The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1885-11-14
CHAPTER XVIII.
A VISITOR CONES TO HAuPro

The day before Willie returned from his
wedding trip a strange man walked into my
shop. This person was tall and stout, shah
billy dressed, and, indeed, he looked the
picture of peddler, and said to myself,
MY friend, you are Messrs. Somebody &
Co. g our NJ. Somebody" He bought six
pennyworth of black currant lozenges, and
putting half dozen in his mouth at once
isuggesting that the case was acute), h.
seated himself before tho counter.
"You don't mind my resting awhile" he
said, ''while take this little refreshment!'
Certainly not" I replied LAS long as
you please. Hot, amt ity''
He was an agreeable man, with plenty of
we'll Uniformed talk, and thought next that
he must have some notion of settling in
Hampton, for he asked all sorts of questions
about the place and people. At last--how I
do not now remembsr-hs got to Tumble.
down Farm, when, turning to me with .
smile, said he:
II have been told that an old Oddity named
Hardware lives there"
THAT is the name," replied.
"And young woman, believe. with him
-handsomish sort Of g,rlg'
$50 people call her.
ANY moro in family p asked the stranger,
leaning back in his seat lazily
mot that know Of" replied,
1t struck me that If he were SO mighty in
different about the subject as his manner
seemed to show, he would not ask any oues-
ton, good or bad. resolved to know moth
ing.
''Let me tell you," continued the stranger,
In an idle kind Of tone, IL hear third party
lives in that house-a middle-aged man,
rather good-looking, tall, with black hair
nNNf} Hnosly vH{o u,l
tOO-a small one-over the left eve. Have
you ever seen such party aboutr
"Near relation Of yours, SUPPOSE. ~ Isaid.
"Why" asked the big man, looking hard
at me.
"You describe him as If he was your twin
brother" answered. mo, have not seen
any man about with scar over his left eve. :"
The stranger laughed. but looked sulky
for all that. and soon rose and wished nue.
good-morning.
That night, while Gracious Me was sitting
with q couple Of companions over his gin at
the Lion, this same stranger stepped in with
friend, and called for two glasses of whisky
and water. He joined the conversation, and
contrived in five minutes time to mention
Tumbledown Farm.
ANY Of you know that house, he in
quired.
Gracious, who was pretty far gone CUR
glcd out drunken laugh, then rubbed the
back of his head slowly until lie found the
scar, and broke into smile, like man who
has verified his fact.
''Know that house, he repeated. Just a
little. shan't forget it until | get new
skull-that's ALL"
Encouraged by the strangers, Gracious Me
rambled through the whole narrative of his
adventures by night at the Farm, melting
into tears when he described the state of his
scalp after he was knocked down.
1.-THE skull-bone was laid open." he said.
''bare as dinner plate. What a figure /
was next morning! My own father wouldn't
have known me-"
As it was pretty confidently asserted that
Gracious would not have known his own
father even in the most perfect state Ut pres
ervatlon, this last bit Of description was mis-
leading The strangers, who had exchanged
great many glanccs during the progress of
the story. expressed much sympathy, and
Gracious Me was often heard long after to
say that nicer gentlemen he never met, no
matter what Yard they came from.
The evening after his return, Willie called
to see me. He seemed contented, aud spoke
Of his wife with great admiration.
"A clever. clear-headexl girl" said he.
''She could make five ont Of two and two,
verify believe. She will he help to me all
through life. doctor-a guide, You know. aud
an adviser
We talked awhile about anything. every
thing and nothing. As people will of an even.
ing.