The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-15

IL time, if you don't mind, on
the usual terms. It's private"
"All right-Pll come and take turn
along the terrace, if you don't mind
the shirtsleeves." And Mr. Symons put
down his lantern and came out of his
little green gate.
About those magnums of Tokay.
now. said Crook, as they walked
along before the little gardens. Il want
to buy them all, and 1 want to enlist
your help. Never mind about Mr..
Norie's-Fve been there. But if you
can get hold of any of the others I'll
pay you five pounds a bottle for them,
cash on the nail"
''Whew! you must be very fond of
that wine?"
''Well-yes; as a collector. you see.
want to collect that lot. But there's
another collector in the field, and it's
that came to speak about. 1 expect
he'll be round to the office first thing
in the morning.
UNI said Symons "Of couse
can't break office rules.
No don't want you to do it. You
can tell him what the office records
show-whicf is precious little. More,
you can tell him about Mr.. Norie, and
give him his address, want you to
do it, in fact; he can't get the bottle
and it will delay him. Understand"
Il think 1 do. I'll tell him all about
L
about the other things as I can man
age; always with due regard to Office
rules, of course"
"Of course I see you understand.
And to make things palmer, I'll tell you
this. Not only will give you five
pounds for any bottle of that lot you
may bring me, but FL pay you five for
= every one l can get myself, with your
aid. That's satisfactory, I hope?'
Mr.. Symon's quick little eyes posi-
lively sparkled amid the darkness.
Satisfactory" he said Rather!
Handsome handsome, I'm sure
Very well, then, 1 hope I shall see
you again soon. Meantime, to carry
out the principle of cash in advance.
here's a flyer for the first magnum, and
chance whether we get it or not!"
Mr.. Charles Norie, painter of marine
subjects, was tall young man of wide
shoulders and rather handsome, but
more good -humored face. He was not
dependent on his work for his iveH-
hood, for his father, who had been a
shipbuilder at Southampton, had left
him quite decent competence. His
friends, Jack Knowles, the sculptor,
and Harry Sewell, the painter, had
also connections in or about South
ampton, and had come down for
week or two's holiday. Norie was in
the habit" of walking down into the
town to take his dinner at hotel, and
his friends had taken advantage of this
habit to raid his studio in his absence
But on the night following they all
three dined together at the Dolphin,
with another friend, a young surgeon
of the neig1borhood.
mo" interposed Norie, when dinner
was finished don't have liqueurs-
got treat for you at the studio. I
picked UP a magnunl of real old Inn
perlal Tokay the other day at sale
down here Never saw bottle before
in my life. Well light up cigars and
stroll along, to the studio and open it.
They tell me it's eighty years old, and
you mustn't go spelling your mouths
with liqueurs first"
Jack Knowles and Harry SeweIl
chuckled inwardly and avoided each
others eyes for fear of open laughter.
That's rarity" observed Kirk
How did it come here?"
Some fellow brought it ashore from
Ia P. & O. boat, believe, and put it in
sale at Lawson's. l shouldn't have
known of it, but went in after a pair
of Sheffield candlesticks-Pll show 'em
to you presently, they're capital. There
were eleven magnums of Tokay, and /
wish I'd bought more now, for 1t seems
they We're dirt cheap. I've had a fell
low after mine today, offering a ten
take his money, and it only cost me
half a sovereignl"
I'D have taken it, remarked the
practical Jack Knowles; not without
an inward chuckle at the remembrance
of what the speculator would have got
for his money. WAS he dealer?"
Some sort of chap of that sort, ]
think. Name Of Hahn. Some sort OF
foreigner l should judge, though he
spoke English wonderfully. He's been
absolutely Fostering me all the morn
ing, and very nearly had to kick him
out. And then he came prowling about
again when / had gone out, the char
woman tells me, and she almost had to
kick him out. But anyhow, come along
and try it. Well call for Fields on the
way-and Castle, if we can find him
in
The party set out forthwith, Morris
and Kirk walking in front and Knowles
and Sewell, bursting with hilarious an
ticipation, behind them. Castle wa.
out, and so was abandoned to his fate
but Fields was found, and made uI
the party to five. And so the five, puff
ing their cigars in comfortable ex-
pectation-though of different things
left the lighted streets and took tn,
dark road out toward the studio.
They reached and passed the frs
group of villas and turned into tn,
lane; and, as they did so, Norie wa.