The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-11-02

"Bill, said the man, turning to young
| fellow, one of his assistants near to him
''trot this poor old chap up to the Mayor
office, so that he will be taken care of
He's talking to me about bringing twenty
thousand bushels of wheat here on a raj
and loading it in an iron vessel l-an iron
vessel, mind yOu-in one day It's a
shame for the old fellows relations to let
him wander around alone"
Before "Bill" had chance to offer his
assistance, Ephraim, alarmed, and more
than ever bewildered, walked quickly away
As he gained the street man Of about
middle age suddenly stopped in front Of
him and said:
''Good morning Mr.. Batterby"
Ephraim had gotten into such a frame
of mind that he was almost startled at
the sound of his own name.
He looked hard at the stranger, but, al
though the features were somewhat famil-
lar, he could not really recognize the man.
Don't know me, Batterby? Impossi-
bic Don't know Tony Miller
"Bless my soulr' exclaimed Ephraim,
''Tony Miller so it is Tony Miller not
Tony Miller? Why-why-why, Miller,
1 thought you died thirty years ago I"
"Died ha ha! Not a bit of it, man.
Why it's absurd l saw you only two or
three weeks since"
Strange, stranger' said Ephraim, al
most sadly, and with his mind trying to
recall some fragments of the past could
have sworn that you were dead"
"No, sir; just as hearty and lively as |
ever was. By the way, Mr.. Batterby,
what has become of Ephraim? 1 don't
see him about any more"
"Ephraim? Ephraim Batterby? Why
who do you think I amp"
Joshua Batterby, of course; who else?
You don't seem very we'll to-day, l think. 3"
"He mistakes me for my father" said
Ephraim, to himself. 'When will all this
wild, puzzling mystery end ?" Then, ad-
dressing Miller, he said 81 would like
to have some conversation with you, Mil
Ter. | am strangely confused aud upset
to-day"
Certainly; be glad to have a chat with
you. | say, suppose you come home and
dine with me. | am on my way to dinner
now. Win you go?"
"Gladly," replied Ephraim
As they walked on, Miller, with intent
to break the silence, said
''I think we shall have rain to-day, Mr..
Batterby."
perhaps; it looks like it. What does
the Signal Service say?"
"What does the tchat say ?"
"The Signal Service. What are the in
dications?'
| haven't the least idea what you mean,
Mr. Batterby."
"Why," said Ephraim, timidly, "were
you not aware that a bureau in the War
Department collects information which en-
ables it to indicate approaching conditions
of the weather, and that it gives this in
formation to the newspapers ?"
"Never heard of such thing, Mr.. Bat
terby, and | don't believe it. Somebody
has been joking with you The only
weather indications we have are in the al
manacs, and they arc not at all reliable"
The two walked along in silence for a
time, and then Ephraim said:
"MIiller!'
"Wen?"
II am going to ask you a good many
queer questions to-day, for private pur-
pose of my own. Will you agree to an-
swer them candidly?"
"lf can"
"Aud not to think me insane, or absurd,
or stupid?"
"0f course l should not think so"
every well, said Ephraim, ''and when
we are done | may explain why | asked
them, and perhaps you can solve a mystery
for me"
They reached the house and entered it.
The first thing that Miller did was to pro-
ceed to the sideboard, Gil two glasses with
wine from decanter aud ask Ephraim to
drink
'Thank you" said Ephraim, 81 never
touch it.
Miller looked at him for a moment in
amazement. He concluded that this must
be one of the phases of Batterby's newly
developed queerness. So he emptied his
own glass and put it down.
They entered tho parlor to wait for din
ner. Ephraim's eye was caught by very
pretty miniature upon the wall.
"Who is tbat?" he asked.
"Mrs. Miller; my wife"
'Is it a photograph" ?"
''I don't know what photograph is.
"Ah!' sighed Ephraim, Il remember.
Let me ask you something else Did you
ever hear of place named Chicago?"
"Neverl there is no such place"
"You know nothing of railroads, or
steamships, or telegraphs?"
"You are talking Greek to me-"
did you ever hear of telegraph cable
to Europe?"
"Well, you are asking queer questions
sure enough No, [ never did"
''Is there, or is there not, railway line
across the continent to the Pacific p
"What funny kind of an idea. No,
there isn't"
@"Are there any such things as daily
papers ?"
No, sir."
"0ne question more; 1 see you have
wood FIRE. Do you never burn coal?''
Charcoal, Sometimes, for some pur-
poses"
II mean hard coal; stone coal ?"
''There is no such thing in existence, so
far as l know. What are you up to any
how? Going to invent something?"
81 will tell you after a while, maybe"
replied Ephraim; and thea to himself he
said ID am beginning to catch the
meaning of all this experience How
strange it isl"
A lady entered from the front door and
passed the parlor. Ephraim saw that she
had on a very narrow dress, with high
waist, almost beneath her armpits, and
that she wore upon her head an enormous
and hideous 'calash' which bore some re-
semblance to gig top.
lie had not seen one Of those wonderful
bits of head gear for fifty years.
In few moments the lady entered the
parlor. As Mr.. Miller presented Batterby
to his wife, Ephraim was shocked to per-
ceive that she had on but single, thin white
garment, and that even this appeared to
be in imminent danger of slipping down
wards He thought it shockingly immod-
est, but he remembered the figures of wo-
men he had seen in the remote past, and
thought he knew what this meant So he