The Irish standard., 1912-10-19

hold. Besides, his experience nao
taught him that steamer-rolls were
only indifferently inspected. You will
observe that the luster of his high
ideals was already dimming. He rea-
soned that inasmuch as he was bound
to smuggle and lie, it might be we'll to
plan something artistically. He wished
now that he was going to spend Christ
mas in Cairo; but it was too late to
change his booking without serious
loss of time and money.
He had a 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
beggars who instantly swarmed about
him and demanded, in the name Of Az
lah, competence for the rest of their
days. He finally escaped them by
footing it down the incline to the no.
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.
To-, h~
! 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 of 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
mu1cted him! And here she was, Sc
rene, lovely as ever, unchanged.
"My DEAR" said the stranger George
I; couldn't recall by what name he had
known herr; my DEAR" to Fortune
Chedsoye, who stood a little behind
her, "this is the gentleman I've often
told you about. You were at school
at the time. borrowed hundred and
fifty pounds of him at Monte Carlo.
And what do you think? When 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
1t, was true; but one thing fingered
incandescently in his mind, and that
was, he had written her, following
infinitely her own specific directions
and inclosing his bankers address in
Paris, Naples and Cairo; and for many
passings Of moons he had opened his
foreign mall eagerly and hopefully
ouI AOpo AuubI udVo 6OAucIuAu6 "
feed upon, and after a 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-
chantress 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 Il -"
Fortune laughed. Somehow the quail
ity Of that laughter pierced Georges
confused brain as sometimes a shaft
Of sunlight rips into fog, suddenly,
stiletto-like. It was full of malice.