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' "Ton Pounds," Repeated Ryanne, a Hand In His Pocket.
I jiggTjfe
1
Mrold macgrath
AxifKor o" HEARTS AND iTASKSi
CB AlAN Ofl THE BOX etes.
Illvisfradiorvs r i.Gr.KETTivR
COPYRIGHT 1911 by BOBB3 - MERRILL COMPANY
SYNOPSIS.
Ceoi-go I'orclval Algernon Jones, vlce
iltrcsldont of tho Metropolitan Oriental
Itiur company of New Vork, thirsting for
TOtnanwv Is In Cairo on a business trip.
Horace Ryanno arrives ut tho hotel In
Cairo wllli a carefully guarded tiundln.
Hyaline Holla Jo lion the famous holy "Vlil
oidcn rmr which ho mlnilta having stolen
"ffom a pasha at llagdad. Jones meets
1 Major Callahan nnd lator Is Introduced to
'fjrortimo Oliifloyo by a woman to whom
tyio littd -ioanptl ir0 pounds at Monto Carlo
"eiotno iikiiiHib previously, ana wno turns
out to bo Fortune's mother. Jones takes
. Mrs Chedsoyo and Fortuno to a polo
puno. ForlunH returns to Jones tho
monoy borrowed by hor mother. Mrs.
Chedsoye appears to bo engaged In sumo
inyslorloua enterprise unknown to tho
.daughter, ltyanno IntorostB Jones In tho
United nomanro and Adventure com-
tpany, a concern which for a price will
,rffrniJsoany ,'nd ot nn adventuro to or-
nor. Mrs. ChwlBoyo, her brother, Major
Callahan, willaeo and Ryanne, nn tuo
United Romance and Adventuro company,
plan 11 ilBky cnterprlso Involving Jones.
Hyanno. inalcos known to Mrs. Chedsoyo
his InUuitlon to marry Fortune Mrs.
OhcdHoyo doclarcs sho will not permit It.
Mans aro laid to prevent Jonos sailing
for home. Ryanno htcals Jones' letters
and, cable dispatches. Ho when agent In
New York, In Jones' nnmo, that he Is
rflntlng liouso In Now York to some
frlenfla. Mnliomcd. keeper Of tho holy
carpet, Is on Rynnno's trail.
CHAPTER Vlll.(Contlnued.)
I What lo do? mused tho rogue On
tho, morrow Mr, Jonos would loavo for
Tort paid. Rynnno shook his head
aitd with his cano boat n light tattoo
against U10 sldo of his shin, Abduc
tion wnu rnlhor out of his sphore of
notion. And yot, tho suppression of
I?orolvnl was by all odds the most Im
portant movo to bo madd, IIo had
tvoWteerod this eorvlco and accom-pllshdt-ho
must, In fnco of nil obstn
clou, or pooTl wont tho wholo droll
'fabric. For to him It wan droll, and
'tiovor it rose In his mind that ho did
mot chuoklo Baturnlncly. It was a
.'kind of nlghtmnro whoro ono hung In
midair, ono'a toes Just beyond tho
'flaming dragon's Jaws. Tho rowards
would bo enormous, but thesa ho
would gladly surrender for tho bu-
promo natlsfnctlon of turning tho
tixjisqiiod nrrpw In tho heart of thnt
cnojtii)g hypocrite, that smug church-
"tfoncon, tho sanctimonious, tho slock,
tjto well-tod first-born, And poor Per-
olval Algernon, for no bmnio of IiIb
own, must bo taken by tho scruff of
his neck and tkniBt bodily Into this
(angled web of Hchcmu and under-
nrheme, U wnB Infinitely humorous
IIo. had had a vnguo plan regarding
Mnhomod, guardian of tho Holy Yhl-
ordos, but It was not possible for him
to bo In Cairo at thlB early date. That
ho would eventually appear Hyanuo
iHjyor doubted. IIo know tho Oriental
mind. liiahomod-El-Gobel would cross
avery barrier loss effectlvo than death.
It was a serious matter to tho Mob-
loin. It ho returned to tho palace at
Bagdad, mlmiB tho rug, It would mean
.froo trunnportatlon to tho Arabian
-gulf, borcft of tho most Important
part of his excellent unntomy, his
licad. Somo day, If ho lived, Rynuno
Intouded tolling tho exploit to somo
clover chap who wrote; It would look
rath,or well in print.
