The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-02-11


tleman whose brilliant black hair and
glowing pink complexion rendered him
a 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 valets
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 attachments 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
ise, an expert mechanician, a con-
noisseur of armor plate and explosives
in 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
a 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 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
l should be to say it instead of proud
as I 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 them's woman, and the
second is man. To make a friend of
a man you must lower your guard Or
dinarily 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 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 OF 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
take the lonesome road and
stick to the middle of it, He travels
the fastest who travels alone is a
true saying, but It's only half the
truth: he travels the farthest into the
bargain. Yet the lonesome road has
its drawbacks, lad-it's damned
lonely!"
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.