The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-03-08


ing Mortimer's roof and protection, he
knew what his plans would be. Some
one else could do the buying for MOT
timer & Jones; his business would pc
to revolve round this lonely girl, to
watch and guard her without her be
ing aware of 1t. OF what use were
riches IL 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
It was positively unreal that one so
charming and lovely should be at
heart strong as the wind and mercl-
less as the sea. His mother had been
everything; hers, worse than none,
an eternal question. What drama
she had moved about In, without I'M
Outstanding!
George did not possess that easy
and adjustable sophistry which made
Ryanne look upon smuggling as a
clever game between two cheats. His
point OF view conceded 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, disiointedly, as the dinner.
| progressed toward its end. They babe
Alderman 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;
j while George asked the manager Il
j he could send acable from the hotel.
=lGertainIy rs SJl1is took some
| time to compose the cable TO Mortf-
mer;; and itsrequired some gold be-
sides. Mortimer must HAYES fair view
Of the case; and George presented it,
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 billiard-room. Indeed, he had
gone quietly to the other hotel and
written a 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 it up and threw the scraps upon
the floor and fastened 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
| 55eedd, 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 pulled and bleed
ing. He had smoked SO many ciga
rettes and had pulled them so impa
tiently from his mouth, that the dry
paper had cracked the delicate skin
He rewrote his cable and paid 20
the sending Of 1t. Then he poket
about the unfamiliar corridors till b
found the dingy bar. He sat down be
fore a peg of whisky, which was fol
lowed by many more, each a. bit stiffe
than its predecessor. Al last, Whel
he had had enough to put a norma
mans head upon the table or to cove
his face with the mask Of inanity
Ryanne fell into the old habit of talk
ing aloud.
Horace, old top, what's the use
We'd just like to be good II We could
Ell? But they won't let us. We,
grow raving mad In a monastery. w
were honest at the time, but w
. couldn't stand the monotony Of watch
: ing green olives turn purple upon tn
), silvery bough. Nay, nay!"
> He pushed the glass away from hin
: and studied the air-bubbles as the
: formed, rose TO the surface. and wer
- dfssipated.
mo matter what the game ha
been, somehow or other, they'v
= dashed US, and we've lost out
' He emptied the glass and ordere
: another. He and the bartender wer
q alone.
4 After all, love IS Ike money. It
J.. better to live frugalIy upon the intel
J. est than to squander the capital an
!. go bankrupt. And who cares, AM
n how ?''
y He drank once more. dropped hal
;. seyereign upon the table, and pushe
II back his chair His eyes were bloot
q shot now, and the brown Of his ski
y / had become q slaty tint; but b
walked steadily enough into the rea,