The Saline County journal., 1878-10-10


hotel, the crowd that had gathered to re-
ceive him fell into proce ession behind US.
/ II was the cold season. and We called on
| him the next morning 10 take him for
ride. He was fu,i Of his pleasant recep-
ton, and anxious to become personally
acquainted with those who had Sd interest
ed themselves in him.
"Oh! you'll know them soon enough,
nv friend said. Shouldn't wonder II you
find, when you go back, that half the
community has been calling on you" And
sure enough, when we returned, there was
his table heaped high with visiting cards.
His eyes glistened.
I've heard that people abroad were
hospitabIe, he said, -but, upon my word,
this kind OF thing didn't expect"
NY friend glanced over the heap Of
cards.
"Ah." he said, "the most influential
names. They don't often call on new.
comers. l suppose you impressed them
favorally yesterday. Sharp set OF fellows,
too! You had better lose no time In re-
turning their civility.'
L will make my return calls this after
noon, he said, warmly. Can you give
me an idea OF the addresses?"
NO need Everybody knows every
: body here. You have only to ask. wish
l could accompany you, but I shall be
busy this afternoon"
oo sell =, sslu - o"' VIC "n iooA "'
uPon you ia'eI.
| Oh. onu s."S " un, SU .oPnoH
our YOUNG ,Nlu' ~. ,1 VIC aat az w.
10 one VI US, as napPeeu' .nT 1,E.,I. vns.
oi oinher was hoI d tunis 10 oe "sn'i!
treated.
We were not surprised when. at the
proper hour, we made our appearance, to
see the young newcomer look weary and
depressed. He frightened when he saw
us.
SO kind O; YOU to comei" he said.
And presently Either must be stupid
at understanding directions. or everybody
does not know everybody In your settle
ment. Such q wild d.goose chase as have
had this afternOop,-
-What,- cried NV friend. with we'll
assumed surprise. You didn't find them?"
And his voice SO clearly commented, You
must bc a foolish rel!owi- that the young
mans color rose.
ct m,st h,va ,,othor try be saij
But was not this strange? I showed
one of the names to a member OF your
police force. He directed mo to the road
leading out Of the settlement, and walked
on for about an hour, expecting. OF cOurse.
to reach some houss. Al ut once found
myself at the cemetery"
Ny friend laughed. That man was
| wag: not a doubt OF It. However, wait q
few days till you know the place better.
As YOU may have guessed, more than
half the cards, dropped BY our orders at
the young mans door, bore the names Of
men either dead or departed. But long
time passed before he found this out; he
might never have found It out at all, but
for-however, must not anticipate.
To give in detail the practical Jokes we
played on our newcomer would be impOs.
sibie. One l must tell you, for 1t very
nearly had tragic ending. s.n
Two or three OF US had started with
him on a shooting trip up the river. It
had pleased one OF us, his first friend, to
feign deep melancholy, from which our
newcomer sought in vain to rouse him.
The young fellow spoke to me In private
on the subject. Our friend, he said,
ought to be watched. Men In his state
OF mind have been known to do strange
things" I, OF course, encouraged his
fear. We were neither Of US then much
surprised when. one evening, the melan-
choly man, after hastily wringing our
hands and murmuring that 1T could be
borne no longer" leaped into the river.
What followed helped mo afterward to
understand the sequel of this story.
Without a moments hesitation that brave
Young fellow threw off his coat and boots,
and diyed after his friend. He was not q
strong swimmer, however, and that little
trick was near being our last. When We
fisbed him up he was half drowned.
He rose In our estimation from that
moment. though 1t was not in the nature
Of things that we could give up our diver
sion. and we were still plotting against his
peace. when hazard called me away from
our settlement to a little place u some