River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-01-13


] tleman whose brilliant black hair and
glowing pink complexion rendered him
2 bit too conspicuous for his own COM
| fort, but also, in the second cabin, his
valet a boy of sixteen who looked
| eighteen
The gentleman'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
| 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.
It 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
mathematician Of considerable prom
Use, an expert mechanician, con
noisseur Of armor plate and explosives
in their more pacific application 5, and
he learned to grade precious stones
with @ glance. Also, because B0urke
was born Of gentlefolk, he learned to
speak English and what clothes to
wear and when to wear them, as we'll
as the cultivated use of knife and
fork at table; and because Bourke was
a diplomatist doomed to blush unseen,
he acquired the knacll OF being at ease
in every grade of socie ty-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
working acquaintance with Aneri-
can, English and German slang
French slang he already knew as
mother tongue - considerable geo
graphical knowledge Of the capitals Of
Europe, America and Illinois, 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 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 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 them's woman, and the
second is man. To make a friend of
a man you must lower your guard. Or
dinarily It's 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 whatll 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 better) 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 It's only half the |
truth: he travels the farthest into the |
bargain Yet the lonesome road has |
it's drawbacks, lad-it's damned |
lone1y!"
Bourke died in Switzerland Of con-
sumption, in the winter of 1910-Lan-
yard at his side till the end.
Then the boy set his face against
the world-alone, lonely and remem-
bering.
ruAD-Ep "a