The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-03-08

week or two-for both of US, mean,
Of course; and when the moneys
gone-and it goes precious soon,
find--I shall have to. earn some
more"
IF you've got enough to last for a
fortnight, SIR" said Smithers encour-
agingly, you're what I should call a
capitalist. Lor' bless you. sir, I've
never had more than couple of
days to look about me in; long before
fortnight we shall turn up some
thing. The question is. sir. what's
your particular fancy?"
"You mean, what can I do?" said
Ronald, with a smile. "Well, I can
ride a bit; I am by way of being a
decent shot; I held the cue at Oxford;
won the mile race of my year; I
was also champion lightweight; but
I'm afraid there's no money in any
Of these things, Smithers," he broke
off impatiently.
ooh, yes, there is, sir,4 Smithers
assured him, with mixture of con-
f1dence and admiration. ''F0r in
stance, we could start a. circus: you
could do the high school riding-you
know, sir, gentleman in a frock
coat and a tall hat, with white gloves,
on the top of black horse walking
about on its. hind legs; and could
be the clown; I've often cast an eye
that way. Or we could run a shoot
ing-gallery; six shots a penny, with q
mugful of nuts If you hit the figger,
which you never do, cause the bar
open billiard saloon-not here, in
London, there's too many at it, but In
the country, where the flats grow; or
We might have boxing-tent at some
of the fairs. But, Of course, I'm only
chatting, sir, and I beg your pardonl
These sort of things are all very well
for the likes o. me, but q gentleman
like you couldn't stoop to them, as
the very fat gentleman said when he
dropped his halfpence. Is there any
thing else that you can think of, sir:''
I'm very much afraid there isn't.
Smithers," replied Ronald. ST seem
to have spent my life acquiring lot
of painfully useless accomplishments
ITS the way with most of u.s. re-
marked Smithers philosophically. If
I'd been taught a trade, carpentering,
plumbing-no, not plumbing, for I
come of respectable family-in-
stead of readin, writin', and 'rith-
metic, at the Board School, I shouldn' I
be where I am now, I was going to
say, sir; but, to tell you the truth, j
and comfortable in my life as I. do
at this minute"
You're a good fellow, Smithers,"
said Ronald.
THANK you, SIR" said Smithers. He
eyed Ronald's athletic figure respects
fully. i've often wished myself a
gentleman, sir, such as you; but I've
often noticed there's disadvantage
in every line Of business, as a chemist
said when he swallowed a dose OF
his own poison, which he had intend
ed for his mother-in-law. If you
wasn't a gentleman you could enlist
for a sodger; you can always turn i!
up and desert when you're tired OF
| it."
Ronald absently
I thought so, sir, from the way
you carried yourself" observed
Smithers. with increased admiration
"And I know something of sailor.
ing," said Ronald purposelessly. 81
| sailed my own yacht, and I got q
certificate"
'Why, it's the very thing, sir!" ex.
claimed Smithers brilliantly. ct wa.
sure there was something useful yor
could do, sir-begging your pardon
It's the very thing!" he repeated
| you can get a berth aboard a ship
as mate or something of the sort
| there's always an opening for steady
men like you, SIR" He hesitatet
slightly at the steady; and Ronald
| laughed as he said:
TITS not a bad idea, Smithers!"
| Eyes. sir" said Smithers. but in Z
rueful voice and with a lengthenins
of his expressive countenanco
Though don't quite see exactl,
where I come in. But don't mine
me, sir. I shall manage to stick t,
you somehow or other. I can sneal
aboard as a stowaway, or ship as ods
man. It's a capital idea, sir, and wei
set about lookin' for ship at once
/ That's all very WE'LL said Ronald
in his easy way; "but where are w,
4 to go now? You don't propose tina
we shall spend the night here, Smith
ers?'
''Well, it's biggish room, and tn,
decorations amt bad" observed
Smithers, glancing round him criti
cally. "But the situations a bit to,
airy, not to say public, for a gentle
man like you, sir" He pondered TO
| a moment, then he looked up, aler
and cheerful, as if something ha,
occurred to him. 'I've just remem
bered little place. a kind of board