Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-09-20

Strong as he was physically, briliian
as ne was mentally, there was a NOR
tai weakness in his blood; and searcI
as ne might the history Of his anees
tors, their lives shed no light upoI
his own.
In stating that his face had bee,
granted that dubious honor and con
Germ OF the perpetrators of the rogues
gallery, he had merely given rein II
seizure of soulbitterness. But Their,
was truth enough in the statemen
that he had been short in his account,
many thousands at his fathers hank.
gambling debts; and in making no eff
tort to replace the loss, he was soor
found out by his brother, who seemed
only too glad to dishonor him. H,
was given his choice: to sign over hi,
million, due him a year later (for a.
This time the father was dead). or ec
10 prison. The scandal of the affai,
mad no weight with his brother: h.
wanted the younger out of the wav
Like the hot-headed fool he was. he
hao signed away his Inheritance tax
en- a paltry thousand and left Amer
lea, facing imprisonment If he 70
turned. That was the kind Of broth
er he had. Once he had burned hi,
bridges, there came to him a dozen
ways by which he could have extri
Gated himself. But once a fool, always
fool!
Disinherited, outcast, living by his
wits, ingenious enough; the finer
senses callousing under the contact
with his interiors; a gambler. a hard
drinker periodically; all in all. a fine
portrait for any gallery given over TO
rogues. And he hadn't worried much
over the moral problem confronting
him. that the way Of the transgressor
is hard. 1t was only when love rent
the veil of his faulty that he saw
himself as he really was.
Love! He gaSed ahead at Fortune
under the MAMMAL. That a guileless
young girl as she was should enchain
M
him! That the sight Of her should
always send longing into his soul
to go back and begin over! His laws
hardened. Why not? Why not try
10 recover some Of the crumbs of the
fine things he had thrown away? At
least enough to permit him to 90
again among his fellows without con.
stantly looking behind to note if he
were followed? By the Lord Harry,
once he was out Of this web of his
own weaving, he would live straight.
ne swore that every dollar hereafter
put In his pocket should be an honest
one. Fortune could never be his wife
he came to this fact without any
roundabout or devious byways. In the
nrst place, he knew that he had not
touched her; she had only been friend.
iy; and now even her friendship hung
by a thread. All right. The love he
bore her was going to be his salvation
Just the same; and at this moment
he was deadly in earnest.
1t was after nine when they were
ferried across the two canals. the
fresh-water and the salt, several miles
below Serapeum. The three weary
captives saw great liner slip past
slowly and majestically upon its way
to the Far East. She radiated with
light and cheer and comfort; and all
could hear family the pulsations of
her engines. So near and yet so far:
a cup OF water to Tantalus! At mid.
night they made camp. There were
no pdiins tnls ume; simply well in
the center Of tumble of huge boul.
ders. The tents were pitched to the
southwest, for now the wind blew, bit
ing from the land Of northern SHOWS;
and a fire was welcome thing. This
was Arabia; Africa had been left be-
hind. Here they awaited the return
OF the courier, who arrived two DAYS
later, dead tired. The persons to whom
the card had been sent had sailed for
Naples with the steamer Ludwig. Ma
homed turned upon the three miser.
ables.
Il have you three, then; and by the
beard of the Prophet, you shall pay,
you shall payl Yon have robhad or5