Bones in London

of Bones paid dividend

Some-and they were

plated motor-lamps of a peculiar and, to Bones, sinister design. They were all that was

nt moment, which was worse, since they had revealed him and his secretary in tender attitudes. And Bon

es of a wasting disease. Miss Marguerite Whitland never came into Bones's office without finding him sitting at his desk with his

g on to the edge of a chair, or walking with feeble footsteps; and she never spoke to him but he replied with a tired, wa

said Hamilton, "you're scaring that poor

sly pleased. "Am I really? Is she

n truthfully. "She thi

dear old officer," sa

ent on wilfully. "I said that you were a little w

"You didn't tell her anything abou

er the fact that when you were in love you were not to

"You're a wicked old rascal. I'm surprised at yo

said Hamilto

d Bones sternly. "I've a

perfectly sure she's fond of you-in a motherly kind of way," he added, as he saw Bones's face light up. "And,

he began to take an interest in life, stepped gaily into the office and as blithely into his secretary's room. He even made jokes, and dare

ithin bounds, so to speak. It was Schemes Limited which bought the theatrical property of the late Mr. Liggeinstein and re-sold those theatres in forty-eight hours at a handsome profit. It was Bones who did the buying, and it was Hamilton who did the se

lle," he said sadly to his secretary. "The part where you die in t

ton was very wise to a

icate," said t

never mentioned-or four-act tragedies. What Hamilton had said of him was true. He

faces are familiar to the people of Britain, such as the Right Hon. George Parkinson Chenney. Bones met that most influential mem

t diplomatists stepped in and procured for us the most amazingly rich coalfield of Wei-hai-tai. The genius and foresight of this diplomatist-who had actually gone to China in the Long Vacation, and of his own initiative and out of his own head had ev

ll have just as much as will come up to the brim; thank you, that will do very nicely-to speak boastfully or to enlarge unduly upon what I regard as a patriotic effort, an

s in the pause that fol

ey be

r, and the guests retir

onholed th

aid Bones, "may I just have a

isten. Then Mr. Parkinson Chenney smiled a recognition to

cquaintance-almost, it seemed, a disinterested City acquaintance

said in admiration, "

he dickens did

" said Bon

there had dawned a great idea. Was Mr. Pyeburt a thought-reader? Possibly he was. Or pos

e most powerful fellows in the Cabinet. Get right wi

s bl

rug. "No use to me, my rare old athlete. Lord Bones-Lord Tibbetts I

. Pyeburt. "It may be nothi

t a wife," said Bones r

ition to you, and, after all, you needn't take a knighthood-which,

ess of profound cogitation, "that one of these days some lucky fellow will tak

hat?" asked Bones. "

eburt

nd Bones, who always wanted telling about things, and could no more resis

tarted Lynhaven, and had built houses and villas and beautiful assembly rooms; and then, to complete the independence of Lynhaven, he had connected that town with the main traffic line by railway, which he built across eight

val town was on the main line, the majority of visitors preferred going by the foreshore route in preference to the roundabout branch line route, which was somewhat handicapped

rth by Mr. Pyeburt-who took a much more optimistic view of the possib

ration. "All that it wants behind it is a mind. At present it's neglected; the freights and passenger fares

ked the interested Bones, and

ut I think he might be approached. If he does wan

icant gesture, which expressed in some s

matter over, and he did-alou

d Hamilton. "Of course, derelic

. "My name would be printed on all the posters, of course. And is

n, "but, on the whole, I think it would be cheaper to pa

isa.' Pyeburt told me about it just as I was going away. Of cou

nd walked thoughtfully

rite W

reached for her notebook, but Bon

sked, "how do you

she demande

tus," repe

s very funny

ected, and instinctively she

he said quickly. "Are you going to be a

with fine indifference,

urse, but Napoleon was

she asked a little hazily, and had

ailways," said Bones

ere, now I'

yes shone with genuine pleasure. "I didn't see it in t

hifted

eaking of the future, dear old impetuous typewriter and future secretary to the Lynhaven Ra

" to the word "Lady," and missed the sig

t Hon. Parkinson Chenney, and the right honourable gentleman had expressed his wi

