Perrysburg journal., February 07, 1913, Image 6

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THE PERRYSBURG. OHIO. JOURNAL. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1013.
mMlM I)M1 foil -
17
SYNOPSIS.
Qeorgo Porclval Algernon Jones, vlce
.nrosldcnt of tho Metropolitan Oriental
Tljijr company or Now Yorlt, thirsting for
romance. Is In Cairo on a business trip.
Horace Ityanne arrives at tho hotel In
Cairo with a carefully guarded bundle.
Ryanno Bella Jonei tho famous holy Yhl
ordos rug which ho admlti having stolon
.from a pashn at Bagdad. Jonei meoti
Major Callahan nnd later Is Introduced to
Fortuno Chcdsoyo by a woman to whom
Ji had loaned 150 pounds at Monto Carlo
uomo months previously, nnd who turns
out to bo Fortune's mother. Jones takes
Mrs. Chedsoyo nnd Fortuno to a polo
trams. Fortune returns to Jones tho
money borrowed by her mother. Mrs.
Chedsoye appears to engnged In come
tmysterfous ontorprlso unknown to the
daughter, nyanno Interests Jones In tho
United Romance and Adventure com
pany, n concern which for a price will
arrango any hind of nn adventure to or
der. Mrs. Chedsoyo, her brother. Major
Callahan; "Wallace and Ityanne, as tho
TJnltod Romance and Adventure compnny.
Tilan n risky entorprlao involving Jones,
lyanne- makes known to Mrs, Chedsoyo
Ws Intention, to tnarry .Fortune. Mrs.
Chedaoyo declares she will not permit It.
nans nro laid to prevent Jones sailing
JTor home. Ryanno steals Jones' letters
nnd cable dispatches. He wires agent In
New York. In Jones' namo, that ho Is
renting house In New York to somo
frlendi. Mahomed, keeper of the holy
carpot. Is on Ryanne's trail. Ryanne
promises Fortune that ho will see that
Jones comes to no harm as a result of his
purchase of the rue. Mahomed accost
Tlyanne and demands tho Yhlordes rug.
Rynnnc tells him Jones hns the rug and
auggesta the abduction of tho New York
merchant as a means of securing Iti re
turn. The rug disappears from Jones
room. Fortuno quarrels with her mother
when tho latter refuses to explain her
mysterious actions. Tortune gets a mes
'age purporting to bo from Ryanno ask
ing her to meet him In n secluded place
-that evening. Jones receives a message
asking him to meet Ryanno at the Engllsh
Bar the same evening. Jonei Is carried
off Into tho deport by Mahomed and his
.accomplices nfter a desperate fight. Ho
discovers that Ryanno and Fortune also
iaro captives, the former Is badly battered
nnd unconscious Ryanno recovers con
sciousness and the sight of Fortuno In
captivity reveals to him tho fact that
Mahomed Intends to get vengeance on
film through tho girl Fortune ncknowl;
elgcs that she stolo tho rug from Jones
room. Sho offers to return It to Mahomed
If he will Treo all threo of them. Mq
.homed agrees to llberato Fortune and one
of the men In return for the rug. A cour
ier Is sent to Cairo for tho rug. but re
turns with the Information that Mrs.
'Chedhoyo and her brother havo sailed Tor
New York. Fortuno spurns offered free-
dom which does not Include her two com
panions Tho caravan continues the Jour
ney toward Bagdad. Rynnne tells Jones
that Mrs. Chedsoye Is tho most adroit
KinugRler of the nge, nnd Is overheard bv
T"ortune. The three captives nro rescued
"iby Henry Ackermann, who is in charge
t a carpet caravan. Mahomed escapes.
CHAPTER XVII. (Continued.)
'"Wo might as -well get Fortune's
vthlngs out of tho way, too, Celeste."
"Yes, Madame."
"And bring my chocolate at half
vafter eight in the morning. It la quite
possible that we shall sail tomorrow
night from Port Said. If not from
"thbre, from Alexandria. It all depends
-upon tho hooking, which can not be
-very heavy going west this time of
rycar."
"As madatne knows," came from the
vlepth of "the cavernous trunk. Celeste
-was no longer surprised; at least she
never evinced this emotion. For
twelve years now she had gone from
one end of the gloho to the other, upon
rtho shortest notice While surprise
-was lost to her or under suqh con.
Ktrohns to ronder It negligible, she still
fshlvered with pleasurable excltemont
at "the thought of entering a port.
