, I came directly to you. You
would never sell this rug. No. You
would become like miser over his
gold. You would keep II with your
emeralds q have heard about them
tool: draw the curtains. lock the
doors, whenever you looked at II. En- /!
You would love II for Its own sake
and not because II IL worth 30 many
thousand pounds. You are sailing In
q few days; that will help. The Pasha
IL in Constantinople. and 1t will BE-
three or four weeks before he hears ol
| the theft. or the cost" with q 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 mad<
q gesture to indicate that he would
submit to whatever moral arraignmenl
Mr.. Jones deemed advisable to make
But George made none He ross
hastily. sought his knife and. withou,
% much a. BY your leave. slashed the
twins. flung aside the paper. and threw
the rug across the counterpane. !,
was the Yhiordes. There was not the
| slightest doubt In his mind. He had
heard II described. he had seen Z
photograph Of II. be knew its history
| and, most vital Of all. he owned q
good copy Of II.
Against temptation that was robust
and energetic and alluring (like the
man who insists upon your having 4
drink when you want II and ought moi
to have ~, what chance had con
science. grown innocuous In the Ions
period Of the young mans good b.
haviorf Collectors are always homes,
before and after that moment arrives
when they want something desperate
u; and George was no more SANITY
than his kind. And how deep Ryanns
and his confederates had delved Into
human nature. how well they could
read and Judge II. was made manifes,
In this moment Of Georges moral ~
lapss.
Basdaf. the jinns. sinbad. the Thou
Il go .~A nc~ NlUhta A1fhako ana -