To turn Mnhomcd ngalnet Vcrclval
ftH being tho instigator would be nn
adroit bit of work; and It would rid
lilui of botit of them, Oloconda said
that oho wanted no rough work. How
llko a woman! Horo was a man's
game, a desporato one; and Glocon-
du, not forgottlng thnt it was hor
Inspiration, wnntod It handled with
gloves! It wns bare-hand work, and
the Boonor, sho was mado to ronllzo
this, tho better. It was no tlmo for
tuning fiddles
Mahomed out of it, thoro was a cer
tain English bar in tho Quarter Itosot-
tl, a plnco of dubious repute. Many
derelicts drifted thoro in search of
employment Btlll moro dubious. Dregs,
scum; tho bottom and tho top of the
kettle; outcasts, whoso hand nnd
animus woro directed against socloty;
black and brown and whlto men; not
soldiers of fortune, llko Ryanno, but
their camp-followers. In short, It wns
thoro (and Ryanno still felt n dull
Bhamo of It) that Wallacot carrying
the final instructions of tho entorprlBo,
had found him, sleeping off tho offectB
of a Bhabby rout of tho night beforo.
It was thoro also that ho had heard
of tho history and tho worth of tho
Yhlordes rug nnd tho possibility of Us
theft. Ho laughed. To hayo gorjo, upon.
an nuvonttiro into tnnt, with nothing
but tho fumes of wino In his head!
For a fow pieces of gold ho might
enroll under his shndy bannor threo
or four Bhining lights who would tin
dortnko tho disposal of Pnrcival. Not
that ho wished tho young man any
harm no; but business wns business,
nnd in somo way or nnothor ho must
be mado to vanish from tho sight nnd
proBenco of men for at least two
months.
As for Major Callahan's unforeseen
danger, tho dovll could look out for
that.
Rynnna consulted hln watch, n cheap
but trustworthy artlclo, costing a dol
lar, not to bo considered us nn avail
nblo asset. Ho would give it away
later In tho day; for ho had decided
that whlto ho was in funds thero would
lio wisdom in tho purchnBo of a flno
gold Longlnes. A good watch, as ev
ery ono knows, is nlways as easily
converted into cash as a London bank
note, providing, of course' ono Is
lucky enough to possess either. Many
wntehos had ha loft behind, In this
plnco or In that; and often ho had
oxchnnged tho ticket for n small bottle
with n greon nook. Wherever fortuno
had gouo ngnlnst him heavily at cards,
thero ho might find hla Intest watch.
And nnothor good idea, ho mused,
as ho BWung tho ttmoploco Into his
vest-pocket, would bo to add tho splen
dor of n Binnll whlto stono to tils mod
est scnif. Thoro Is only ono well
defined precept among tho sporting
fraternity; when flush, buy Jowolry,
Not to tho cnuso of vanity, not nt nil;
but precious stones and gold watches
constitute n kind of reservo-fund
ngalnBt tho ovil day. When ono has
monoy In tho pocket tho hand is quick
and oagor to find It. But Jowolry is
protoctod by a certain quality of
caution; It Is not to'o readily passod
over bars and gaming-tables. Whilo
tho pawnbroker stands between tho
passion and tho groon-bnlze, thero'3
food for thought.
Having settled those questions to
his satisfaction, thoro remained but
ono othor, how to Bpend his tlmo. It
would bo iifioloss to Book tho Kngllsh
Bar beforo noon. Might as well rnm-
hi 0 through tho native town and tho
bazaars. Ho might pick up sonic little
curio to glvo to Fortune. So ho
beckoned to an Idle driver, climbed in.
to tho carriage, nnd was driven oft ns
if empires hung upon minutes.
Ryanno never wearied of the ba
zaars of Cairo. They wero to him no
less enchanting than tho circus-parades
of his youth. In certain wayB,
they woro not to bo compnred with
tho8o In Constantinople and Smyrna;
but, on the other hand, thero was
moro light, more charm, more color."
Perhaps tho mngic neatness of the
desert had something to do with it,
tho rainless skies, tho ever-recurring
suggestions of antiquity. His lively
observation, IiIb senso of tho pictur
esque nnd tho humorous, always close
to tho surface, gave him thnt singular
impetus which makes man a prowler.
This gift had mado possible his suc
cess in old Bagdad. Somo years be
foro ho had prowJcd through the nar
row city streets, hntl noted tho wind
ings, tho blind-alleys, and lind never
forgotten. Faces and localities wero
written indelibly upon his memory.
Ono rodo to the bazaars, but walk
ed through them or mounted donkeys.
Ryniino preferred his own legs. So
did Mahomed. Once, so closo did ho
como thnt ho could havo put his two
brown hnnds round the infidel's thront
But, patience. Did not tho Koran
teach patience among tho higher lnws?
Pntionco. IIo could not, madly as he
had dreamed, throttle tho white liar
horo in tho bazaars. That would not
bring tho Holy Yhlordes to his hands.
