Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-08-15
THE GENTLEMAN FROM RENO.

dear how the WIND does DlOW, though,
over here on Russian hill where our
house stands My husband says that
it seems to him sometimes as If the air
was a river with a mill-race current,
aud was flying iull of sticks, stones and
ssnd. If our front door is left un-
fastened any time after half-past eleven
o'clock in the forenoon, it flies open
with a spiteful bang, and in a moment
every door IN the house is clapped to
or slammed open, aud the house--our
house is small and thin--resounds as
if small army were firing off cannons
In 1t. ! do believe that some day Har-
ry will come home and lind the house,
wife children and fixtures, blown from
Jenkins street TO Decatur street. The
structure is only clapboards and shin
giles, and now it has ever stood SO long
as it has, surpasses my apprehension.
But as | was saying, the wind was blow
ing gale, and | was Just on the point
of going TO see if the front door was
fastencd--Our Noah is so careless, and
little Harry persists in going out at
that hour - because papa does when
open it blew with a tremendous bang,
and fro as the case happened to be,
each one firing a salute of its own and
knocking down the plaster in great
fakes; they do build such cheap houses
nowadays ! The gale swept through
my bit of Il parlor, sending everything
whirling, and | was mad enough to cry
TO see my manuscript fly all over the
floor for while the children were out
slth Norah, | had set down To fix up
my little story for the Trans Cont
mental knowing tull well that if | did
not cross out all the best bits, the edit
or would. (What fatal stupidity edit
ors always have for cutting out the
best part of q thing to be sure y | was
self-hesitating whether to try and save
my precious manuscript or run iirstaud
shut the door, when / heard voice at
ihe front door saying, Halo house
there.
Now for lone, lorn woman to hear
rough voice like that at her open
door, with her husband off visiting
patients, the servants and children
gone the Lord knows where, and no
neiphbOrs nearer than three blocks of
sand hills, You viii admit that it was n
little terrifying, especially when you
know that | am small woman, and am
80 cooped up at home with my house
hold duties and three small children
that | never see anybody outside my
own house. But, with no small culver
At my heart, went into the hail. and
there stood stout, dnrk-skinued man,
wearing a soft hat and new suit of
clothes, the store creases in which |
saw before saw his face. elbow me :"
said he--which | thought quite unnec-
essary, as he was being blown, and so
was for as | stood in the narrow
bali ! had hard work 10 keep my feet.
and was painfully conscious that
my hoop skirt was showing RICH
through the tim calico | had on
elbow me says he. Il thought I
mover should raise anybody, Amt this
Hank Clayton'S house " | replied
with some dignity, not uumixed with
nemu snass, tLdtth;s was DR.. Henry
Clay ou's residence; whcreupon he
boltei INTO the hail and closed the door
alter him saving, Well marin. youu
bow right through the side of the
house, if You don't get shct OF this ere
Niud.
The mysterious stranger, to my great
horror marched into the porlor and sat
down, deliberately hanging his hat ON
my lovely Clyue in real marble, which
stands on plasterpelestl in the corn.
az behind the sofa.
F" 80 YOU don't know me, " said this
appartion; aud without waiting for
my scared negative, be added, Well,
| shouldn't s'pose You would. cousid-
erin that you never seen me afore.
I'm Just from Reno, came down on
the Sacramento boat last night, and
after | had time to do a few old chores
and get kinder sliced mp, Jest come
out to see Hank aud his Young ones
He looked complaceutly down ON his
creased pantalOons, and tcuderly'mckrd
mp few grains OF sand from ms gray
coat sleeve rs he spoke | told him
WAS sorry my husband was not mt home.
bat if he would call again tomorrow
he would be sure 10 find HIM at .
o'clock, OF lie would he more likely To
find him mt his office. No. 2Ol0 keamy
street But In vain the dreadful man
insisted that he got through with hls
days chores, and could just rs we'll
wait as not, and he added "Now,
up in Reno, where we do things ON the
keen jump, why, man hasn no time
Ia fool away waiting for nobody we
are sharp set up there; built town
Of three thousand inhabitants, fourteen
stores, four hotels, twelve saloons,
French restaurant and billiard eNpor-
ium IN six weeks Oh, yes in Reno
we do things in a hurry, and you've
got to look alive there, You Jest ocg
your life now
Was ever a woman more painfully
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