The Girl on the Boat

c.

am aware that by saying it I shall offend the civic pride of some of the others--none are so peculiarly foul as Bingley-on-the-Sea. The asphalte on the Bingley esplanade is several degrees more depressing than the asphalte on other esplanades. The Swiss waiters at the Hotel Magnificent, where Sam was stopping, are in a class of bun

nna? Why, with all the rest of England at his disposal, h

e had been disap

roprio rabies armavit iambo_. It is no good pretending out of politeness that you know what that means, so I will translate. _Rabies_--his grouch--_armavit_--armed--_Archilochum_--Archilochus--_iambo_--with the iambic--_proprio_--his own invention. In other words

e language whereby the officer went in fear of his life. Constable Riggs deposed that on the evening of the eleventh instant while he was on his beat, prisoner accosted him and, after offering to fight him for fo

alone to the Hotel Magnificent at Bingley-on-the-Sea. It was the same spirit which has o

oking there had done much to take his mind off it. His heart still ached, but he felt equal to

went back to the hotel to inquire about trains. An hour later he had begun h

n the office. You picture Thorpe jostling you aside as he makes for Prescott to discuss with him the latest case of demurrer, and Winslow and Appleby treading on your toes, deep in conversation on replevin. But these legal firms dwindle. The years go by and take their toll, snatching away here a Prescott, there an Appleby, till, before you know where you are, you are down to your last lawye

of destruction and beamed. He was not a particularly successful beamer, being hampered by a cast in one eye which gave him a truculent and sinister look; but those who knew him knew that he had a heart of gold and were not intimidated by his r

Mr. Sa

o, Pe

cting you bac

ee to before I came to to

ack safe!" sa

Why, of

shook h

s feared something might have happened to you. I recall mentioning it to t

ren't often wre

. America's a dangerous country. But perhap

t think

ohn Peters s

t a fond and almost paternal lo

you doing with that

s lowered

rs in connection with The People _v._ Schultz and Bowen. It's a big case over there. A client of ours is mixed up in it, an Ameri

mitted himself for nearly two w

o you think New York is?" he a

amuel. Did you ever see 'Wolves of the Bowery?' There was a man in that in just my position, carry

ou were, lugging that

rs seeme

Street Rifle Range during my lunch hour. You'd be surprised how quickly one picks it up. When I get home of a night I try how quickly I can draw. You have to

up a speaking-tube

llaby. Yes, sir, very good. Wi

tating into the attentive ear of Miss Milliken, his elderly

ut by London's best tailor, and his trousers perfectly creased by a sedulous valet. A pink carnation in his buttonhole

nothing will induce us ... will induce us ... where did I put that letter? Ah

ll, Sir

tterworth. What infernal names these people have.

orning,

I'll be finished in a moment

f of our c

nged if I know. Your poor mother wanted to call you Hyacinth, Sam. You may not know it, but in the 'ni

ber that the latter had just returned from a long journey and that

e back, Sam. So

eaten in the

uppose you were weak on the greens. I warned you about th

o his broken spirit now, Sam uttered a bitter laugh. It was as if Dante had re

ir Mallaby approvingly. "It's pleasant to hear

her, adjusting her spectacles and smiling at S

n gloomy satisfaction, how remarkably pale and drawn his face looked. And these people seemed to imagine that he was in th

y, swooping back to duty once more, "we beg to state that we are p

nearly a

ce have you been doing with yo

wn at Bingley

h were you doing at th

self," said Sam wi

ad leaped back to the lett

to be fond of manly sports. Still, life isn't all athletics. Don't

nd shut her eyes, her invariable

, And our hearts, though stout and brave, Still like muffled drums are beating, Funeral marches to the grave. Lives of great men all remind us we can make o

to you about that when I've finished answering these letters. Where was I? 'We should be glad to meet you at any time, if you w

ted my mood. It was grey and dark and it rained all the time, and

ather was not listening. Sir Mallaby'

tterworth knows it better than Goole, and Brigney knows it better than Butterworth. This young fool, Eggshaw, Sam, admits that he wrote the girl twenty-three letters, twe

ike a

y at this slur on her sex. Sir Mal

ce. Get those typed, Miss Milliken. Have a cigar, Sam. Miss Milliken, tell Peters as

d ten seconds of the period which he had set aside f

don't say you're senile, but you're not twenty-one any longer, and at your age I was working like a beaver. You've got to remember that life is--dash it! I've forgotten it again." He broke off and puffed vigorously into the speaking tube. "Miss Milliken, kindly repeat what you were saying just no

te ready,

ed Sir Mallaby, with a look of surpris

d I was qu

hanged your views a trif

nged them a

ude of mind in Samuel Marlowe. Work, he had decided, was the only medicine for his sick soul. Here, he felt, in this quiet office, far from the tumult and noise o

iven you some sense. I'm glad of it. It makes it easier for me to say something

. His father looked

me smoke th

," explained Sa

by shook

d do you a world of good, Sam. It would brace you up. You really ought to consider the idea. I was two years young

ossi

There's lots of good in you, my

possibility of the possibility.... I mean, that it was impossible that I cou

r wh

he

amily have had hearts like steam-engines. Probably you have been f

eated me in a way that has finished her whole sex as

aid Sir Mallaby, interested. "When

es

rica, w

the

y chuckled

ted to fall in love with a different girl every time you go on a voyage. You'll get over this in a week. You'd

-tube blew. Sir Mallaby put

nd you away now, Sam. Man waiting to see me. Good-

N

or anything like that? Well, come to dinner

through the outer office, M

Mr.

es

you be seeing Sir M

g with him

itted a stanza? It runs," said Miss Milliken, closing her eyes, "'Trust no future, howe'er pleasant! Let the dead pas

c.

as dressing and would be down in a few minutes. The butler, an old retainer of the Marlowe family, who, if he had

all have," he said affectionately, a

aid Sam

that the place didn't seem the same without your happy laugh.

eless to struggle. The whole damned circle of his acquaintance seemed to have made up their minds that he ha

He blew a smoke ring. Well, if it came to that, why not? Why shouldn't he look well and happy? What had he got to worry about? He was a young man, fit and strong, in the springtide of life, just about to plunge into an absorbing business. Why should he brood over a sentimental epis

arent's splendour in

expecting a lot of people? I

ll be quite a small party. Six in all. You and I, a friend of mine and h

at's more

N

unded

hand with the fingers outspread. "Count 'em for your

" cri

into Sir Mallaby's face. "Sam, my boy, I don't intend to say a word about Miss Wilhelmina Bennett, because I think there's nothing more prejudicial than singing a person's praises in advance. I merely remark that I fancy you will appreciate her! I've only met her once, and then only for a few minutes, but what I say is, if there's a girl living who's likely to make you forget whatever fool o