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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 1912)
teMttwfecj WMk r4 C " 1 1 . lit!fc'jB C ' S w 'V W il ' " ' t,f,if,"'l ' 4 ?.4aiafiMiSBa;-- -4A :t. 3 t . 1 "i va; :. .v."n up. jtw-ivr . i.'n i iHxtr i . rt I W IHVt . ( .JJV.1- . 1 .M . Jl V-I-SH 0W "l . 'M B UnVFl A 1 AW faliN HllWW'l B a ... -' iUiWm .v fil Init lia Iff II i ' i w ,V t 0.1 MMlAf . .'.. i 1 E fill IN It Uvlfr II to F lullLlwilin """u-,-- Jl '' '" it ' l Mil mi jr1.""' ''" i- SSWSa&C - F1S3 &l Vitally Important to Meet Him at 11 8YNOP8I8. Qeorfrn I'orclvnl Algernon Jones, vlco firesldont of the Metropollton Orlonlnl Huff company of Now York, thirsting for romance, In In Cairo on u luminous trip. Horace Ryanno arrives at tlio liotcl In f:atro with o. carefully guarded bundle. Uynnno icIU Jones tho famous holy Ylil irdes rug which he admits having stolon from a pasha at Rngdad. Jonca dipoIh Major Callahan und later Is Introduced to )rortutie Cticdsoyo hy u woman to whom liuMinil loaned ICO pounds at Monto Carlo oomo months previously, mid who turns out to he fortune' lnotlior. Jones takes Mrs. Chcdsoya and fortune to a polo Kline. Fortuno returns to Jones tho nioney borrowed by her mother. Mm, Chcdsoya appears to bo encaged In some mysterious enterprise unknown to the laughter. Ityanno Interests Jones In tho United Hotnunco and Adventure com pany, 11 concern which for a prlco will nrranpo any kind of an udventuro to or lor. Mrs. Chedsoyo, her brother, Major Callahan, Wallace and rtyamio, us tho united Romance and Adventuro company, Kan a rlskv enterprise Involving Jour's, ynnno makes known to Mrs. Chedsoyo bis Intention to marry Fortune. Mrs. Chedsoyo declares she will not permit It. I'lans aro laid to prnvnnt .loneH Railing Tor homo. Ityanno steals Jones' letters una cable dispatches. Ho wires ojront In Now York, In Jones' name, tliat ho Is rontlnu bouse In New York to some mends. Mahomed, keepor of tho holy enrpet. la on Ityanno's trail. Ryanno SromlBcs Fortune thnt bo will soo that onri comes to no bnrm as a result of his nurtbnsei of tho rufr. Mahomed nccosts Ityanno and demands tho Yhlordos tup. Jlynnno tulls htm Jones Iuih tho ruir and HUgBCSts tho abduction of tho Now Yotk merchant us a means of securing Its ro turn. Tho ruir disappears from Jones' room. J'ortuno quarrels with her mother when tho latter tefuses to explain her mysterious actions. CHAPTER XI. (Continued.) Bho hud Kona ecurcely n hundred ynrdB wlion sho wns nccootctl by n tull Arnb whom sho IndlRtlnctly rocol loctod hnvlng even before; whoro, sho oould not dennltely linnclnc, It wna tho ragBCiJ green turban that clonrcd nway her puzzlement. Tho Arnb wna Iho nuppoBcd beggnrovor whom I'orcl vnl (how enally aho hnd fallen into tho mablt of cnlllng him thnt!) hnd atum bk!. ,Ho stood bo tull nnd struight -thnt sho knew ho wasn't going to beg; no naturally p)io stopped. Without n word, without oven n look that ex proasod anything, ho ullppcd a noto Into lior hnnd, bowed with Orlontnl igrnvlty, nnd stopped naldo for hnr to proceed. Bho road tho noto hastily utr sho, continued her way. Horace? Why should ho wish to meet her that evening, nt tho southeast cornor of the Sharl'ii Mahomoud-Kl-Faliil;l, n Bltip froru tho Hrltlah CoiiBUlnto'H? And Bho mustn't como In a cnrrlngo nor toll any ono whoro Bho was go ing? Why nil bucIi childish mystery T Uo could soo hor far jrioro conven iently in the lounglng-room of the fiotol. Sho toro tho noto into Bcraps nd flung thorn upon tho air, Sho wnB efrnkl. Sho wna almost certain why lio wlahod to raeot hor whero neither Aior mother's nor hor unclo'a oyo would bo within range. Should sho toot lilm? Doeivor than thla, dnred sho? Why hnd alio como to Cairo, vhon nt Montono oho hnd known penoo, such ponce as destiny wnB gon iroua onough to dolo out to herT And now, out of this tolernblo poaco, u thousnnd hands were reaching to rond her hoart, to wring It. Sho decided quickly. Slnco sho hnd como this far, to go on to tho end would add but Uttlo to hor burdon. Hotter to know All too soon thnn too late. That tho noto hnd not lieon direct ed to hor and that nlio was totally tin furnlllur with Itynnno'B haudwritlng, oucaped her, Sho had too muny othor Nino O'clock at the Engllsh-Bar. things upon hor mind to boo all things elenrly, especially such