The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-02-12


! tleman whose brilliant black hair and
| glowing pink complexion rendered him
bit too conspicuous for his own com
fort, but also. in the second cabin. his
valet, a boy of sixteen who looked
eighteen
The gentIeman's name on the pas
senger list didn't, OF course. in the
least resemble Bourke. His Wallets
was given as Michael Lanyard.
The origin of this name is obscure;
Michael, being easily corrupted into
good Irish Mickey, may safely be at
tributed to Bourke; Lanyard has a
tang of the sea which suggests a rem
iniscence of some sea tale priced by
the pseudo Marcel Troyon.
In New York began the second stage
in the education of a professional
criminal The boy would have
searched far to find a preceptor OF
more sound attainments than Bourke
1t is, however, only fair to say that
Bourke would have looked far for an
apter pupil.
Under his tutelage Michael Ian
yard learned many things; he became
a mathematician OF considerable prom
Use. an expert mechanician. a con-
noisseur of armor plate and explosives
N their more pacific applications. and
he learned to grade precious stones
with a glance. Also. because Bourke
was born of gentlefolk, he learned to
speak English and what clothes to
wear and when to wear them, as well
as the cultivated use Of knife and
fork at table; and because Bourke was
diplomatist doomed to blush unseen,
he acquired the knack of being at ease
| in every grade Of society-he came to
know that a self-made millionaire,
taken the right way, is as approach
able as one whose millions date back
even unto the third generation; he
could order a dinner at Sherry's as
readily as drinks at Sharkey's- Most
valuable accomplishment of all, he
learned to laugh.
By way Of by-products he picked up
a working acquaintance with Ameri-
can, English and German slang
French slang he already knew as a
mother tongue - considerable geo.
graphical knowledge of the capitals of
Europe, America and Illinois. a taste
that Disseminated between tobacco
and the stuff sold as such in France,
and a genuine passion for fine paint
ings.
Finally Bourke drilled into his ap-
prentice the three cardinal principles
Of successful cracksmanship-to know
his ground thoroughly before ventur-
ing upon it; to strike and retreat with
the swift precision of a hawk; to
be friendless.
And the last of these was the great
est.
You're a promising lad he said
so often that Lanyard would almost
vince from that formula of introduc
tion-"a promising lad, though it's sad
should be to say it instead of proud
as am. For I've made ye-but for
me you'd long since have matricu.
lated at La Tour Pointue and gradu
ated with the canaille of the Sante
And in time you may become a first
chop operator, which I'm not and
never will be; but if you do. twill be
through fighting shy of two things
The first of then's woman. and the
second is man. To make a friend OF
a man you must lower your guard. Or
dinarfIy tbs fatal As for woman. re-
member this, m lad: to let love into
your life you must open a door no
mortal hand can close. And God only
knows whatH follow in.
IF ever you find you've fallen In
love and can't fall out, cut the game
on the instant, or you'll end wearing
stripes or broad arrows-the same as
myself would. If this cursed cough
wasn't going to be the death of me
No, m lad: take FOOLS advice you'll
never get betterl and when you're
shet of me, which will be soon. I'm
thinking. take the lonesome road and
stick to the middle Of it He travels
the fastest who travels alone is q
true saying, but tbs only half the
truth: he travels the farthest into the
bargain. Yet the lonesome road has
it's drawbacks, lad-it's damned
lonely!"
Bourke died in Switzerland of con
sumption, in the winter of 191o-Lan
yard at his side till the end
Then the boy set his face against
the world-alone, lonely and remem
bering.
NuA1TER N