Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-09-18
REGISTER SUNDAY SEPTEMBER PAGES

he steered the boat into q gondola he
only said vacantly to its occupants.
SIT is nothing at ALL" as If they had
RIM into him. Nelrs father said
something about not liking the appear
ance of the sky and Rob looked at him
earnestly for such length OF time be-
fore replying that Mr.. Meredith was
taken aback. At times the punt came
alongside and Mary addressed every
one in the boat except Rob. The only
person in the punt whom Rob never
looked at was Mary. Dick watched
them uneasily, and noticed that once,
when Mary nearly followed her pole
into the water, Rob, who seemed to be
looking in the opposite direction, was
the first to see what had happened.
Then Dick pulled so savagely that he
turned the boat around.
That morning at breakfast In his
chant ers Rob had no thought OF spend
ing the day on the river. he had to be at
the Wire Office at 10 o'clock In the even
ing, and during the day be meant to
finish one OF the many articles which he
still wrote for other journals that
would seldom take them. The knowlr
edge that Sir Clement Dowton had
been to Molesey disquieted him, chiefly
because Mary Abinger had said moth
ing about it. Having given himself
fifty reasons for her reticence, he push
ed them from him, and vowed YEARLY
that he would go TO the house-boat no
more. Then Dick walked in to suggest
that they might run down for an
hour or two TO Molesey, and Rob
agreed az once. He shaped out
in the train a subtle question about Sir
Clement that he intended asking Mary,
but on reaching the plank he saw her
feeding the swans, with the baronet by
her side. Rob felt like conjuror whose
trick has not worked properly. Giving
himself minute to reflect that it was
all over, he affected the coldly courteous
and smiled in way that was meant 10
be heart-rending. Mary did not mind
that. but it annoyed her TO see the band
of his necktie slipping over his collar.
1t was the day of the Sunbury Re-
gatta, but the party from the "Tawny
Owl" twisted past the racers, leaving
Dick, who wanted q newspaper, behind.
When he rejoined them beyond the viii
lage, the boat was towing the punt.
why" said Dick, in some astonish-
ment, to Rob, who was rowing now, 81
did not know you could sculI like that.
~ have been practicing little"
answered Rob.
"When he came down here the first
time" Mrs. Meredith explained TO Sir
Clement, he did not know how To hold
an oar. l am afraid he is one OF those
men who like TO be the best at every
thing"
'He certainly knows how to scull
now" admitted the baronet, beginning
to think that Rob was perhaps dan-
gerous man. Sir Clement was manly
gentleman, but his politics were that
people should not climb out OF the sta
ton they were born into.
'No," Dick said, in answer to ques-
ton from Mr.. Meredith. 81 could get
only local paper. The woman seemed
surprised at my thinking she would
take in the Scdlping Knife or the Wire,
and said, We've got a paper OF our
own"
"Read out the news to US, Richard"
suggested Mrs. Meredith. Dick hest
tated.
Here, WILL" he said to his brother,
"you got that squeaky voice OF yours
specially to proclaim the news from
boat to a punt ten yards distant. Angus
is longing to pull US up the river IN
aided"
viii turned the paper round and
round.
Here Is funny thing" he bawled
out, "about stick: = curious story,
says a London spondent, is going
the rounds Of the clubs to-day, about
the walking-stick of a well-knOwn mem
Der of Parliament, whose name l am
not at liberty to mention. The story
has not, so far as l am aware, yet ap-
peared in print, and it conveys lesson
to all persons who carry walking
sticks with knobs for handles, which
generate a peculiar disease in the palm
of the hand. The member Of Parlia-
ment referred TO, with whom am on
intimate terms"
Rob looked at Dick, and they both
groaned.
MY stick again." nurmured Rob.
"Read something else" cried Dick,
shiveriDg.
"Eh. what is wrong?" asked Mr..
Meredith.
'You must know" said Dick, that
the first time I met Angus he told me
imprudently some foolish story about
stick that bred disease In the owners
hand, owing TO his pressing so heavily
on the ball it had by way Of handle. l
touched the story up little, and made
half guinea out OF it. Since then that
note has been turning up in new
dress in the most unlikely places. First
the London correspondents swooped
down upon II, and telegraphed IL all
over the country as something that
had happened to weil-known Cabinet
Ministers. IL appeared In the Paris
FiqdrO as q true story about Sir Glad
stone, and soon afterwards IL was
across the channel as Renaissance Of
THEIRS Having done another tour OF
the provinces, Ii was taken TO America
by q lecturer, who exhibited the
stick. Next 1t travelled the CONT
nent, until il was sent home again
By Paterfamilias Abroad, writing to the
Times, who said that the man who
owned the stick was well-known
Alpine guide. Sine that we have heard
of it fitfully as doing well in Melbourne
and Arkansas. 1t figured In the last
volume, or rather two volumes, OF auto
biography published, and now, you see,
it is going the round Of the clubs again,
preparatory 10 starting on another tour.
l wish you would keep your stick to
yourself, Angus"
That story will never die" Bob
said, in a tone OF conviction. at Will
90 round and round the world till the
crack of doom. Our children will tell Ii
10 each other"