trifles. Sho finished hor walk, returning by the way sho had gone, gavo tho koy to tho lift-boy, and in her room1 dropped down upon tho bed, dry-oyed and weary. Tho most eventful day Bho had over known. And all tho while Ocorgo aat by tho window nnd watched, nnd nt length fell Into a framo of mind that was Irritable lrnsclblo and sclf-non-n uamnntory. And when ho found thnt ins prociou8 y monies was gone, hla condition wna tho ossonco of nil disn grecnblo emotions. It wna boyond him how any ono could have stolon It. Ho novor fnlled to lock hla door and lenvo tho koy with tho porter. And surely, only n mnn with winga could havo gained cntrunro by tho window. Iloillg a thoroUKh bualnosa man n'mnntr other accompllBhrnents, ho reported ins loss nt once to tho management; and tho management aot about tho matter with celerity. At hnlt nfter aoven every maid and servant in tho hotel had boon queetloncd nnd exam ined, without tho lenst notlccablo re ault. Tho rug wao nowlioro to bo found. Ocorgo felt tho loss keenly. Ho" waa not so rich that ho could af ford to lose both tho rug nnd tho tljpu nand pounds ho had paid for It. Hla flmt thought had been of Ityanno; but It was proved thnt Uynnno hnd not been In tho hotel alnco morning; at ieaat, no ono had seen hi in. Ocorgo gloomed about. A twnqw day, all told; everything had gone wrong, nnd all because ho had ovor slopt. At dinner something waa wrong with tho soup; tho flsh was gicaay; tho roaBt waa dry and stringy; tho wlno, full of pieces of cork. Out Into 'tho lounglng-room again; nnd then tho porter hurried over to him with a noto from Uynnno. It Btnted briefly thnt it wna vitally Important for Mr. Jones to meet him nt nlno o'clock nt tho Engllsh-Unr In tho Quar tor Hosottl Any drlvor would bIiow him tho way. Mohaniod-131 Oebel, tho guardian of tho Holy Yhlordos, had turned up, and tho band was begin ning to piny. Would Mr. Jones like a little fun by tho waysldo?" "I'm his mnn." snid G-orgo. "nut how tho dovll did this Mahomed over got Into my room?" Hnd Fortune dlnod down-atnlra In tJtond of nlono In hor room, events might havo turned out differently. Uy nnno hnd really written to George, but not to Foituno. ,Mnhomcd. fntnllst thnt ho wna, had thrown everything upon tho whirling acnloB of chance, and waited. Later, ho may hno congratulated himself upon his good luck. Hut it wasn't luck; It was tho will of Allah that ho, Mahomed, should contrlbu'to his Blen der Bhnro In working out tho dea tlnloa of two young people. Ooorgo waa In tho proper mood for an ndvonturo. Ho wont bo fnr as to admit to himself that ho would havo liked nothing hotter than a llaticuff. Tho ono mlstnko ho mndo in his cal culntlous was dross. Men didn't gen erally go n-yonturlng In such finical uttlio. They woro bowlors and sack coats and carried heavy wnlklng stlck8. Tho only wenpona Goorgo had woro hla two hands, now adorned with snug-flttlng opora-glovcB, Ho saw Mrs. Chedsoyo, spoke to her, AufKor V HEARTS AND "1ASK$ CB AV AN ON THE BOX sv. - IllisfraiioT$? by M.G.Kjcttjejr- . COPVT4IOHT 1911 by BOBBS - MERRILL COMPANY Inquired about Fortune, and was In formed that sho had dined in hor room. A cnBo of doldrums, Mrs. Ched soyo believed. "I'm in a peck of trouble," said George, ctavlng a Httlo sympathy. "In what way?" "Tho nig I told you about Is gone." "What? Stolen?" "Yes. Vanished Into thin air." "That 'a too bad. Of course the po lice will oventunlly find It for you." "I'm afraid that's exactly the tiouble. I really daren't put tho enso In the hands of the police." "Oh, I see." Mrs, Chedsoyo looked profoundly sorry. "And hero I am duo for Port Said tomorrow." "That's tho kind that bowls you over," said tho Major. "If thcio la unythlng I can do after you are gone. . . " "Oh, I shouldn't think of bothering you. Thanks, though." "You must have lost your key," sug gested Mrs. Chedsoyo. "No. It's been hanging up In the porter's bureau all day." "Won, I hope you iind tho rug." said tho Mnjor, with a sly glanco at his sister "Thanks. I must bo off. Tho chap I bought It of sajs that tho oillclal guardian from Bngdad has arrived, and that there's likely to bo .somo sport. I'm to meet him nt a place called tho English-liar." "Tho English-Bar?" Tho Major shook his head. "A low place, If I re momber." "And you aro going dressed like thnt?" nsked Mrs. Cheduoyo. "llnven't