The Anaconda standard., 1895-02-08
THEY HAD MET BEFORE.
But 1t Was Under Circumstances That
Discouraged Recognition.

But 1t Was Under cIrcumstancss That
Discouraged Recognition.
From the Detroit Free Press
The drummer had for some time been
watching flashy y-lookIng city crook play
ing game of cards with a man on the
sleeper, who might have been a farmer,
and then again who might have been
something else. All of a sudden, as the
train pulled out at a station, the sharper
made a wild break and rushed out of the
car and off the platform, leaving every
thing. The other man simply smiled and
looked over at the drummer.
what the mischief was the matter
with that party?" asked the drummer,
taking a seat with the smiler.
| There's a story goes with that" re-
piled the smiler quietly. want to hear
it?"
| "Indeed do"
"Here she goes, then. About five years
| ago had some cattle to deliver in Chi
cago, and when got there L stopped out
| by the stock yards in hotel found con-
venient. 1t wasn't in a very good neigh
borhood, but / wasn't looking for society
| fixings, so / didn't care much. l had
some money and a fine watch, and once
or twice during the evening, as l sat
around the barroom, noticed was being
watched by several of the loafers about
the place. When went up to my room
locked the door and bolted il and took
| look out of the window to see what was
ouside. 1 found it opened out into a sort
of shed about eight feet below, and that
ran down to within climbing distance of
the ground. l took this observation so as
to know where l was going TO be at in
case of fire. Then went to bed, leaving
the window up, as it was hot night.
II don't know how long 1t was after l
had been asleep that some noise
awakened me. At first / thought was
dreaming, but just as tried to go to sleep
again l heard the noise once more, and
this time didn't try to go to sleep. | got
up and went over toward the window with
a six-inch knife in my hand that thought
would come in handy in case l found at
the window what thought l would. 1t
was quite dark on that side of the house
and when got up close l could hear two
men whispering on the shed roof. lis
tened and heard one tell the other to stoop
down and he would climb on his shoiders
and from there pull himself up into my
window. BY this time l was standing by
one side of the window ready to meet my
visitor as soon as he came. While / was
thinking whether to kill him or not saw
his fingers slide up over the window
sill seeking for a good grip. Then they
stretched down tight as if the man
were testing his strength for the final pull.
At this moment reached forward and
with swish l whacked two of those
fingers off with my knife. l kept very
quiet about 1t, too, but my visitors didn't,
and they rolled and tumbled off that roof
in a manner worth coming all that way to
see. Then | went back to bed, but l
fastened down the window. Next morn
ing, when got up, which was just at day.
break, for | had my cattle to look after,
went to the window to see what was left
of the wreck, and saw two fingers on the
sill. The owner had forgotten them in
his hurry the night before, and it struck
me then for the first time that ought to
take charge of them, so that if they were
ever called for could return them.
"Well, took them along with me, and
as soon as ] could get them into a drug
store got bottle filled with spirits and
put them into it. Until to-day have not
been able to find anybody that thought
might want them, although have carried
them ever since when GO anywhere, and
while that duffer you saw trying to work
me first shufflsd his cards l noticed that
he was short two fingers. About the time
he thought he had me pulled tho bottle
out of my pocket, and sticking it right at
him, asked him if he didn't think he had
better see if he couldn't fit them on to the
stumps he had. 1t took him about n
minute to catch on, but when he did
well, you know the rest. l guess he must
have been the chap that tried to climb in
my window that night" and as the man
smiled the drummer wondered how it
was that truth was oftentimes stranger
than fiction and handed the bottle, with
its two CHASTITY and silent witnesses, back
to tho owner.