' """"" ' ' - i minium mm.! , i mirom
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8YNOP8I3.
door-jo Perclva! Algernon Jones, vice
nronldent of tho Metropolitan Oriental
Iuk company or New York, thirsting for
fomanco, In In Cairo on a business trip,
loraco Itynnne arrives nt tho IioIhI In
Calrp with n carefully guarded bundla,
Ityauna muIU Jones tho famoUB holy Yhl
ordes ruj; which he admit having ntolen
from n pasha at Bagdad Jones meets
Major Cnllahnn ami later In Introduced to
Knrlune Chedsove by a woman to whom
no had loaned 1E0 pounds at Monte Oailo
noma months previously, and who turns
put to be Fortune's mother Jones t alien
Wis Chcdsoyn and l'ortuno to n polo
Kflino. Fortune returns to Jonca the
money borrowed by her mother, Mrs.
Chcdsoyo appears to be cnK"Ked In some
Inyslerlous enterprise unknown to the
(laughter rtynntie Interests Jnnei In tho
United Itomanco ami Adventure, com
pany, a copcern which for a prloo will
urranKn any kind of un adventure to or
der Mrs. Chedsoyo, her brother, Major
Callahan, Wallace nnd Hyunno, as the
United Romance and Adventure company,
nlnn a risky enterprise Involving Jones.
Jtyatilic makes known to Mrs Chcdsovo
Ills Intention to marry Fortune Mrs
Ohedsoj'e declares wbe will not permit It
I'lans aro laid to prevent .tones sulllng
for Jiomo Itynnne steals Jones' letters
nnd cable dispatches He wires agent In
Now York, In Jones' name, that he In
renting house In Now York to nomo
friends Mahomed, keeper of the holy
carpet, Is on nyumin's trail Iljnnno
S remises Fortune that ho will see that
ones comes to no harm as a result of his
Suirchaao of tho rug Mahomed accosts
lyanno and demands the Yhlordes nig
tyanno tdls him Jones has the rug and
fluggcstH the nbdllntlon of tho New York
tnerchant as a menns of securing Its re
turn The rug cllsappeurs from Jones'
lo'jiti Fortune ciuarrelH with her mother
when tho latter refuses to explain her
tnyslorlous actions Fortune pets a mes-
faga purporting to be from Itynnne ask
ng her to meet him In a secluded p'cp
Stmt overling Jones receives a message
isklng hint to met Ityonne nt the Ktigllsli
Inr tho same evening Jones Is carried
on" Into the desert by Mahomed and his
Eiccompllces after a desperate light Ho
Uncovers that Uyanno nnd Fortuno also
ire captives, the former Is badly battered
.Bud unconscious.
CHAPTER XIII. (Continued.)
A Rood fire wus started, nnd tlio fu
hcrocil uspoct of tlio oasis became
quick nnd cheerful. A llttlo distance
from tlie blaze, George saw Fortuno
'bending over tlio inanimate Uyanno.
Bho wan bathing his faco with a wet
handkerchief. After a time Uyanno
turned over nnd flung hln arms limply
mcroBH hla faco. It was tho first sign
bt llfo ho had exhibited nlnoo tho
tetnrt. Fortune gontly pulled nsldo
Ills arms and continued her tender
'jncrclcn.
"Can I helpT" nBked George.
"You might rub his wrlBts," alio
RiiBWorod.
It Becmed odd to him that thoy
kihould begin In Buch a matter-of-fact
vay. It would be only when thoy
tad fully adjusted thcmBolveB to tho
-situation that questions would put
forth for answerB. Ho knelt down at
jtho other nlde of Itynnno and maa
ngod IiIb wrists and nrins, Onco ho
lmuflc1, catching hts breath.
"What Is it?" Bho asked
"A rib scoma to bother mo. It'll bo
Ml right tomorrow." IIo went on
with hlB manipulations.
"Ib ho badly hurt?"
"I can't nay."
Mb knowledge of nnntomy was not
wldo; utlll, Uyunno'a arms nnd lega
worked satisfactorily. Tho trouble
was elthur in IiIb head or back of IiIb
ribs. Ho put IiIb urm under Rynnno'B
phouldor and ralBed him. Hynnuo
mumbled Bomo words, George bent
down to catch thorn, "lilt 'em up In
this half,DoyB; we've got them going
Hell! Get off my head, you former!
