Daily Republican., 1890-06-09
4uE STRANGER
n .. WALTER NORRIS.

06CtDiV0 BU8a0 VI 1to uHhopk uthus
''Thers 10 tbst old shsnty, he's lived fer
bought grub, here In the store, nary
word hes he said 70 me since the night
he me-"
ssNer me-"
"Ncr me"
Then speculative silence fell on the
smoke -enveloped group around the
stove.
Like Oh not" continued the old M IN
between his pufIs, "we're a-harborin' .
runaway criminal from the East, or .
hossthiei."
'Hs don't look ,xactly like GRIM nal" !"
spoke out prominent citizen, known ss
Fizxietop. "Ws didn't s'picion nothin'
when he drove up in that big wagon o.
HAN and asked II there waa cabin he
could rent"
emphas'a "'Pearanees is deceiyin',
Would man shut hisself up alone 10.
doors all day II he wasn't Z sharp or
sump'in'i Would 3 man live three
weeks In th' town without minglin' with
the boys er inwitin' ZEN up to bis place,
II he knew ther war'nt nothin' sgin
himl''
These unanswerabls arguments had
hardly been unburdentd, when there
came gentle knock at the door, and, .
moment later, tho subject OF the conver-
sation stood within the room.
He was man Of perhaps IS, tall and
slight. with skin OF sfieminate whiteness,
and deep-set eyes which reflected the
quiet earnestness of an unususlly
thoughtful and sensitive mind. An In
tenaeiy black. dropping mustAohe seemed
rather TO assist In the prevailing tone Of
sadness In the face.
conner removed his hat, an act evidently
Of natural and unconscious courtesy,
and, with sliRht inclination of the head,
which seemed TO include all In the room,
he greeted the loungers with low -spoke on
"good evening""
There was long, awkward pause. A
bright spot flashed into each OF his pale
cheeks ~ bis greeting passed unanswered,
but he still retained bis thorough self
possession. Replacing his hat with q
firm motion and keeping his eyes un.
flinchingly on the crowd, he proceeded to
explain calmly what he wanted. His
horse had died the day before in the shed
at the cabin. II some one could be gotten
to remove the body he would be well
| paid Tor the trouble.
II required strong pref udice to out
balance an offer OF this kind, but popular
feeling seemed TO be decidedly against
the Stranger, and, In Saddletown, popu-
lar feeling was very likely to prevail.
Finally one OF the men removed q corn
cob pipe for sufficient length of time to
drawl out. with mock gravity:
"Reckon you'll have tor git rid o. the
hoss meat yerself mister. None o. the
boys seem TO cotton to the job"
This speech was hailed with round
Of gulaws from the Saddletcwn citizens,
and, before these had died away, The
| Stranger, With a slight bow. had disap-
pear d as quietly as he had come
Perhaps 1t was the laugh that had 80
modifying an effect on the mblage
Perhaps It was the ever-increasing tobac-
co fumes that soothed u into better
was reaction In favor Of the Stranger
after his departure.
The Western miner Of q dozen years
ago was curious mixture of good and
evil, swayed by the slightest OF impulse,,
aud, perhaps, only this can account for
the hood OF good feeling which rolled
into Dad Tang les little shop as the even-
ing progressed. Fl1xletop declared
with more good humor than respect, that
"tke OLD bone-bag seemed gamey," and
even Dad himself allowed ''he mightn't
be 80 bad arter ALL" This WAS the state
affairs had reached when one Of the boys
suge ested, with a laugh, that they should
60 over and cart the old boss away be-
fore morning."
The Idea had been offered as a joke,
and yet fifteen minutes later the crowd
was struggllng through the moonlight
tow ard tho Strangers cabin.
II was decided that Fizzletop's team
should be used, as his shanty was nearest
that Of the Strangers, and the boys had
almost reached the old shed, when sud.
denly there was a quick exclama alton
from Fzzietop, q clatter of horse's hoois,
the sharp crack, crack, of derringer,
and, In another moment, some of the
party were chasing a rideress horse,
while the other bent over motionless
figure in the road.
The figure was that OF the Stranger.
The horse was Fizzletop's.
The change from good humor to indig-
nation was extreme. Even before the
unconscious man was pronounced still
alive several were maxtng toward the
shed In search OF = rope. The report OF
F.xzletop's pistol had quickly attracted q
number OF spectators, and TO these Dad
Tangls was expounding on the keeDness
Of bis perception Of character, and his
ability In particular to detect \ horse
thief "at first squInt."
Strange to say, Flzzletop seemed to
take the affair N ore calmly than the
others.
"Give the man q chance" he said, "a
the rope was brought up, ready noosed.
"He can't escape. Let's carry him over
to his cabin and give him a trial.
Aftert good deal OF grumbling at
"puttin' the thing Off," this WAS finally
~ reed to, bnt Dad insisted on taking
tho rope along 60 that II would be on
hand when wanted.
1t was only few steps to tho Stran-
gers cabiu, and when Fizzletop's horse
had been returned to the shed, there the
still unconscious man was borne.
Altar forcing opeu the door and do
posting the limp figure In the already
lighted room, the men proceeded to ex-
amiue carefully the interior, and many
were the expressions OF surprise at the
shelves of books. the great lamp, and
the general air Of neatress. But the
supreme sense of Saddletown justice was
moi to be shaken by mere sentimcntaiity.
Dad Tsngle had just delivered himself
of the opinion that US tile Stranger hsd
been seen making off with the horsc no
trial was needed when one OF the men
suddenly interrupted him with:
"Hellol what's thisl'
In q moment the crowd was clustered
spell.bound around the speaker.
On peg hung little troek, while be-
meath rested q pair ot tiny shoes.
Tue rough, hard faces were studies In
their varied expressions,