The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-03-22
Chapter %
Drive In The Desert

atlve. What made you invite
her to the table. Petrel?" asked
Tony.
'The Baroness?" Petronella
glanced to the other end of the
table. Fleur Won Cratz sat crum-
bling her roll, and staring alb
stractly at. and through Rogers,
so that he looked quite discom-
forted. Fleur bad spoken to her.
when she met her on her way to
change. She was worried about
Rene. She was in a miserable state
of nerves about him. she admitted,
in her odd. thick voice. She had
dreamed twice. lately, that he had
crashed.
"She Is worrying about her
nephew, who flying from Dali
malta to join her." Petronella told
them. Il thought it might cheer
her up to have someone to talk tt"
odd old trout, isn't she?" said
Ted Masters. She interests me. She
was probably az lovely as the
dawn once. ! know the type; stu
pid, beautiful blue eyes. Sh e's
wearing superb jewels. How does
she manage to get her money out
of Germany? What is this nephew
like?"
"a beautiful young man." said
Petronella casually It was not
sufficient to disarm his interest.
She must lead Ted Masters astray.
He has about half her money
and twice her intelligence. and she
worships him."
$50 that sool he will have near
ly all her money!"
Perhaps. But I think Rene
obeys a few rules. He's kind
hearted"
81 see." So lie was one OF those,
she saw Masters thinking The
problem stood explained. His in
terest in both the Baroness, and
her gigolo. died. He returned to
the question of sanctions. There
was no doubt, thought Petronella,
that Rene's choice of role was
clever. 1t served his purpose very
well.
After dinner, she and Tony left
the rest. still talking.
It was unsafe to drive in the
desert at night, because of Bedou-
ms. They were likely t. take ad-
vantage of the present trouble. In
stead. they wandered out irto the
gardens of Cairo. They made love
beside a little fountain, whose
water was still. 1t reflected the
yello.. moon, at which the dogs
were bowling, and a redness in
the northern sky.
There must be a fire"
students have set fire to the
offices of the Ego. It is a pro-Brit-
ish paper. heard firing while we
were dancing, and found cut,
while you were putting on your
coat. It's nothing serious. Don't
worry"
She laughed softly. "I'm not
worrying" Held close to Tony,
Petronella did not care, and was
not afraid.
adventurous EnoNSh
THE following morning they
i rode together. The air was
fresh, until the sur rose high, and
the limitleSs stretches of the deS-
ert, extending to the horizon, were
in harmony with their mood.
In the afternoon they played
tennis with a Mr.. and Mrs. jane
son, of the Consul Service, who
were friends o. both the Mallones.
She telephoned, and asked if she
might take Tony with her. They
dined with Peter and the gang,
and went to a movie. They danced
at the "Blue Cat" cabaret. on the
bank of the Nile. The moon was
reflected in the water.
Before that moon is really lop-
sided. you'll have made up your
mind to marry me-" he told her.
when will those orders Gomez"
"The day after tomorrow, I
think. Tomorrow have to pay an
official visit t. the Governor of
Fayum. Will you come with me?
II is about three hours drive out
of Cairo. If you haven't. seen the
oasis it will interest you"
They were driven there seated
in an open car. behind their
drivers red tarboosh. Taking the
new road, they struck out across
the desert, till the pyramids
looked small in the distance.
Look, Petrel-a caravan! On
its way to Alexandria. That
hasn't changed since the Bible
was writer" She followed the di-
rection in which he pointed. She
saw the enormous wooden baskets,
perched on tic backs of the
strange, ungainly camels, picking
their leisurely, disgruntled way
across the pale waste of stones and
ripple-marked sand.
'No-that hasn't changed"
In the midst Of those rolling
miles of desert. :he sudden dip Of
the road into the oasis Of Fayum
was unexpected and impressive.
Here again. the country of the
Bible seemed to stand unaltered.
Olive trees grew. beside a stone
well. where women filled Shapely
black water carriers.
We might have. stayed back
into 1000 BE-" As their car entered
the narrow streets, chickens fut-
tered out of the road. into the shell