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Georgo Perclvnl Algrnon Jones, vice
ptesldont of tlio Metropolitan Oriental
Hug company of Now Vork, thirsting for
lomance. Is In Cnlro on a business trip.
Horace Hyanne arrives nt I lie hotel In
Cairo with n carefully guarded bundle.
Ryanno sells Jones tlio famous lioly Ylil-
rdes rue which ho admits having stolen
1 I
M
r
from a pasha nt Bagdad Jones moots
ittjur uaiinimn and later is introduced to
ortuno Chedsovo by 11 womnn to whom
le had loaned 150 Dounds at Monte Carlo
(ome month previously, and who turns
put to bo Fortune's mother Jones tnkes
Mm Cheflsoyo and Fortuno to a polo
game. Fortuno returns to Joiipii the
inonoy borrowed by her mother, Mrs.
'"iiedfsoyo appears to bo engaged In soma
mysterious enterprise) unknown to tho
(laughter Hyanne Interests Jones in the
United Romanco nnd Adventuro com
pany, a concern whlih for a prlco will
arrange Any kind of an adventuro to or
der, Mrs, Chedsoye, lur brother. Major
Callahan, Wallace and Hyanne, as the
United Romance and Adventure company,
Silan a risky enterprise Involving Jones
lyanne makes known to Mrs. ChcdHoye
its Intention to marry Fortune Mrs.
Chedsoye declares sho will not permit It.
Plans are laid to prevent .Tones sailing
for home, Hyanne steals Jones' letters
and rablo dispatches He wires agent In
New York, In Jonos' name, that lie Is
renting house In Now York to some
friends. Mahomed, keeper of the holy
carpet, Is on nyanno's trail. Ilyannn
promises Fortuno that ho will see that
Hones comes to no harm an a result of his
purchase of tlio rug Mahnincd nccostu
Hynnno and demands tlio Yhlordes rug.
Hyanne tells him Jones has the rue and
suggests the abduction of the Now York
merchant as a means of securing Its re
turn. The rug dlsappaaru front Jones'
room Fortune quarrels with her mother
when (ho latter refuses to explain tier
mysterious actions. Fortune gets a mes
fftge purporting to be from Itynmm ask
ing Iter to meet tilm lit a secluded place
that owning Jonos receives u mensago
Peklnghlin to meet Hyanne at the Kngllsh
Hnr the samo ovonlhg. Jones Is catrlod
off Into tho desert by Mahomod nnd his
i ccompllces aftor a desperate fight Uu
discovers that Hyanne nnd Fortuno also
are captives, the former Is badly battered
nnd unconscious. Hyanne recovers con
itcloiiHiH'Hn and the sight of Fortuno In
rnpllvliy reveals to him tho fact that
Mahomed Intends to get engcanco on
him through tho girl Fortuno ncknowl-
cagos mat sno atom mo rug rrom joins
room Rlw offers to return It to Mahomed
C hn will froo all throo or thorn. Ma
lomed agrees to llhorata Fortune and one
of the tnun In return for the mg. A rour-
er is sent to uuiro ror tlio rug. but re
turns with the Information that Mrs.
Cheilsoyo nnd her brother hnvo sailed for
Now York Fortuno tipurns offered freo
dom which does not Includo her two com
lianlonH Tho caravan continues tho lour
hey toward Bagdad. Hyanne tells Jones
that Mrs. (JhedBoyo Is tho most ndrolt
emugglor of tho age, and Is overheard by
Fortune Tho threo captives, nro rescued
by Ifonry Ackermann, who Is In clmrgo
of a carpet caravan. Mahomed escapes
Mrs Chedsoye discovers tho absenco of
Fortune and leaves for Now York, taking
the girl's belongings with hor. Th tough
forged letters Mrs. Chedsoye, tho major
am) their accomplices-take possession of
Jones' Now York homo. Junes, Hyanne
nnd Fortune arrlvo at Damascus, Hy
nnno falls In his resolution to lead n bet
ter Ufa. Ryanne nocretly leaves for New
York.
CHAPTER XIX. (Continued.)
Qcorgo camo In under tlio time-limit
of hlB adventure. Ho had boon upon
tho most dllucult errand Imaginable,
at least from n bachclor'H point of
view. Ho carried two hand-bags, Ono
of theso ho dopoRltod in Fortune's lap.
"Shall I open It?"
"If you wish."