Ma'damo was so clever, so transcen-k-dc'ntly
clever! If she, Celeste, had
rase, been )oyal, sho might havo retired
Vong ago, and owned a shop of her
own in the busy Ruo do Rlvoll. But
that would havo rioant a humdrum ex
frtCenco; and besides, sho would have
grown fat, which, of ihe seven hor
rors confronting woman, so madame
.said, was first In number.
"Be very careful how you handle
that bluo ball-gown."
"Oh, Madame!" reproachfully.
"It 1b the silver braid. Do not
press tho rosettes too harshly."
' Celcsto looked up. Mrs. ChedBoye
-answered her Inquiring gaze with a
thin smllo.
t'You are wpndorful, Madame!"
'And bo are you, Celeste, In your
way,"
At ten o'clock Mrs. Chedsoye was
ready for her pillow. Sho slept fit
fully; awoke at eleven and again' at
"tyjelvo. After that sho know nothing
adore tin tho maid roused her with
-the, cup of chocolate. Sho sat up and
cipped slowly. Celeste waited at tho
foejlBldo with the tray. Her admira
tion for her mistress never waned.
IMrs. Chedsoye was Just an beautiful
in", dishabille as In a ballgown. Sho
drained tho cup, and as she turned
to roplaco It upon tho tray, dropped
It with a clatter, a startlod cry coming
Irani her lips.
"Madame 7"
"Fortune's bed!"
It had not been slept in. Tho
steamer-cloak lay across tho counter
pane exactly whore Celeste horself
had laid it the night before. Mrs.
Ch'edspyp sprang out of her bed and
rar4 barefoot to the other. Fortune
had nptrbeearitbe room since dinner
time." "Cofcsto, .dj-ciiB rno as quickly, ns
poBslblo. Hurry! Something hau
.happened to Fortune,"
Novor. in aU her years of service,
couldbo recollect "such" a toilet ns
jmavlnmoj made that morning. And
nievoibeforo had abo Bhown-such con
CSF, W. ,w Onuslitor, tf as nmaz-'Inst-
"Tho JUUe fool! The little fool!"
Wr. Cliedflor repeatedly murmured
as the nimble flngors of tho maid flew
ovor her. "Tho silly little fool; and
at a Umo like this!" Not that re
morse of any kind stirred Mrs. Chcd-.
soyo's conscience; she was Dimply ex
tremely annoyed.
Sho hastened out Into the corridor
and knocked nt tho door of her broth
er's room. No answer. Sho flew
down-stairs, and there sho saw him
coming In from the street. Ho greet
ed hor cheerily.
"It's all right, Kato; plenty of room
on tho Ludwlg. Wo shall take the aft
ernoon train for Port Said. Sho sails
at dawn to-morrow Instead of to
night. . . . What's up?" suddenly
noticing his sister's faco.
"Fortune did not return to her room
last night."
"What? Where do you suppose the
little fool went, then?"
They both seemed to look upon Fort
tune as a little fool.
"Yesterday she threatened to run
away."
"Run away? Kate, be sensible.
How tho deuce could sho run away?
Sho hasn't a penny. It takes money
to go anywhere over here. Sho has
probably found some girl friend, and
has spent tho night with her. We'll
soon find out where sho Is." Tho Ma
jor wasn't -worried.
"Have you Been Horace?" with dis
cernible anxiety.
"No. I didn't wait up for him. He's
sleeping off a night of It. You know
his falling."
"Find out if he la in his room. Go
to tho porter's bureau and Inquire fpr
both him and Jones."
Tho Major, perceiving that his sister
was genuinely alarmed, rushed ovor
to the bureau. No, neither Mr. Ity
nnno nor Mr. Jones had been in the
hotel since yesterday. Would the por
ter send some one up to the rooms
of those gentlemen to make sure ? Cer
tainly. No; there was no ono In the
rooms. Tho Major was now himself
perturbed. He went back to Mrs.
Chedsoye.
"Kate, neither has been in his room
sinco yesterday. If you want my
opinion, it 1b this: Hoddy has seques
tered Jones all right, and is some
where in town, sleeping off tho effects
of a night of it."
"Ho has run away with Fortune!"
she cried. Her expression wns tragic.
She couldn't have told whether It was
due to her daughter's disappearance
or to Horace's defection. "Did ho not
threaten?"
"Sh! not so loud, Kate."
"The little simpleton defied me yes
terday, and declared she would leave
gSrTl i If 11
e tiff wL-jy apWgy I LjjgB
"Fortune Did Not Return
"Oho!" The Major fingered his im
perial, "That puts a now faco to tho
subject. But Jones I He has not
turnod up. Wo can not movo till
wo find out what haB become of him.
I know. I'll jump into a carriage and
eo, If ho got as far as tho English.
