Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-04-05

IeU0s attracted by something on one OF
the posts.
she suddenly burst out with: "But he
| is no friend, Dayie. Be sure of that"
Surprised. questioned her. and after
some hesitation she drew letter from
her breast and favored me with Gu.
rious, confiding look.
'This letter l received from your ia
Their this morning." she said. Read
it and tell me what you think Of it.
You are big enough now to under
stand"
Her looks and her manner Of speak
ing impressed me so strangely that it
was with feeling of trepidation be-
gan a perusal of the letter. 1t bore
neither address nor date, but the stamp
on the envelope showed it had been
posted in Ballarat What he, sailor
man. was doing at that inland town
OF Australia he did not explain. And.
truth to tell, so strange a man was he
that letter from him dated from the
north pole or the mountains of the
| moon would have astonished us but
little
After expressing regret at his un-
avoidable absence and telling in no un-
certain language the intense longing
he had to behold his wife and child
once more, he became mystic, vague
and hinted at certain misfortunes
which logged the steps of the most
deserving, from which l gathered he
and fate were not on the best Of terms.
Then from vague generalities he de-
scended to particulars and Informed
us that he had quarreled with some
former friends who had become his
bitterest enemies and who had sworn
to be revenged on him. He did not
fear them himself, but he begged my
mother to treat with suspicion any one
who said he came from him. After
warning her in words which but
vaguely understood he concluded:
Guard yourself we'll until come. 1t
will not be long now, as I have finish
ed my last voyage. Be careful whom
you entertain, with whom you travel
Suspect your own shadow"
This was sufficiently vague to be
alarming. As handed the letter back
to her saw more clearly the fear in
her face. but the questioning look she
gave me remained unanswered. What
could say; what advice could a boy
Of Is give? To be sure it was plain
enough that my father had made ene-
mics, but had no doubt whatever
that he was capable Of taking care Of
himself. How his quarrel could per-
sonally affect me or my mother I was
at loss to comprehend. Therefore l
returned her inquiring look with one
equally uncompromising.
.'Perhaps you can understand now
why the sudden appearance of this
stranger upset me. What if he is your
fathers enemy, what if he is seeking
to do him an injury? Heaven knows"
she continued. what it all means, but
your father would not write in this
strain unless the matter was one of
the utmost Importance"
And yet l cannot say that was un-
! duly impressed, for few ideas began
to buzz confusedly in my brain. and
! tried to grasp them and set them in
proper order. With this end in view
took up my hat and went out, hoping
that might have another glimpse of
the man. Ny mother made me promise
that I would not go off the road, a
promise to which I laughingly assent
ed, but followed the road right into
Slough and round to the railway sta
ton, yet never saw a sign of the man
with tho stra moo iovna
| II l were to say that my fathers
warning made me very frightened 1
fear I should hardly be combining my
self to the truth. think my mothers
serious face caused me the greater
alarm. Once away from it the warn
ing did not seem :fraught with much
significance, or, IL 1t were, could not
/, grasp It. Uncle Jim would probably be
over that afternoon. We should hear