The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-03-18
CHAPTER Xxx.
The Touch of Dishonor.

cherries luncheon When GllleSple was
announced. He lounged into the din
ing room, drew his chair to the table
and covered a biscuit with camembert
with his usual inscrutable air.
Il think it is better" he said delio-
eratingly, ito be an ass than fool.
Have you any views on the subject?'
None, my, dear Buttons. | have
been called both by shrewd men
so have |, If the worst were known,
and they offered proof. All, more and
more | see that we were born for each
other, Donovan. | was once so i'm
pressed with the notion that to be q
fool was to be distinguished that !
conceived the idea Of forming a Noble
Order Of Serene and Incurable Fools.
| elected myself the grand and most
worthy, master feeling safe from COM
petition. News of the matter having
gone forth, many persons of the high
est standing wrote to me, recommend
ing their friends for membership. My
correspondence soon engaged three
-ypewriters, and l was obliged to get
the post-ofice department to help me
break. the chain. A few humble souls
applied on their own hook for consid-
Grafton. These l elected and placed in
the first class. You would be sur
prised to know how many people who
are chronic joiners wrote in absent
mindedly for application blanks, fear
ing to be left out Of good thing.
United States senators were rather
common on the list, and there were
three governors a bishop wrote to
propose brother bishop, of whose
merits he spoke in the warmest terms.
Many newspapers declared that the
society filled long-felt want l re-
ceived invitations to speak on the
uses and benefits of the order from
many learned bodies. The thing began
to bore me, and when my official sta
tionery was exhausted | issued fare
we'll address to my troops and dis
solved the society. But it's a great
qualification to me, my dear Donovan,
that We quit with waiting list
There are times, Buttons, when you
cease to divert me. I'm likely to be
very busy for few days. Just what
can l do for you this afternoon"
Look here, old man, you're not
angry"
No; I'm rarely angry; but I'm often
bored"
Then your brutal insinuation shall
not go unrewarded. Let me proceed.
But first, how are your ribs?"
Sore and trifle stiff, but I'm com.
Portable, thanks"
LAS l understand matters, Irishman,
there is no real difference between you
and me except in the matter of a Ger
tain lady. Otherwise we might COM
bine our forces in the interest of these
unhappy Holbrooks."
You are quite right. You came
here to say something; go on and be
done with it,
He deity covered another biscuit
with the cheese, of whose antiquity he
complained sadly.
Il say, Donovan, between old SOL
der friends, what were you doing up
there on the creek last night?"
Studying the landscape effects by
starlight. It's a habit of mine Your
own presence there might need &C.
counting for, If you don't mind"
Il will be square about it. | met
Helen quite accidentally as I left this
house, and she wanted to see her ia
Their. l took her over there, and we
found Henry. He was up to some
mischief-you may know what it was.
something had gone wrong with him.
and he was in all kinds of bad hui
NOR Unfortunately, you got the bene.
tit of some of it."
1 will supply you a link in the
nights affairs. Henry had been to see
his brother Arthur.
Glllespie's face fell, and | saw that
ne was greatly surprised.
"Humph! Helen didn't tell me that"
The reason Henry came here was
to look for his brother. That's how he
reached this place ahead Of Miss Pat
and Helen. And have learned some
thing-it makes no difference how, but
1t was not from the ladies at st. Aga
tha's-I learned last night that the
key OF this whole situation is in your
own hands, Gillespie. Your father was
swindled by the Holbrooks; which
Holbrook?"
(To BE CoNTINUED.)