. . . Two cardB, plense." Ills
faco puckered Into what wna intended
for a entile. George laid him back
gently. Foot-ball nnd poker; v. hat
tmd this mnn not known or scon in
llfoT Some one camu between tho
two men and tho Are, casting n long
nhadow nthwait thorn. George looked
Sp and saw Mahomed standing cIobo
y, Ills nrmB were folded nnd his
fnoo grimly Itiscrutable.
I "Have yotr any blankets?" nBked
Goorgo coolly
1 Mahomed gave nn order. A blanket
tend two saddle-bagB wero thrown
down beside tho unconscious man.
Ccorgo mode a pillow of tho bags and
laid the blanket over Itynnno,
"Why do you waBto your time over
tilm?" asked Mahomed curiously.
"'I would not let a dog tlio UiIb way,"
ho rctdrted
"Ho would have lot you die," replied
Mahomed, turning upou his heel,
George stared thoughtfully at his
whilom accomplice. What did tho
old villain Insinuate?
"Can I do anything to mnko you
more comfortable?" speaking to For
tuno. "I'm nil right. 1 was clttllod a little
Whllo ago, but the tiro has done awny
fwlth Unit. Thank you."
"You must eat when they bring jou
food."
"I'll try to," smiling bravoly.
To take hor In his nrms, then and
thoro, to nppenso their hunger and
tils heart's I
Self-consciously, her hand stole to
tor hair. A color camo Into hor
chooku. How frightful sho must look I
'Neither hair-pin nor comb was left.
Gho threw tho strands across her
.ehoulder and plucked tho snarls and
tangles 'apart, then brnldod the wholo.
IIo wntchod her, faaclnnted. He hud
never Been n woman do this before.
It wna ulmoat a sacrllego for him to
bo so near hor at such n moment
Afterward aho drew hor blanket over
Mr shoulders.
"You've got lotB of pluck."
"Have I?"
"Yea. You havon't aaked a question
yet."
"Would it help any?"
"No, I don't auppoao It would. I've
an Idea that wo'ro nil on tho way to
tho home of Haroun-aMlaahld."
"Bagdad," musingly.
"It's the rug. IJut I do not under
stand you in tho picture."
"No moro do I."
With a consideration that spoke
well of IiIb understanding, he did not
apeak to her again till food was
passod. Later, when the full terror
of the affair took hold of her, she
would bo dreadfully lonely and would
need to boo him near, to hear his
voice. Ho forced somo of the hot
soup down Hyaline's throat, nnd was
glad to noto that he responded a little.
After that ho limped about tho strange
camp, but was careful to get In no
one'a way. Slyly ho took noto of this
fuco and that, and his satisfaction
grew an ho counted the aftermath of
tho war. And It had taken llvo of
them, and oven then tho result had
been in doubt up to tho moment when
his head hnd gono bang againat the
Btucco. Ho took a melancholy prldo
In his swollen car nnd half-shut eye.
Ho had nlwaya been doubtful regard
ing his courago; and now ho knew
that George Perclval Algernon Jones
was as good a namo as Bayard.
The camol-boyB (thoy aro called
boya all the way from ton ycara up to
forty), having hobbled tho beasts,
wore portioning each a small bundlo
of tlbbln or chopped straw in addition
to what they might find by grazing.
Funny biutca, thought George, nB he
walked among tho kneeling animals:
to go flvo days without food or water,
"For the 8lmple Reason I
to travel continuously from twenty
tlo to olghty miles tho day! Others
wore buay with the pack-baBkots. A
tent, presumably Mahomed's, was be
ing orected upon a clayoy pleco of
ground In between tho palms. No ono
ontcred tho huts, oen out of curios
ity; bo George waB certain that tho
doscrtlou had been brought about by
one pluguo or another. A Bmallor
tent wns put up later, nnd he was
grateful at tho sight of It. It meant
n llttlo privacy for tho poor girl. Greut
God, how helpless ho was, how help
less thoy all wero!
An Incessant clatter, occasionally
Intoraporaed with a laugh, went on.
The Arab, unlike tho Kust Indian, Ih
not ordinarily surly; and these
seemed to bo good-natured enough.
Thoy eyed George without malice,
The war of the night before had been
all In a day's work, for which thoy
had boeu tlborally paid While ho had
spent much tlmo In tho Orient and
hnd ildden camels, a real caravan,
prepared for weeks of travel, was a
distinct novolty, and bo ho viewed nil
with IntorcBt, knowing peifcctly well
that within a few days ho would look
upon these activities with a dull, hope
less anger IIo went back to tho
girl and sat down besldo hor,
"Hnvo you any Idea why you ura
hero?"
