The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-10-24
CHAPTER II.
An AHabIe Rogue

him; but their clamor broke against
composure as effective as granite. The
roar was almost directly succeeded by
low gurgle, as Of little waves reced-
ing. The proposed victim had not
spoken a word; to the Arabs 1t was
not necessary; in some manner, subtle
and indescribable, they recognized a
brother. He carried long, cylindri-
cal bundle wrapped in heavy paper
Variously secured by windings Of thick
twine. His regard for this bundle was
one Of tender solicitude, for he tucked
1t under his arm, cumbersome though
1t was, and waved aside the carriage
porter, who was, however, permitted
to carry In the kit-bag
The manager appeared. When comes
he not upon the scene? His quick,
calculating eye was not wholly as.
sured. The strangers homespun was
travel-worn and time-worn, and of a
cut popular to the season gone the
year before. No fat letter Of credit
here, was the not unreasonable conclu-
sion reached by the manager. Still,
with that caution acquired by years
Of experience, which had eliminated
In what is known as Swiss diplomacy,
he brought into being the accustomed
salutatory smile and inquired If the
gentleman had written ahead for res.
ervadon, otherwise it would not be
possible to accommodate him.
Il telegraphed," crisply.
THE name, If you please"
"Ryanne; spelled R-y-a double-n e.
Have you ever been in County Clare?"
NO, sir" The manager added a
question with the uplift Of his eye
brows.
Well" was the enlightening an
swer, you pronounce 1t as they do
there"
The manager scanned the little slip
of paper in his hand "Ah, yes; we
have reserved a room for you, sir.
The French style rather confused me-"
This was not offered in irony, or sar-
casm, or satire; mining IN a Swiss
brain for the saving grace of humor
is about as remunerative as the ex-
traction Of gold from sea-water New.
ertheless, the Swiss has the talent of
swiftly subtracting from a confusion
Of ideas one point of Illumination
there was a quality to the strangers 8
tone that decided him favorably. 1t
was the voice Of a man in the habit
of being obeyed; and in these days it
was the power Of money alone that
tn D.
yond this, the same nebulous cogita,
ton that had subdued the Arabs out,
side acted likewise upon him. Here
was a brother.
"Mail?"
Il will see, sir" The manager sum.
moned a porter. Room 20S"
The porter caught up the somewhat
collapsed dt-bag, which had in all evi
dcnce received some rough usage in
lis time, and reached toward the roll
Mr. Ryanne interposed
Il will see to that, my man." terse
ly.
YES, sir"
Where is your guest,list?" de
manded Mr.. Ryanne of the manager
The head-porter's bureau, sir.
will see if you have any mail" The
manager passed into his own bureau
1t was rather difficult to tell whether
this man was an American or an Eng
lishman. His accent was western, bu
his manner was decidedly British. A
any rate, that tone and carriage mus
be Fashioned by good English sover
eigns, or for once his judgment wal
at fault.
The porter dashed upstairs. Mr.
Ryanne, his bundle still snug unde
his arm, sauntered over to the head
porters bureau and ran his glance III
and down the columns of VISITING
cards. Once he nodded with approval
and again he smiled, having dlscoy
cred that which sent a ripple acros
his sleeping sense Of amusement. Ma
Jor Callahan, room 2O6; Fortune Ched
soye, POS; George p. A. Jones, 21O,
HIN! the Major smells of Count
Antrim and the finest whisky in al
the isle. Fortune Chedsoye; that is
pleasing name; tinkling brooks. tn
waving green grasses in the meaC
ows, the kline in the water the fee
ing shadows under the oaks: a ma,
toral, bucolic name. To claim Fo
tune for mine own; happy thought
AS he uttered these poesy expre
sions aloud in voice low and not II,
pleasing, for all that it was bante
ing, the head-porter stared at him wit
mingling doubt and alarm; and as
to pronounce these emotions mute]
for the benefit of the other. he ne
mitted his eyes to open their wides
Tut, tut; that's all right, porter.
am cursed with the habit of speakip
my inmost thoughts. Some person
are afflicted with insomnia; some ia
asleep in church; think orally. Beas
ly habit, eh?"
The porter then understood that l
was dealing not with a species
mild lunacy, but with that kind
light-hearted cynicism upon whic
the world (as porters know it, had S
its approving seal. In brief, he smil,
family; and If he had any pleasant
to pass in turn, the approach of Il
manager, now clothed metaphorical
in deferentialism, relegated it
the limbo Of things thought but lie
unsaid.
Here is letter for you, Mr.. r
anne. Have you any more luggage
mo" Mr.. Ryanne smiled. ''Shs
pay for my, room in advanced"
"Oh, no, sir!" Ten years ago t
manager would have blushed at hs