Bar,"
1 Mru. Chedsoyo did not go upstairs,
but paced tho 'lounglng-roora, lithe and
pantherlsh. Frequently she paused,
ao If examining tho patterns In. the
hugo carpets. She entered, thd repp-ton-room,
came back, wandered off
Into tho ball-room, atopped to inspect
tho announcement hanging upon the
??HLDiv?H
Avifhor of HEARTS AND PlASKS,
C& AVAN ON THE BOX &&.
Illustrations by M.GJettjsd-i. 4
COPYRIGHT lgil by BOBBS - TnERRILL COMPANY
bulletin-board, returned to tho win
dows and watched the feluccas sail
past as the great bridge opened; and
during all theso aimless occupations
but a single thought busied her mind:
what could a man like Horace see in
a chit llko Fortuno?
It was an hour and a half before
tho Major put In an appearance. He
was out of breath and temper.
"Come up to tho room." Once there,
bo sat down and bado her do likewise
"There's the dovll to pay. You heard
Hoddy speak of the nigger who guard
ed the Holy Yhlordes, and that he
wanted to get out of Cairo before ho
turnod up? Well, ho turned up. He
fooled Hoddy to tho top of his bent.
So far as I could learn, Fortune, and
Hoddy and Jones are all in tho same
boat, kidnapped by the Mahomed, and
carried out into tho desert, headed,
God knows whero! Now, don't get ex
cited. Take it easy. Luck is with
us, for Hoddy left all the diagrams
with me. We need him, but not so
much that we can't go on without him.
You see, these Arabs are like the Hin
dus; touch anything that concerns
their religion, and they'll have your
hair off. How Fortune got Into It I
can't Imagine, unless Mahomed saw
her with Hoddy and Jumped to the
conclusion that they were lovers. All
this Mahomed wants Is tho rug; and
he is going to hold them till ho gets
It. No uso notifying the police. No
ono would know where to find him.
None of therm will come to actual
harm. Anyhow, the coast Is clear.
Kate, there's a big thing in front. No
nerves. We've got to go to-day. Time
is everything. Our butler and first
man cabled UiIb morning that they
bad Just started In, and that every
thing was running like clock-work.
We'll get into New York in time for
the coup. Remember, I was against
tho whole business at the start, but
now I'm going to see it off."
Feverishly Mrs. Chedsoye prepared
for tho journey. She was irritable to
Celeste, she was unbearable to her
brother, who took a seat in a forward
compartment to bo rid of her. It was
only when they went aboard the
steamer that night that she became
reconciled to the Inevitable. At any
rate," the presence of Jones would
counteract any Influence Horace
might havo gained over Fortune. That
tho threo of them might suffer unheard-of
miseries never formed
"to Hor Room Last Night."
thought in ber mind. It appealed to
hor in tho sense of a comedy which
annoyed rathoi; than amused her.
They wore greeted effusively by
Wallace, ho of tho bulbous nose; and
his first inquiry waB of Ryanne. Brief
ly tho Major told him what had hap
pened and added his fears. Wnllaco
was greatly cast down. Hoddy had
so sefhls heart upon this venturo that
U was a ehamo to proceed without
him. Ho bad warned him at tho;.bo
rlnntng about that interna'" ruir -!nt
Hoddy was nlwnya sot in u
dovll schemes. So long as i.' r
had tho plans ho supposed 'i',"
could turn tho trick without noddy's
assistance; only, it seemed rather
hnrd for him not to bo In tho sport.
"He told mo that nothing would give
him greater pleasure than to stick his
fist in the' first bag of yellow-boyB.
There was something mysterious In
tho way ho used to chucklo over the
thing wftcn I first sprung It on him.
He saw a joke somewhere. Let's go
Into the smoke-room for a peg. It
won't hurt either of us. And that
poor little girl! It's a holl of a world,
eh?"
The Major admitted that It was;
but ho did not add that Fortune's.wel
faro or ill-faro was of little or no con
cern of his. Tho' Uttlo spitfire had
always openly despised him.
They wero drinking silently and mo
rosely, when Mrs. Chedsoye, pale and
anxious, appeared In the companion
way. She beckoned them to follow
her down to hor cabin. Had Fortuno
arrived? Had Ryanne? She did not
answer. Arriving at her rabln she
pushed tho two wondering men Inside,
and pointed at the floor. A large
steamer-roll lay unstrapped, spread
out.
"I only just opened it," sho said.
"I never thought of looking Into it
at Cairo. Here, It looked so bulky
that I waB curious."
