Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-02-06
BY
Harold Mac(irath
copyright 1911 by Bobbs-Merill Company

Copyright 1911 by BobbsMerril Company
returned from Monte Carlo"
"a fool and his money. But I'm a
rich man now" he volunteered. And
briefly he sketched the exploit of the
Yhiordes rug.
'It was very brave of you. But has
it ever occurred to you that it wasn't
honest?"
"Honest" frankly astonished that
she should question the ethics. ooh, l
say, Fortune; you don't call 1t dishon-
est to get the best of pagan! Aren't
they always getting the best of us?"
'Tf you had bargained with him and
beaten him down, it would have been
different. But. Horace, you stole it;
you admit that you did"
81 took my life in my hands. l
think that evened up things"
mo. And you sold it to Mr.. Jones?"
Eyes, and Mr.. Jones was only too
glad to buy it. told him the facts.
He wasn't particularly eager to bring
up the ethics Of the case. Why, child,
what the deuce is Turk? shouldn't
cry out if some one stole my Bible"
Good gracious! do you carry one?"
''Well, there's always one on the
'room-stand in the hotels I patronize."
Il suppose it all depends upon how
we look at things"
That's it. A different pair OF spec
tacles for every pair of eyes,"
If only he weren't in love with her!
thought the girl. He would then be
an amusing comrade. But whenever
he met her he quietly pressed his suit.
He had never spoken openly of love,
for which she was grateful, but his at
itentions, his little kindnesses, his I'm.
obtrusive protection when those other
men were at the villa, made the read
ing between the lines no difficult mat.
ter.
what shall you do if this Mahomed
you speak of comes"
Turn him loose upon our friend
Jones'" with laugh.
Sand what will he do to him."
Garry him off to Bagdad and chop
off his head" Ryanne TESTED.
"Tell me, is there any possibility of
Mr.. Jones coming to harm?" M-.
"Can't say" Her concern for Perez
val annoyed him.
'Is it fair, when he paid you gen.
erously?"
He did not look into the grave eyes.
They were the only pair that ever dis.
concerted him. my dear Fortune, it's
question which is the more valuable
to me, my skin or Percival's."
at isn't fair"
"From my point of view it's fair
enough. warned him; told him the
necessary facts, the eventual dangers
He accepted them all with the Yhior.
des. / see nothing unfair in the deal
since risked my life in the first
place."
"And why must you do these des.
perate things?"
ooh, / love excitement. My one idea
In life is to avoid the humdrum."
rs it necessary to risk your life for
these excitements? Is your life moth
ing more to you than something to ex-
pertinent within"
"Truth, sometimes don't know,
When one has gambled for big stakes,
it is hard to play for penny points"
"a strong, healthy man like you
ought not to court DEATH"
81 do not seek it. My only tempta-
ton is to see how near / can get to
the Man in the Shroud, as some poet
calls it, without being touched. I'll
make you my confessor. You see, 1t
is like this. A number of wearied men
recently formed a company whereby
monotony became an obsolete word
in our vocabulary. You must not think
I'm testing; I'm serious enough. This
company ferrets out adventures and
romances and sells them to men of
spirit. / became a member, and the
trip to Bagdad is the result. One new.
ser has to share with the company. The
rewards are all yours. All one has to
do is to pay lump sum down for the
adventure furnished. You work out
the end yourself, unhindered and un'
assisted" .H!
"Are you really serious?"
Never more so. Now, Percival Al
gernon has always been wanting an
adventure, but the practical side OF
him. has made him hold aloof. ] told
him about this concern, and he refuses
to believe in it. So ! am going to un
dertake to prove 1t to him. This is
confidential. You will say nothing,
know" =,
70, "He will come to no harm physical
ly?" .,, 49,.
Lord, mol It will be mild and in
nocuous. OF course, IL any one tolt
him that an adventure was toward
for his especial benefit, it would spoi
all. can rely upon your silence?"
She was silent. He witnessed he
indecision with distrust. Perhaps h
had said too much. p r
Wont you promise? Haven't l al
ways been kind to you, Fortune, time
when you most needed kindness"
A. II promise to say nothing. But !
any harm comes to that young man
either in jest or in earnest, ! will
4. never speak to you again"
81 ~ see that, after getting Perciva
Algernon into an adventure, I've go
I'd cicerone him safely out of it. We'll