The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-08-28
TIE TWO STRANGERS.

~ group of guests including the wiser sat isl
.e office of the old hotel with it's VARYING names
ot Ash, International and the Merchants. ,hen
h"stel headquarters of Yankton, Da}vta:'s terri
usrial capital. Supper was over, and the ]~o,.ngere
were taking their ease. About this time, a young:
man sprang ninably in the doorway, and as ell for
.a~- proprietor. He seemed about twenty .onr or
twenty-five years of age, of medium size, lark
grey eyes, smooth shaver face and dark head Of
hair enclined TO curl. His round full face. had a
clerical cast, and the cut Of his clothes-if they
had not such a seedy, t,readbare look would
have solifed this impression. On the landlords
appearance the stranger asked for supper, 'oreak-
FIST and lodging. With a swift glance thu: host
asked his guest for his baggage, and ora be- ng in
atuuned that he was not incumbered, the la ldlord
sold him it was his rule in such cases *, as for
his pay in advance. This, after much run aging
nm his pockets, and some confusion in his M: inner,
was placed in the landlords hands, after which
uhe stranger was shown in the diaing ROOM. With
sl,e new arrival exit from the office some d ispar-
aging remarks were INDUCED in by the lo,u..;.er's
Il, the EXPENSE of the personal appearance of The
aravel-stained stranger. One remarked that his
shirt bosom had not seen soap suds for a II onth,
while another, espied the strangers bcla Gro wned
beaver hanging upon the hat rack, said that i-'such
.. tile should be made to uniform with the .:x-st
ef his buds" and proceeded to snsasa l., its
crown with his fists.
In the meantime the bossee of tlc hotel. , nth
s7s,ructions from the proprietor, went our and
a'ncked the stables securely, saying after liz. ing
.tDne so.
ayes stree, we have a horse thief with { 5 TO
sght, and we'll have to watch things?"
1t is needless to add that the stranger was sh adj
owed until retiring to his room for the nights est.
forming found everything safe about the h el,
md the young man under suspicious ban poEt Ely
announced that he was seeking employment. nd
Aould be glad to obtain it. The usual spring J !sh
cf young men from the east had filled up the "a
cant places, and the only job in sight offered rs
"a line of post holes to be dug at the edge of tc wn
S.1ad although in the full hea; of summer days he
cleerfully accepted the task, and with coat off 81 nd
aared head he tugged and p~erspired at his wcris
~ le long days through, and although doubles s:
Y ell tagged when the sun hid itself behind lie
low range of hills overlooking this little iron:i sr
capital, he did not complain of it. The idlers 'm
the veranda of the hotel wln were v"inly wait rg
Dame Fortunes deferred visit, with Lrual yr1.s
IN their faces and cutting" remarks with II = r
tongues, as they watched the weary tai!er ,s k =
III his heavy plug and sit it on the ground besi i +:
himself while at work.
The writer of these lines WAS employed at Il is
time on a printers case in the old D"kotain off =
ON Territorial book work, and after meals at t. &
hotelit was customary before going To nay case j.
the office to take a few minutes STROLL to the riv. I
front in recreative exercise. noted, also at this
time that the stranger had the same habit and W
sometimes met there. One morning after break
fast an incident of this kind occurred. The
opening of the day was Beautiful heavy fog
just raising above the sand bars in. uur 'front.'
; lille the big rising sun seemed in crimson blush.
,"w and again ebscured by the passing OF the;
! ( veil, To our right under the chalky bluffs,
Presho's woods-now but a mcrnory-its forest Of
,ew bathed leaves glinted and danced in the rays
.f the sun beams. In the high willows facing the
timber, fifteen or twenty lodges of the red San
tees were serenely posing. and now and again al
wreath of blue smoke curling high in air. A few
Of the swarthy occupants were sauntering upon
the sands or FLEEING along the narrow foot trail to-
wards "'Shad-owa iowa or "Charley P%ecotte's''
aown" as the native red people thereabout persist
ed in calling the ambitious capital city to the dis
traction of some Of its good people.
The stranger stood for some moments with al
gloomy face as he peered out upon the river, and
tie living panorama spread before him. Whatever
his thoughts were1 could not c%onjure. Was he ga