The Donaldsonville chief., 1913-02-01

ton an answer to all his dreams. One
nights work had given him his ticket
to the land Of those weighed and
found wanting. She knew; how much
he did not care; enough to read his
guilt.
It appeared to George that she was
accepting the situation with a philos-
ophy deeper than either his or Ry.
anne's. Not q whimper, not plaint
not a protest SO far had she made.
She was Roland in petticoats.
"Oh, I'm Dashed up bit," said Ry.
anne. '.I'll get my legs in a day OF
SO. Fortune. will you answer one
question: p
AS many as you like"
How did you get here?'
Don't you known
George wasn't certain, but the gir31s
voice was cold and accusing.
s@I?''
Eyes. Wasn't 1t the note that you
wrote to me %
Ryanne took his head in his hands.
wearily. Il wrote you no note, For
tune; have never written you note
OF any kind. You do not know my
handwriting from Adams. In Gods
name, why didn't you ask your mother
or your uncle? They would have rec
ognized the forgery at once. Who
gave 1t to your
"Mahomed himself"
Damn him!" Ryanne grew strong
under the passing fit of rage. No.
don't tell me to be silent. ! don't care
about myself. I'm the kind Of man
who pulls through, generally. But
this takes the spine out of me. I'm
to blame; It's all my fault"
Say no more about It." She be-
lieved him. She really hadn't thought
him capable of such baseness, though
al the time Of her abduction she had
been inclined e accuse him. That
he was here, prisoner like herself,
was conclusive evidence, 90 far as sl,a
was concerned. OF his innocence. But
she knew him to be responsible for
the presence Of Jones; knew him to
be eulpab1e Of treachery Of the mean
est order; knew him to be lacking In
generosity and magnanimity toward q
man who was practically his benefac
ter. What does Mahomed want 2"
The bally rug, Fortune. And Jones
here, who had it, says that it is gone
Vanished, magic-carpet-wisa," sup
tsemented George.
And Jones would have given 1t up"
g "
have bought you out of this"
Jones and / could have managed
to get along.
We shouldn't have mattered.'
And would you have returned to
Mr.. Jones his thousand pounds ?"
ssYes, and everything else 1 have
quite honestly.
Don't worry any more about the
rug, then. / know where it ss.'
Your cried the two men.
.'Yes. I stole it. did so, thinkins
to avert this very hour; to save vor
from HARM" to George, and you froR
doing contemplate thing" to Ry.
anne. '.It is in my room, done up ir
the big steamer-ro11 And now an
glad that stole it,
Ryanne laughed weakly.
Said George soberly: What con
temptible thing?" He remembered
Mahomed's words in regard to Ry,
anne as the latter lay insensible iu
the sand.
Ryanne, quick to seize the opportu
nifty OF solving, to his own advantages
the puzzle for George, and at the sans
time guiding Fortune away from q
topic, the danger Of which she knew
nothing, raised hand. II bribed Ma
homed to kidnap you. Jones. Donr
be impatient. You laughed at ms
when laid before you the prospectus
Of the United Romance and Adven
ture Company. wished to prove ia
you that the concern existed. And sd
here Is your adventure upon approval |
thought, OF course, you still had the
rug. Mahomed was to carry you into
the desert for q week, and by that |
time you would have surrendered tha
rug, returned to Cairo, the hero OF a
adventure. Lord! what a |
mess Of 1t I've made. forgot, next |
10 this bally rug, Mahomed loved me-"
The hitherto credulous George had
of late begun to look into facts in.
stead OF dreams. He did not belieya
5 word OF this amazing confession, de,
spite the additional testimony OF For
une, relative TO Ryannes staten ents
made to her in the bazaars.
The bitter Bitten" was George's
,ole comment
Ryanne breathed easier.
cro BE CONTINUED,
When Philosophy Comes Easy.