The Washington times., 1922-12-17

venture, ll0ns--the lions OF k0ruO-
fsA-"whsfep they 70 h tsssps."
On'tAs Wy sst ke had never tired
Il that sSsrisus phrase.
he had .ast men whose eyes he6
tWinkled ., they realised that ~
hpssed Wild hopes Of levying ton
upsa all the beasts that he men
tisned-and probably many more.
And because they recognized that
he was not more thsA boy In
spirit, utterly fearless, and with q
clean heart, they had net disillu-
sioaed him toe unkindly. For If
he had been ever ready to talk he
h2d Aeea reader still to listen to
those willing to tell him of their
swn experien1es-ehieers, for the
most paft, retarning to duty in the
Esst--te duty st the eut-ststions.
q vastly different matter from the
duty that b half regimental, half
social, stv tvCaire. These men, 60,
ing back to Sheir lonely, Wild life,
where each, like an ant laboring
with . grain far from his earthly
metropolis, labsred with his par
ticular piece that fitted, or some
day would At, somewhere ON the
outer edge Of the giant, living jig
saw of Empire, Dick Marchurst
had adored, and, hguratiyely, he
had sat at their feet, disciple-wise.
And they had warmed to him,
this tail, brown, handsome, clean
hmbed boy, and wished HIM good
huntiag," doing their best to as
sure 1t to him.. =
But now, as he sat, with cigar,
facing Hoodless, all those healthy,
wholesome visions Of fanged and
ferseious heads, of graceful scimi-
tar, pointed or spiral horns, Of
tswny ~ dappled hides, came no
more.
They were eclipsed or quenched
or oatshsne by-grester gaOries.
WOmen's faces-wOmen's faces.
Dick Marchurst stared out
through the Windows Of the rail-
way carriage-and Egypt was un'
rolled, like a wide wonderful strip
Of rare and ancient carpet. before
his eyes-but he did not see II, or,
u he saw. took no interest In Il.
The dark, vivid face Of Sails
the calm and perfect face OF
Lcuise Lammarsh-these were the
eyerSpresent wells that hung, beau
tifully; between his eyes and the
desert be had travelled 50 far to
case upon. Two fair faces-East-
'erp beauty Of Cairs,E- Western
beaaty of New York. - -
Z Bpts behind these there, hung
ever, pailid and wan and blind, q
deed face, oddly unreal, like Q
face seen in q dark drean-that
Of the hashish slave he had killed
in the house Of Sais.
"A low exclamation from Hood
less shattered his visions.
;"What's the matter, Crichton :"
i: Hoodless passed him an English
newspaper, pointing to paragraph
which announced the death, result
inf from injuries received in
motor-racing accident, Of one Cap
tain Wygram, the SON Of Lord Liss-
mere.
], why; wasn't that poor chap
your cousin, Diek!" asked Hood
less, his voice very level.
Marehurst nodded. q
s1Bill Wygram - yes" He
frswned oyer the paragraph.
'TAey say he was one Of the
bsst amateur racing drivers ID
Eagiand," ( contiaued Heodles1
ibid you know him well. Diekfs
Marchurst shssk Ms head.
.sNo, I knew nene Of them well.
There was something Of . feud be-
tween my father and his brothes-
lLimmere," he ssid absently. Il
only met Bill wygrsra once. a
1tifst-rate chap"
Hoodless said no more.
But there was an odd CLEAN In
his eyes--a look almost Of pro
pfietorship-as he watched March
urst, when the boy turned again TO
his absent casing out aeros the
sandy wastes stretching westwards
from the railway; and he nodded
impereeptibly q he reflected taat
now there remained between his
companion and the CREST fortune
buik up by the firyt Baron Lass-
i..ere no remaining life.
Dick returned TO his dreams,