tlmo to change." He ox ctiBod himself and went In search of a carriage. "Tho play begins, Kato," whispered tho Mnjor. "This Hoddy of ours Is a wonderful chap." "Poor fellow!" "What; Hoddy?" "No; Percival. He'll be cry un comfortablo In patent-leather pumps. Tho Mnjor laughed light-heartedly. "I Bupposo wo might telegraph for res ervation on the Ludwlg." "I shall pack at onco. Fortuno can And her way to Mentone from Naples I am beginning to worry about that girl. Sho has n temper; and sho is beginning to havo some IdoaB." "Marry her, marry her! How much longer must I preach that sermon? She's growing handsomer every day, too. Watch your laurels, Kate." Mrs. Chedsoyo Inspected her rings. Meanwhile, Georgo directed his driver to go post-hnsto to tho English. Ilnr. That ho found it more or leas of a divo in nowiao alarmed him. Ho had been In places of moro frightful aspect. As Ryanno had written him to make Inquiries of tho barmaid rela tive to finding him, ho did so. Sho jerked licr'hend toward the door at tho roar. Georgo went boldly to It, opened It, and stopped Inside. And vnnlshed from tho haunts of men. CHAPTER XII. K The Caravan In the Desert. Yes, Georgo vanished from tho haunts of men na completely na If tho Great Hoc hnd dropped him Into tho Valley of Diamonds nnd loft him thoie; and ns nobody knows Just whoro tho Valley of Diamonds is, Georgo wnB ery well lost. Still, thero wna, at tho end of n most unlquo ex perience, a recompense fnr beyond Its aluo. Hut, of course, George, being without tho gift of clalrvoynnce, snw nothing savo tho immediate nnd immi nent circumstances: a door that bunged behind him, portentously; n sack, a cloak, a burnouse, or whatever It waa, Hung about his head, and smelling evilly. Georgo hit out vnlIantJx nd a mer ry acudlo ensued. Tho room was small; at least, Goorgo thought it was, for In the spaco of ono ralnuto ho thumped against tho four Bides of It. Ho could bco nothing nnd ho couldn't brcatho very well; but In spite of these Inconveniences ho put up threo loundB thnt would ltavo mndo some stir among tho mlddlowclghts. In tho phraseology of tho fancy, ho had n good punch. All tho disappointments of tho day seemed to become so many pounds of steam In his shoulder; uid he was awaro of a kind of barbaric Joy whenover ho hit somo ono. All tho circumspection of yenrB, all of tho gentle blood of hla peaceful for bears, gavo way to tho strain which still lurks In tho blood of civilized hu mnnlty, oven In tho voIiib of poets and parsons. Ho fought with all tho tac tics of a sailor In a bar-room, not over nicely. A tnblo toppled over with a smash ing noise. Goorgo and hla assailants foil In a heap bcsldo It. Thwack! Hang! Georgo struggled to his feet and tugged at tho stifling envelope, Somo ono Jumped upon hia back, Old Man of tho Sen stylo. A Bavago elbow Jab disposed of this Incubus. And then tho racket began all over again. George never paused mentally to won der wlmt all this rumpus was about; tlmo enough to make Inquiries after tho scrimmage. Intrepidly, as Hero ward tho Wake, as Dussy d'Ambois, as Porlhos In tho cavo of Loch-Maria, George fought. Ho wasn't a' trained athlete, he hadn't any science; he Was simply oidlnarlly tough and ac tive and clean-lived; and the injustice of an unpiovokcd assault added (& physical prowess a full meanuro of uorvous energy. It waa quasi-Homeric: a modern young gentleman In eve ning dress holding off for several min utes Jlvo sleek, sinewy, unhampered Arabs Hut tho days of tho gods wero no more; and no quick-witted goddess cast a veil across tho eyes of tho Arabs. No; Georgo had to shift for himself. Suddenly thero camo a gen eral rush from tho center of tho room Into ono)f tho right-angular corners. Tho subsequent snarl of legs and arms was not unlike that scon upon the foot-ball field. George was the man with tho ball. And then to George camo mciciful darkness. The conjunction, as In astronomy, of two planets in tho samo degree of tho Zo diacmeaning George's head and tho stucco-wall gave tho Arabs complete mastery of the field of battle. From tho opposite side of the room camo tho volco of the referee: "Curses of Allah upon these white dogs! How thoy fight!" And. Ma homed peered down Into tho corner. Ono by one tho Arabs got up, each examining his honorable wounds. George alone remained