The Portland daily press., 1892-04-09

A4lSo ID lay pstIt Ol tuc Dull J. "
course there were quite a number OF
other people present, including the
youthful highwayman and his capable
assistants, and they, also, have claim
on the above narrative. did not mean
that owned it; what tried to say was
that this is the only one of the events
from which come this veracious tale
that took part in, and / think it has
been shown that my part was entirely
passive one. Perhaps we had better call
that portion of the story the gentlemanly
road agents, because he got about ev-
erything else there was to get. The rest
is Hallegan's.
Hallegan and I were travelling to-
gether, and it was his foresight-or
rather an odd notion Of his-that en-
abled US to resume our journey to Den
YER after the road agent incident. This
odd notion was in the form of thin
chamois insole which he wore in his left
boot, and which, in addition to a card
giving directions for the disposition of
his body in case he should suddenly be
called hence while among strangers,
contained fifty dollar bill. It was an
ordinary fifty dollar bill, but when Ter
ence flashed it before my dazzled eyes IN
the hotel at Merrill that night I was
quite sure that it was larger and more
valuable than the opinions of q Flew
England hired man. It took us to Lead
vile, anyway, and that was all we could
reasonably desire:
But for the rest Of the story:
II was about two years after the road
agent affair, in which we lost almost
everything but our good names and the
clothing we wore, when one day was
thunderstruck to receive Hallegan's
wedding cards. It was the first time l
any one else told me Terence Hallegan
was marrying man / should have de-
rided him, but when Terence himself, in
his own peculiar chirography, directed
to me an envelope containing such star
tling news, all set forth in the highest
style Of the engraver's art-well, it was
too much, and went down into the
camp, where surcease of sorrow was OBJ
tainable in quantities 10 suit the pur
chaser, and where there was full score
of Terence's friends and acquaintances
to toast his memory and console with
each other. And grief was our lot until
the day Jewett ssstruck it" In that hole
he had been pegging away at over on
the other side of the gulch, and excite
ment reigned supreme.
In the midst of the confusion, tele
grams came and went, fying-brought
and sent by special courier to and from
the Office at Sunrise, nine miles away;
and one day came one for him who sits
here burning the nocturnal kerosene. 1t
was from Hallegan, who was now liv
ing in Chicago, and summoned me to
hasten to that city, where was needed
to assist in transaction involving the
sale of some mining property in which
Terence and~I were interested. @
! Terence met me at the station. He
looked remarkably. well, even for per-
son whose health and spirits had always
been of the very best, and | told him so,
adding that in deponent's opinion he
must have drawn capital prize in the
matrimonial lottery.
He smiled happily, and took my arm
to walk outside the train inclosure as
he said:
"That did-that did, me boy; just
wait till you see her, and you'll be sure
of it,"
He called cab, gave the driver some
brief instructions, and leapedsin after
me. We rode several minutes in silence;
then Hallegan turned to me in rather
embarrassed way, and said, in strained
tone:
"Billy, me boy-it's very near dinner
time at our house-and there's no time
for-explanations. Only-if you think
you've seen-my wife-if her face is fa-
miliar-please don't mention it, or act
ns though you noticed it. I'll explain
after dinner"
I acquiesced wonderingly, and won
dsred yet more after | had met Mrs.
.Hallegan, for was quite positive that
had never seen her before, and there
was ample opportunity during the course
Of the excellent dinner we presently sat
down to, to study her. She was slightly
above the medium height, and of per-
feet, though rather slight figure. Her
hair and eyes were dark, setting off ex-
cellently her clear olive complexion, and
her features were all that an artist could
desire. She was hardly what one would
call beautiful woman, however.
Handsome" would be the better word
or, perhaps, striking" There was
something about the firm set of her
mouth when not speaking, and the
strong, rather masculine chin-in which,
oddly enough, there was char1ningly
feminine dimple-that caused this effect,
I think. One would never have taken
Mrs. Hallegan for the daughter of the
little, white haired, sweet faced old lady
who sat opposite me, and whom she ad-
dressed as mother"
No, had never seen her up to half an
hour ago, SO gave up studying her and
fell to wondering what Hallegan was
going to explain"
Dinner over, the ladies rose to leave us,
smiling over the broad hint Terence had
Just thrown out concerning desire to
smoke. AS they reached the door Mrs.
Hallegan turned and bowed mockingly
| .-Loen Lc,,I yx,,o ;,,.+