Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-03-05

enjoying the proud feeling OF man
who has been defending the cause
of the poor and weak, card was
brought to him in his hotel room
that drew from him an exclamation
of surprise.
''Show the man up,' he said to the
servant, and straightway began to
walk nervously up and down the
room as if the prey to violent ex-
element.
When he heard a step in the cor
ridor without, and heard a timid
knock on the door, he went and
opened it, admitting a gayly-dressed
young man, with sharp face and
closely-cropped hair, who stood for
a moment on the threshold, twist
ing a light felt hat nervously in his
hands.
''Well, why don't you come IMP"
grumbled Ellison. And then, as the
fellow seemed to have trouble in
making up his mind, reached out his
hand and pulled him into the room,
closing the door behind him.
''Sit down." pointing to a chair.
The visitor, who seemed to be I'M
comfortable in his new clothes, and
at a loss to know what to do with
his hands, slowly lowered himself to
resting position on the edge of a
fauteuil, while his black eyes turned
here and there about the room, as if
looking for means of escape.
| Ellison, who had taken seat di-
rectly in front of his visitor, eyed
him with a contemptuous smile.
"Well, what have you done to earn
your money!" he began.
''BGme me, Mr.. Hellison, I amt
had good nights sleep since went
on this here 'untin' hexpedition,
speaking with strong Cockney &C
cent.
That's all very well. But what
did you accomplish by staying
awake? The paper-did you get it?''
mo; I didn't
Ellison made a gesture of irrita-
ton, and looked at his visitor in no
very friendly way.
''What chance was there for me to
lay lands on it?'' explained the young
man, energetically. Didn't I plank
myself down in the same lodgin'
'ouse with the party? Didn't I keep
alter him all day-an', let me tell We,
he amt pedestrian you can give
distance to. Didn't [ transact his bag
gage when he was hout?'
ooh, that was all nonsense. You
might have known that he carried it
about with him."
"And suppose was to knock the
gent hover in broad daylight, and
take it from imp remarked the
other, showing that he had pretty
skill in the way OF sarcasm.
81 don't care what you might have
done. Your duty was to get the pa
per, and you haven't done it. I de-
clare, you are not SO clever as I
thought you were.'
"Come guv'nor. I done the best
I could, SO just please wait until
'Well, go on, [ am listening" re
piled Ellison, with the bored express
sion of patient resignation.
eye know We wanted to find out
who this here chap really was.'
eyes, but what can you tell me
about him that | don't know already,
Briggs? Don't try to make up a
story so as to cover up your own
stupidity.'' And he looked at the
young man in such threatening
way that the latter cast an anxious
look at the door, as if he would
gladly be on the other side of it.
of this gent" he began, as he re
gained some confidence and found
out that he was not to be eaten, 81
fell in with some of our folks camped
in the woods. They allus makes
known Their whereabouts by some
sort of a sigma bit o. rag fixed to
tree or the like. So when I see
this signal | thinks I'll go and pay
the folks a visit. / plunges inter the
woods and hadn't gone far when
big, rough chap comes runnin' bout
of the bushes and axed me what /
wanted. I explains the best way |
could, and at the same time makes
it known that was onct at Romany
myself"
"You are mighty long-winded with
your cursed story" exclaimed Mr..
Ellison, as he leaned back in his
chair and yawned. do be brief"
81 amt no Geographic talker,"
grumbled the young man, sullenly.
81 got to tell this in my own way or
not at all.''
''There-there, I was only trying
to, hurry you up bit" said the
other, seeing that he could gain
nothing by his irritation.
"As soon as he finds out that I
was one of the people-though he
was nothin' but a low down sort O.
half-breed hisself-we got to be
quite chummy, and then I axes him
if he knows anything about the
party I was lookin' after. Bless We,
he knowed all about i'm. The Teller