unmoved, quiet and disinterested, under tho folds of tho tattered burnouse. "Is ho dead?" demanded Mahomed. "No, my father. His head lilt the wall." "Hasten, then. Bind his foot nnd hands and covor his oyes and mouth. Wo have but little time." There was a long way to go, and Mahomed was too wlao and cautloua to congratulate himself at thla early stage. George was thereupon trussed up like a Christmas fowl ready for tho oven. Thoy wrapped him up In the burnouse and carried him out to tho closed carrlago in waiting. No ono In the street seemed curious. No ono In tho Engllsh-Bar deemed It nec essary to be. "Whatever happened In thla resort had long been written In tho book of fnto. Had a white man npproached to inquire what was going on, Mahomed would havo gravely whispered that It was a case of plague thoy wero hurrying away to prevent Interference by tho English authorities. Once Georgo was snug lnsldo the carrlago, It was driven off at a run toward tho tombB of tho caliphs. As tho roads wero not tho loveloBt, tho vehicle wont most of tho way upon two wheels. Mahomed sat beside his victim, watchful and attentive. His Intention was to take him no far ther than tho outskirts of tho city, forco him to jendJjack to the totol a duly credited rness"ener for the rug, after which ho would turn Geo.'go adrift, with tho reasonable assuranco thnt tho young man would find somo oiid do guide him back to tho hotel. After a whllo he observed that George had recovered and was grimly fighting the Imprisoning ropes. "You will need your strength," In terposed Mahomed gently. "If I take tho cloth from your mouUi, will you promiso not to cry out?" Thero was an allirmntive nod, and Mahomed un tied tho bandage. "Listen. I mean you no harm. If you will send to tho hotel for tho Holy Yhlordos, you will bo liberated tho moment It Is put into my hands " "Go to the doucol" snapped Georgo, still dizzy Tho fighting mood hadn't evaporated, by any means. "You know where It 1b bettor than I." So thlB was Mahomed? "Fool!" cried tho other, shaking Goorgo roughly. "Easy thero! I had the rug. but it was stolen this afternoon." Ho was very weak and tired. "And If I had it, I shouldn't glvo It to you," with renewed truculonce; "and you may put that In your wator-plpo and amoko It' Mahomed, no longer pacific, struck Goorgo violently upon the mouth. He, on his part, was unknlghtly onough to attempt to sink his tooth in tho bru tal hand. Queer fanclos flit through a man'B hoad In times like thla; for tho Inoffoctuallty of tho bite reminded him of Hnllowo'ons nnd tho tubB with tho bobbing apples. Ono thing was cortaln ho would kill this pagan tho very flrst opportunity. Hather n startling motamorphosls In tho char acter of a man whoso llfo had been passod In tho peacefulest environ ments. And to kill him without tho lenst compunction, too. To strike a man who couldn't help hjmsolf! "Hoy there!" ho yelled. "Holp for a white man!" After such troatmont ho considered It anything but dishon orable to oreak his parole. And whero was Uynnno? "Help!" Mahomed swung his arm round George's neck, and tho third cry be gan with a gurglo and ended with a sigh. Deftly, tho Arab rebandaged tho prisoner's mouth. So bo it. He had had his-chance for freedom; now ho should drink to tho bottom of tho bitter cup, along with tho others. He had no real onmity against George; ho was simply ono of tho pawns In tho gnmo ho was playing. But now he saw that thero was danger in liberat ing him. Tho other! Mahomed ca ressed hia wiry beard. To subject him to tho utmost mental agony; to btejk lUm physically, too; to pay him uuun. iiuuhu ior pence; to uruiso, to hurt, to rack him, that was all Ma homed desired. George made no further effort to free himself, nor apparently to bestir himself about tho future. Somewhere in tho light, presumably as ho fell against tho table, ho had received a crushing blow in tho smnll ribs; and when Mahomed threw him back, he fainted for tho second tlmo in his life. He-1 reclined limply In tho corner of tho carriage, tho bosom of his shirt bulging open; for tho thrifty Arabs had purloined tho pearl-studs, tho gold collar-buttons, nnd the sapphire cuff-links. And consciousness re turned only when they lifted him out and dropped him inconsiderately into tho thick dust of tho road. Ho stirred again at his bonds, but