"Why, it's that damned Yhlordes!"
exclaimed tho Major wrathfully,
"What tho dovll Is it doing in For
tune's steamer-roll?"
"That is what I should like to
know. If they have been kidnaped in
order to recover the rug, whatever
will becomo of them?" And Mrs.
Chedsoyo touched the rug with her
foot, absently. She was repeating In
her mind that childish appeal: "You
"You See, Mr. Jones Intrusted a Fine
don't know how loyal I should have
been!"
They took tho first goodjsalllng oul
of Naples. Twelve days later they
landed at tho foot of Fourteenth
Street. There was some trifling diffi
culty over tho rug. It had been de
clared; but as Mrs. Chedsoye and her
brother always declared foreign resi
dence, thero was a question as to
whether it was dutiable or not. Being
a copy, It was not an original work
of art, thereforo not exempt, and so
forth nnd so on. It was finally decid
ed that Mrs. Chedsoye must pay a
duty. The Major paid grumbllngly,
very cloverly assuming an Irritability
well known to tho inspectors. Tho
way tho United States government
mulcted her citizens for tho benefit of
the few was a scandal of the nations.
A smooth-faced young" man ap
proached thorn from out the crowd.
"Is this Major Callahan?"
"Yes. This must bo Mr. RoynoldB,
the agent?"
"Yes. Everything is ready for your
occupancy. Your butler and first man
havo everything ship-shape. I. could
havo turned over to you Mr. Jones'."
"Not at all, not at all," said tho Ma-
I jor. "They would havo boon straugers
' V us and we to thom. Our own scrv
nts aro best,"
"You -must be very good friends of
I uy client?"
OTWE ill
111 I I II llll I lllllljlll (rPMMRMIjpr iu I
"I havo known him for years," said
Mrs. Chedsoye sweetly. "It was at
his own suggestion that wo take tho
houso over for tho month. Ho really
Insisted that we should pay him noth
ing; but, of course, such an arrange
ment could not be thought of. Oh,
good-by, Mr. Wallace," tolerantly.
"Wo hope to see you again somo
day."
Wallace, taking up his rolo once
more, tipped his hat and rushed away
for ono of his favorlto haunts.
"Bounder!" growled the Major.
"Well, well; a Bhip's deck is always
Liberty-Hall."
"You have turned your belongings
over to an cxprosBman?" asked the
agent, Theso wero charming people;
and any doubts ho might havo enter
tained were dissipated. And why
should he have any doubts? Jones
was an eccentric young chap, anyhow.
An explanatory letter (written by tho
Major In Jones' careless hand),
backed up by a cable, was enough
authority for any reasonable man.1
"Everything is out of the way," said
the Major.
"Then, if jou wish, I can take you
right up to tie house In my car. Your
butler said that ho would have lunch
ready when you arrived.'
"Very kind of you. How noisy Now
York is! You can take our hand-luggage?"
Mrs. Chedsoye would have
made St. Anthony uneasy of mind;
Reynolds, young, alive, metaphorically
fell at her feet.
"Plenty of room for 1L"
"I am glad of that You see, Mr.
Jones intrusted a fine old rug to us
to bring home for him; and I shouldn't
want anything to happen to it."
Tho Major looked up at the roof of
tho dingy shed. He did not caro to
have Reynolds note the flicker of ad
miration in his eyes. The cleverest
woman of them all! The positive
And he would not have thought of It
touch to the whole daredevil affair!
Rug to Us to Bring Home for Him."
had he lived to be a thousand. "One
might as well disembark in a stable,"
ho said aloud. "Ah! We are ready to
go, then?"
They enterod the limousine and
went off buzxlng and zigzagging
among tho lumbering trucks. The
agent drove the car himself.
"Whero is Jones now?" ho asked
the, Major, who sat at his left.
"Haven't had a line from him for a
month."
"Just bofore we sailed," said Mrs.
ChedBoyo through the window, over
the Major's shoulder, "he went Into
the deBert for a fortnight or bo; with
a caravan. Ho had heard of some fab
ulous carpet,"
Touch number two Tho Major
grinned. "Jones 1b one of tho 'best
judges I have ovor met. He was off
at a bound. I only hopo he will get
back before wo leave for California."
The Major drew up, his collar. It was
a cold, blustry day.
Tho agent was delighted. What luck
a fellow llko Jones had! To wander
all ovor creation and to meet .charm
ing peoplel And when they invited
him to renfalnyor luncheon, tho vic
tory waB i.omplte. ,
.Mrs, Chodspye atrpllcd "la and out
ofltthe beautifully a&polhted rooms.
