Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-12-25

boarders at Blake's and he took an In
slant fancy to young Theriot. Dillon
in his quiet. convincing way, had led
us all to believe that he was an expert
swordsman, and 1t was quite natural,
when Gaston's baggage arrived, that
fencing bout should be arranged. The
little Frenchman was quite willing,
glad to give the Irishman a choice of
Weapons--foil, rapier or broadsword.
They gave us fine display in the Ii
brary, and we all sat about smoking
and drinking till near morning. The
Irishman astonished us all with his
sword play. but the little Frenchman
proved to be a wizard with the light
er weapons, and Frenchlike, able to
carry on running fire of quaint jests,
bonmots and rectauve even while
busiest With his weapons. He made
great "hit' with all of us that night,
but we could see that something of the
soldier spirit, something OF the wider
citizenship of Captain Dillon was max
ing for a close friendship with the new
man from Rheims.
And so it proved. Roderick and the
rest of us, wantons that we We're, be-
came interested in fencing, in French
literature, in gossip of the new 13o-
hernia of Paris. We took some lessons
of Theriot, began to read again Tele-
machus and the rudilnentary literature
of France, but 1t was Dillon Che was 40
years old, at leasD, who became the
Fides Achates. the near friend of
Castor Theriot lie was q charming
little fellow who scattered his money
like a prince, and drank Wine like a
thirsty cuirassier. He never got used to
our whisky and pipes, preferring Gig
arets and frothy drinks, but we liked
him just the same and boosted him
about town so that in six months he
a rf.1.,
a list of French pupils that assured
his prosperity.
Nobody ever knew just how that
GOODNESS sprang up between Dillon and
the little Frenchman, but we all no.
ticed it. The Irishman quit noticing
Theriot, and the spruce little fencer-
always the soul of courtesy--began to
betray signs of the estrangement which.
was apparent to us all. Then one
suddenly announced at the supper
table that he was going to leave.
TIM going to try Oklahoma" he said,
fddling with his fork; Pm an adven-
turer, you know, and 1 am tired OF
Kansas City"
We We're all heartily sorry and showed
it-all but CASTOR. He only bit his lip
| and stared into his coffee. Dillon left
the next day, and somehow after that
IHciiOl uluii SeGHl W NJ III lllS sclrGle.
! We suspected that he hadn't treated
Dillon just right, and he seemed con-
scious of his lapse from grace. Any
how, along about Valentines day, the
bright little F'renchman, without a
word to anybody, suddenly disap-
peared. He paid his bill all right, but
he didn't tell even Mrs. Blake whe re he
was going.
1 think it was in the summer of 1882
that 1 went down to Guthrie, Okla
/ homa, to write about the new en-
pire." / met Dillon on the street. He
seemed glad to see mo- showed me his
store Qt was the best business house
| in town., and then. after inviting me
to his house for dinner, with a queer
| look in his eye, said:
Il want you to see my wife and baby,
| but"
! He chewed nervously at his cigar,
and, smiling vaguely, added:
IF you're going back to the Maison