The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-08-16
SPORTING BLOOD
BY JACK LAYTON.
Copyright 1918. by Western Newspaper Union)

the appearance of an old man en-
sconced on the rock which was her
favorite resting place.
81 beg your pardon" she said; II
thought no one was here"
The old man smilingly waved his
hand. "Well, I'm just no one at all, y
he replied, $50 make yourself COM
Portable, and don't mind me-"
Janey hesitated, but as he returned
to his absorbed contemplation of the
scenic panorama, she sank down upon
a lower rock, and was evidently soon
lost in troubled thought. A deep sigh
at last escaped her.
"OnIy the aged should sigh,' the
old man remarked pleasantly. Janey
turned to look into his shrewd eyes
beneath their grizzled white brows,
and all at once she felt an impulsive
desire to confide in the possessor OF
these same kindly sympathetic eyes.
AS though reading her scruples, the
old man bent down encouragingly.
"Well?" he asked.
The girl laughed. 'It's about Billy"
she answered, the words seeming to
say themselves.
"When a young woman sighs," her
odd companion responded, "it usually
is about Billy, or Jack or Tom! Has
he been called to warp
Janey shook her head. "Not yet"
she said. "Billy is just a little above
the age limit. That seems to be his
fault; he is always just a little out OF
everything"
"And this particular thing in which
he fails?'' the man persisted.
'I am strangely moved to tell you
all about it," Janey said slowly,
though I am sure don't know why"
'Most people are moved to tell me
things" he assured her; sometimes
I am fortunate enough to help them;
sometimes not. In this instance"
"Billy and I had decided to marry"
Janey said. "Father places an obsta-
cle.''
The old man nodded.
"My father would like me to marry
his own business partner" she said;
ga very promising young man."
"But you wouldn't like it," her COM
panion supplemented; $50 what is ia
theirs obstacle in Billy's case?"
"Oh! it's mean," the girl cried out
Indignantly, "and it's unfair! Years
ago father sold a cumbersome house
and barns on the hills to some strang-
er who agreed to carry the estate
along and make payment when ne
could. Father was glad, then, to have
the taxes taken off his hands. But the
man who bought the place went away
Che was some sort Of sporting MANI
and he left the house with caretak-
ers, the barns filled with his horses.
Then one day the estate came back
into fathers hands. The sporting
man was bankrupt, they said. He had
paid nothing on the property, and
house and barns were all out of re-
pair. They really had abused things
shockingly, so father sued for dam
ages, just enough to put the place IN
OIuCI NSoAhs OuC AhAo 4NS' y -
could get nothing. The sporting man
was clever enough always to arrange
his affairs that way, they said. And
now" .Janey threw out her hands
despairingly, "this is fathers insur-
mountable obstacle: Billy must make
good by collecting those damages.
Father knows this is impossible. And
Billy A tender smile lowered about
the girls mouth. ooh, Billy is so
confident of everything"
sI like a man who is sure Of win
Ming" the old man told her.
Janey laughed. 'That is the way
Billy was sure about me-" she con-
fided. He really is poor, you know,
and father is quite rich. Yet Billy
came boldly counting, and you see,"
her tone was wistful, "Billy won me-"
The old man nodded. eyes" he an
swered, 81 see. And what was the
name of this unscrupulous man who
purchased your fathers house to de-
stroy it?"
The girl arose. ''It was an Irish
name" she replied, GERRY Sullivan.
And perhaps he did not know how
badly the place had been used; he
was away, you know. But at any
rate" she sighed, 'nO one can collect
from Jerry Sullivan; that's his repu-
tatiOn." Her companion chuckled;
then with old-time gallantry he turned
to assist her down the cliff.
"Now if they'd sent you to hims' he
said, ''they might have had a different
story"
t'I wonder" said fancy, with part
ing handclasp,
From below she waved up to him,
then turned To run into her lovers
arms. "Just hunted you up" said
Billy, "to tell you I'm on the way TO
Sullivan's office; he's in town.
"Billy," cried the girl, twill you sue
him today?"
The young man shook his head.
Any eyes but Billy's might have
been discouraged by the shabby appear