Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-03-28

pain IN MS side, ne stilled the straNg>
ing hiccoughs, swung round and tried
to smile ~reassuringly at the girl.
You are better?" she asked.
There was In the tone Of that cues.
ton an answer to all his dreams. One
nights work had given him his ticket
to the land OF those weighed and
found wanting. She knew; how much
he did not care; enough to read HIS
guilt.
1t appeared to George that she was
accepting the situation with a philos-
ophy deeper than either his or Ry-
anne's, Not a whimper, not q plant
not a protest so far had she made
She was a Roland in petticoats.
"0h, I'm dashed up a Bit" said Ry>
mi "lll get my legs in a day or
so. Fortune. will you answer a
question:"
AS many as you like"
How did you get herei"
Don't you known"
George wasn't certain. but the girls
voice was cold and accusing.
Up
Eyes. Wasn't II the note that you
wrote to me- >"
Ryanne took his head in his hands,
YEARLY. II wrote you no note, For
tune; have never written you a note
OF any kind. You do not know my
handwriting from Adams. In Gods
name. why didn't you ask your mother
or your uncle? They would have roc
ogniDed the forgery at once. Who
gave 1t to your"
"Mahomed himself"
Damn him!" Ryanne grew strong
under the passing ut Of rage. mo,
don't tell me to be silent. l don't care
about myself. I'm the kind OF a man
who pulls through, generally. But
this takes the spine out Of me. I'm
to blame; It's all my fault"
Say no more about It." She be-
lieved him. She really hadn't thought
him capable Of such ~baseness, though
at the time OF her abduction she had
been Inclined to accuse him. That
he was here, a prisoner like herself,
was conclusive evidence, 80 far as she
was concerned. Of his innocence. But
she knew him to be responsible for
the presence of Jones; knew him to
be culpable Of treachery Of the mean.
est order; knew him to be lacking in
generosity and magnanimity toward Q
man who was practically his benefao
tor. What does Mahomed wanti"
"The bally rug. Fortune. And Jones
here, who had 1t, says that II 10 gone"
Vanished, magic-carpet-wise. sup.
Aemented George.
"And Jones would have given II ups
"And a thousand like II, II we could
have bought you out Of this"
Jones and I could have managed
to get along"
I'VE shouldn't have m%attered."
"And would you have returned To
Mr.. Jones his thousand pounds?"
YES, and everything else l have"
quite honestly.
Don't worry any more about the
rug, then. know where 1t ,s."
your" cried the two men.
Yes. ! stole 1t. | did so, thinkins
10 avert this very hour; to save VOC
HARM" to George. "and you from
doing a contemplate thing" to Ry'
anne. 1T is in my room, done up in
he big steamer-roll. And nov | am
glad that | stole It,"
Ryanne laughed weakly.
Said George soberly: What con
emptible thing?" he remembered
hahomed's words in regard to Ry.
al the latter lay insensible In
he sand.
Ryanne, quick to seize the opportu.
lity Of solving, to his own advantage
he puzzle for George, and at the sams
ime guiding Fortune away from
opic, the danger Of which she knew
Iothing, raised a hand. 81 bribed Ma.
Iomed to kidnap you, Jones. Don't
e impatient. You laughed at M
then | laid before you the prospectus
( the United Romance and Adven
ure Company. l wished to prove ia
that the nicer existed. And ed
ere is your adventure upon approval
thought, Of course, you still had the
lg. Mahomed was to carry you into
he desert for q week, and by that
me you would have surrendered tho
lg, returned to Cairo, the hero of q
l~ll-fedged adventure. Lord! what
less Of 1t I've made. | forgot, next
this bally rug, Mahomed loved me-"
The hitherto credulous George had
late begun to look into facts In
cad Of dreams. He did not believa
word Of this amazing confession, de-
ute the additional testimony Of For
me, relative to Ryanne's statements
ade to her In the bazaars.
THE bitter bitten" was Georgea
lie comment.
Ryanne breathed easier.
CTo BE CoNTTNUED.)