Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1912-11-28

TO reach II. He stared Tor a long
period at the elderly gentleman who
was watching the feluccas on the
river through the window. The white
mustache and imperial stood out in
crisp relief against the ruddy sunburn
on his face. If he was aware of this
scrutiny on the part of the pursy gen.
tleman, he gave not the least sign.
The revolving door spun round, send
Ing a puff of outdoor air into the
lounging-room. The elderly gentleman
then smiled, and applied his thumb
and forefnger to the waxen point Of
his imperial.
In the intervening time Mr.. Ryanne
entered his room, threw the bundle
on the bed. sat down beside it, and
read his letter. Shadows and lights
moved across his face; frowns that
hardened it, smiles that mellowed It.
Women hold the trick Of writing let
tiers. Do they hate, their thoughts
nash and burn from line to line. Do
they love, It's lettered music. Do they
conspire, the breadth of their imagi-
nation is without horizon. At best,
man can indite only polite business
letter, his love-notes were adjudged
long since a maudlin collection of
loose sentences. In this letter Mr.. Ry-
anne found the three parts of life.
She's good general; but hang
these birthstone efforts of hers. She
talks too much of heart. For my part,
I prefer to regard it as a mere phys
ical function, pump, motor, a pow
er that gives action to the legs, either
In coming or in going, more especially
In going" He laughed. well, hers
is the inspiration and hers is the law.
And to think that she could plan all
this on the spur of the moment, down
TO the minutest detail! It's science"
He put the letter away, slid out his
legs and glared at the dusty tips of
his shoes. "The United Romance and
Adventure Company, Ltd, of New
York, London, and Paris. She has the
greatest gift Of all, the sense of hui
NOR"
He rose and opened his kit-bag
doubtfully. He rummaged about In
the depths and at last Strengthened
up with q mild oath.
mot pair of cuffs in the whole
outfit, not shirt, not a collar. Oh,
well, when a man has to leave Bagdad
the way did, over the back fence,
80 to speak, linen doesn't count"
He drew down his cuffs, detached
and reversed them, he turned his fold
Ing collar wrong-side out, and used
the under side Of the foot-rug as a
Hhoe-polisher. It was the ingenious
procedure Of man who was used to
being out late nights, who made all
things answer all purposes. This rapid
and singularly careless toilet COM
pleted, he centered his concern upon
the more vital matter of finances. He
was close to the nadir: four sover-
eigns, form, and collection Of bat
tered coppers that would have tickled
the pulse Of an amateur numismatist
mo vintage tonight, my boy; no
long, fat Havana, either. A bottle Of
stout and a few rags of plug-cut;
that's the pace we'll travel this eve
ming. The United Romance and AID
venture Company is not listed at pres
emit. If it was, I'd sell a few shares
on my own hook. The kind Lord
knows that I've stock enough and to
spare" He laughed again, but with
out the leaven Of humor. when the
fool-killer snatches up the last fool,
let rogues look to themselves; and
fools are getting scarcer every day.
"Percival Algernon! o age Of po-
cts! wonder, does he wear high col
lars and spats, or has she plumbed
him accurately? She is generally
right. But man changes some in
seven years. I'm an authority when 1t
comes to that. Look what's happened
to me In seven years! First, Horace,
We shall dine, then Wen smoke our
pipe in the billiard-room, then we'll
softly approach Percival Algernon
and introduce him to Sinbad. This In
dependent excursion to Bagdad was
a stroke on my part; 1t will work into
the general plan as smoothly as If 1t
had been grooved for the part. Sinbad.
1 might just as well have assumed
that name: Horace Sinbad, sounds
well and looks WE'LL He unused in
silence, his hand gently rubbing his
chin; for he did possess the trick of
talking aloud, in low monotone, a
habit acquired during periods of lone
illness, when the sound of his own
voice had succeeded in steadying his
tottering mind.
What a woman, what a wife, she
would have been to the right man!
Odd thing, man can do almost any
thing but direct his affections; they
must be drawn. She was not for him !;
nay, not even on desert isle. Doubt.
less he was fool. In time she would
have made him a rich man. Alack!
1t was always the one we pursued
that we loved and never the one that
pursued us.
Pm afraid Of her,, and there you
are. There isn't a man living who
has gone back Of that Mona Lisa smile
of hers. II she was the last woman
and ] was the last man, I don't say"
He hunted for eliza rata hnt SsnAA