The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-06-28
I.

oiilSIy Hdu pdSSeu llelT DOy ilOOu W
gether in a Warwickshire village
Truscott's father was the parson, and
Billery's the squire. They attended
the same local grammar school, and
passed through Rugby and Oxford to-
gether. Then they both came up to
London and plunged into journalism
Billery purchased a newspaper and
brought himself to the verge of ruin
in a single twelvemonth. 1t had been
his ambition to reform the world, and
the world was not eager to be reform
ed. Truscott bought him out for an
old song and went to work with the
single idea of making the venture pay.
In seven years time he was beginning
to be a power in the land and was re-
puted wealthy. Billery served his
quondam schoolmate in humble ways,
and made a humble income. He was
a shiftless, i~nconsequent dreamer OF
foolish dreams, and was always brim-
full of suggestions which would have
ruined any newspaper enterprise in a
week. T%ruscott, for old sake's sake,
would listen to him when he could
spare the time, and performed for him
many little acts of kindness.
On a certain summe Saturday af-
ternoon the editor and proprietor of
the Daily Record was enjoying his
weekly holiday in a punt which was
moored in the shade at the foot of the
lawn which ran down from the gar
dens of his pretty riverside villa.
When he was at business he threw ev-
cry energy of his mind into the task
before him, but it was his boast that
he could loaf as we'll as any man alive.
The strain of the last six days had
been prodigious, and he was stretched
out o on comfortably arranged
cushions, with his straw hat tilted for
ward over his eyes and a choice cigar
between his lips, l~uXuriously relaxing
III DouN. 1 was Z l"CCh
asleep and awake-just conscious Of
his own beatitude-when a familiar
voice broke In upon his haZy ~fancies,
and there was Billery, seated on the
edge of the lawn with his feet dan
Cling over the pebbled margin of the
stream. Truscott tilted his hat to the
back of his head and looked lazily up
at him. Billery was evidently very
much excited. He had walked fast
and his forehead was beaded with per-
SEPARATION. His eyes goggled and
cleaned, and his fat, clean-shaven
cheeks were pale.
Reggie" he said, I've struck the
biggest thing that has been heard Of
this twenty years"
Truscott vas unmoved by this an
nouncement. Billery struck the big
gest thing that had been heard of this
twenty years about twice a month as a
fair average. His editor c%ontented
himself with al i~nterrOgatory IMP"
and rolled over to listen.
There's ndhmistake this time" said
Billery. But Billery always said there
was no mistake this time, and his
chief was used to him. You remem-
Der the Brangwyn case seven years
ago."
Il ought to remember it," Truscott
answered, idly.
"By Jove, you ought" cried Billery.
9TH a aoca npoIo fho spnnnrI NIvh;l,&
I owned the wretched rag it cost me
about a thousand pounds a week. 1t
was no sooner transferred to you than
up springs the Brangwyn mystery,
and you were a made man in a
month"
81 ran the thing for what it was
worth" said Truscott. What about it
now"
"Reggy," said Billery, I'm bringing
you the biggest journalistic scoop
you've ever had. I've found old Alloy
sius Brangwyn's body, and I'm the
only man who has identified him. l
kept my own counsel. and I came Off
straight to you. | wish you'd take me
III anu 6iNC Llc a ulluh, w HAL.
Come indoors" said Truscott, ris-
ing and stepping alertly to the turf.
He led the way along the lawn and
through the French windows of a
shaded breakfast room. There, with
a motion of his hand, he indicated a
buffet at the wall. Help yourself.
The tantalus isn't locked. There's
soda water in the gasogene. Take a
cigar and come into my study"
Billery took his whisky and soda at
a gulp, mopped his beaded forehead
with a dubious handkerchief and obey
ed his hosts command. Truscott walk
ed into his study, pointed to a chair,
closed the door and sat down to listen.
"If | begin by telling you what you
know already" Billery began, tits
only to show you what q consecutive
yarn 1t makes. Here's old Aloysius
Brangwyn, s~infully rich, lonely, &C.
centric, aged eighty-five, as we'll
known as any man in London. His
solitary man servant bids him good
bye at noon n day and goes away to
see a relative in the country. He re-
turns on the evening of the following
day. The old man has disappeared,
utterly and completely. His two
great nephews move heaven and earth