Part 8 (2/2)

She dealt with it as she had done the other, then she drew the edges of the cut together, binding the plaster When it was all over, I slipped into olf-bag under my left arm,--and I was ready

Maisie wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron

”Never o away, sir?” she sobbed

”Yes!--I irl”

I kissed her on the tre lips, then I went down the stairs, leaving her weeping quietly on the landing

As I turned at the front door for one last look at the inside of the old ho Harry fro in alour, so I was pleasantly confirmed in what I already had surood, trusty, highland broad-sword could make it

CHAPTER V

Tommy Flynn, The Harlford Bruiser

I hurried down the avenue to where it joined the dusty roadway

I stood for a few moments in indecision To e To ht, it stretched far on the level until it narrowed to a grey point piercing a sereen; but I knew that rey line, was the busy town of Grangeborough, with its thronging people, its railways and its steamshi+ps That was the direction for me

I waved ht, for Grangeborough and the sea

Soon the internal tuan to subside, and lories of the afternoon

Little I cared what my lot was destined to be--a prince in a palace or a trah, to say truth, the trareater fascination

I was young,and endoith greater strength than is allotted the average man

Glad to be done with pomp, show and convention, my life was now my very own to plan and make, or to warp and spoil, as fancy, fortune and fate decreed

I hankered for the undisturbed quiet of soh,--but no more,--to keep body nourished and covered; with books in plenty and my pipe well filled; with an open door to welcome the sunshi+ne, the scented breeze, the salted spray froenial fellow-and the crafty alone survived, where the weaklings were thrust aside, I was ready and willing to take ainst brawn, brain against brain, to strike blow for blow, to fail or to succeed, to live or die, as the Gods s, I felt as if I had relievedmyself adrift from Brammerton,--dear old spot as it was And I whistled and hurey at the rily unending endeavour But I knew that ultih merely to open up another and yet another path over which I would have to travel in the long journey of life which lay before o down in a display of blood-red pyrotechnics I heard the chatter of the birds in the hedgerows as they settled to rest Now and again, I passed a tired toiler, with bent head and dragging feet,--his drudgery over for the day, but weighted with the knowledge that itht breeze caathered round h cas of a healthy hunger were cla to be appeased

As it had been with the country soh The toas settling down for the night It was late

Most of the shops were closing, or already closed Business was over for the day People hurried homeward like shadows

I looked about me for a place to dine, but failed, at first, in hts and correspondingly deeper darknesses I went along a broad thoroughfare, turned down a narrower one until I foundlanes and alleys, jostled by drunken sailors and accosted by wanton wohted saloons