The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-01


precious wine, and two or three other
passengers tried it and made their
their comments: and then the rest of
the big bottle was carefully decanted.
Now, If was like some parties I've
met" said Merrick, I'D ha' gone ad-
playin' the coruscatin' millionaire, deal
in out all there is to the passengers,
whether they wanted my blamed
wine or not. and getting it in the pa
: pers when | go ashore. But that's not
quite my style. Here's enough for Il
glass after dinner when / want it, or
any friend of fnine--though I must
say. after all, I'd as we'll take Char
treuse, or rather-and the rest goes
into the salesrooms, and then we'll just
see how come out for the bottle"
So the. voyage went. and as South
afnpten was neared Mr.. Merrick's in
terest began to be transferred from
the case of Tokay to the tour before
him, since this was his first visit to
England
Il want to- see England he said
once to Crook, s'for reasons I've been
there once before, by myself, but had
to do 1t all in a hurry, and some of the
time went in trying to find an old
friend of mine-a real good friend he
Wdop -tHouSH i We Seen InlSnLy ntI1e OF
him altogether. He did me the best
turn of my life, sir--yes, and I'm go
ing to try once again now, though I'm
afraid I'm bit late. But try / will,
and it's for that reason that / want to
see England more than / wanted to see
India. Though Daisy has some pretty
wide plans OF her own, too
This indeed was the truth, and be-
tween them father and daughter had
q q ma ri rr0
by the time they We're within few
hours steam of Southampton pro-
gfamme- in which the British Isles,
Show places, scenery and everything
We're to be got oyer at the rate OF
about two thousand square miles a
day A programme, indeed, that would
nave grown more crowded still were it
not that an accident interrupted the
process of programme fixing for, after
Whole voyage Of perfectly exemplary
behavior on the part of the engines,
the propeller shaft went wrong in the
course of the next few hours, and the
Rajapur at last made an ignominious
entry into Southampton water at the
tail END of tow rope, with fussy
smoky little tug to pull it. The acci-
dent distracted attention from the
programme, and made the landing in
Southampton half day late or more;
SO that it also had the effect, between
the lateness of the landing and the i'm
nlenstty of the scheme of tour, of eauS-
ing the auction sale of the magnums Of
Tokay to be squeezed into the first few
hours ashore at Southampton.
And there, in fact, it took place, as
soon as the wine could be got through
the customs, with a disastrous end to
Lyman w. Merrick's little gamble. For
the bottles duly divided into eleven
lots. were starred into the catalogue
of the handiest local sale, and would
there have gone for shilling or two
apiece We're it not that some Of the
Rajapur passengers, who had heard of
the speculation, turned up and bid for
bottle here and there; and wine
merchants traveller of some enterprise
took four lots at ten shillings a lot.
So that Mr.. MerriclS got back nearly
five pounds of his two hundred which,
he said, would pay the duty, anyway,
and leave him with the eternal glory
of having consumed bottle of wine
costing 1915. and such consolation as
the glory might bring upon him.
The report of this monumental epd-
ing to Merrick's speculation in Imperial
Tokay reached Harvey Crook by letter
a letter written, as soon as the sale was
over. by Daisy Merrick It had been
arranged that this should be done when
Crook bade his friends good-by before
the sale. He would have stayed to see
1T, but the delay In the Rajapur's ar
rival made it Impossible, for, by letter
sent across from Brindisi he had made
certain appointment In London which
he could now barely keep.
1t was short and simple enough let
ter that Crook received--a few SEN
tences and no more, conveying the
result OF the sale and a short mes
sage from Daisy's father as to the
possibility OF meeting Crook again in
England. A trivial, short letter, with
nothing in 1t to call for careful preser-
vation-nothing at ALL And yet Crock
refolded 1t very carefully, returned it
to It's envelope and packed 1t away in
the safest compartment Of his pocket
book. It was not easy to guess why.
perhaps; for Crook was not ordinarily
an oyercareful man with his corre-
spondence.
The next day, at Standish's hotel In
London, Harvey Crook had barely An
ished his lunch, when he was brought
a card which filed him with amaze
nlent. For 1t was the card of Mr..
Frank Hahn!
Show him up said Crook, in blank
wonder.
Hahn 1T was sure enough.
"Ha! my dear Crook" he exclaimed
effusiyely, offering his hand, how are
you? You're surprised to see me, of
/ -C0uTSc. DQt tIfC idCt Is pui1eQ TOuuu
so quickly that was able to catch the
mail boat and I came overland with
the mails from Brindisi: SO I've been
in London some days, you see. I've
been here today once before. but you
were out, and I went to the docks be-
fore that-didn't know whether you'd
get out at Southampton or come right
on, you see. I'm eternally obliged to
you. my dear chap, about the Tokay,
you know, though as it turns out
needn't have bothered you after all
I'll clear 1t out OF your way. Where
is it?"
Il haven't got it: it's Sold"
'.Sold?" Such a look of blank horror
fell across Hahns face that Harvey
Crook started where he stood. Sold
What dye mean3'
ST had a big offer for it on the voy-
age-doubIe your best price-so of
course closed for you. Two hundred
pounds
.sWhat! Two hundred pounds ?
Heavens, -you-you-I-Tm ruin
ed"
Hahn sank into chair, white and
gasping.
s.Ruined?" retorted Crook. ''Skt-
ties! You put the outside price at a
hundred yourself.'
Hahn sat staring and distraught.
3ro Ia