The Mena weekly star., 1913-06-19


 quit himself; his own arraignment was keen as any judge could have made. E4rong ss he was physically, brilliant as he was mentally, there was nor tai weakness in his blood; and search as he might the history of his ances- tors, their lives shed no light upon his own.
 In stating that his face had been granted that dubious honor and con- cern of the perpetrators of the rogues' gallery, he had merely given rein to seizure of soul-bitterness. But there was truth enough in the statement that he had been short in his accounts many thousands at his fathers bank; gambling debts; and in making no ef- fort to replace the loss, he was soon found out by his brother, who seemed only too glad to dishonor him. He was given his choice: to sign over his million, due him a year later (for at this time the father was dead), or go to prison. The scandal of the affair had no weight with his brother; he wanted the younger out of the way. Like the hot-headed fool he was. he had signed away his inheritance, talk en a peltry thousand and left Amer ica, facing imprisonment if he re. | turned. That was the kind of a broth CT he had. Once he had burned his bridges, there came to him a dozen ways by which he could have extri- cated himself. But once a fool, always fool
 Disinherited, outcast, living by his wits, ingenious enough; the finer l senses callousing under the contact with his interiors; a gambler, a hard drinker periodically; all in all, fine portrait for any gallery given over to | rogues. And he hadn't worried much over the moral problem confronting him, that the way of the transgressor is hard. It was only when love rent the veil of his fatuity that he saw himself as he really was.
 Love! He gazed ahead at Fortune under the mahmal. That a guileless young girl as she was should enchain | him! That the sight of her should always send longing into his soul | to go back and begin over His jaws hardened. Why not? Why not try ! to recover some of the crumbs of the fine things he had thrown away? At least enough to permit him to go | again among his fellows without con- stantly looking behind to note if he were followed? By the Lord Harry! l once he was out of this web of his own weaving, he would live straight; he swore that every dollar hereafter | put in his pocket should be an honest one. Fortune could never be his wife He came to this fact without any roundabout or devious byways. In the | first place, he knew that he had not touched her; she had only been friend ly; and now even her friendship hung by thread. All right. The love he bore her was going to be his salvation just the same; and at this moment he was deadly in earnest.
 It was after nine when they were ferried across the two canals, the fresh-water and the salt. several miles below Serapeum. The three weary NoplANSS SOW d SlNdL llllCl Sllp past slowly and majestically upon its way to the Far East. She radiated with light and cheer and comfort; and all could hear faintly the pulsations of her engines. So near and yet so far; cup of water to Tantalus! At mid night they made camp. There were no palms this time; simply a well in the center of tumble of huge boul- ders. The tents were pitched to the 1 southwest, for now the wind blew, bit ing from the land of northern snOws; and a fire was a welcome thing. This was Arabia; Africa had been left be hind. Here they awaited the return of the courier, who arrived two days later, dead tired. The persons to whom the card had been sent had sailed for | Naples with the steamer Ludwig. Ma homed turned upon the three miser- ables.
 q have you three. then; and by the beard of the Prophet, you shall pay, you shall pay! You have robbed and