The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1921-11-18

I Captain Magnus, now-he was quite
Miss Brownies own find. assure you.
And as TO old II. H-Tubbs, you know
Miss Browne met up with him on the
boat coming down. The rum old chap
got on her soft side somehow, and nrst
thing she had appointed him secre-
tary and treasurer-as though we
We're a meeting Of something. Shaw
was quite a bit upset about II. l say,
Miss Harding, you're bound to like
Shaw no end when you know him
he's such wonderfully clever chapT
! had no wish to blight his faith In
the superlative Mr. Shaw, and said
nothing. This evidently panied him,
and he continued TO sound the praises
of his idol. II seemed that as
soon as Miss Browne had begulled
Aunt Jane into financing her scheme
"a feat equivalent to robbing an in
fant-class scholar OF his Sunday school
nickel-she had cast about for
worthy leader for the Forthcoming
Harding-Browne expedition. All the
winds OF fame were bearing abroad
just then the name OF certain young
explorer who had lately added anoth-
er continent or two to the British EN-
pire. Linked with. his were other
names, those of fellow adventures,
which shone only less brightly than
that OF their chief. One Dugald Shaw
had been among the great mans most
trusted lieutenants, but now, on. the
organization of the second expedition,
he was left behind In London, only
half recovered of a wound received
In the Antarctic. His old companions
had taken again the path Of glory, and
were far on their way back to the Ice
fields Of the South pole. Only Dugald
Shaw was left behind.
"And So" the even voice flowed on,
when l ran on to him In London he
was feeling fearfully low, do assure
you. A chap of his sort naturally
hates to think he's on the shelf.
swell, old Shaw was fancying there
was nothing for 1t but to go back to
his place with the p. & o., which
seemed bit fiat after what he'd been
having, and meant he would never get
beyond being the captain of liner.
and not that for a good many years
to come, when cable came from this
Miss Higglesby-Browne offering him
command Of this expedition. As
neither of us had ever heard of Miss
Higglesby- Browne. we were bit
tioored for time. But Shaw smoked
a pipe on 1t, and then he said, Old
chap II they will give me my figure,
I'm their man. And said, Quite so,
old chap, and Ill go along. too
Il had to argue quite bit but in
the end the dear old boy LET me come
after wiring the pater and what not. |
And do assure you. Miss Harding.
II strikes me as no end Of lark-be-
sides expecting 1t to put old Shaw on
his feet and give US hatfuls OF money
all round"
Well, II was a plausible story. and |
had no doubt. so far as the Honorable |
Cuthbert vas concerned, an absolute,
ly truthful one. The beautiful youth |
was manifestly as guiIeless as q small |
boy playing pirate with a wooden
sword. But as to Mr.. Shaw, who
could tell that 1t hadn't after all been
a trumped-up affair between Miss
Browne and him-that his surprise
at the message was not assumed to
throw dust In the eyes of his young
and trusting friend? So great was
my faith In Aunt Jahe's gullIbiIIty,
so dark my distrust of Miss Browne,
that all connected with the enterprise
lay under the clond of my suspicion.
Mr.. Shaw. after even casual glimpse
Of him. one couldn't picture as a victim
l felt that he must have gone into the
enterprise with his eyes wide open
to its absurdity. and fully aware that
the only gold to be won by anybody
must come out Of the pocket OF Aunt
Jane.
As these reflections passed through
my mind | looked up and saw. the
subject of them approaching. He lift
ed his helmet. but met my eyes I'M
smilingly. with q sort Of sober scru-
tiny. He had the tanned skin Of q
sailor. and brown hair cropped close
and showing trace Of gray. This
and . certain dour grim look he had
iaade me az first consider him quite
middle-aged, though knew later that
he was not yet thirty-five. As to the
grimness. perhaps. unwillIngly con-
ceded. part Of 1t was due TO q scar
which scanned the right temple 10 the
eyebrow. In straight Iivid line
he was welcomed by MIR. vane with
Joyous hump On the shoulder-blade.
7 say. old man. Miss Harding has
turned out TO be the most fearful
doubling Thomas-thinks the whole
scheme quite mad and all that sort Of
thing"