Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-05-21

piece or Sevres or Canton Some
houses. with their treasures, lock like
museums. but this one did not The
owner had not gone mad over one
subject; here was q sane ard prudent
collector. The great yellow Chinese
carpet represented q fortune; she
12Sw enough about carpets TO realize
this TACT. 1vories. tades. lapis-lazun.
the precious woods, price ess French
and japanese tapestries, .o,ce fine
paintings and brenzsa; the rooms
were full OF unspolsen somance and
adventure: echoed with war and trag-
edy. too. And Fortune might have
married man like this one. A cos-
sibility occurred to her. and tae ghost
OF smile moderated the iIterest in
her faae. They might be upon tho
desert for weeks Who kew what
might not happen 70 TWO rich roman
tic simpletons?
The butler and the first man (who
was also the cook were impeccabls
types OF servants; so thought Reyn-
olds. They moved silently and an
ticipated each want. Reynolds deter
mined that very aftersoon to drop a
line 10 Jones and compliment him
upon his good taste in the selection
OF his friends. A subsequent press OF
Office work. however. drove the deter
mination out OF his mind.
The instant his car carried him out
OF sight. a strange scene was enacted
The butler and the first man seized
the Major by the arms, and the three
executed a pas-seul. Mrs. Chedsoye
eyed these Manifestations OF Joy gton-
lily.
Now then. what's been done.~
asked the Major. pulling down his
cuffs and shaking the wrinkles from
his sleeves
Half done" cried the butler
Where's that wall-safer" the Matox
wanted TO know.
Behind that sketch by Detaille.~
And the butler. strange TO say. pro
nounced It Det-
Can YOU open it,
Tried. but failed. Wallace I. the
man for that"
He'll be along in an hour or so"
Where's Ryanne?"
Don't know; don't care" The Ma
Tor sketched the predicameut of their
fellow-conspirator.
The butler whstled, but calIously.
One more or less didn't matter in such
an enterprise.
When Wallace arrived Re applied
his talent ard acquired science to the
wall-safe. and finally swung outward
the little steel door. The Major
pushed him aside and thrust a hand
into the metaled cavity. drawing out
an exquisite Indian casket OF rose
wood and mother-of-pearl. He opened
the lid and dipped hand within. En-
eralds, deep and light and shaded, cut
and uncut and engraved. fawed and
almost perfect. He raised a handful
and let them tinkle back into tho
casket. One hundred In all. beauties,
every one OF them, and many famouo.
And while he toyed with therA,
pleased as a child would have beou
over a handful OF marbles. Mrs, Che&>
soye spread out the ancient Yhiordcs
in the library. She stood upon the
central pattern, musing. Her mood
was no: one which she had called into
being: not often did she become ret.
respective: the past TO lrer was al
lshed turned down. Her elbc% IN
one palm. her chin in the other, SAp
stared without seeing II was tbs
house. this home, II was each sign -
riches without luxury or ostentation.
where money expressed itself by tsst0
and simplicity; a home such as skS
had always wanted. And why. with
all her beauty and Intellect, why bad
she not come into possession? SbNa
knew. Love that gives had never
been hers: hers had been the lovp
that receives. self-love. She had bar
tered her body once for riches and
had been fooled, and she never could
do it again. And the chils
was overfiowinE with the love thai
gives
The furry OF snow outside In tbs
court she saw not. Her fancy ~
formed the pretty garden at Mentone.
inciosed by plnk-washed walls Many
a morning from her window she had
watched Fortune among the flowers,
going from one 70 tho other, like =
bee or a butterfly. She had watches
her grow. too. with that same detach-
ment machinist feels as he puts t.
getheT the invention OF another mar.
Would she ever see her again? Hsd
shoulders moved ever so little. PROS
ably not. She had Numbered wilfully.
She should have waited. thrown ths
two together. unanswered And shs
had permitted this adventure &c OBJ
sess her! She might have stood With
in this house by right % law, motheI
hood. marriage. Ryanne was IN love
with Fortune. and Jones by this time
might be. The desert was a terribly
lonely place
She wished II might be Jones And
Immediately retrospection died away
from her gaze and actualitles TO