presently lay still. The pain in his side hurt keen ly, and ho wasn't sure that tho rib was whole. What time had passed since his entrance to the English-Bar waa beyond his reckoning, but he knew that it was yet In tho dark of night, as no light whatever penetrated the cloth over his eyes. That he was somewhere outside tho city ho was assured by tho tang of tho winter wind. Ho heard low voices Arabic; and while ho possessed a smattering of the tongue, his head ached too sharply for him to sense a word. Later, a camel coughed. Camels? And whero wero they taking him upon a camol? Bagdad? Impossible: thero were too many white men following tho known camel-ways. He groaned a little, but the sound did not leach tho ears of his captors. To rido n camel under ordinary conditions was a pain ful affair; but to straddle tho ungainly brute, dressed as ho was, in a swallow-tall and paper-thin pumps, did not promote any pleasurable thoughts. Thoy would In all truth kill him be fore they got through. Hang the rug! And Then to George And doubly hang tho man who had sold It to him! His whilom friend, conscience, camo back and gibbered at him. Once ho anld: "Don't do it!" and now she was saying quite humanly: "I told you so!" Hadn't sho warned him? Hadn't she swung her red lantern utjder his very nose? Woll, sho hoped ho waa satisfied. His reply to this brief jere miad wns that If over ho got hia hands upon tho rug ngnln, he would hang on till the crack of doom, nnd con science herself could go hang. Mero perverseneas, probably. And where was It, since ho was now certain that Mahomed had It not? It was Ry anne; Ujanno, smooth and plausible of tongue. Not being satisfied with a thousand pounds, ho had stolon it again to mulct somo other simple, trustful person. George, usually bo unsuspicious, was now quite willing to believe anything of anybody. Ho felt himself being lifted to his feet. Tho ropo round IiIb ankles waa tin own off. His feet stung under tho renewed flow of blood. Ho waited for them to liberate hla hands, but tho galling rope was not disturbed. It was evident that tho natives still en tertained some respect for his fighting ability. Next, they boosted him, flung , a leg here nnd a leg there; then camo a lurch backward, tho recurrence of tho pain In his side, nnuMio know tha.t lie was upon the back of a camel, des? ert-bound. Thero were stirrups, and as life began to spread vigor onco moro through hla legs, ho found tho steel. Tho straps were too short, and in tlmo tho upper tvii ot tho steel chafed his Insteps. He eased himself by riding sldowlso, tho proper way to rldo a enmel, but with constant straining to keep his balance without tho uso of his hands. Fortunately, they woro not traveling very fast, oth erwise, what with tho stabbing pains In his side, produced by tho unvarying dog-trot, Jio must havo fallen. He was miserable, yet defiant; tears of anger and pain filled his eyes and burned 'down his cheeks In spite of the cloth. And he, poor fool, had always been longing for an adventure, a taBte of life outside tho peaceful harbor where in ho' had sailed his cat-boat! Well, here ho was, in tho deop-Bea water; and he read himself so truly that he knew the adventure ho had longed for had been the cut-nnd-dried affairs of story-tellers, In which only tho vil lains wero seriously discommoded, and everything ended happily. A dashing hero ho was, to be sure! Why hadn't ho changed his clothes? Was thero over such an ass? Uyanno had told him that thero was likely to be sport; and yet ho had left tho ho tel as ono dressed for the opera. Ass! And to-morrow the Ludwlg would sail without "him. (TO DE CONTINUED.) AH About Nothing. Some of tho saddest "misunder standings" in llfo havo arisen all about nothing. Looking backward, wo can not think why we woro so angry or what our friend -ould see in our word3 Came Merciful Darkness. to bo so bitterly offended. Groat wrongs may bo righted, and tho Bky bo clear again, but tho "all about uothing" quarrola havo a way of last ing Indefinitely. Thero is nothing to oxplain. nnd nothing to npologizo for, wo toll ourselves; tho wholo thing wna "too Filly for words." Exactly so; nnd it Is a pity wo did not think of thla nt tho tlmo. ) After Piece. Tho man who has to oat his own words has crow for dessert. Washing, ton Post. i fi vnvrxwfr