IIo must wait. IIo must plnn to lure
tho man out at night, then to hurry
him into tho desert. Out into tho des
ort, whero no man might bo his mas
ter. Oh, tho Holy Yhlordes should bo
his again; it was written.
The cries, tho shouts, tho tower of
Babol reclaimed; tho Intermingling of
tho rnccB of tho world: tho English
man, tho American, tho German, tho
Italian, tho Fronchmnn, tho Greek, tho
Lovnntlne, tho purple-black Ethiopian,
tho bronze Nubian; tho veiled womon,
tho naked children; nil tho color-tones
known to art, but predominating, that
marvelous faded tint of blue, the
Cnlrcno bluo. In tho heavens, in tho
waters, In tho dyo3.
"Make way, O my mothorl" bawlod
a donkey-boy to tho old crouo ped
dling matches.
"Backsheesh! Backsheesh!" in tho
eight tones of the human volco. From
tho beggar, his brother, hla undo,
his grnndfnthor, his children and his
children's children. "Blackshcesh,
backsheesh!"
"To tho right!" wns shrilled Into
Rynnno's oar; and ho dodged. A
troop of donkeys passed, laden with
tourists, unhappy, fretful, self-conscious.
A water-carrier brushed
against him, and ho whiffed the fresh,
dampness of tho bulging goatskin. A
woman, hq lojig, black head-veil
streaming out behind in tho clutch of
tho moukey-llko hand of a toddling
child, cnrrlcdi a torra-cotta wator-Jar
upon her head. Tho grace with which
she moved, tho abruptness of tho color-changes,
caught Ryanno's roving
oyo and filled It with pleasure.
Dust rose and subsided, eddied and
sottlod; beggars blind and ono-eyed
squatted in it, children tossed It in
piny, nnd beasts of burden shuffled
through it.
Tho roar In front of tho shops, tho
pressing nnd crowding of customers,
tho high cries of tho merchants; tho
gurglo or tho water-pipes, tho pleasant
fumes of coffeo, the hardy loafers
lolling beforo tho khans or caravan
snrles; a veiled fnco at a lattice-window;
tho violet shadows in a doorway;
tho sunshine upon tho soaring
mosques; n true believer, rocking and
mumbling over hla tattered Koran;
gold nnd silver and JowoIb; nmbor and
copper and brnss; embroideries and
rugs nnd carpets; and tho pest of fleaB,
tho plague of files, the Insidious
smells,
Ryanno found himself Inspecting
"tho InrgeBt emerald in tho world,
worth twelvo thousand pounds," which
looked moro llko a fine hexngonal of
onyx than a gem. It wns ono of the
curiosities of tho bnzanrs, however,
and tourists wore generally round it
in forco. To his experienced oyo it
was no moro than a flno specimen of
emerald quartz, worth what any fool
of n collector was willing to pay for it.
From this bazaar he passed on into
tho next, nnd thero ho Baw Fortune.
And ub Mnhomed, always close at
hand, saw tho hard lines in Rynnno's
face soften, tho cynical smile bocomo
tender, ho believed he saw his way to
strike.
faced their labors with clear oyo and
feared nothing; women sang nt their
work. It was only at tho close of day
that despair and defeat stalked tho
highways. So sho was up with tho
Bun, whethor in her own garden or in
theso odd nnd mystical cities. Thus
sho saw the native ns ho was, not as
lie later In tho day pretendod to bo,
for the benefit of tho Ferlngbi about
to bo stretched upon the sacrificial
atone. She saw, with gladness, tho
honey-bee thirling tho rose, tho plow
man's share baring the soil; tho morn
ing, the morning, tho two or thiee
hours that wero all, all her own. Her
mother was alwayB Irritable and petu
lant in the morning, and her uncle
never developed tho gift of speech till
ufter luncheon.
She had tho same love of prowling
that lured Ryanne from tho beaten
paths. Sho was not inquisitive but
curious, and that ready disarming
smile of hers opened mnny a portal.
Sho was balancing upon hor gloved
palm, thoughtfully, a Soudanese head
trinket, a pendant of twisted gold
wires, flawed emeralds and second
pearls, really exquisite and not gen
erally to bo found outside tho expen
sive shops in tho European quarters,
and there infrequently. Tho merchant
wanted twenty pounds for it. Fortuno
shook herhead, regretfully. It was
far boyond her means. Sho sighed.
Only once in a great while sho saw
something for which her wholo heart
cried out. This pendant was ono of
these.
"I will give you fivo pounds for it.
Thnt Is all I havo with me."
"Salaam, madame," said tho Jeweler,
reaching for tho pendant.
