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〃He looks at me a minit and then drors a paper from his pocket。 'This
paper；' sez he in his quiet way； 'was drored up by you and is a covenant to
return to me a yaller hoss with golden mane and tail or a hundred and
fifty dollars。 Ez I don't see the hoss anywhere mebbe you've got the
hundred and fifty dollars handy？' sez he。 'Suppose I hadn't the money？' sez
I。 'I should be obliged；' sez he in a kind o' pained Christian…martyr way；
'ter sell YOUR hoss for two hundred； and send the money to my fr'en'。'
We looked at each other steddy for a minit and then I counts him out a
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hundred and fifty。 He took the money sad…like and then sez： 'Mr。 Borem；'
sez he； 'this is a great morril lesson to us；' and went back to the office。 In
the arternoon I called in an old hoss dealer that I knew and shows him
Pegasus。
〃'He wants renewin'；' sez he。
〃'Wot's that？' sez I。
〃'A few more bottles o' that British Blonde Hair Dye to set him up
ag'in。 That's wot they allus do in the cirkis； whar he kem from。'
〃Then I went back to the office and I took down my sign。 'What's
that you re doin'？' sez Lummox； with a sickly kind o' smile。 'Are you
goin' out o' the bizness？'
〃'No； I'm only goin' to change that sign from 〃Dan'l Borem〃 to 〃Borem
and Lummox；〃' sez I。 'I've concluded it's cheaper for me to take you inter
partnership now than to continue in this way； which would only end in
your hevin' to take me in later。 I preferred to DO IT FUST。'〃
VII
A rich man； and settled in business； John Lummox concluded that he
would marry Mary Bike。 With that far…sighted logic which had always
characterized him he reasoned that； having first met her on a liner； he
would find her again on one if he took passage to Europe。 He didbut
she was down on the passenger list as Mrs。 Edwin Wraggles。 The result
of their interview was given to Mrs。 Bigsby by Dan'l Borem in his own
dialect。
〃Ez far as I kin see； it was like the Deacon's Sunday hoss trade； bein'
all 'Ef it wassent。' 'Ef ye wasn't Mrs。 Wraggles；' sez Lummox； sez he； 'I'd
be tellin' ye how I've loved ye ever sence I first seed ye。 Ef ye wasn't
Mrs。 Wraggles； I'd be squeezin' yer hand；' sez he； 'ef ye wasn't Mrs。
Wraggles； I'd be askin' ye to marry me。' Then the gal ups and sez； sez
she： 'But I AIN'T Mrs。 Wraggles；' sez she； 'Mrs。 Wraggles is my sister； and
couldn't come； so I'm travelin' on her ticket； and that's how my name is
Wraggles on the passenger list。' 'But why didn't ye tell me so at once？'
sez Lummox。 'This is an episoode o' protracted humor；' sez she； 'and I'M
bound to have a show in it somehow！'〃
〃Well！〃 said Mrs。 Bigsby breathlessly； 〃then he DID marry her？〃
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〃Darned ef I know。 He never said so straight outbut that's like
Lummox。〃
STORIES THREE
BY RDYD KPLG
I
FOR SIMLA REASONS
Some people say that improbable things don't necessarily happen in
Indiabut these people never find improbabilities anywhere。 This
sounds clever； but you will at once perceive that it really means the
opposite of what I intended to say。 So we'll drop it。 What I am trying to
tell you is that after Sparkley had that affair with Miss Millikens a singular
change came over him。 He grew abstracted and solitary；holding dark
seances with himself；which was odd； as everybody knew he never cared
a rap for the Millikens girl。 It was even said that he was off his head
which is rhyme。 But his reason was undoubtedly affected； for he had
been heard to mutter incoherently at the Club； and； strangest of all； to
answer questions THAT WERE NEVER ASKED！ This was so awkward
in that Branch of the Civil Department of which he was a high official
where the rule was exactly the reversethat he was presently invalided on
full pay！ Then he disappeared。 Clever people said it was because the
Department was afraid he had still much to answer for； stupid people
simply envied him。
Mrs。 Awksby； whom everybody knew had been the cause of breaking
off the match； was now wild to know the reason of Sparkley's retirement。
She attacked heaven and earth； and even went a step higherto the
Viceroy。 At the vice…regal ball I saw； behind the curtains of a window；
her rolling violet…blue eyes with a singular glitter in them。 It was the
reflection of the Viceroy's star； although the rest of his Excellency was
hidden in the curtain。 I heard him saying； 〃Come now！ really； now； you
areyou know you are！〃 in reply to her cooing questioning。 Then she
made a dash at me and captured me。
〃What did you hear？〃
〃Nothing I should not have heard。〃
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〃Don't be like all the other menyou silly boy！〃 she answered。 〃I
was only trying to find out something about Sparkley。 And I will find it
out too；〃 she said； clinching her thin little hand。 〃And what's more；〃 she
added； turning on me suddenly； 〃YOU shall help me！〃
〃I？〃 I said in surprise。
〃Don't pretend！〃 she said poutingly。 〃You're too clever to believe he's
cut up over the Millikens。 Noit's something awful or another woman！
Now； if I knew as much of India as you doand wasn't a woman； and
could go where I likedI'd go to Bungloore and find him。〃
〃Oh！ You have his address？〃 I said。
〃Certainly！ What did you expect I was behind the curtain with the
Viceroy for？〃 she said； opening her violet eyes innocently。 〃It's
BunglooreFirst Turning to the RightAt the End of the passage。〃
Bungloorenear Ghouli Passin the Jungle！ I knew the place； a spot
of dank pestilence and mystery。 〃You never could have gone there；〃 I
said。
〃You do not know WHAT I could do for a FRIEND；〃 she said sweetly；
veili