The Raymer enterprise., 1913-05-08

ing Mortimers roof and protection, he
knew what his plans would be. Some
one else could do the buying for Nor.
timer & Jones; his business would be
10 revolve round this lonely girl, to
watch and guard her without her be.
ing aware Of 1t. OF what use were
riches II he could not put them to
whatever use he chose? So he would
wait near her, to see that she came
and went unmolested, till against that
time when she would recognize how
futile her efforts were and how wide
and high the wall Of the world was.
That mother of hers. To his mind
1t was positively unreal that one SO
charming and lovely should be a,
heart strong as the wind and merci-
less as the sea. His mother had been
everything; hers. worse than none,
an eternal question. What q dram1
she had moved about in, without un.
derstanding!
George did not possess that easy
and adjustable sophistry which made
hyanne look upon smuggling as
clever game between two cheats. His
point Of view colncided with For
tunes; 1t was thievery. more or less
condoned. but the ethics covering 1t
were soundly established. He had
come very near being culpable HIM
self. True. he would not have been
guilty of smuggling for profit; but
none the less he would have tried to
cheat the government. His sin had
found him out; he had now neither
the rug nor his thousand pounds.
All these cogitations passed through
his mind. disjolntedly. as the dinner
progressed toward Its end. They bade
Ackermann good-by and Godspeed, as
he was to leave early for Beirut, upon
his way to Smyrna. Fortune went to
bed; Ryanne sought the billiard.
room and knocked about the balls;
while George asked the manager II
he could send cable from the hotel.
Certainly he could. 1t took some
time to compose the cable to Morti.
mer; and It required some gold be.
sides. Mortimer must have fair view
OF the case; and George presented 1t,
requesting reply to be sent to Cooks
In Naples. where they expected to be
within ten days.
How much will this be?"
The porter got out his telegraph.
book and studied the rates carefully.
Twelve pounds six, sir"
The porter greeted each sovereign
with a genufection. the lowest being
| the twelfth. George pocketed the re.
ceipt and went In search of Ryanne.
But that gentleman was no longer
in the billlard-room. Indeed, he had
gone quietly to the other hotel and
written cable himself, the code OF
which was not to be found In any
book. For long time he seemed to
be In doubt, for he folded and refold.
ed his message half dozen times be.
fore his actions became decisive. He
tore 1t up and threw the scraps upon
the floor and hastened into the street,
as II away from temptation. He
walked fast and indirectly. smoking
innumerable cigarettes. He was fight.
Ing hard, the evil In him against the
good. the chances Of the future against
, the irreclaimable past. At the end OF
an hour he returned to the strange no.
tel. His lips were puifed and bleed.
Ing. He had smoked so many ciga-
rettes and had pulled them SO impa.
tiently from his me N. that the dry
paper had cracked the delicate skin.
He rewrote his cable and paid for
the sending Of It. Then he poked
about the unfamiliar corridors TIL he
found the dingy bar. He sat down be-
fore peg OF whisky, which was fol.
lowed by many more. each bit sitter
than Its predecessor. At last, when
he had had enough to put normal
mans head upon the table or to cover
his face with the mask Of inanity,
Ryanne fell into tho old habit OF talk.
Ing aloud.
Horace. old top, what's the use7
We'd Just like to be good II we could,
eh? But they won't let US. We'd
grow raving mad In monastery. We
were honest at the time. but we
couldn't stand the monotony Of watch.
Ing green olives turn purple upon the
silvery bough. Nay. nay!"
He pushed the glass away from him
and studied the air.bubbles as they
formed. rose to tho surface. and were
dissipated
mo matter what the game has
been. somshow or other. they've
Dashed us, and we've lost out"
He emptisd tho glass and ordered
another. He and the bartender we're
alone.
After all, love Is like money. It's
better to live frugally upon the inter.
est than to suuander the capital an.
go bankrupt And who cares. any.
how"
He drank once more. dropped half.
sovereign upon the table. and. pushed
back his chair. His eyes were blood.
shot now. and the brown Of his skin
had become slaty tint; but he
walked steadily enough Into the read.