"If you will send It to the Hotel Se
mlramls this afternoon . . ." But
alio faltered at. tho sight of the mer
chant's Incredulous smile.
"I'll give you ten for It; not a pias
tre more. I can get ono llko it in tho
Shnria Kamel for thnt amount."
Both Fortuno and tho merchant
turned.
"You, Horace?"
"Yes, my child. And what are you
doing hero ajone, without a drago
man?" "Oh, I havo been through hero alone
many times. I'm not afraid. Isn't it
beautiful? He wauts twenty pounds
for it, and I cannot afford that."
sho nau not seen mm in many
weeks, yet sho accepted his sudden ap
pearanco without question or surprise.
Sho was used to his turning up at un
expected moments. Of course, sho
had known that ho was in Cairo;
whore her mother and undo were this
SQcretive man was generally within
calling. Thoro had been a tlmo when
sho had eagerly plied him with ques
tions, but ho had always erected bar
riers of evasion, nnd finally sho ceased
her importunities, for sho concluded
tKal her questions were such. No mat
ter to whom she turned, thero was no
ono to answer her questions, questions
born of doubt and fear.
"Ten pounds," repeated Ryanne, a
hand in his pocket.
Tho merchant laughed. Hero were
a young man and his sweetheart. His
oxperionco had taught him, and not
unwisely, that lovo Is an easy victim,
too proud to haggle, too generous to
bargain sharply. "Twenty," ho re
iterated. "Salaam!" said Ryanne. "Good
day!" Ho drow tho somewhat resist
ing hand of Fortuno under his arm
and mado for tho door. "Sh!" he whis
pered. "Leavo it to me." They gained
tlio street.
Tho merchant was dazed. Ho had
misjudged what ho now recognized as
an old hand. Tho two woro turning
up another street when ho rnu out,
shouting to them and waving tho
pendant. Ryanno laughed.
"Ten pounds. I am a poor man, ef
fendi, nnd I need tho money. Ton
pounds. I nm giving It away." The
merchant's eyes filled with tears, ij
trick left to him from out or tho ruins
of hlB youth, that ready service to
forestall the merited rod.
Ryanno counted out ten sovereigns
and put tho pondnnt in Fortuno's
hand. And tho pleasure In Uls heart
was such ns ho had not known in
many days. Tho merchant wisely hur
ried bnck to his shop.
young man who had purchased tho rug
might bo mildly peccablo had not yet
occurred to her.
"Why not, Fortuno?" Ryanne was
very earnest, and 'thero was a pinch at
his heart.
"Beonuso . . ."
"Don't you like mo Just n little?"
"Why, I do llko you, Horace But I
do not llko any man well enough to
accept expensive gifts from him. I
do not wish to hurt you, but it is Im
possible. Tho only concession I'll
make is to borrow tho money."
"Well, then, let it go at that." Ho
was too wiso to press her.
"And can you afford to throw awny
ten pounds?" with nssumed lightness.
"My ono permanent Impression of you
is tho young man who wns alwayB
forced to borrow car-faro whenever he
returned from Monto Carlo."
"A fool and his monoy. But I'm a
rich man now," ho volunteered. And
briefly ho sketched tho exploit or the
Yhlordes rug.
"It was very bravo of you. But has
I it ever occurred to you that it wasn't
honest?
"Honest?" frankly astonished that
sho should question the ethics. "Oh, I
say, Fortuno; you don't call it dishon
est to get tho best of n pagan! Aren't
they nlways getting tho best of us?"
"If you had bargained with him nnd
beaten him down, it would have been
different. But, Horace, you stole it;
you ndmit that you did."
"I took my life in my hands. I
think that evened up things."
"No. And you sold it to Mr. Jones?"
"Yes, nnd Mr. Jones was only too
glad to buy it. I told him tho facts.
Ho wasn't particularly eager to bring
up the ethics of tho case. Why, child,
what the deuco is a Turk? I shouldn't
cry out If some one stole my Bible."
"Good gracious! do you carry ono?"
"Well, there's always ono on tho
room-stand in tho hotels I patronize."
"I suppose It all depends upon how
wo look nt things."
"That's it. A different pair of spec
tacles for every pair of eyes."
If only he weren't in lovo with her!
thought tho girl. Ho would then be
an amusing comrade. But whenever
he met her he quietly prcsbcd kls'juilt.
Ho had never spoken openly of lovo,
for which sho was grateful, but his at
tentions, his little kindnesses, his un
obtrusivo protection when those other
men were at tho villa, made the read
ing between tho lines no difficult matter.
necessary facts, tho eventual dangers.
