Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-12-04

would. And after a mutual health,
George automatically excused himself,
retired, buoyant and happy. How sim
pie the affair had been! A fellow
could do anything if only he set his
mind to it. Tomorrow he would meet
Fortune Chedsoye, and may Beelzebub
shrive him if he could not manage to
control his recalcitrant tongue.
AS he passed out of sight, Major
Callahan smiled. 1t was that old ia
miliar smile which, charged with gen
tie mockery, We send after departing
fools. 1t was plain that he needed
another peg to keep company with the
first, for he rose and gracefully wend-
ed his way downstairs to the bar. Two
men were already leaning against the
friendly, inviting mahogany. There
was magnum Of champagne stand
ing between their glasses. The Major
ordered a temperate whisky and soda,
drank it, frowned at the magnum, paid
the reckoning, and went back upstairs
again.
Don't remember old friends, eh?"
said the shorter of the two men,
caressing his incarnadined proboscis.
GA smile wouldn't have hurt him any,
do you Think"
"Shut up!" admonished Ryanne.
''You know the orders; no recognition
on the public floors"
''Why, meant no HARM" the other
protested. He took a swallow of wine.
Dat och, I
thousand miles fraSn old Broadway,
and still walking blind. When is the
show to start?"
''Not so loud, old boy. You've got to
have patience. You've had some good
pickings for the past three months,
in the smoke-rooms. That ought to
soothe you
"Well, it doesn't. Here come from
New York, three months ago, with a
wad of money for you and great
game in sight. 1t takes a week to find
you, and when l do Well, you
know. No sooner are you awake, thar
what? Off you go to Bagdad, on the
widest goose-chase a man ever heard
of. And that leaves me with nothing
to do and nobody to talk to. / could
have cried yesterday when l got your
letter saying you'd be in today"
well, I got it."
''The rug?"
eyes. 1t was wild; but after what
I'd been through 1 needed something
wild to steady my nerves; some big
danger, where I'd simply have to get
together"
: and you got it?" There was frank
wonder and admiration in the pursy
gentleman's eyes. "All alone, and you
got it? Honest?"
Honest. They nearly had my hide,
though"
Where is it?"
Sold"
"Who?"
"Percival."
Horace, you're a wonder, If there
ever was one. Sold it to Percival!
You couldn't beat that in thousand
years. You're great man."
praise from Sir Hubert"
Who's he?"
An authority on several matters"
How much did he give you for it ?"
"Tut, tut! 1t was all my own little
jaunt, Wallace. 1 should hate to lie
to you about it."
What about the stake I gave you?"
Ryanne made a sign Of dealing
cards.
Threw it away on a lot of dubs,
after all I've taught you'll
Cards aren't my forte''
There's yellow streak in your
hide, somewhere, Horace"
There is, but it is the tigers stripe,
my friend. What did with my money
is my own business"
'eWilI she allow for that?"
would it matter one way or the
other?"
mo, don't suppose it would. Some
times 1 think you're with us as a huge
joke. You don't take the game seri-
Gus enough" Wallace emptied his
glass and tipped the bottle carefully.
''YOI1'ro ont of yOur class. somehow"