Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-12-03

be ignorant of that gentIeman's ex-
! istence.
If you ever looked at anything but
the cycling fixtures you would see his
name in nearly every paper you take
| up"
Really! Well. never mind him
now. Have you heard anything about
the specialists binet?"
NO! I'm thinking of withdra w
ing my APPLICATION for it," Shalto said.
ltndifferently.
Why you were red hot about it yes
terday! What's up? 1t is true that you
are engaged? Is the lady averse to
your going to the front?"
L am engaged, but my engagement
has nothing to do with my giving up
the post. The fact is, shall get some
thing much better. My sister is to be
married very soon to Sir Andrew
GWenap."
He pointed out the paragraph, and
the other man read it carefully.
L don't see myself why you should
give up such a jolly good chance OF
making your mark because your sister
is going to marry Croesus, but if
you do you'll have no objection to my
trying my hand with the Electrifyer
people, suppose"
Try it, by all means, my dear fel-
low, if you feel up to the work; but /
should hardly have thought it was
your line. You have never done any
press work, l believe? And this will
be press work under circumstances OF
great danger and difficulty
Unconsciously Shalto Graham spoke
more patronizingly than he had ever
done before to his fellow-clubman
But the latter only laughed good-tem-
peredly as he said:
IF I get it I shall pull through, l
think. | have done two or three royal
weddings and field days for the D. E.
so they will take me on my merits and
not on trust if they take me at ALL"
you have, have you? You've kept
it pretty close. Are you on the staff?'
Sholto Graham asked, grudgingly. He
had wanted to be on the staff of the
Daily Electrifyer himself and was not!
So the grudging tone was human and
'On the staff! Well, I suppose
am. I'm retained by them to write
for no other London daily, so I may
say without arrogance that I'm on their
staff, I suppose
He was a fine, broad-shouldered
frank-faced young fellow
who said this. A man with broad
brow and blue eyes, that looked
and steadfastly at every one
to whom he spoke. Though they were
fellow-clubmen meeting each other
daily they were not very intimate. In
fact, this was perhaps the longest con-
versation Sholto Graham and Edward
Thorburn had ever had together.
There was a northern ring in his
name and his appearance gave further
and conclusive evidence of his descent
from some hardy Norsenan who CEN
turtles ago had welded with some fair
daughter of East Anglia. Indeed !
since he had left the quiet old Norfolk
where he had been born
and his people had lived for genera
tons, and had come up to be an ad- |
miralty clerk, he had often sat to Be- |
hemi2n artist friends as a model for /
vikings, a Morse god, sprite of the |.
north winds and seas and so forth. His !
grand physique, his boldly, perfectly
face, deep-blue eyes and bright
golden, crisply curled hair were all
redolent and illustrative of the bright !
ness, strength and vigor of the north. |
"YOu must be making very good
hing of it if they retain you. Five or
six hundred year, I suppose? By |
Jove, [ wouldn't go on grinding at |
house if I were you. Why |
didn't you cut the admiralty and go
IN entirely for journalism"
1--WE not too much work to do and 7
want every penny I make" Thorburn
said, quietly.
You're not an extravagant fellow;
you neither drink nor gamble; but per-
haps you are married?"
The red blood worked I'D to the roots
OF Thorburn's hair as he answered:
mo, I'm not married. If I were I !
should not spend so much time here.
By the way, I ought to tell you, it's
from my sister that I heard of your
engagement. She and Miss Laugherne
are great friends"
No! Really! Well, now I remember.
[ have heard Miss Laugherne speak of
May Thorburn, but it never occurred
to NE that she could be your sister.
Do you know old Capt Kelly? Isn't
he fine old chap"
I've seen him once or twice. Yes,
he's a jolly old chap. We live in Chi
chester street, quite near to them, you
know. You live somewhere about
there, don't your
ITO ho continued