CANDIDATE FOR A LEEDS DIVISION 269 



" I'm very sorry," said Roberts, "but it's no good 



now." 



"All right," replied Colonel North, elated with victory, 

 "send me another, and I'll beat you on that!" 



As I walked past, John Roberts was carefully booking 

 the order. 



Some may think this was akin to sharp practice, but 

 I don't think it was really reprehensible, for men like 

 Colonel North was are too tempting for the average 

 man of the world not to turn to advantage, and, after all, 

 John Roberts was worth an occasional slate bed as an 

 exhibition player, even though beaten by Colonel North. 

 To my eye he never showed to more advantage than 

 in his failures to win those games. He would run up a 

 break in ideal fashion when the Colonel was a few points 

 from the finish, and then fail by a marvellous miss to 

 run out, thus leaving his host to win, amid the applause 

 of the spectators. 



Presently there would be dinner, with copious cham- 

 pagne once more, and after that more billiard-room and 

 whisky, until you got away. 



It must be said for Colonel North that such potations 

 never made him turn a hair, but an ordinary man found 

 a single day under such conditions amply sufficient. 



What would have happened in the House of Commons 

 had Colonel North been elected for one of the Leeds 

 divisions as he very nearly was, against the present 

 Lord Gladstone, is amusing to think about. In that 

 election contest he drove a coach about the constituency 

 with Jem Mace on the box seat with him, and he had 

 given Kirkstall Abbey to Leeds. He was beaten by a 

 narrow margin, and doubtless that was all for the best. 



None who were present can ever forget the great sale 



