Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-20

peevishly. IF it's anything worth tell
ing, shoot it out. shoot 1t OUT"
Il was thinking what I'd do to club
steak just about now"
Ryanne stared beyond the fire. "A
club steak. Grilled mushrooms"
Sauce Bordelaise. Artichokes."
mo. Asparagus. vinaigrette.
whats the matter with endives?"
'That's so. Well. asparagus with but
"Griiled sweets. coffee, benedictine and
cigars"
"And a magnum Of 1900 to start of
With" Ryanne. with q sudden change
of mood. scooped up the cards ana nune
them at Georges head. DO you want
us both to become gibbering idiots!
George ducked. He and the boys gath
cred in the futtering pasteboards.
You're right. Perciyal," Ryanne ad d
mitted. humbly. 1T will not hurt US TO
talk out loud and we are all brooding 100 100
bacco. I'd trade the best dinner ever
cooked for a decent cigar"
George put q hand reluctantly into his
pocket. He brought forth. with ex-
treme gentleness, cigar, the wrapper
of which was broken in many places.
i've saved this for days." he said. with
his penknife he sawed 1t delicately into
two equal parts and gave one to Ryanne.
You're a good fellow. Jones. and I've
80
get this bit of tobacco"
'.It's the last we've got. The boys.
you know, refuse a pull at the water
pipe: defiles 'em. they say. Funny beg
CARS! And II they give us TOBACCO we
shouldn't have paper or pipes"
Il always carry pipe, but l lost It In
the shuttle / never looked upon smoking
as a bad habit. suppose It's because
was never caught before without It.
And it is a bad habit, since 1t knocks up
q chap this way for the lack Of It. Where
do you get your club steaks In old N.
Y.?'
And for an hour or more they soiemnly
discussed the cooking here and there
upon the face of the globe
BY judicious inquiries George ascer-
tanned that the trip to Bagdad. barring
accidents, would take fully thirty-hve
days. The daily journeys proceeded I'M
eventually. Mahomed maintained a taci-
turn grimness. If he aimed at Ryanne
at all. 1t was in trifiing annoyances, such
as forgetting to give him his rations un-
less he asked for them. or walking over
the cards spread out upon the sand:
Ryanne carried himself very well. HAD
loose against Mahomed; but he thought
Of the others and restrained himself
some consideration was due them.
But into the blood Of the two men there
| crept petty irritability. They answered
one another sharply and often did not
speak. Fortune alone seemed mild ana
gentle. Mahomed, since that night she
had braved him, let her go and come as
she pleased, nor once disturbed her. HAD
| she shown weakness when most she
altered his plans. Admiration or courage
, Is inherent in all peoples. So. without
approaching it. that moment had peen
precious one. saving them all mucn I'M
pleasantness.
BY the twentieth day the caravan was
far into the Arabian desert, and early IN
the afternoon they came upon q beantIui
oasis, nesting like an emerald In plaque
OF gold. So many days had passed since
the beloved green of growing Things mao
OF this haven cheered them all mightiiy
Once under the shade Of the palms. the
trio picked up heart. Fortune sang
little. George told funny story ana
take hand at euchre. Indeed. mat oasis
was the turning point OF the Crisis. An
other week upon the dreary. prontiess
sands. and their spirits would nave gone
under completely.
camel-way. there being larger oasis
some twenty odd miles to the north But
Mahomed felt safe at this distance and
decided to freshen up the caravan oy
tWo-day rest.
tune little attentions. He fixed her sad
die bags, spread out her blanket. brought
her some ripe dates Of his own picking.
insisted upon going to the well and draw
ing the water she was to drink. And oh!
how sweet and cool that water was. after
the gritty, dat liquid they had been
drinking! Just before shutdown he and
Fortune set out upon voyage OF dis
covery and Ryanne paused In his game
Of patience to watch them. Inere was
more self-abnegation than bitterness In
his eyes. Why not? If Fortune returned
to her mother, sooner or later the
thunderbolt would fall. Far better that
she should fall in love with Jones than
to go back to the oyerhanging shadow. A
smile lifted the corners of his lips. a sad
smile. Percival didn't look the part Of a
hero. His coat was variously split under
the arms and across the shoulders; his
h,s csnth nsds me- = man who had govt
in both feet. 4 beard covered bis face.
ana the bare spots were clustered and
pcclipg. But there WAS youtn IN Ferci-