The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-08-08
CHAPTER Xxx.
The Touch of OjShonor,


I was meditatlng my course over a
cherries luncheon when Gillespie 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 DELHI
eratingly, ITO be an ass than a fool.
Have you any views ON the subject?"
None, my dear Buttons. l have
been called both by shrewd men,"
so have 1, If the worst were known,
and they offered proof! All, more and
more l see that we were born for each
other, Donovan. l was once so i'm
pressed with the notion that to be a
fool was to be distinguished that !
conceived the idea of forming Noble
Order of Serene and Incurable Fools.
l 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
typewriters, and l was obliged to get
the post-ofi1ce department to help me
break the chain. A few humble souls
/ applied on their own hook for consid
Grafton. These 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 we're rather
common on the list, and there were
three governors; a bishop wrote to
propose a brother bishop, of whose
merits he spoke in the warmest terms.
Many newspapers declared that the
society filled a long-felt want. 1 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 l 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 a 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 do for you this afternoon"
Look here, old man, you're not
angry"
NO; I'm rarely angry; but I'm Otter
bored.'
Then your brutal insinuation shall
not go unrewarded. Let me proceed
But first, how are your ribs?"
"Sore and a trife stiff, but I'm com
Portable, thanks"
LAS I understand matters, Irishman
there is no real difference between yot
and me except in the matter of 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 b
done with it,
, He deity covered another biscui
with the cheese, of whose antiquity b
J complained sadly.
Il say, Donovan, between old sol
der friends, what we're you doing VI
there on the creek last night?"
| Studying the landscape effects b.
! starlight It's a habit OF mine You
own presence there might need &C
! counting for. if you don't mind"
Il will be square about it. l me
) Helen quite accidentally as 1 left thi
house, and she wanted to see her ia
, Their. l took her over there, and W
found Henry. He was up to som
mischief-you may know what 1t was
Something had gone wronge with him
, and he was in all kinds of a bad hi
NOR. Unfortunately, you got the bene
, fit of some of it,
II will supply you link In tn
nights affairs. Henry had been to Sc
his brother Arthur.
Gillespie's face fell, and saw tina
> he was greatly surprised.
"Humph, Helen didn't tell me that.
The reason Henry came here wa
> IT, look for his brother. That's how h
reached this place ahead of Miss Pa
and Helen. And l have learned som,
thing-it makes no difference how br
: il was not from the ladies at st. Ag,
thas-I learned last night that tn
key of this whole situation is in you
, own hands. Gillespie. Your father wa
. swindled by the Holbrooks; whic
Holbrook?"
u CTO BE CONTINUED