Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-02-05


she? Why had she come to Cairo,
when at Mentone she had known
| peace, such peace as destiny was gen.
! erous enough to dole out to her? And
now, out of this tolerable peace, a
thousand hands were reaching to rend
her heart, to wiring it. She decided
!, quickly. Since she had come this
far, to go on to the end would add but
little to her burden. Better to know
all too soon than too late.
That the note had not been direct
ed to her and that she was totally I'M
familiar with Ryanne's handwriting,
escaped her. She had too many other
things upon her mind to see all things
clearly, especially such trif1es. She
finished her walk, returning by the
way she had gone, gave the key to the
lift-boy, and in her room dropped
down upon the bed, dry-eyed and
weary. The most eventful day she
had ever known.
And all the while George sat by
the window and watched, and at
length fell into a frame of mind that
was irritable, iFascible and self-con-
| demnatory. And when he found that
his precious Yhiordes was gone, his
condition was the essence of all disa-
greeable emotions. 1t was beyond LIN
how any one could have stolen it. He
never failed to lock his door and
leave the key with the porter. And
surely, only a. man with wings could
have gained entrance by the window.
Being thorough business man among
other accomplishments, he reported
4 his loss at once to the management;
and the management set about the
matter with celebrity. At half after
seven every maid and servant in the
! hotel had been questioned and exam
ined, without the least noticeable re-
suit The rug was nowhere to be
found. George felt the loss keenly.
He was not so rich that he could af-
ford to lose both the rug and the thou
sand pounds he had paid for it. His
first thought had been of Ryanne; but
I! it was proved that Ryanne had not
been in the hotel since morning; at
least, no one had seen him.
George gloomed about. A beastly
day, all told everything had gone
\ wrong, and all because heshad over
slept At dinner something was
wrong with the soup; the fish was
greasy; the roast was dry and stringy;
the wine, full Of pieces of cork. Out
into the lounging-room again; and
then the porter hurried over to him
with a note from Ryanne. l. 1t stated
briefly that, it was vitality important
for Mr.. Jones to meet him at nine
o'clock at the English-Bar in the Quar-
ter Rosetti. Any driver would show
him the way Mohamed-El-G ebel, the
Eguardian of the Holy Yhiordes, had
turned up, and the band was begin
ming to play. Would Mr. Jones like a
little fun by the wayside?"
"I'm his man." said George. "But
how the devil did this Mahomed ever
fget into my room?"
Had fortune dined downstairs in
stead Of alone in her room, events
might have turned out differently. Ry-
anne. had, really written to George, but
not to Fortune
Mahomed, fatalist that he was, had
thrown everything upon the whirling
scales of chance, and waited. Later,
he Fmay1have congratulated himself
upon his good luck. But it wasn't
luck, 1t was the will of Allah.that he,
Mhhomed, Should contribute his slen-
der share in working out the des-
TIMES of two young people. =
George was in the proper mood for
an adventure. He went so far as to
admit to himself that he would have
liked nothing better than a f1sticuff.
The one mistake he made in his cal
culations was dress. Men didn't gen.
orally go a-venturing in such finical
attire. They wore bowlers and sack
coats and carried heavy walking
sticks. The only weapons George had
were his two hands, now adorned with
snug-f1tting opera-gloves.
He saw Mrs. Chedsoye, spoke to her,
inquired about Fortune, and was in
formed that she had dined in her
room. A case of doldrums, Mrs. Ched-
soye believed.
"I'm in a peck of trouble" said
George, craving little sympathy.
''In what way?"
"The rug told you about is gone"
What? Stolen?"
Eyes. Vanished into thin air."
That's too bad. Of course the DO
lice will eventually find it for you"
"Pm afraid that's exactly the
trouble. I really daren't put the case
in the hands of the police"
ooh, see." Mrs. Chedsoye looked
profoundly sorry.
"And here 1 am due for Port Said
tomorrow
That's the kind that bowls you
over" said the Major. eff there is
anything can do after you are
gone.
ooh, l shouldn't think of bothering
you. Thanks, though"
''You must have lost your key" sug-