The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-08-11


excuse me disturbin you 40 early,
sir, but there's a gentleman ere will
a cut 'ead, sir, IN Mrs. Tressidel
thought perhaps you wouldn't mine
attendin to IL, sir"
"a gentleman with q cut head" DR.
Thorne repeated ns he watched tho
gray haired old waiter draw up the
blind. whats he doing with a cut
headf"
"There's been a wreck durin the
night, sir, Off the point. a schooner
she's gone to pieces, but they saved the
crew. This gent was the only passen.
ger. an they brought i'm on ere.
Didn't you ear Il blow, sirY"
"Why, no., the doctor answered. III
dropped of to sleep at once, and !
never woke until you knocked, Is the
gentleman badly hnrt9'
"N.o, I shouldn't say o is; at any
rate, g made a capital breakfast, an
'e's smokin Is cigar In the parlor now.
cir. 4 seems n Of the ard sort. sir.
Why, e drunk as much brandy when
they brought i'm In as would ave
killed many a one"
"Well, tell him I'll be down In a
few minutes" DR.. Thorne said az he
prepared to rise, and with a word OF
assent the old waiter withdrew.
The window overlooked the sea, and
the masses Of Q aweed and heaps Of
wreckage With which the beach wal
strewn testified to the violence Of the
storm.
Having completed his toilet, he al
once descended t. the sitting room.
The door was partly ajar, and he en-.
tered without knocking, only to staggel
back with a loud cry as his eyes rested
on the man who was sitting smoking
By the fire. This man, a broad shout.
dered young fellow, with a handsome,
reckless face. dropped his cigar In az.
constituent.
1.-THE d.e.v.i.ll" he calculated slow.
ly; then with a grim laugh: "Come In,
man. I'm not a ghost, though perhaps
you think It,"
Thorne, his face as gray az the
morning sky, dropped into the nearest
chair. He seemed to be aging rapidly.
"Here, have a pull at the brandy"
the other said roughly. II dare say X
does give a chap the funk when he sesa
q man he thought had gone to Davy
JONES and the one MAJ In the world he
wanted there. eh7 Cad, it's q rum 20.
IL this. I suppose you'd given me up
long ago, chr" /.
"Ye.es," Thorne stammered. wipine
bis brow. News reached us that the
Kangaroo had gone down with all hands
on board"
"Ah, well. all hands didn't &C
down. the other replied, with a mall
cious grin that the bandage round his
temples rendered hideous, "though l.
was a near shave. l got hold Of a spar
and dashed myself to It. Then / wal
chucked up on a desert island. q regu.
lar Robinson Crusoe. ! lived there SIS
months, principally on shellAsh ana
sea birds eggs. Then this Spanish char
picked me up. and last night ! was ship.
wrecked a second time. However, I'm
none the worse for my adventures, with
the exception Of a crack on the skull.
A falling spar did that. That's my tale
In a nutshell. Now let's hear about
LOOP You're not spIieed to her yet,
hope"
"No, no.
But you are going to be, III lay a
dollar"
"We.e are engaged" Thorne said
In a low voice.
"Gadi ! knew It," And he laughed
boisterously.
lyon see, the other went on In al
explanatory tone, ~ thought You we,
dead, and sEo cared fer me before YOU
took-beforr she met you. But
course Il engagement ~ at an en-
now"
II should think 10 indeed"
eyes. l slGil leave here at once. You
will explain perhaps
with pleasure. She Is staying down
here. ell 2"
Eyes: they have Il cottage"
Good I'll try and toddle over wheL
I've had my head seen to. TIN be
aurppise for en-"
"Wouldn't II be better " you gave
them a little warningY" Thorne sug
gested. 1.-THE shock might ~provs"-
"Then perhaps you'd like
mo, no; ! couldn't"
His companion laughed and thss
submitted himself to the others ski.lfu
In q few minutes Thorns hat
the cut. and no at once went
mp stairs to pack. When no reached hi
room. however. no sank into a chair
that hopeless look In bis eye.
which only comes 10 q man when hl
|eses the woman no loves, /
His story was a little ont Of common
This was the second time no had beef /
Engaged 10 the girl no should 70 soop |
ied to the altar. Hs had made hs, |
acquaintance during q visit to the
three years previously. ah'