"No; unless he saw mo In tho ba
zaars with Horaco, and thought to
torturo him by bringing mo along."
llornco ! A chill that was not of the
night ran over his shoulders. So sho
called tho adventurer by IiIb given
Avrfkor of HEARTS AND .MASKS
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name? And how might her presence
torture Ryannc? George felt weak
In that bitter moment. Ay, how might
not hor piesence torture him also?
He had never, for the briefest space,
thought of Itynnno and Fortune at tho
samo time. Sho spoke, apathetically
It was true, aa If she had known him
all her life. Tho wisest thing he could
do was to biing Itynnne to a condition
whore he could explain some parts of
tho enigma and be of some use. Hor
ace! "I'm going to have another try at
him," he said.
Sho nodded, but without any par
ticular enthusiasm.
George worked over Rjanno for tho
better part of nn hour, nnd llnally tho
battered man moved. He made an ef
fort to speak, but this tlmo no sound
Issued from his lips. At tho end of
tho hour he opened his ejes and
smiled. It wna more like the grin
George had once aeon upon the faco
of a boxer who had returned to the
contest after having been floored half
a dozen tlmra.
"Can you hear me?" naked Geoige.
Kyanno Btnrcd Inlo his face. "Yes,"
thickly. "Where arc wo?"
"In tho desert."
"Which one?"
"Arabian."
Hyanno tried to sit up alone.
"Better not try to move,
banged you up at a great rate,
thing you can do is to go to
They
Dest
sleep.
You'll bo all right In tho morning."
Didn't Have It to Give Up.1
Kynnne sank back, nnd George bun
dled him up snugly, Poor devil!
"He'll pull himself together In the
morning," ho said to Fortuno. "I did
not know that jou know him well."
"I hnve known him for olght or nlno
years. He used to visit my undo at
our villa at Mcntonc." Sho Bmlled.
"You look a cry odd."
"No odder than I feel." with Inef
fectual attompt to bring together tho
ends, of his collar band. "I must bo
a sight. I wns In too much of a hurry
to get thcto. Did jou eat the Boup
and fish?"
"Tho soup, yes; but I'm afraid that
It will bo some time before I can tlnd
the urled usii palatable. 1 nope my
courago will not fnll me," she added,
tho first sign of anxiety she had
shown. Sho wiib very lonely, very
tired, very sad
It la quite possible that Mahomed,
coming over, spoiled a pretty scene;
for George had somo very brave
words upon tho tip of his tongue.
"Come," Bald Mahomed to Fortuno
"You will sleep In tho llttlo tent. No
ono will dlHturb you."
"Good night, Mr. Jones. Don't wor
ry; 1 am not nfiald."
George was alone. He produced
ono of hts precious cigars and lighted
It. Then ho diew over IiIb feet ono of
the empty saddle bags, wrapped his
blanket lound him, nnd sat smoking
and thinking till the thcat or tho fire
roplculshcd tiom time to tlmo, filled
him with n comfortable drowsiness,
and tho cigar, still smoking, dropped
from hts nerveless flngors, as h lay
back upon tho hard clay and slept.
Homnncn Is the greatest thing in the
world; but for all that, a man must
eat nnd a mnn must sleep.
The cold dew of dawn wus the tonic
that recalled him from tho land of
grotesque dreams. Ho sat up and
rubbed his faco briskly with hlshaudB,
drying It upon the sleeve of his coat,
aa hasty nnd as satisfying a toilet ns
ho had over made. There was no ac
tivity In camp; evidently they were
not going to start enrly. Tho cook
alone uaa busy. Tho firo was crack
ling, (lie kettle 'was steaming, and
a pot of pleasant-smelling" coffee
leaned rnklshly against tho hot
ashes. Tho flap to Fortune's tent was
still closed. And there was Ryanne,
sitting with his knees drawn up under
his chin, IiIb hands clasped about his
shins, and glowering at no visible
thing
"Hello!" cried George. "Found
yourself, eh?" i
Itynnno eyed him without emotion.
"When and how did they get you?"
George inquired.
"About three hours before they got
jou. Something in a glass of wine.
Dope I'd have cleaned them up but
for that."
"How do yon feel?"
"Damned bad, Perclval."
"Any bones broken?"
"No; I'm Just knocked about; sore
apot In my side; kicked, maybe. But
it Isn't that."
