The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-08-01

his shoulders against the wall and hii
feet on the rail-an attitude said to be 6
favorite one with Americans, and which
any person who has studied the circula.
ton of the blood and its action on the
brain will gladly put himself into. The
window, it should be added, was pro
tected by wooden blind with fine Stats
not noticeable from without
The noise which had caused the
bearded gentleman to break off so alb
ruptly in his monologue had been caused
by the advent of two persons with camp
stools to the apparently secure retreat
which the narrow strip of deck already
alluded to afforded Having established
themselves there to their satisfaction
and lit their cigars, they began to talk in
a low tone. But although the blind OF
the bearded gentlemans stateroom was
shut, the window itself was open; and a.
he had reason to suppose that the con
versation was going to be of particular
Importance to himself he took care t"
leave the window as it was. and even to
sit down beside it. AS the reader will
already have surmised, the speakers were
the two gentlemen to whom we have al
ready been introduced-Henry Clifton
and Bob Stapleton.
"You went first to New Zealand, eh?''
Stapleton was saying How happened
your man-Valentine do you call him.
to be there?"
"He was the second son, don't you see!
and consequently, after he'd run through
the money his father gave him, he had
only himself to fall back on. So he
started for New Zealand to make his fort.
une at sheep farming When | got
there he had been gone the better part
Of year or more. The sheep farming
had not turned out very well, but he
had got a sum of money somehow, an6
had gone off to enjoy it; whether he
would come back again, and where he
had gone, no one could tell me. You
may be sure that if he had known thai
his elder brother was going to die, anC
let him into full possession of an estate
worth three-quarters Of million of dol.
lars, he would have left his address"
Its a most curious thing" observed
Mr.. Stapleton, philosophically, "how
some men will run after good thing all
their lives and never catch it, and an
other man will run away from a good
thing all his life, and never let it catch
him.
"Well, as l was saying" Mr.. Clifton
continued, "this Mr.. Valentine--as call
him-had left for parts unknown, and
was. thought it all over, and made up
my mind that America was about the
most likely place, for he wouldn't be
likely to go back to England, and, being
of rowing disposition, and never hav-
ing visited the States, that was naturally
the first place he'd think of. And when
q man goes to America he's pretty GER.
tain sooner or later to fetch up in New
York So it was in New York that |
figured | should find him. But before ]
started thought it would be as we'll to
make the thing certain by sending on a
cable message, addressed to certain par
ties in New York that you may have
heard of, asking whether my man was
there. Sending kilograms half round
the earth costs money, Bob but it doesn't
cost quite as much as to go yourself, LET
alone the time and the wear and tear"
However, expenses being paid" said
Bob
"Thats all very well, but parties EN-
ploying one like to have a good account
of their money; and good recommends
ton is sometimes worth more than casl
in hand. Well, didn't look for an an
swer inside of week or ten days; bu
forty-eight hours after | had sent off the
dispatch the landlord of my hotel cans
up to me and told me that he believed
was looking for Mr. Valentine, and thai
a man had Just arrived from Panama
who had met a party going by that name
in Mexico some six weeks before, and he
thought likely he'd be there yet, | tolC
him to bring the man around, and hC
came and had talk with him.
"He had seen Valentine, sure enough
] made up my mind as to that. He de
scribed him as near as could be; fol
though had never seen him myself
had all the points about him from thos'
who had, and a photograph taken foul
or five years before. The fellow said tina
Valentine had come to Mexico from New
York, after being wrecked in big gall
at st. Thomas, and friend Of his-Il
call him Percy-was drowned in tn
same storm"
"You call him Percy, do your In
terposed Mr.. Stapleton, land he wa
drowned in the St. Thomas hurricane
And what might his other name be2"
I'm not giving names; I'm telling yo'
q story" returned Mr.. Clifton CURLY.
"Thats all right; something occurreC
to my mind, that's all; and a might.
good story it is you're telling" rejoine,
the other affably. $50 Mr.. Valentin
went over to Mexico, did he? And wha
did he do there?'
swell, he'd brought some letters, so
seems, introducing him to the presiden
and some other swells; and he handle
'em in, and was received in good style
He gave 'em to understand that he
come to settle, and grow up with tn
country, so to speak.
zone thing led to another, and at las
they got talking about mines; and wit