"disinterestedly"-"as a friend, to jump at it. Parkinson Chenney spoke in

that, as a matter of fact, he was acting as Parkinson's attorney in this matter, and that was why he had be

purchase price, the remainder to be paid after a m

id Bones. "The Honours List will be out

en per cent. deposit," said Mr. Chenney to his

inister of England, within an hour of leaving for the West of Engl

hand to meet the Chinese Commission. Now, whatever you do, you will not fail to meet them at

th a little smile. "I rather fancy I have mana

fernal commission of inquiry? They've been asking questions in the House, and I can give no very definite reply. Solebury threatened to force a

Parkinson Chenney, and left that af

the starting lever of "Mary Louisa," and explained to the secretary of the company-she also wore wh

know every twist and turn of the road, every feature of the somewhat featureless landscape, and the four passengers who travelled reg

hat they did not belong to the railway, the rolling stock of which consisted of "Mary Louisa," an asthmatic but once famous locomotive, and four weather-beaten coaches. The remainder of

dness of the bargain which Bones had made. Bones, with a real locomotive to play with-he had given the aged engine-driver a week's holiday-saw no

is fingers, for the steam was extraordinarily hot, "who think poor old 'Mary Louisa' is done for. Believe me, dear old mi

r, aged seventeen,

ominously. "Old George, he never takes

ore than quarter speed. I tell you I could make enough money

cinema pictures? That's another idea! Thrilling rescues from the train; jolly old hero str

sion unless you've two

ones, "we could perhaps borrow an

the girl, then l

nodding head testifying to the sleep-giving qualities of Lynhaven air. Bones jerked the whistle, there was an unearthly shriek, and the

he lever gently, and there was a gratifying ch

ng," he said, "and this time I'm goi

e than quarter speed," said t

ising old engine-driver. That's why the naughty old line doe

in the circumstances and with only the haziest knowledg

e farther over, and the "Mary

f an outraged locomotive pounding forward at an unaccustomed speed was not a good foundation for continued el

" said the girl, gripping the

, "not at all. I am going

arm, and looked down at

" said the melancholy child; "it w

t do you mean? Hey! Don't

f the engine, and Bones, looking back, saw him performing somers

ss!" he said in an aw

the girl, more interested for

through the w

r old thing," he said. "T

bar was riveted in position. The "Mary Louisa" was leaping along at an incredible speed, and less than fiv

scrutiny to the left and right, but they had passed out of the sandy coun

*

work of inspection at Tolness, and had secured all the information he needed to answer

small garrison, when a telephone message

will you see that my special train is ready! I must leave in ten minutes. The Chinese Commission has arrived," h

ittle speech on the immense value to the Empire in particular and the world in general of these new coalfields which h

o meet a commission which had shown such reluctance to trade with foreign devils, and had been, moreover, so punctilious in its demand for ceremonious receptions, but he had n

within a few hundred yards of annihilation. The signalman at Bayham Junction had watched the oncoming rush of Bones's train

ously. The first set the points which brought the Lynhaven express on to the main line, switching it from the deadly bay wherein the runaway train would have been smashed to p

hould have swayed to the left, heard the clang of the points as he passed them, and drew a long breath when he found himself hea

on, dear old thing,"

though her face

ere going to he

g something of his spirits as he saw the dange

he was oozing steam at every pore, and, glancing back, Bones saw the agitated countenance of the age

ought his heart into his mouth. Pounding along behind him, and emitting feathers of steam from her whistle, was

!" he gasped. "We

ment when he should have left it severely

a standstill together

mbed down into the six-

taking him for an engine-driver, dismissed him on the spot, threatened him with imprisonment-with or witho

s, "isn't it my dear

you mean by calling me your dear friend? By Hea

tts?" cooed Bones. "Well,

rimy hand, whic

h, you are the foo-the gentleman who

ly," sai

on't you realise you are holding up a special? Great Heavens, man, t

of the special c

's not a down train due for an hour. I'll unlock the switch and put y

on, dear old thing," said

simple," sai

und the switches, unlocked them, telegraphed to the next station to hold up traffic, and he it

coaches were between the down and the up line, and the guard's van was ex

enney, nor the ancient guard, could coax the "Mary Louisa" to move another yard. The Lynhav

ived and towed the "Mary Louisa" and h

ondon by the last train, and Bone

ard: "Birthday Honours. Twenty-two New Knights." And he actually stopped hi