Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-02-06


careful in my zoology another time.
You can't know everything" re
marked the man, CURLY.
Il beg your pardon. Furlong," re-
torted Jack, graveiy, IAN author does
know everything. He's bound 20;
once he admits he doesn't, he can
throw up the sponge"
The man smiled, glanced round the
room, and at Cyril, and with a nod,
walked out.
WHO on earth was that, Jack?"
asked Cyril.
An old fellow l picked up the other
day" replied Jack Wesley. He says
his name is Furlong, and that he has
been a mate on board trading ship,
planters foreman in Ceylon, fur
trader in the Hudson's Bay Territory,
and several other things of like or
unlike character; l found him sitting
on the doorstep the other night, and
as he seemed hard up, l hunted out
some work for him. Poor beggar. he
was regularly stranded; but" with a
cynical smile, he win probably turn
out duke in disguise"
That's one for me, old man, sup
pose. Poor old chap But what does
he do for you? What were those pa
pers he brought"
Wen. It's strange that is, If any.
thing is strange IN this FUNNIEST of
l all rummy worlds-but Furlong,
rough as he looks, appears to have
been decently educated. Anyhow. he
writes a good enough hand for copy
ing, and so l give him my awful
scrawl to turn into legible caIligra-
ply"
But what was that about leopards -
oh, make mistakes sometimes;
put animals and flowers and all sorts
of things in countries where they dent
!, live or grow: and Fullong, who seems
to have been in every quarter of the
globe, spots the mistakes and sets me
right.
Well, of all the curious expert
ences!" exclaimed Cyril why, who
would guess that that rough-looking
codger could set the great and learned
Mr. John Wesley right in anything.
Yes, curious, isn't it? But mp
pearances are deceitful. Who, for in
stance, would suppose that Mr.. Gym
Burne was
Now Jack, shut up! | say, your
friend has a remarkably striking ex-
terror Do you think he'd mind sit
ting for me as a model"
Il should say ne wouldn't have the
slightest objection said Jack. TO
earning money in that or any other
way, honest or dishonest Oh, yes,
he'd sit for model well. You might
call him The Returned Convict
What" said Cyril, do you think
NO, no" said Jack, quietly. Il
dent know anything about him, an
have no reason to suppose that he
was ever in Botany Bay. AS l say,
he will probably turn out to be a duke
instead of ticket-of-leave man.
The old fellow has a furtive way
of looking about him. said Cyril, upon
whom Mr. Furlong seemed to have
made an impression,
| Il dare say. So would you have if
| You had gone through half he says -
has, remarked Jack. But about
Newall You won't leave London un-
til you have seen him ana settled
something definite? He is a slippery
customer, and is worth sticking to-
"All right" assented Cyrl, Il mean
business Jack, and will stick to his
lordsh1p like wax"
How surprised he would look if
you sent in your card-your proper
lone, mean he said.
That's a secret which I have only
shared with you, Jack"
"Confound you, yes, and I wish
you'd kept it to YOURSELF growleo
Jack. There, be off now. What with
you and that old rufflan. my morn
Iing's nearly gone"
Cyril went off laughing, and strobe
UP the Strand W. light step and a
lighter heart, thinking of his picture
and Of his sweetheart What was she
doing now? he wondered Wandering
in the park, and-and thinking of him
as he was thinking of her? Asking
herself where he had gone, and why
he had not sent her a message?
You shall not wait long, my dar-
ling!" he murmured; "a few hours
more. and he strobe on But man
proposes, and Providence disposes,
and the hours that stretched between
Norah and him were many, instead OF
few
He did not return to Winchester
street until night and Jack noted that
his step was not nearly so light as
Then he had started
Jack was eating his supper Of chops
and baked potatoes. accompanied by
bottled stout, which has a great cnarm
for such men, when Cyril entered he
room they shared in common, ana