The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-02-15
By 1udicious inquiries George ascer

| nye days. The daily journeys pro-
| ceeded uneyentfully. Mahomed main
tanned taciturn grimness. II he
aimed at Ryanne at all. it was In
trif1ing annoyances, such as forget
ting to give him his rations unless he
asked for them. or walking over the
| cards spread out upon the sand.
Ryanne carried himself very well. Had
he been alone. he would have broken
| 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 irritabtlity. They
answered one another sharply. and
often did not speak. Fortune alone
seemed mild and 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 need
ed courage, Mahomed might not have
| altered his plans. Admiration OF cour-
age is inherent in all people So,
without approaching 1t, that moment
had been precious one. saving them
all much unpleasantness.
By the twentieth day, the caravan
was far into the Arabian desert, and
early In the afternoon, they came up
on a beautiful oasis, nesting like an
emerald in a plaque OF gold. So many
days had passed since the beloved
green of growing things had soothed
their iniamed eyes, that the sight of
this haven cheered them all nightly.
Once under the shade OF the palms,
the trio picked up heart Fortune sang
little, George told funny story, and
Ryanne wanted to know II they
wouldn't take hand at euchre. In
deed, that oasis was the turning point
OF the crisis. Another week upon the
dreary, proatless sands, and their spir-
Its would have gone under completely.
This oasis was close to the regular
scalnel-Way, there being q larger oasis
some IL niles ia the north.
But hIahonad felt safe ut this distance,
and decided to freshen up the caravan
by tWo-days' rest
George Immediately began to show
Fortune little attentions He fixed her
saddle-bags, spread out her blanket,
brought her some ripe dates OF his
own picking, insisted upon going to
the well and drawing the water she
was to drink. And oh! how sweet and
cool that water was, after the gritty
fiat liquid they had been drinking!
Just before shutdown, he and Fortune
set out upon a voyage Of discovery;
and Ryanne paused in his game Of pa
thence to watch them. There was
more self-abnegation than bitterness
in his eyes. Why not? II Fortune re-
turned to her mother, sooner or later
the thunderbo1t would fall. Far better
that she should fall in love with Jones
than to go back to the overhanging
shadow. A smile lifted the corners of
his lips, sad smile. PercivaI didn't
look the part Of hero His coat was
yariously split under the arms and
across the shoulders: his trousers
were ragged, and he walked in his
cloth pads like man who had govt
in both feet. A beard covered his
face, and the bare spots were bIistered
and peeling. But there was youth in
PercfVal's eyes and youth in his heart,
and surely the youth in hers must
some day respond. She would know
this young man; she would know that
adversely could not crush him; that
the promise OF safety could not make
a coward of him: that he was loyal
and brave and honest. She would
know in twenty days what 1t takes the
average woman twenty years to learn.
the manner Of man who professed to
love her. Ryanne left the game unfin-
ished, stretched himself upon the
ground Oh. the bitter cup, the bitter
cup!
Round the fire that night, the camel
boys got out their tom-toms and reeds,
and the eerie music affected the white
people hauntingly and mysteriously.
For thousands OF years, the high and
low notes of the drums thol1ow earth
emf jars or large gourds covered with
goat-skin at one endo and the. thin, me-
tallic wall of the reeds haG echoed
across the deserts, enchanted.
Fortune always rememhkred that
night Wrapped In her blanket, SIZE
had lain down just outside the circle,
and had fallen into doze. When the
music stopped and the boys left the
prisoners to themselves, George and
Ryanne talked.
81 never forget faces" began
George.
mo? That's a gift"
And / have never forgotten yours.
/ was in doubt at first, but not now"
II never met you till that night at
the hotel
That's true. But you are Horace
Wadsworth. all the same. the son OF
the millionaire-banker, the man used
to admire in the field"
You still think I'm that cEap?''
81 am sure of 1t. The first morning
you gave yourself away"
What did I say?" arxiously.
"You mumbled football phrases"