The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-02-08

neither at Ryanne nor at George. She
knew that George, his soul filled with
unlucky quixotic sense of cniyalry
which had made him SO easy a victim
to her mother. would not accept his
liberty at the price OF Ryanne's, Ry.
anne, to whom he owed nothing, not
even mercy. And If she had had te
| ask one OF the two. George would
| have been the natural selection, for
she trusted him implicitly. Perhaps
there still fingered in her mind q rec
| objection Of how charmingly he had
| spoken Of his mother.
She could have set out for Cairo
alone: even as she could have grown
pair OF wings and sailed through the
| air! The fate that walked behind her
was malevolent, cruel. unjust. She
had Wronged no one, in thought or
deed. She had put out her hand conf
IDENTIFY to the world, to be laughed at,
distrusted, or ignored. Was 1t pos
sible that little more than d month
ago she wandered, If not happy, in
the sense she desired, at least in a
peaceful state OF mind. among her ca
mefias and roses at Mentone2 Her
world had been, In this short time.
rsmoided, reconstructed; where once
had bloomed a garden, now yawned q
ehasm: and the psychological earth
quake had left her dizzy. That Ma
homed, now wrought to kind OF Ber-
serk rage, might begin reprisals at
once, did not alarm her; indeed, her
feeling was rather Of dull, aching in
difference. Nothing mattered now.
But Ryanne and George were keenly
alive to the danger. and both agreed
that Fortune must go no farther
Ryanne, under his bitter raillery and
seeming scorn for sacred things, pos
sessed 8 latent hagnanimity, and it
now pushed up through the false lay
ers. Jones, It's my funeral. Go tell
her. You two can find the way back
to the canal, and once there you will
have no trouble. Don't bother your
head about me-
But what will you do?''
Take my medicine, . grim1y.
sRyanne, you are offering the cow
ardly part to met"
You fool. it's the girl. What do
81 care about the rest OF it,? You're
as brave as d lion hen you put ID
your lists the ether night ron solved
that puzzle for yoursaI For Gods
sake, do It while i have the courage
to let you! Don't you understand! I
love that girl better than my hearts
blood, and Mahomed can have it drop
by drop. Go and go quickly! He will;
give you food and water
You go. She knows you better
than me"
.But will she trust me as she will
you? Perciyal, old top, Mahomed will
never let me go till he's taken his
pound OF flesh. Fortune!" Ryanne
called. Fortune, Owe want you'll
She appeared at the fQp of the tent.
Jones here will go back with you.
Go, both of you, before Mahomed
changes his mind
Miss Chedsoye, he is wrong. He's
the one to go. He was hurt worse
than was, Pride doesn't matter at
a time Ike this. You two co. des-
perately.
Fortune shook her head. '.All or
none OF Us: all or none OF u.s." she re-
peated.
And Mahomed, having witnessed
and overheard the scene, laughed, a
laughter identical to that which had
struck the barmaid's ears sinfsterly.
He had not studied his white man
without gathering some insight into
his character. Neither OF these men
was a poltroon And when he had
made the offer, he knew that the con-
ditions would erect a barrier over
which none of them would pass vol
unfairly. So much for pride as the
Christian dogs knew It. Pride Is
fine buckler;; none knew that better
than Mahomed himself; but a wise
man does not wear it at all times.
What is it to be?" he demanded
of Fortune.
What shall say to him %
Whatever you will Ryanne was
tired. He saw that argument would
be of no use.
"A1l or none OF us" And Fortune
looked at Mahomed with all the pride
Of her race. It is not because you
wish me to be free; 1t is because you
wish to see one Of my companions
made base in my eyes. I will not have
it,
s'The will Of Allah!'' He could not
repress the fire of admiration in his
own eyes as they took in her beauty,
the erect, slender figure, the scorn
upon her face, and the fearlessness In
ner great, dark eyes Such woman
might have graoed the palace Of the
Great Caliph. He had had in mind
many little cruelties to practice upon
1er, that he might see the men writhe,
mpotent and helpless to aid her. But |
n this tense and dramatic scene. q |
sense Of shame took possession OF |
lin; his pagan heart softened; not
rom pity, but from the respect which |
me brave person gives free-handed to
mother.
Mahomed was not bad man, net-
her was he a cruel one. He had been 7
erribIy Wronged, and his eastern way |