The Western news., 1907-12-25

SuaSlvely pulling at q fly which had lodg-
| I'd in one of the branches of bush. Ly-
ng down he had been hidden from the
angler, who, seeing him rise. gave some
| thing of a start.
Pardon me, SIR said the stranger,
| in labored and very English sounding
French, "can you detach that fly for me?"
Major Butler" said ORourke to him
self. "Is this Major Butler. wonder?"
He answered, also speaking in French,
| that he would do his best. and walked
| to the bush. O'Rourke secured the branch
20 which the fly was attached, and cut it
away, after which he disentangled the
hook, and the angler and he raised their
| hats to each other.
Major Butler, for O'Rourkes not un-
| natural guess had hit the mark, express
ed his obligations with some little diff
Guilty, and O'Rourke, who was Paris bred,
responded that he was infinitely delighted
| TO be of service. If this were Major But
Ter, thought Ny. O'Rourke. it would be
good fun to conquer his prejudices. and
apart from the amusement, it would be
agreeable to have country house to call
at during his stay. Then he thought of
| that charming girl.
lie began by asking after sport, and
the qualify of the stream and the fish,
and the major, who was an accessible and
| friendly soul when once the ice was brok-
en- with him, displayed his take, and f1Oun-
dered on with his French in very cour-
| ageous and adventurous manner.
Presently he hooked half FOUNDER,
who behaved in very lively manner, and
| ;lyo
O'Rourke looked on with interest.
~ "They give plenty of sport" he said.
| Capital sport" replied Butler, heart
| lily. They're not feeding we'll to-day,
though. Two or three days ago young
friend of mine, an American, who's stay
ing at my place, fetched out seven pounds
/ in half an hour. Used fly quite strange
to the water, too, gaudy American thing,
but very killing"
"There can't be any Americans over
here"
"Only one that l know Of" said the
majo "Maskelyne" He had time
enough to think that this was the novel
ist, ten to one, and a very different sort
of fellow from the man he had expected
Pleased to meet you" he said. Shall
| pp sihu IA Sou ~ lOoh Hit up.
THANK you" said O'Rourke, sweetly
"Thank you very much indeed. Maske-
lyme and l are very old friends
mot the noyelist," said the major, ST.
lently. "Of course not. Spoke much toe
intimately from the first mention Of him
only to have met him yesterday"
" '"You are Major Butler?" asked
ORourke. There are ways and ways OF
putting this sort of interrogatory. But
ler bowed assent. "Maskelyne told IN,
with whom he was staying. My name i.
tO'Rourke,"
| "Oh" said the major, blankly "you'r,
not the"
''I'm afraid am" answered O'Rourke
with so admirable a good humor that But
ler could not refrain from a smile. 1--WE
needn't talk politics if we differ, as
dare say we do
Honestly. if Major Butler could hav
withdrawn his invitation he would hav
done SO, and he was little annoye
l. , with himself for having given 1t. Blu
he bethought him, the man was frlen
= of Maskelyne's, and Maskelyne spoke Q
, him in the very highest terms. But the
! again. there was something about-peopl
!. talked-theg said the Irish members wer
here to make terms with that infamou
old scoundrel DobroSki, a rascal wh
), thirsted for royal blood and wanted chac
! to come again.
"Do you stay long?" asked Butler, wit
a diplomatic purpose.
d YES week or two, perhaps more.
1t friend of mine-I dare say you know hi
he's really a very distinguished man
l. Farley, the novelst--is staying In Il
same hotel with me at Janenne, and
II long as he stays | shall stay"
a. Angela and Maskelyne were each go'
% deal surprised half an hour later to S
he Major Butler coming down the aven
'r toward the chateau side by side wi
s O'Rourke Perhaps at bottom the maj
himself was litts} surprised, but he W
a certainly vanquished. He confessed tn
le he had never met a pleasanter man in
I'd life than this Home Ruler. whom in q
~ vance he had been prepared to detest.