al advertisement in the Townsville _Champion_ (over
the leader) informing the public that "Mrs. Lee-Trappeme is prepared to
receive a limited number of paying guests at 'Magnetic Villa.' Elegant
appointments, superior _cuisine_, and that comfort and hospitality which
can Only be obtained in a Highly-refined Family Circle."

"Hallo!" said Mallard, the editor of the _Champion_, to Flynn, his sub,
who called his attention to the advertisement, "so 'Magnetic Villa'
is turned into a hash house, eh? Wonder who they are? 'Highly refined
family circle'--sounds fishy, doesn't it? Do you know anything about
them?"

"No, but old Maclean, the Melbourne drummer who came up in the _Barcoo_
from Sydney with them, does--at least he knew the old man, who died
about a year and a half ago."

"What was he?"

"Bank messenger in Sydney at thirty bob a week; used to lend money to
the clerks at high interest, and did very well; for when he pegged out
he left the old woman a couple of thousand. His name was Trappem--John
Trappem, but he was better known as 'Old Jack Trap.' When they came on
board the _Barcoo_ they put on no end of side, and they were 'Mrs., the
Misses, and Master Lee-Trappeme.'"

"Lord! what a joke! Did the drummer give the show away on board?"

"No, for a wonder. But he told me of it."

"Daughters good looking?"

"Younger one is not too bad; elder's a terror--thin, bony, long face,
long nose, long feet, long conceit of herself, and pretty long age,
walks mincingly, like a hen on a hot griddle, and------"

"Oh, stop it! The old woman?"

"Fat, ruddy-faced, pleasant-looking, white hair, talks of her 'poor
_papaless_ girls,' &c. She's a pushing old geyser, however, and has
already got the parsons and some of the other local nobility to call on
her."

"Wonder what sort of tucker they'd give one, Flynn? I'm tired of paying
L6 a week at the beastly overcrowded dog-kennel, entitled the 'Royal'
Hotel--save the mark!--and I'm game even to try a boarding-house, but,"
and here he rubbed his chin, "this 'refined family circle' business, you
know?"

"They all say that," remarked the sub. "You couldn't expect 'em to
tell the truth and say, 'In Paradise Mansions Mrs. de Jones feeds her
boarders on anything cheap and nasty; the toilet jugs have no handles,
and the floors are as dirty as the kitchen slave, who does the cooking
and waits at table, and the family generally are objectionable in their
manners and appearance.'"

"A