Neyer had she seen more excellent
taste. JIot too much; everything per
fectly placed, one object nicely bal
anced against another. Hero was a
rnro bit of Capo di Monte, thero a
piece of Sevres or Canton. Some
houses, with their treasures, look llko
museums, but this one did not, Tho
owner had not gone mad over ono
subject; here was a sane and prudent
collector. The great yellow Chinese
carpet represented a fortuno; sho
knew enough about carpets to realize
this fact. Ivories, jades, lapls-lazult,
tho precious woods, priceless Fronch
nnd Japanese tapestries, somo fine
paintings and bronzes; the rooma
were full of unspoken romance and
adventure; echoed with war and tragi
edy, too. And Fortune might hxtrtt
married a man like this one. A pod
sibillty occurred to her, and tho ghost
of a smile moderated the Interest In
her" face. They might' bo upon tho
desert for .weeks. Who knew what
might not hnppen to two such romanj
tic simpletons?
The butler and the first man (who
was also the cook) wero Impeccable
types of servants; so thought Reyn
olds. They moved silently and an
ticipated each want. Reynolds deter
mined that very afternoon to drop a
line to Jones and compliment him
upon his good taste in tho selection
of his friends. A subsequent press of
office work, however, drovo the deter
mination out of nls mirid.
The .instant his car carried him out
pf sight, a strange scene was enactod.
Tho butler nnd the first man seized
the Major by the arms, and the threo.
executed a pas-soul. Mrs. Chedsoye
eyed these manifestations of Joy ston
ily. "Now then,' what's been done?"
asked the Major, pulling down his
cuffs and shaking the wrinkles from
his sleeves.
"Half done!" cried the butler.
"Where's that wall-safe?" the Major
wanted to know.
"Behind that sketch by Detallle."
And the butler, strango to Bay. pro
nounced It Det-1.
"Can you open It?"
"Tried, but failed. Wallace la the
man for that."
"He'll be along In an hour or bo."
"Where's Ryanne?"
"Don't know; don't care." Tho Ma
jor sketched the predicament of their
fellow-conspirator.
The butler whistled, but callously.
One more or less didn't matter In such
an enterprise.
When Wallace arrived he applied
his talent and acquired sclenco to the
wall safe, and finally swung outward
the Uttlo steel door. Tho Major
pushed him aside and thrust a hand
Into the metaled cavity, drawing out
an exqulBlte Indian casket of roee
wood and mother-of-pearl. He opened
the lid and dipped a hand within. Em
eralds, deep and light and shaded, cut
and uncut and engraved, flawed and
almost perfect Ho raised a handful
and let them tinkle back Into the
casket. One hundred In all, beauties,
every ono of them, and many famous.
And while he toyed with them,
pleased as a child would have boon
over a handful of marbles, Mrs. Ched
soye spread out tho ancient Yhlordes
In the library. She stood upon the
central pattern, musing. Her mood
was not ono which she had called into
being; not often did sho become ret
rospective; tho past to her was al
ways llko a page In a book, once fin
ished, turned down. Her elbow In
ono palm, her chin in the other, aha
stared without seeing. It was this
house, this home, it was .each sign of
riches -without luxury or ostentation,
whero money expressed Itself by tnste
and simplicity; a homo such as aha
had always wanted. And why, with
all hor beauty and Intellect, why had
sho not come into possession? Sh
knew. Love that gives had never
been hers; hers had been the lov
that rocelves, self-lovo. Sho had bar
tered her body once for riches and
had been fooled, and she never could
do It again. . . . And tho child
was overflowing with tho love that
gives.
The flurry of snow outside In the
court she saw not. Her fancy re
formed the pretty garden at Mentorw,
Inclosed by pink-washed walls. Many
a morning from her window Bho hnd
watched Fortune among the flowers,
going from ono to the other, like a
bee or a butterfly. She had watched
her grow, too, with that sam.0 detach
nient a machinist feels as ho puts to
gether tho invention of another man.
Would she ever see her again? Her
shoulders moved ever bo Uttlo. Prob
ably not. Sho had blundered wilfully.
She should havo waited, thrown the.
two together, maneuvered. And ehi
had permitted this adventure to ob
sess her! She might have stood wltb
in this houso by right of law, mother
hood, marriage. Ryanno wns in lov
with Fortuno, and Jones by this Urns
might be. The desert was a terribly
lonely place.
She wished it might be JoncB. Anil
immediately retroBpeqtlon died away
from her gaze and actualities re
sumed tholr functions. The wish wai
not without a phase ot hUmor, formed
na itJwaBupon this magio carpet;' bv(
It nowise disturbed th- BTavity pi W
expression.
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