The Mena weekly star., 1913-04-10

| men were already leaning against the friendly, inviting mahogany. There was a magnum of champagne stand lHg between their glasses. The Mat9r crdered a temperate whisky and soda, dra it, frowned at the magnum. paid the reckoning, and went back upstairs again.
 Don't remember old friends, eh?" lald the shorter of the two men. caressing his incarnadined proboscis. A smile wouldn't have hurt him any. do you think?"
 Shut up!" admonished Ryanne. You know the orders; no recognition on the public floors."
 Why, l meant no harm" the other protested. He took a swallow of wine. But, dash it! here l am, more'n four thousand miles from old Broadway, and still walking blind. When is the show to start?"
 Not so loud, old boy. You've got to have patience. You've had some good pickings for the past three months, lh the smoke-rooms. That ought to soothe '
 Well, 1t doesn't. Here I come from New York, three months ago, with Wad of money for you and a great game in sight. It takes a week to find you, and vixen 1 do .. Well, you know. No sooner are you awake, than what? Off you go to Bagdad, on the widest goose-chase a man ever heard of. And that leaves me with nothing to do and nobody to talk to. l could have cried yesterday when I got your letter saying you'd be in today"
 Well, l got it."
 "The rug?"
 Yes. It was wild; but after what I'd been through 1 needed something wild to steady my nerves; some big danger, where I'd simply have to get together"
 And you got it?" There was frank wonder and admiration in the pursy gentleman's eyes. "All alone, and you got it? Honest?"
 Honest. They nearly had my hide, though"
 Where is it?"
 Sold"
 "Who?"
 "Percival."
 Horace, you're a wonder, If there ever was one. Sold it to Percival! You couldn't beat that in a thousand years. You're a great man."
 Praise from Sir Hubert.''
 Who's he?"
 "An authority on several matters"
 "How much did he give you for it 2"
 Tut, tut! It was all my own little jaunt, Wallace. I should hate to lie to you about it."
 What about the stake I gave you?"
 Ryanne made sign of dealing cards.
 Threw it away on lot of dubs. after all I've taught you!"
 Cards aren't my forte."
 There's a yellow streak in your hide, somewhere, Horace"
 There is, but it is the tigers stripe, my friend. What did with my money is my own business"
 W III Sllt dllOW TUT ludl
 Would it matter one way or the other?"
 No, don't suppose it would. Some times think you're with us as huge joke. You don't take the game seri- ous enough" Wallace emptied his glass and tipped the bottle carefully. You're out of your class, somehow"
 "So?"
 Yes. You have always struck me as a man who was hunting trouble for one end"
 And that?" Ryanne seemed inter- ested.
 Wallace drew his finger across his throat. Ryanne looked him squarely in the eye and nodded affirmatively.
 q don't understand at all"
 You never will. Wallace, old chap. l am the prodigal son whose brother ate the fatted calf before I returned home. 1 had letter today She will be here tomorrow sometime. You may have to go to Port Said, if my plan doesn't mature"
 "The Ludwig?"
 "Yes."
 Say, what a Frau she would have made the right mani"
 Ryanne did not answer, but glow cred at his glass.
 "The United Romance and Adven- ture Company" Wallace twirled his glass. If you're a wonder. she's marvel. A Napoleon in petticoats It does make a fellow grin, when you look it all over But this is going to be her Austerlitz or her Waterloo. And you really got the rug; and on top of that, you have sold it to George P. A. Jones! Here's"
 Many happy returns" ironically.
 They finished the bottle without further talk. There was no convivial- ity here. Both were fond of good wine, but the more they drank, the tighter grew their lips. Men who have been in the habit of guarding dangerous secrets become taciturn in their cups.
 From time to time, flittingly, there appeared against one of the windows, just above the half-curtain, lean dark face, which, in profile, resembled the kite-the hooked beak, the watch ful, preyful eyes. There were two hungers written upon that Arab face, food and revenge.
 Allah Is good" he murmured.
 He had but one eye in use, the oth- CT wss bandaged. In fact, the face ex- hibited general indications of rough warfare, the skin broken on the bridge of the nose. a freshly healed cut un-