"Everything Will Come Out All
She noted his etnbarrnssmcnti und
hor Immediate curiosity wob not to bo
denied. She slipped tho catch nnd
looked Inside, Thero wore combs and
bruahes, tonp und tooth-powder and
talc, a manlcurc-sct, n pair of oft
woolen slippers, and , . . Sho
glanced up quickly. The faintest roso
etolo under, hor cheoko. It was 'droll;
It was pathetically funny. She would
havo given worlds to have ceon him
making (ho purchases,
"You nro not offonded?" ho ctum-acred.
T
"Why should I bo? I nnt human; 1
havo slept and lived for days In ti
drcas, and worn my hnlr down my
back for lack of hnlrplns nnd combs.
I nm Hiiro that It Is u very nice night
gown "
laughter overcamo hor. Ho
laughed, too; not bocauso tho situa
tion appealed to him as laughable,
but becnuso thcro was something, an
Indeflnablo homothlng, In that laugh
ter of hors that rando him wonderfully
happy.
"Mr. Jonca ..."
"George," ho Interrupted deter
minedly. "Brother George, It was very kind
nnd thoughtful of you . Not ono man
In a thousand would havo thought of
of . . . hair-pins!" Moro laugh
ter "I didn't think of them; It was tho
clerk."
"Ho ..."
"She."
"Well, then, she will achieve grent
things," lightly, though her heart was
full.
Tactfully ho icachod over and swept
up the money.
"flhnll I ever ho nble to repay you?"
alio said.
"Yes, by letting mo bo your broth
er; by not deciding iho futuro till we
land In Naples; by letting mo keep In
touch with you, whiitovor your ulti
mate decision may bo. That Isn't
much Will you promlso that?"
"Yen."
They spolto no more of Uyitnno. It
was as though he had dropped out
of their lives completely. To n cer
tain extont ho had. They wero to moot
hltn again, however, In tho last art of
this whimsical drama, which had
drawn them both out of the common
place nnd dropped them for a full spin
upon tho whirligig of life.
In due lltno they arrived at Alexan
dria. There thoy found tho great
transatlantic llnor, homeward bound.
Hyanne would beat them Into New
York by ton days. Ho had picked up
a boat of the P. & O. lino at Port Said,
sailing "without stop 'to Marseilles.
Fiom thero to Cherbourg waB n tri
lling Journoy.
Georgo knew tho captain, and tho
captain not only know Georgo, but
had known George's father before
hint. Tho young man wont to the
heart of tho matter at onco; and when
he had finished his remarkable tale,
the captain lowered his clgnr.
"And nil this happened In tho year
11)00 1910! It uny ono but you, Mr
Jones, had told mo this, I'd havo sent
him ashore as u lunatic. You havo
teported It?"
"What good would It do? Wo nro
out of It, and that's enough. More,
we do not want any ono to know what
J we've been through. If tho nows-
Riant In th6 End," He Encouraged.
pnpera got hold 'of It, thoro would bo
no living "
"You lonvo It to mo," said tho big
hoarlod Qorman. "From horo to Na
ples she shall ho as mine own daugh
ter. You havo not told mo nll?u
"No; only whut I had of necessity to
tell."
"Woll, you know best. 1 shall do
my oharo to innko hor fool at homo.
Sho Is as pretty as n flower."
To this Georgo agreed, but not vcr
hally. The stoatner weighed anchor nt six
IMrajDFGRSm
Aufhar of HEARTS AND .MASKS
cb man on mt box ct. .
COPYRIGHT
iyu iy dubob - Merrill compaSY
o'clock that evening, with only n
handful of passengers for tho trip to
Naples. Georgo had wired from Da
mascus to Cairo to have his luggage
sent on, nnd ho snw it put aboard him
self. Without letting Fortune know,
he had also telegraphed the hotel to
forward whatever sho liRd left; but
tho return wire Informed him that
Mrs. Chedsoyo had taken everything.
They wcro leaning against tho star
board rail, watching the slowly con
verging lights of the harbor. Fortune
had borrowed n cloak from hor stew
ardess and Georgo wore tho mufti of
tho flrst-offlcer. Tho caplain had of
fered his, but Georgo had declined.
Ho would liao boon lost In Its ample
folds.
"I can not understand why thoy
made no effort to Und you," ho mused.
"It doesn't seem qulto human."
"Don't ou understand? It Is sim
ple. My mother helloes that Horace
and I ian away together. If not that,
I ran nway myself, as I that day
threatened to do. In either case, she
saw nothing could be done In trylnij to
find out whero I had gone. Perhnp3
she knows exactly what did happen.
Doubtless sho has sent on my things
to Mentone, which, of course, I shnll
never seo again. No. no! I can not
go back thero. I havo known tho
misery of suspenso long enough." Sho
lowered hor head to tho rail.
