The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-02-23
Question Followed Question, Compli'
msnt Capped Compliment.

Question Followed Question, CompIi-
nent Capped Compliment.
urged the man of the world with the
warmth Of q lad. Come back TO Eng
land and
But the hand he had detained was
wrenched from his, and in the pink
sunset sifted through the pines. Stin-
garee vaulted into his saddle with an
oath.
with price on my skin" he cried.
and galloped from the gully with bit
ter laugh
And I'm the moonlight sure enough
came bObbing hOrsemen. with hutter-
ing pugarees and short TUNES with sill
yer buttons. but they saw nothing of
the missing passenger. who had car
ried the bags some distance down the
road, and had found them quite com
Portable couch in q certain box clump
commanding a sufficient view of the
road. Nevertheless. when the little
coach came swaying on its leathern
springs, its scarlet enamel stained
black as ink in the moOnshine. be was
ON the spot 10 stop 1t with uplifted
arms.
Don't shootr' he cried. I'm the
passenger you put down this after
noon" And the driver nearly tumbled
from his perch.
What about my mail bags:' he re-
covered himself enough to ask. for it
was perfectly plain that the preten-
tiOusly intrepid passenger had been
skulking all day in the scrub. scared
by the terrors Of the road
They're in that clump." replied Mr..
Kentish. "And you can get them your
self or send some one else for them,
for I've carried them far enough"
THAT be blOwed for yarn" cried
the driver, forgetting his benefits in
the virtuous Indignation of the mo-
ment
81 don't wonder at your thinking it
one" returned the other mildly. for |
never had such absolute luck I'm all my
llfe."
And he went on to amplify his first
lie like a man.
Meanwhile a great crowd gathered
about Kentish. He seemed like man
from another world There were so
many questions hurled at him that at
first he refused point blank TO answer
any of them. There was movement
on the part of the crowd to carry him
on their shoulders, which he quickly
checked. He actually had to fight his
way through the crowd. The crowd,
finally noting his evident embarrass-
ment, fell back.
But when the bags were really back
In the coach, piled roof high on those
Of the downward mail, then 1t was
worse fun for Guy Kentish outside
than even he had anticipated. Cues
ton followed question, compliment cap
ped compliment. and a certain I'M
steady undercurrent of incredibly by
no means lessened his embarrassment.
Had he but told the truth he felt he
could have borne the praise. and in
deed enjoyed 1t, for he had done far
better than anybody was likely TO sup
pose, and already IT was irritating to
have to keep that circumstance a Sc
cret. Yet one thing he was able to
say from his soul before the coach
drew up at the next stage.
you should have a spell here" the
driver had suggested. "and let me pick
you up again on my way back You'd
soon lay hands on the bird himself If
you can put salt on his tail as you've
done. And no one else can. We want
a few more chums like you"
II dare say!"
And the new chum's tone bore It's
own significance
"YOu don't mean" cried the driver,
ito go and tell me you'll hurry home
after this?"
"Only by the first steamer" said
Guy Kentish.
And he kept that word as well
(The End