George didn't ask what "that" was.
"Where do you think he's taking ua?"
"Bagdad, If we don't die upon tho
way."
"I don't think he'll kill us. It
wouldn't bo worth his while."
"You did not glvo him tho rug."
"Not I!"
'"It comes hard, Jones, I know, but
jour giving It up will save us both
many bad days. Ho aBked you for It?"
"IIo did."
"Then why the devil didn't you give
It to him? What'a a thousand pounds
against this muddle?"
"For tho simple reason I didn't have
It to give up."
"What's that?"
"When I went up to my room, night
before last, some one had been there
nhend of me. And at first I had glv
on you the credit." said George, with
admlrablo frankness.
Pi "r i -
"Don't Worry Any Moro About
"Gone!" There was no mistaking
tho dlfiinny In Ryanne's volco.
"Absolutely."
"Well, I be damn!" Uyanno threw
asldo tho blanket and got up. It was
a painful movement, and ho swayed
a llttlo. "If Mahomed hasn't it, and
I haven't It, and you havon't It, who
the devil has, then?"
George shook his head.
"Jonos wo aro In for it. If that
cursed rug Ih Mahomed's salvation,
It is no l8B ours, if wo ever reach
tho palace of Bagdad and that rug Is
not forthcoming, we'll never seo tho
outsldo or tho walla again,"
"Nonsensol Thoro's an American
consul at Bagdad."
"And Mahomed will notify him of
our arrival!" bitterly.
"Isn't there Borne way we two
might get tit Mahomed?"
"Perhaps; but It will take time.
Don't bank upon money. Mnhoroed
wants his head. If the rug . . . "
But Kyanno atopped. He looked be
yond George, his faco full of terror.
George turned to see what had pro
duced this effect. Fortuno was com
ing out of her tent. "Fortune? My
God!" Ryanno's legB gave under and
he sank, his face lit his hands. "I
aeo It all now! Fool, fool! He's go
ing to get me, Jones; ho's going to got
me through her!"
CHAPTER XIV.
Mahomed Offers Freedom.
Tortune hnd slept, but only after
hours of watchful terror. Tho slight
est sound outside the tent sent a
scieam Into her; throat, but Bho suc
ceeded each time in stifling it. Onco
the evil laughter of a hyena came over
her ears, shivering. Alone! Sho laid
her head upon tho wadded saddle-bags
and wept silently, nnd every sob tore
at her heart. She must keep up the
farce of being brave when she knew
that she wasn't. The mon must not
be discouraged. Her deportment
would characterize theirs; any sign
of weakness upon her side would cor
respondingly depress them the more.
Sho prnyed to God to gfve her the
strength to hold out. Sho was afraid
or Mahomed; sho was afraid of his
grim smile, afraid of his mocking
eyes; she could not sponge out the
scene wherein ho had so gratuitously
kicked Horace in the side. Horace!
No, she did not believe that she would
ever forgive him for this web which
ho had Bpun and fallen into himself
Two things she must hide for the
sake of them nil: her fear of Mahom
ed and her knowledge of Ryanne's
trickery.
What part In this trngedy had the
Arnb assigned her? Her fingers twined
and untwined, and she rocked and
rocked, bit her lips, lay. down, sat up
and rocked ngnln. But for tho ex
haustion, but for tho insistent call of
nature, she would never have closed
her eyes that night.
And her mother! What would her
mother believe, after the scene that
hnd tnken place between them? What
could sho believe, save that her daugh
ter had fulfilled her threat, and run
away? And upon this not unreason
able supposition her mother would
make no attempt to Hnd out what had
tho Rug, Thon. I Know Where It Is."
become of her. Perhaps sho would
be glad, glad to bo rid of her and her
questions. Alone! Well, she had al
ways been alone.
The only ray of sunshine In all waB
tho presence of Jones. Sho felt,
subtly, that he would not only stand
between hor and Mahomed, but also
between her and Uyanno.
"Hush!" whispered George. "Don't
let hor eeo jou like this. Sho mustn't
know."
"You don't understand," replied Ry
anno miserably.
"I bellovo 1 do." George's heart
was heavj. This man wus In lovo
with her, too.
Ryannc struck the tears from his
eyes and turned asldo his head. Ho
was sick in soul nnd body. To have
walked blindly Into a trap llko this,
of his own making, tool Fool! What
had posseaacd him, usually bo keen,
to trust the copper-hided devil? All
for tho sako of ono glass of wine!