Ho camo qulto near to her. His
arms went out townrd her, only to
drop down. Ho must wait. It was
very hard. Hut nothing prevented his
putting forth n hnnd to press hers re
assuringly, nnd saying: "Don't do
that, Fortune. It makes my heart
ncho to seo a woman cry."
"I am not crying," came In muffled
tones "I am only sad, arid tired,
tired."
"Everything will come out all right
In tho end," he encouraged. "Of courso
you aro tired, What woman wouldn't
be, having gono through wnat you
havo? Here; let's sit in the steam-er-chafrs
till tho bugle blows for din
ner. I'm a bit fagged out myself,"
They lay hack In tho chnlrs, and no
longer cared to talk. Tho lights twin
kled, but fainter nnd fainter, till nt
last only the pale lino between the
sky and the sea remained. 8ho
turned her head and looked sharply at
him. Ho was sound asleep. "Poor
boy!" sho murmured softly. "How
enro-worn!" Thero was something
grotesque in tho mask of desert tan
and shaven skin. How patient ho had
been through It nil, and how kind and
gontlo to her! She remembered now
of seeing him that night in Cairo, and
of remarking how young nnd fresh he
seemed In comparison to tho men sho
knew and hnd met. And she must
leavo him, to go Into tho world and
fight her own battles. If God had but
given to her a brother llko this! But
brother ho never could bo, no, not
oven In tho pleasant sense "ot adoption.
Sho did not want pity. .m , x 'to
think ot his getting those things tot
her in Damascus j.... Pity sug
gested tltal sho "was weak" and help
less, whereas sho knew thnt sho was
both patient and stroug. . . . What
did sho want? Sho glanced up and
down the dock. It was totally desert
ed savo for them. Then, "clnd In tho
beauty of a thousand stars," sho
leaned over and down nnd brushed his
hand with her lips.
And Georgo slept on. Only tho blare
of tho bugle bt ought him back to mun
dane affairs, Ho was hungry, and ho
announced the fact with gusto, Thoy
would dlno well that night. Tho cap
tain placed Fortune at his right and
Georgo at his left, and broached a bot
tle of lino old Johnnnlsberger. And
tho threo of them had coffee In the
smoking-room. If the other passen
gers had any curiosity, they did not
manifest It openly.
Upon finding thnt tljey had no renl
need of staying over In NnpleB, tho
captain urged that thoy take tho re
turn voyage with him. He saw moro
than either of tho joung pcoplo, with
those blue Teutonic eyes of his.
George promised to let him know with
in a dozen hours of the sailing. Cer
tainly Fortuno would decide one wuy
or tho other within thnt time.
Uoth had seen the Vcsuvlan bay
mnuy times, with never-falling love
and Interest. Thoy sailed across the
bay in tho blight clearness of tho
morning
"You .no going back with mo,"
Georgo announced In a tone which in
ferred thnt nothing moro wbb to be
said upon tho Mibjoct. Dut, for all
his confidence, there was a great and
heavy fear upon his heart as ho asked
for mall nt tho little inclosuro nt
Cook'B, In tho Gallorla Vlttorla. Thcro
was a cable; nothing more.
"Now, Fortuno ..."
"Hnvo I over given you permission
to cnll mo by thnt name?"
"Why ..."
"Havo 1?"
"No." -
"Then I gho you that permission
now."
"What do you frighten man llko
that for?" ho cried. "What I was go
ing lo say ..."
"Fortune."
"What I was going to say, Fortune,
was this. Here is tho cable from Mor
timer. I'm not going to open It till
after dinner tonight. Wo'll go up-to
the Dertollnl to dine. You'll stay
there for the night, while I put up at
tho Urlstol, which Is only a little ways
up tho Corso. I'm not going to ask
you n question till coffee. Then we'll
thrash out tho subject till thero isn't
a grain left."
She mado no protest. Secretly she
wns plensed to bo bullied like this. .It
proved that among nil these swarming
peoples thoro was ono Interested In
her welfare. Hut sho knew in her
henrt what sho was going to say when
the proper time camo. She did not
wish to spoil his dinner. Sho was also
going to put her courage to Its su
preme test; borrow a hundred pounds,
and bravely promlso to pay him back.
If she failed to pay It, It would bo bo
cause sho was dead. For sho could
not survive ti comparison between
herself and her mother. Here In
Naples sho might find something, nn
opportunity. Sho spoko French and
Italian fluently; nnd in this crowded
season of the year It would not bo dif
ficult to find a situation as a maid or
companion. So long as sho could earn
a little honestly, sho was not afraid.
She was desperately resolved.
