The Spectator., 1914-10-30

em, hunters OI WOmeu- Courtlandt laughed and stepped to the middle of the court. Harrigan did | not waste any time. He sent in . | straight jab to the jaw, but Court landt blocked 1t neatly and countered 1 with a hard one on Harrigan's ear, l which began to swell "Fine!" growled Harrigan. You know something about the game, It won't be as if was walloping a baby" | He sent left to the body, but the right failed to reach his man.
 For some time Harrigan jabbed and 1 swung and uppercut; often he reached his opponents body, but never his | face. It worried him a little to find that he could not stir Courtlandt more than two or three feet. Courtlandt never followed up any advantage, thus making Harrigan force the fighting, which was rather to his liking. But l presently it began to enter his mind 1 convincingly that apart from the in itial blow, the younger man was work ing wholly on the defensive. As if he were afraid he might hurt him. This served to make the old fellow furious He bored in right and left, left and right. and Courtlandt gave way, step l by step until he was so close to the line that he could see it from the cor ner of his eye. This glance, swift as 1t was. came near to being his undo ing. Harrigan caught him with ter rtble right on the jaw. It was glanc- ing blow. otherwise the fight would have ended then and there. Instantly he lurched forward and clinched be- fore the other could add the finishing | touch.
 The two pushed about, Harrigan fercely striving to break the younger mans hold He was beginning to breathe hard besides. A little longer. and his blows would lack the proper steam. Finally Courtlandt broke away of his own accord. His head buzzed a little. but aside from that he had recovered. Harrigan pursued his tao tics and rushed But this time there was an offensive return. Courtlandt became the aggressor. There was no withstanding him. And Harrigan fairly saw the end but with that in- domitable pluck which had made him famous in the annals of the ring. he kept banging away. The swift. cruel jabs here and there upon his body began to tell. Oh. for a minutes rest and piece of lemon on his parched tongue. Suddenly Courtlandt rushed him tigerishly, landing a jab which closed Harrigan's right eye. Court landt dropped his hands, and stepped back. His glance travelled suggest lively to Harrigan's feet He was out. side the ropes"
 T beg your pardon. MT. Harrigan. for losing my temper"
 Whats the odds? lost mine. You win" Harrigan was a true sportsman. He had no excuses to offer. He had dug the pit of humiliation with his own hands He recognized this as one of two facts. The other was, that had Courtlandt extended himself. the battle would have lasted about one minute. It was gall and wormwood. but there you were.
 And now, you ask for explanations. Ask your daughter to make them" Courtlandt pulled of the gloves and
 
 sir. that shall never trouble her again with my unwelcome attentions. leave for Milan in the morning." Courtlandt left the field of victory without further comment
 Well, what do you think of that!" unused Harrigan, as he stopped over to gather up the gloves. Any one would say that he was the injured party. I'm in wrong on this deal somewhere. I'll ask Miss Nora Ques- ton or two"
 It was not so easy returning. He ran into his wife. He tried to dodge her, but without success.
 James. where did you get that black eye!" tragically.
 Its a daisy aint it, Molly?" push. ing past her into Nora's room and clos. ing the door after him.
 Father"
 That you. Nora?" blinking.
 Father. if you have been fighting with him, I'll never forgive you"
 Forget 1t. Nora. 1 wasn't fighting. l only thought l was"
 He raised the lid of the trunk and cast In the gloves haphazard. And then he saw the paper which had fallen out. He picked up and squint, ed at 1t. for he could not see very we'll Nora was leaving the room in a temper.
 Going. Nora!"
 "I am. And I advise you to have your dinner in your room"
 Alone. he turned on the light II never occurred to him that he might be prying into some of Nora's private spondence. He unfolded the parchment and held 1t under the light For long time he stared at the writ ing, which was in English. at the date at the names. Then he quietly refold ed it and put 1t away for future use immediate future use.