The midland journal., 1914-06-12

| ings In the Hills; stupendous card
games; and what had become Of so
| and-so, who always drank his whisky
neat; and what's-his.name, who in
| vented cures for snake bites!
Abbott deliberately pushed over an
oak bench. Am host here or not?"
ABBY, old man. how are your" said
Courtlandt, smiling warmly and hold
| ing out his hand. MY apologies; but
| the colonel and never expected to
see each other again. And ind him
talking with you up here under this
roof. It's marvellous"
IT'S wonder you wouldn't drop a
fellow a line" said Abbott. in a fault
finding tone. as he righted the bench.
When did you conner"
Last night. Came up from Como"
Going to stay long?"
That depends. / am really on my
way to Zermatt. I've hankering to
have another try at the Matterhorn.@
Think of that!" exclaimed the
colonel HE says another try
You came roundabout way" was
the artists comment
"Oh, that's because left Paris for
Brescia. They had some good flights
there. Wonderful year! They cross
the channel in an airship and discover
i the North Pole"
"Pah! Neither will be Of any use
to humanity; merely a fine sporting
proposition" The colonel dug into his
pocket for his pipe. "But what do
| you think Of Germany"
Fine country" answered Court
landt, rising and going to a window;
fine people, too. Why?'
do you er-think they could whip
us?"
ION land, yes"
"The devil!"
sOn water, no."
Thanks. In other words, you be-
lieye our chances equal?"
SO equal that all this war-scare is
piff1e. But rather like to see you
English get up in the air occasional
". 1t will do you good. You've an
idea because you walloped Napoleon
that you're the same race you were
then, and you are not. The English
| speaking races, as the first soldiers,
have ceased to be-"
We'll, be DENT" gasped the colonel.
s'It's the truth. Take the American,
he thinks there is nothing in the world
but money. Take the Britisher, to
him caste is everything. Take the
money out Of one mans mind and the
Importance of being well-born out OF
/ hn ($I1 r. %~,,, he
window and smiled atsthe artist and
the empurpling Anglo-Indian.
Abbott" growled the soldier, that
man will some day drive me amuck.
What do you think? One night, on
tiger hunt, he got me into an argu-
ment like this. A brute of beast
| Jumped into the middle of it Court
landt shot him on the second bound,
and turned to me with-'Well, as !
was saying!' don't know to this day
whether it was nerve or what you
Americans call gall"
Divided by two," grinned Abbott.
"Ha, see; half nerve and half gall.
I'll remember that. But we were talk
ing Of airships."
Il was retorted Courtlandt. "You'
were the man who started the pow
wow" He looked down into the street
with sudden interest. who is that?"
The colonel and Abbott hurried
across the room.
What did l say, Abbott? I told
you I saw him. He's crazy; fact.
Thinks he can travel around incognito
when there isn't magazine on earth
that hasn't printed his picture.
We'll, why shouldn't he travel
around If he wants to?" asked Court
landt coolly.
The colonel nudged the artist.
There happens to be an attraction
in Bellaggio," said Abbott irritably
The moth and the candle" sup
plemented the colonel, peering over
Courtlandt's shoulder. He's well set
up" grudgingly admitted the old fel-
low.
CrO BE CONTINUED)