The Mena weekly star., 1913-04-24


 Ryanne, with gravity unassumed An! Here come Mrs Chedsoye and her daughter. If you don't mind. I'll make myself scarce. I do not carI to see them just now, after your hay' ing told them about the stolen Yhiordes."
 I'm sorry" said George, rising eagerly.
 Its all in the game" gallantly.
 George saw him gracefully ma. neuver his way round the crush to. ward the stairs leading to the bar Really, he would like to know moro about this amiable free-lance. As the old fellows used to say, he little dreamed that destiny, one of those things from Pandoras box, was pre-. pairing a deeper and more intimate acquaintance.
 And what has been amusing you, Mr. Jones?' asked Mrs. Chedsoye. q saw you laughing"
 q was talking with the rug chap. He's droll fellow. He said that he had met you somewhere, but con. cluded not to renew the acquaintance, since l told him that his adventure in part vas known to you"
 That is foolish. I rather enjoy I-oet.ng men of his stamp. Don't you. Fcr;me?"
 Sometimes" with dry little 2MEe "l believe We have met him, mother. There was something ia. Hi'iar about his head. Of course, We saw him only from a distance"
 "I do not think there is any real harm in him." said George. What made me laugh was a singular propo- s'-icn he set before me He said he owned stock in a concern called 'The United Romance and Adventure com. pany;' and that for a specified sum oi money, one could have any adventure enc Tleased"
 Did you ever hear of such thing?' cried the mother merrily. For tune searched her face keenly. "Th. United Romance and Adventure Cen. peny! He must have been jc king. What did you say his name is?"
 "Ryanne. Joking is my idea exact ly," George agreed. "The scheme is to plunge the stockholder into a real live adventure, and then let him pull himself out the best way he can. Sounds good. He added that this rug business was an instance of the sue cess of the concern. There goes the music. Do you dance, Miss Ched- soye?"
 "A little" Fortune was preoccu- pied. She was wondering what lay behind MT. Ryanne's amiable jest.
 Co along. both of you" said Mrs. Chedsoye. "I am too old to dance. prefer watching people," She sat down and arranged herself comfort ably. She was always arranging her self comfortably; it was one of the se- crets of her perennial youth. She was very lovely, but George had eyes for the daughter only. Mrs. Ched- soye saw this, but was not in the least chagrined.
 Tt Is so many years since 1 tripped the light fantastic toe," George con- fessed, reluctantly and nervously, now that he had bravely committed him. self Tt is quite possible that the accent will be primarily upon the trip"
 Perhaps, then" replied the girl, who truthfully was out of tune, per haps I had better get my wraps and we'll go outside. The night Is glori- ous."
 She couldn't have suggested any. thing more to his liking. And SO, after little hurrying about, the two young people went outside and began to promenade slowly up and down the mole. Their conversation was desul- tory. George had dropped back into his shell and the girl was not equal to the task of drawing him out. Once he stumbled over sleeping beggar, and would have fallen had she not caught him by the arm.
 Thanks. I'm clumsy"
 Its rather difficult to see them in the moonlight; their rags match the pavements."
 The Egyptian night, that sapphirine darkness which the flexible imagina ton peoples with lovely and terrible shades, or floods with mystery and TO nance and wonder, lay softly upon this strip of verdure aslant the des ert's.face, the Valley of the Nile. The moon, round, brilliant, strangely near suffused the scared old visage of the world with phantom silver; the stones of the parapet glowed duly, the pave ment glistened whitely, all things it touched with gentleness, lavishine beauty upon beauty, mellowing ugli ness or effacing it. The deep blue Nile, beribboned with the glancine lights from the silent feluecas, curling unsteady along the sides of the frost like dahabeahs and steamers, rolled on to the sea; and the blue-white arc-lamps, spanning the Great Nile bridge, took the semblance of pearl necklace. From time to time a cara van trooped across the bridge into Cairo. The high and low weird notes of the tom-toms. the wheezing protests of the camels, the raucous defiance of the donkeys, the occasional thin music of reeds, were sounds that crossed and recrossed one another anciently.
 Do you care for poetry. MT. JonesT
 q? I used to write it."
 And you aren't afraid to admit it?'
 Well. shouldn't confess the deed to every one," he answered frankly we all write poetry at one time oI another; but it's generally not constt and uya ranNvnrh