The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-02-22

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closed tie wid1..vAa couple sc inchAa
2 therasping voice Of the obdurat..
storekeeper called:
John, who's that??'
The young nan from Chicago, sir
answered the lanky youth, respect
fully.
II finished the air.
John came the voice again, tell
him he might give us another tune
Il complied, and at its close the
dealer was sitting beside me on the
cracker box.
"sGive me your book, young man.
he said; when you want an order for
your house here you can--just whistle
for it
He slapped his hand down on his
knee and laughed at his own joke and
astonished me by giving me at once q
large and important order. That was
the beginning of it He became one of
u best customers, always insisting.
however, upon the fulfillment of my
part Of the contract. A little insight
into his character proved that the
somewhat harsh exterior covered q
heart as big snd tender rs b friend
could possibly desire, and the years of
our acquaintance resolved our relations
into those OF remarkable confidence
and comradeship"
Mr.. x. paused. the serious look deep
ening ON his face.
And then?"-Helen Harper knew
that there must be more to the story.
'Our acquaintance had covered .
period Of three years" he resumed, Fin
creasing all the time in intimacy and
mutual esteem. and one day as We re-
turned from . late drive through the
country together Mr.. Gray said. with q
little nervous shifting of the lines
and . catch in his usually smooth voice:
K, I've q favor to ask of you. I'm q
bluff sort of q man, as you have reason
to know, but l know you'll give me
credit for . reasonable share Of COM
mon sense. What I want to say is this:
You've been coming to this town for
quite a spell now, aud like as not you'll
keep right on coming rs long as you're
on the road. Every time you have been
here for the last three years you have
been in my store, and you've humored
the old man by sitting there along in
the twilight and whistling for him.
And I tell you now, wherever l am that
music is good enough for me. Now, my
boy, when you come here again and go
into my store to ask for me they will
tell you that I am dead. I know it. We
need make no words about it. And
then l want you to take this horse and
drive over the hill to that little ceme-
terry you can just seeup there, and find
where they have laid me. Then mon
sense, boy, l know what l am talking
about!)-l want you to sit down on the
mound that covers me II whistle.
Whistle the hymns and songs, the airs
from the operas and the songs of the
street, any and all of them
II e~xpostulated with him, referred
him to his perfect health and. tried to
laugh away his morbid fancy, but it
would not do. In a minute l had
promised and his hand had closed over
mine with the earnest: Thank you,
lad, thank you. shall hear your"
The women drew their wraps a little
closer, and one of the men said, nerv-
ously:
"DeucAd uncomfortable statement!'
WELL" continued Mr.. X, Il was
sent on another route after that and il
was nearly a year before : again Wis
tied Mr.. Gray's town. had heard
nothing from him in that time and
our odd agreement did 0 occur te
me until I say the unfamiliar faces al
the store. l asked for my old frient
only to learn that he had been deac
three months, and I am not ashamed t.
say that a chill, sharper than that O.
the autumn air. ran over m.
when ! remembered my prom
Use at our last meeting. / frank
ly own that l tried to get out O
it, but taking the horse | drove out t
his pleasant home, just on the edge 0
town. His widow greeted me very
kindly and I at nee made known my
errand, which was to secure her con
sent to the canceling of my rashly
made agreement. To my surprise sb'
held me to it's fulfllment
"'Mr. Gray was very much in earn
est when he made his singular re
quest, I am sure she said. "A few
moments before he died he told me t,
{ tell you that he would be listening.
, did not understand what he mean
5 then, but you nave brought the expla