Such n dlunor! Long would sho re
member it; and longer still, how llttlo
either of them ato of itl She knew
enough about these things to appreci
ate It. It must havo cost a pretty
penny. Sha Bmlled, sho laughed, sho
Jested; and always a battle to dam the
uprising tears.
Tho dining-room was filled; women
in beautiful evening gowns and men
In sober black. Hut tlio two young
pcoplo wore oblivious. Their fellow-
diners, however, bent moro than ono
glance in their direction. Ill-fitting
clothes, to be sure, but It was ob
served that they ato to tho mnnnor
born. Tho girl wrb beautiful in a
melancholy way, and tho young man
was well-bred nnd pleasant of feature,
though oddly burned.
Coffee Gcoige produced tho cnble.
It was Btlll senled.
"You read It first," he said, passing
it across the table.
Her hands shook as she ripped the
sealed flffp and opened tho message.
She read. Her eyes, gathered danger
ously. "He careful!" he warned. "You've
been bravo so long; be bravo a llttlo
longer."
"I did not know thnt there lived
such good and kindly men. Oh, thank
him, thank him a thousand times for
me. Head it." And sho no longer
cared If ijny saw her tears.
"Bring her home, ami God bless you
both. i MORTIMER."
"I knew It!" ho cried exultantly.
"He, jindjiiyjather were the finest two
meTl in thiTworiil. The sky is all clear
now."
"Is it?" sadly "Oh, I do not wish to
pain you, but It Is charity; and I am
too proud."
"You refuse?" Ho could not bellovo
it.
"Yes. Hut when thlnga grow dark,
and the day turns bitter, I shall always
temember those words. I can see no
other way. I must fight It out alone."
Love makes a man dumb or elo
quent; nnd as Georgo saw all his
treasured dreams fading swiftly, elo
quence becumo his buckler In this bat
tlo of lovo unspoken and pride in arms.
Each time he paused for breath, she
shook her head slowly.
Tho diners were leaving In twoa and
fours, and presently thoy were nil
nlone, Servants wore clearing up the
tables; there waa a clatter of dishes
and a tread of hurrying feet. They
noted It not.
"Well, ono moro plea!" And he
swept aside his Belf-lmposod restric
tions. "Will you como for my sake?
Because I am lonely and want you?
Will you come for my sake?"
This time her head did not move.
"Is It pity?" sho whispered.
"Pity!" Ills hands gripped tho
linen and the coffoo-cups rattled. "No!
It Is not pity, llecnuse you wore lone
ly, because you had no ono to turn to,
I could not In honor tell you. Hut now
I do. Fortuno, will yon como for ray
sake, because I love you and wnnt you
always and nlvvnys"
"I shall como."
CHAPTER XX.
March Hares.
George, In thnt masterful way which
was not wholly acquit ed, but which
had been a latency till the episodic
journey Georgo pnld for the dinner,
called the head-waiter and thanked
him for tho attention given It, and laid
a gonerous tip upon tho cover. From
the dining-room, (ho two young jeoplo,
outwardly cnlm but Inwardly filled
with tho Great Tumult, wont to tho
manager's bureau and arranged for
Fortune's room. This settled, Fortuno
went down to tho cavernous entrance
to bid George good night. They were
both dlflldont and shy, now thnt the
great problem wns solved. George was
puzzled as to what to do in bidding
her good night, and Fortuno wondered
if ho would kiss her right here, before
all theso horrid cab-drivers.
"I shall call for you at nine," ho
said. "Wo've got to do somo shop
ping." A tlnklo of laughter.
"Theso rcady-mado suits, nro beglr?
rilng to look llko tho deuce."
"Do you -Jwnys think of every-'
lhlng7"
"Well, what I don't remember, tho
clerk will," slyly. "Till recently I be
llovo I never thought of anything. I
must bo off. It's too cold down hero
for you." Ho offered his hand nerv
ously. Sho gave Jior's freely. Ho looked
into her marvelous eyea for n mo
ment. Then ho turned tho palm up
ward and kissed it, lightly and lover
ly; and she drew it across his face,
over his cyee, till It left In departing
a caress upon his forehead. Ho stood
up, breathing quickly, but not mor.o so
than she. A llttlo tableau. Then ho
Jammed his battered fedora upon his
head and sttodc up the Corso. Ho
dared not turn. Had ho done so, ho
must have gone back and taken her In
his arms. She followed him with
brave eyes; sho saw him suddenly
veer across the street and pause at the
parapet. It was then that she be
came conscious of tho keenness of
tho night-wind. She went in. Some
how, nil earth's puzzles had that night
been solved.
