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

In A Newspa

oughts, the young men sat as the cab they had found outsi

is plans Bill at last drew a thread; weaved it to words. "George, we mustn't tell the chief

t between them; squeezed that fine creature's head to him w

," he said-"damned awkwar

oung man was in de

d him. "This is a c

seem to have been living one g

steal this cat. You found it just as anyone else might have found it. All I tell you is: D

my poor George tottered up the stairs of t

I

head at the answering call; motioned my tremb

fore him, deep in an armchair, smokin

s is Mr. Wyvern, one of my brightest young men

and very freely he gave them to the people. This man did not deny himself to the crowd as another might have denied himself. Of him it never could be said that he missed opportunity to let the public feed upon him. This man made such opportunities. Where excitement was, there this man, pausing between his novels, would step in. If a murder-trial had the public attention this man would write upon that trial;

that was his right. Preserving it now, he gave

re to me to meet you,

Howard graciously replied. "It is the stepping-stone to literature. Never forget th

iness just now. Mr. Howard will kindly give us a daily interview, Wyvern

m both. "No need," he cried in b

brushed again; swore with a ferocity that would have astonished his admirers; sprang to his feet amid a little showe

y rose. "Found?" cried

ere," Bill told them

ook my agitated

h a loud pop; made three hasty strides to George; too

d that he was bust. "Well, I'm bust!"

ed the head he was ben

ink. George drew a handkerchief; w

," he announced stonily. "Very glad. At the same time-at the same time-" He

tarted p

id you come to

ocket; rammed it down; cleared his throat; ran a finger r

estern. He used to live there. He found the cat in a deserted kind of hut, took charge of it. I happened to meet him and

erly. "Pretty good!" He had no fit words in which to express hi

he adjoining room indi

a great pleasure to me," he told the great novelist, "to

e couch, caressed Abishag the Shunamite upon his lap. "Never shall forget it. It was more than goo

tory little laugh

ard sufficiently long to put to him directly that the reward was offered, and gladly agreed to by Mr. Howard, for purposes of

ew you agreed to give us, would greatly benefit our paper. Why should I deny it? We editors must be business men first, nowadays; journalists afterwards. But I do

lege, 156 Farmer Road, Peckham; but

face a look which seemed to show that the famous author was advancing upon the de

iterature, took the implied compliment wi

contribution to our highest literature will fall only to a comparatively small circle of people. But if-but if, as I had hoped, we had morning by morning attracted more and more re

the great aut

isappear with our issue of to-morrow. I mean, Mr. Howard, that for the reason I have named I do think it is

his man was now in the precise centre of the delicate ground

reply made that ground

Martin,' and the desirability of introducing it as widely as possible. Certainly that could best have been accomplished by Abishag not ha

his was precisely what he did suggest and most earnestly desi

someone and placed in the hut where it was found. Very well. We prosecute. We p

into very serious trouble over a sub judice matter-very serious trouble indeed. I shall not touch the law, Mr. Howard. It is unwise. At the same time, I think the thief should be made to suffer-be given a thorough fright. Now, if we inform the public that practically our Special Commissioner has his hand on the cat-which will be perfectly true-and is almost certain as to the identity of the thief-if we keep this up

s impossible to override your arguments,

. Howard," he said. "Convinced. The modern editor and the man

duty they were performing, the