Once Aboard the Lugger-- The History of George and his Mary

Shunamite In

ir, citoyen," ere she drove her knife. This was no cloak to hide her purpose. We are so much creatures of convention that the man who sets

sperately he had hoodwinked this Bill, had upon a fool's errand pack

d. "How on earth did

st of reproach; th

eorge to Mary he glanced, there were the lines of

Bill replied. "Met that man Franklyn, an

e asked. "You met her, of course, at my uncle's while-while"-this was dangerous

ised." The creases of amusement beca

d. "Um! Quite so

on these people; each sat upon the

been to Herons' Holt,

y. Yester

day, so to speak. Um!

ui

George, his right boot in a patch of sunlight, earnestly was watchi

this fearful silence. Upon a timid little s

ite. A little bit-" He chec

etched, hands clasped, "Oh, Mr. Wyvern!" she cried. "You're not angry wi

" Bill declared. "Not a bit. I've co

buck!" he cried. "Good old Bill! I'm awfully sorry, Bi

tunner," M

ip. When they released, "I say, George, you are an ass, you know,

gnation seized him. "It was a scandalous bit of work, Bill. 'Pon my soul it's simply shameful that a newspaper can go and interfere in a purely private matter like that. Yes, it is, Mary. Don't you interrupt. Bill understands. I do

ot gri

you can afford to grin. What was agony to me was hot stuff for you. I expect you'v

didn't I? I found the rotten cat, didn't I? I wasn't made a fool of for two

ersonal sorrows. "Oh, I say,

I haven't-as it turns out. But I might have-if it wasn't for-" He paused a mome

Mr. Marrapit had made should Bill find the cat. Now Mary was filled with sympathy. "Oh, Mr. Wyvern!" she cried, "

und George, didn't see him, and came back to Herons' Holt. I saw old Marrapit for about two minutes in the hall. He foamed at me all about George, foamed out that I was one of George's

y: "I know what y

"I've won her! According to the bargain old Marrapit made with me, I've won her. If it had not been for me you wouldn't have taken t

is. You rotted my show all

these two young men. In silence, in

urriedly from the despair there stamped; set

said. "You've lost the money you wanted, but you've got you

ed to his Mary; sat upon the arm of he

earful hole. We haven't got a sou, and I've got no work. You're doing we

ve lunch with me and tell me just how you're fixed. If a small loan will do you any good I'm certain my guv'nor will stand it. He likes you a

? Thank goodness, I'm not the obj

ve seen the Daily this

en the inferna

rather funny, you know," he went on. "Look her

paper fell to the ground

at lay there, disturbed, walked f

I

with a finger that shook he pointed at it; turned his h

tter little laugh. "I suppose it

s Mary gave, "I suppo

Bill looked, suspicion

rom George to Mary; again stared at the splendid orange form.

l smile. "Bill, you old duffer, you

re Bill spoke. "George, is

? What a

impatient gesture. He called

l the fine creatu

e broke out. "Is t

y cat! You know thunderi

Mr. Wyvern," Mary t

y in this young man's eyes as r

orge. "George, you've

earth's the matter wit

ed his face. "I ask you point-blank," he sa

old ass? Stole it! D'you suppose I'll ever touch a cat again? That's the infernal cat

a fair licker." Enormously this staggered man swelled as he inhaled a tremendous breath; upon a vast sigh he let it go. "That cat-"

I

k her George's hand. "Oh, Mr. Wyvern!" she cried, "whatever is it? Have

the Daily. George, give me a cigarette. I

pread it upon the table; opened it. "Oh, George!" she cried. "

R CAT

ING

HOWARD'S

HILE BAC

LY"

S FOR OUR

and nudged as with bulging eyes they read the crisp, tel

apit's famous cat, the Rose of Sharon-concerning the recovery of which all hope had now been a

in," Daily readers need not be reminded, was to start in the Daily as a feuill

tion to this valuable pet. Scarcely a portrait of Mr. Howard

sat upon his table while every single word of the manuscript of "Amy Martin" was penned. He had admitted that she was his mascot.

f his widowed mother in Sussex Gardens. Nightly at nine it had been his custom to stroll round the gardens before settling down for three h

y have walked a little slower than usual as he was pondering deeply over his final revise of the proof of "Amy Marti

en deliberately stolen by someone well acquainted with Mr. Howard's nightly promenade; pointed out that this second outrage showed that no one

LY"

ose tongues Mr. Howard's novels had been translated, offered 500 pounds to the person who would return, or secure the return of, Abishag the Shun

ed, by means of dotted lines, (A) Route taken by Mr. Vivian Howard; (

t had achieved a

V

lifted simultaneously from the paper

made his voice husky. "Bill," he asked, "do you belie

had named "licker." "Look at the description," he said. "Look at the cat. It kno

the sofa; his though

pretty head; trembled her voice. "Oh, Mr. Wyvern!" she

Bill told her. "I

George's side; to hi

d slowly: "Mrs. Major must have stolen this cat, George. But

, Mr. Wyvern, she went up to

seen this cat before, knew it was like the Rose, and meant to have palmed it off on old Marrapit herself so as to get him to take her back. Margaret told me al

he had been building: "Bill, wher

good old buck, don't you see?-don't you re

t with a violent jerk; clasp

om his Mary, face squashed a

ary suddenly paled: "Oh, but you

I couldn't have the reward, anyway. I'm one of the s

e this is twice as big a splash, because Vivian Howard's mixed up in it. Look what a boost it is for our new serial-look what a tremendous ad. it is for the paper! Directly Howard came to

speak about it. My head's whir

s now suddenly come upon so much, that the excitement, as he attemp

office straight away. Bring the cat. I was to me

cried. "Bill, if it isn't his Abishag, if there's any hitch,

come, G

you don't mind. I couldn't bear to see your

s Mary waved from the window as George, c