George lighted n cigar, doubtless
tho most costly weed to be found in
nil Naples that night. Tho intermit
tent glowing of tho end faintly out
lined his face. Far away across the
shimmering bay roso Capri in n kind
of magic, amethjstino transparency.
A light or two twinkled where Sorren
to lay. His gaze roved the half-circle,
and finally rested upon the grim dark
ash-heap, Vesuvius. Beauty, beauty
everywhere; beauty In the sky, beauty
upon earth, in his heart and mind. Ho
was twenty-eight, nnd nil theso won
derful things had happened In a llttlo
moro than so many days!
"God's In his heaven.
All's right with tho world!"
Ho flung tho half-finished cigar Into
tho air, careless as to where It fell,
or that In falling It might set Naples
on Are. It struck a roof somewhero
below; a splutter of sparks, and all
was dark ngaln.
"I shall come." All through his
dreams that night he heard It. "I
shall Come."
Next monilng ho notified tho cap
tain to retain their cnblns. After that
they ptocecded to' storm the shops.
"
" "V - ! T
r
They Stormed the Shops; Irresponsible Children, Both of Them.
They wore llko March hares; Irrespon
sible children, both of them. Whnt
did propriety matter? What meaning
had circumspection? Thoy two wero
nil alono; the rest ot the world didn't
count. It never had countod to olther
of them. Certainly thoy should havo
gono to a pnrsonago; Mrs. Grundy
would prudently have suggested It.
The trlviiiirtics of convention, how
ever, had no placo at that moment In
their llttlo Eden. They were a law un
to themselves
Into twenty shops they went; mo
diste after modiste was Interviewed;
and Foituno at length found two mod-
els. Theso wero pretty, and, being
models, quite inexpensive. Once,
Georgo was forced to remain outside
in tho carriage. It was In front of tho
lingerie shop. Ho put away each re
ceipt, just llko a husband upon his
honeymoon. Later, receipts would
mean as much, but from n different
angle of vision. Ho bought so many
violets that tho carrlago looked as
though It wero ready for the flower
carnlal. Ho laughingly disregarded
her protests. It wan tho Song of
Songs,
"My shopping is done," sho said at
laBt, dropping tho bundles upon tho
carrlago floor. "Now, lt,Is your turn."
"You havo forgotten a warm steamer-cloak,"
he reminded her.
"So I have I"
This oversight was easily remedied;
and then Georgo sought the tailor
shops for ready-made clothes. He had
moro difficulty than Fortune; ready
made suits wero not tho easiest things
to find in Naples. By noon, however,
ho had acquired a Scotch woolen for
day wear and a fairly decent dinner
Bult, along with othor necessities.
"Woll, I say!" ho murmured, struck
by a revealing thought.
"Havo you forgotten nnythlng?"
"No. On the contrary, I've Just re
membered something. I've" got all I
need or want in my steamer-trunk;
and till this minute I never once
thought of It."
How thoy laughed! Indeed, so high
wero their spirits that they would
havo laughed at any Inconsequent
thing. They lunched at tho Gam
brlnu8, and George mysteriously
bought up all tho pennies from the
hunchbnek tobacco vendor. Later, as
thoy bowled along the sea-front.
Georgo created n small riot by fling
ing pennies to small boys and whining
beggars. At five thoy went aboard the
ship, which was to leave at sundown,
some hours ahead of scheduled time.
The captain himself welcomed them
as they climbed tho swaying ladder.
Thero wero a hundred first-class pas
sengers for tho final voyage. Tho two,
however, still Bat at the right and left
of tho captain; but tho table was
filled, and they maintained a guarded
prattlo. Every ono at onco assumed
that thoy were a bridal couple, and
watched them with tolerant amuse
ment. Tho captain had considerate
ly .left their names" off tho passenger
list aB published for tho benefit of
the passengers and tho saloon-sitting,
So they moved in a sort of" mystery
which rough weather prevented being
solved.
Ono night, when tho sea lay calm
and the air was caressingly mildi
George and Fortuno had gone forward
and were leaning over the starboardi
rail whero it meets and joins the for
ward beam-rail. They were watching
for the occasional flicker of phosphor.
escence. Their shoulders touched, nnd
George's hand lay protectlngly ovei
hersi
(to nn CONTINUED.)
He Hadn't the Heart to Do It.
Grouchy Patron Goodness, man!
Why don't you rid this place of files?
There must bo a million of them!
Restaurant Proprietor Sorry, sir,
but I can't. Kind of n sentiment, you
uee. Tho monoy that gave mo my
start hero camo as a prlzo In a con
tost In which I swatted 3,040 more
files than my nearest competitor!
Puck.
4 "X
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f'f t'fi WjfinJWft ?
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