Ho accepted them all with the Yhlor
des. I see nothing unfair In tho deal,
since I risked my llfo in tho first
place."
"And why must you do theso des
porato things?"
"Oh, I lovo excitement. My ono idea
in llfo Is to avoid tho humdrum."
"Is it necessary to risk your llfo for
theso cxcltementB? Is your Wo noth
ing moro to you than something to ex
periment with?"
"Truth, sometimes I don't know.
Fortune. Sometimes I don't .care.
When one has gambled for big stakes,
it 1b hard to play for penny points."
"A strong, healthy man llko you
ought not to court death."
"I dtThot seek it. My only tempta
tion is to geo how near I can get to
tho Mnn in tho Shroud, as como poet
calls it, without being touched. I'll
mnko you my confessor. You see, it
is like this. A number of wenrled men
recently formed a company whereby
monotony became an obsolete word
in. our vocabulary. You must not think
I'm Jesting; I'm serious enongh. This
company ferrets out ndventures and
romances and sells them to men of
spirit. I becamo a member, nnd tho
trip to Bagdad is tho result. Or.e nev
er has to sharo with tho company. Tho
rewards are all yours. All ono has to
do is to pay n lump sum down for tho
adventuro furnished. You work out
the end yourself, unhindered and un
"Are you really sorlouB?"
"Never more so. Now, Pcrclval Al
gernon has always been wanting an
adventuro, but tho practical side of
him has made him hold aloof. I told
him about this concern, and he refuses
to believe in it. So I nm going to un
dertake to provo it to him." This la
confidential. You will say nothing, I
know."
"Ho will come to no harm physical
ly?" "Lord, no! It will bo mild and in
nocuous. Of course, If any one told
him thnt an adventuro was toward
for his especial benefit, it would spoil
all. I can rely upon your silence?"
Sho was silent. Ho witnessed her
indecision with distrust. Perhaps ho
bad said too much.
"Won't you promise? Haven't I al
ways been kind to you, Fortune, time3
when you most needed kindness?"
"I promlso to say nothing. But If
any harm comes to that young man,
either in Jest or in earnest, I will
never speak to you again."
CHAPTER IX.
The Bitter Fruit.
Fortuno had a hearty contempt for
persons who nto their breakfast In
bed. For her tho glory of tho day was
tho frosh fairness of tho morning,
when every ouo'b step was buoynnt,
and nil lifo stirred enorgotlcnlly. Thero
wub cheor and hope everywhere; men
r ( e
Til If w bP
B Hit ill lllwiVl'T
"He Will
Come
nut. . .. . sno uognn protest- "What shall you do It this Mnhomed
inMJ you speak of comes?"
lux. tuu 1 nnvo Known you Blnco "Turn him loose upon our friend
you wore short dresses and tam-o- Jones," with a laugh,
shantcrs." ..Aml what wlll ho do (X) hlmr
"I really cannot accept It as a gift. "Carry him off to Bagdad nnd chop
Let mo borrow tlio ten pounds." off ni8 head," Ryanno Jested.
"And why can't you accept a little "Toll me, is thero any possibility of
gift from mo?" Jlr Jone8 coming to harm?"
Sho had no ready nnswer. Sho "Can't say." Her concern for Pcrcl-
gazed steadily at tho dull pearls and val annoyed him.
tho flaky emeralds. Sho could not ask "Ib It fair, when ho paid jou gen-
him whero ho had got thoso sover- erously?"
elgns. Sho could not possibly bo bo He did not look into the grave eyes,
cruel. Sho could not dissemble In They woro tho only pair that ever dls-
words llko her mother. That gold sho concerted him. "My dear Fortuno, it's
knew' to be a part of a dishonest bar- a question which Is the moro valuable
gain whose forostep had been a theft to rac, my skin or Perclval's."
moro, a sacrilege. Her honesty was "It Isn't fair."
llko puro gold, unalloyed, unmixed "From my point of view It's fair
with eophUtlc subterfuges. That tho ' enough. I warned him; I told hlra the
Harm Physically?"
"I boo that, after getting Perclval
Algernon Into an adventuro, I'vo gol
to clcorono him safely out or It. Well,
I accept tho responsibility." Som
days later ho was going to recall thU
assurance.
"Sometimes I wonder . . ." pen
sively. "Wonder about what?"
"What mnnnor of mnn you are."'
"I should havo been a great deal
better man had I mot you ton yearn
ago."
"What? When I was eleven?" with
a levity Intended to Btccr him away
from this channel.
"You know what I moan," he an
swered, moody nnd dojected.
Sho opened hor pureo and dropped
tho pendant Into It, but did not speck.
(TO BG CONTINUED.)