Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-01-26
COPYRIOHT
I'll BOBBS-AERRiiL
COMPANY

: Captain Afagnus. now-he was quit.
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 char
got on her soft side somehow. and frs
Thing she had appointed him secre
fary and treasurer-as though we
were a meeting OF something. Shaw
was quite n bit upset about II. / say
Miss Harding. you're bound to like
shaw no end when you know him
he's such a wonderfully clever chap ~
| had no wish to blight his faith In
the superlatiye Mr.. Shaw, and said
nothing. This evidently panied him,
and he continued to sound the praises
Of his idol. IL seemed that as
sOon as Miss Browne had beguiled
Aunt Jane into financing her scheme
"a feat equivalent to r0bbing an in
fant-class scholar OF his Sunday school
nickei-she had cast about for n
worthy leader for the forthcoming
HarVifng- Browne expedition. Att the
winds OF fame were bearing abroad
just then the name or a 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 ] 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.
We'll. old Shaw was f~ancying there
was nothing for II but to go back 10
his place With the z. K o., which
seemed a bit fiat after what he'd been
hAA Observation-Disclosures it AOutu ltNtf Etl |
beyond being the captain Of a liner,
and not that for a good many years
10 come. when a cable came from this t
Miss Higglesby- Browne offering him
command Of this expedition. As
neither OF us had ever heard of Miss
Higglesby- Browne. we We're "A bit
iioored for n time. But Shaw smoked
a pipe on 1t. and then he said. old
chap, If they will give me my figure,
I'm their man. And / said. Quite so,
old chap. and I'll go along. too.
Il had to argue quite a 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, I
strikes me as no end of a lark-be
sides expecting it TO put old Shaw on
feet and give US hatfuls Of money
all round
Well, II was a plausible story, and ]
had no doubt. 80 far as the Honorable
.uthbert was concerned, an absolute
ly truthful one. The beautiful youth
manifestly as guileless as a small
boy playing pirate with a wooden
But as to Mr.. Shaw. who
a trumped-up affair between Miss
Browne and him-that his surprise
1T the message was not assumed to
throw dust In the eyes of his young
and trusting friend? SO great was
my faith In Aunt James g~ullibiiity,
- "A orE tnp liusrruk 90 Affc. n~Hrr.
hat all connected with the enterprise
under the cloud OF my suspicion.
Mr.. Shaw. after ever a casual glimpse
him, n couldn't picture as a victim
felt that he must have gone Int the
enterprise with his yes wide open
he only gold to be won by anybody
ON out OF the pocket OF Aunt
AS these reflections passed through
my mind / looked up and saw the
of them approaching. He lift
ID his helmet. but met my eyes un
'milingly. with a sort of sober scru
lny. He had the tanned skin of q
aud brown hair cropped close (
showing a trace of gray. This
md a certain dour grim look he had !
made me at first consider him quite !
niddle-aged. though | knew later that ,
he was not yet ~thirty-ive. AS to the [
yrimness. perhaps, l unwiilingly con
,eded. part of II was due TO a scar
which scanned the right temple to the
eyebrow, In q straight iivId line. I
He was welcomed by Mr.. vane with I
joyous thump on the shoulder blade 7
say. old man, Miss Harding has I
urned out to be the fearful !
ioubling Thomas-thinks the whole q
quite mad and all that sort Of
hing .