With an effort entailing no meager
pain in his side, ho stilled tho strang
ling hiccough8, swung round nnd tried
to smile reassuringly at the girl.
"You nro better?" sho aBked.
Thero was In the tone of that quca
tlon an nnswer to all his dreams. One
night's work had given him his ticket
to the land of those weighed and
found wanting. She knew; how much
ho did not enre; enough to read hta
guilt.
it appeared to George that she was
accepting tho situation with a philos
ophy deeper than either his or Ry
anno's. Not a whimper, not a plaint,
not a protest so far had sho made.
She was a Roland in petticoats.
"Oh, I'm bashed up a bit," said Ry
annc "PIT get my legs in a day or
so. Fortune, will you answer ono
question?"
"As many na you like."
"How did you get here?"
"Don't you know?"
George wasn't certain, but the girl's
voice was cold and accusing.
"I?"
"Yes. Wasn't it the note- that you
wrote to mc?"
Rj'anno took his head in his hands,
wearily. "I wroto you no note, For
tuno; I have never wrltton you n note
of any kind. You do not know my
handwriting fiom Adam's. In God's
name, why didn't you ask your mother
or your uncle? They would have rec
ognized tho forgery at once. Who
gave It to you?"
"Mahomed himself."
"Damn him!" Ryanne grew strong
under tho passing fit of rage. "No,
don't tell me to bo silent I don't caro
about myself. I'm tho kind of a man
who pulls through, generally. But
this takes tho spine out of me. I'm
to blame; it's all my fault."
"Say no more about It." Sho be
lieved him. She really hadn't thought
him capable of such baseness, though
at tho time of her abduction Bho had
been inclined to nccuso him. That
ho was hero, a prisoner like herself,
was conclusive evidence, so far as she
was concerned, of his innocence. But
aho knew him to bo reaponslblo for
the presence of Jones; knew him ttt
be culpable of treachery of the mean
est order; knew him to be lacking In
generosity and magnanimity toward a
man who was practically his benefac
tor. "What dcea Mahomed want?"
"Tho bally rug, Fortune. And Jouea
here, who had it, Bays that it Is gone."
"Vanished, magic-carpet-wise," bud
piemen ted George.
"And Jones would have given it up.?
"And a thousand llko It, if we coul?
have bought you out of this."
"Jones and I could havo managed
to get along."
"We shouldn't have mattered."
"And would you have returned to
Mr. Jones his thousand pounds?"
"Yes, and everything else I have,"
quito honestly.
"Don't worry any more about the
rug, then. I know where it is."
"You?" cried tho two men.
"Yea. I stole It. I did so, thinking
to avert this very hour; to save you
from harm," to George, "and you from
doing a contemptible thing," to Rj'
anno. "It la in my room, dono up in
tho big steamer-roll. And now I am
glad that I etole it."
Rjanne laughed weakly.
Said George soberly: "What con
temptible thing?" Ho remembered
Mahomed's words in regard to Ry
anne as tho latter lay Insensible in'
tho sand.
Ryanne, quick to seize tho opportu
nity of solving, to his own advantage,
the puzzle for George, and at the samo
time guiding Fortuno away from a
topic, the danger of which sho knew
nothing, raised a hand. "I bribed Ma
homed to kidnap you, Jones. Don't
bo Impatient. You laughed at mo
when I laid before you tho prospectus
of the United Romance and Adven
ture Company. I wished to prove to
you that tho concern existed. And so
hero is your adventuro upon approval.
I thought, of course, you still had tho
rug. Mahomed was to curry you Into
tho desert for a week, and by that
tlmo jou would have surrendered tho
rug, returned to Cairo, the hero of n
full-fledged adventure. Lord! what a
mesa of It 1'vo made. I forgot, next
to UiIb bally rug, Mahomed Igved me."
Tho hitherto credulous George had
of lato begun to look Into facts in
stead of dreams. Hevdid not believe
a word of this amazing conresslon, de
spite the additional testimony of For
tune, relatlvo to Ryanne's statements
made to her In the bazaars.
"Thu biter bitten," was George's
boIo comment.
Ryanno brcnthed 'easier.
(TO UZ CONTINUED.)
When Philosophy Comes Easy.
A philosopher who died recently left
a rortuno of f 1,000,000, which, w0
might Bay, accounts for tho phllosoplii
calness of his philonouby. Detroit
Froo Press
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