The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-05-30

well, l. III gong 10 loiioW unSo'
tracks and see where they go to-"
The first Miss Eaton closed the door.
and Mr. johnson continued to follow the |
trail. leaning forward like an alert In
dian scout.
Mr.. johnson had not proceeded far |
before he met Mr.. Morton, who discov-
cred the suburb before the first house
was built,
"Are you looking at these tracks?' in
quircd Morton.
"Yes. Have you noticed them?"
"They beat anything ever saw. ]
traced them up the street from m!
house a little distance, and all at once
they stopped. Come on and I'll show
you"
They followed the big footprints
around into Baldwin street and thence
over block to the north, and then sud-
denly the trail ended at place where
the snow had been kicked about as II
men had scuff1ed there.
"This is where It started" said John
son. "Now, let's sec how far we can fol-
| low it the other way"
1
to where the tracks led over to Morton's
house, the same as they had at the
Eaton and johnson places, but strange
TO say, the trail divided, one set OF
tracks leading over to Morton's house,
the other continuing south on Baldwin
| street.
| At Chester avenue the trail turned
toward the Eaton house and continued
to the east, although there was side
trail leading over to the Eaton house
and another to Mr.. Johnson's frontw
dow.
The two men followed the main line.
From Chester avenue it turned into
Miller street and came to an abrupt
end near the Methodist church. There
were other tracks of ordinary size to be
seen, but ut the point where the trail
ended the man with the giant feet had
evidently gone up into the air. The
snow was badly kicked about Perhaps
there had been another struggle.
According to the size OF his feet"
observed Mr.. Morton, thoughtfully,
"that man should have been IA feet'high.
What do you think of it?"
II simply give it up" said Mr.. John
son. II never in all my life ran across
anything like it. These are real tracks
You can see the marks of the nails and
the print of the heel. But they begin
nowhere and end nowhere. Here's O
single trail and suddenly it splits into
two trails going in different directions
One set of tracks goes right up to
window, and yet there's nothing tf
show that the man turned around ant
came back. He didn't go in the window
though. Now what the"
Don't ask me-" said Mr.. Morton.
At the station that morning the mer
talked of the strange tracks and no
one could explain them except by bring
ing in supernatural agent. And they
never did find out.
: And now for the solution of this stor!
of mystery.
; Bertrand Thompson, one OF tn
liyelier spirits of the quiet suburb, hat
been to town on the evening OF TN
snowfall. At small free-and-easy clu'
which he often visited he had becom
acquainted with q well-known min
1 strel performer. The minstrel CAV
Thompson pair of huge shoes such a
are often worn in burlesque pieces. III
had promised them to Thompson lon
e before and on this evening he brough
them to the club.
Thompson reached Morton's Grow
on the last night train. He started 10
y home, the shoes wrapped up under HI
I arm.
s The snowfall had ceased and it wa
It clear night. He had taken a fe
l. drinks and was in an imaginative an
creative state of mind. He saw II
unmarked snow and it occurred to hi
% that it might surprise people IN II
Y. morning if they saw tracks Is inch'
o long.
1t He leaned against fence al
changed his shoes after some difficult
ID and then marched homeward.
I'd When he came in front of Morton
n house a brilliant idea came to him.
&c walked over to the front window OF u
house and then with extreme cautl'
r. backed his way out to the street agal
ne taking care to put the big shoes ba'
5n in the footprints already maze.
Then he took up his homeward jor
cd ney again, but he thought of the Eat
la girls, so he favored them with spec
he set of footprints, and afterward did
ELI much for MIR. johnson, whom he q
nd liked very much. !,
nd When he reached the Method
ed church corner he realized that he mig
Il H.
Ike tracked to his home, so he chang
nd shoes again, with great deal OF ne
ad ping around in the snow to keep III
gh losing his balance while ne was stal
or, ing on one foot.
ad When he learned how successful
ng experiment had been he kept quiet,
allowed the tale of the monster 10
rst prints to become a suburban classic
,us Chicago Record.
-hr rrAnE0 EARTA