Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-10-10


cestors came over here in 1899 and had
| the rare foresight to grab some land
situated just beyond the land that had
been grabbed in 1893. You pay those
fellows in this town every time you
buy a cigar. However, this is no lee
ture in political economy. It's good,
plain business for you to go back to
Collingwood.
Cant do it," said Haskell. "Stella
doesn't want me to. She says people
merely vegetate in Collingwood, and
she cannot love vegetable"
"Have you seen her YETI? asked Ben
ton. But of course not. You've just
got in"
II shan't see her." said HASKELL; "at
least.not until I've accomplished some
thing-a year or two perhaps. Heaven
knows! She didn't write to me very
kindly, Curt, old fellow. I suppose she
wanted to spur my ambition. And
then for q week or two she hasn't
written at all. So that's all over for a
season. Don't let's speak of it. Tell
me where 1 ought to live"
"In Collingwood,' said Benton, pac:
ing the door, his lips puckered and his
brow il a snarl. But" he added aft
er a pause, "if you must live in this
COMPOUNDED town here's the address of
a decent boarding house."
j He scrubbed it upon a slip Of paper
and gave it to his friend, who returned
thanks for the obligation and inquired
how he should get to the place.
''Take Broadway car" said Benton,
"and tell the conductor to put you off
at Forty street,
In the boarding house to which he
had been recommended it appeared
that there was but one vacant room
suitable to Haskell's means, and it was
not quite ready for occupancy.
"I've had a party here" said the
landlady, land they're just going away.
You can have the room below for to-
night at the same price, though usu
ally get $25 week for it."
Haskell agreed to be guest Of the
house. He went down town and ar
ranged to have his trunk sent up,
lunched with Benton and was back
i
o'clock of the afternoon. His trunk
had arrived and had been put into the
top floor front and not into his tenn
porary quarters on the floor below.
The sad faced landlady, who by the
irony Of fate was named Mrs. Jolly, in
formed him that he couldn't unpack his
trunk at that moment.
/ se,
in there now,' said she, ''but you can
have the trunk brought downstairs by
and by. They'll be out of there this
afternoon, but want time to fix it all
up nice for you"
Haskell replied that the tray alone
would answer his purpose, and he gave
his key to the colored man who served
Mrs. jolly. This individual, made glad
by the gift of a dime, agreed to bring
the tray down presently; but Haskell
waited, and it did not arrive. He was
too diffdent to insist in such matters,
and SO he eventually went out to keep
an appointment with Benton. They
dined together, went to theater after
ward, and it was midnight when Has
kell returned to his quarters. The
trunk tray was not in sight. He had
nothing to sleep in; no change of gar
ments for the morning, no soap, no
comb and brush. 1t was very annoy
ing.
There's nobody in that room," said
Haskell to himself. II don't see why I
can't go up and get the tray. It's lucky
that I've got another key"
1t was very simple matter, yet he
felt like an amateur burglar engaged
in his first offense as he climbed the
stairs. There was no light in the upper
hall and very little anywhere. His
only match went out when he tried TO
light it, and by faith rather than by
sight he found his way to the door Of
the room. It opened with a raucous
creaking that seemed loud enough to
alarm the police, yet no result followed.
The room was as dark as the inside
of coffin, but Haskell kept the points
of the compass in mind and held his
course toward the trunk with no more
serious mishap than collision between
his ankle bone and the rocker of
lchair
The trunks lid, to his surprise, was
raised. Obviously the servant had
started to perform his task, had been
interrupted and had then forgotten it.
Haskell lifted the tray, carried it softly
out and closed the door behind him.
He felt like thief, and indeed he was
one, for when he laid that tray upon
the bed in his room he discovered that
the thing belonged to somebody else.
1t exhaled a delicate perfume. One
Mortified glance within showed him
mass Of ribbons and laces and delicate
fabrics never designed for his use or
inspection. He snapped down the fiex-
ible lid and fastened it with the clasps,
while the perspiration started from his
forehead.
Jerusalem cricketsw he gasped.
l"What shall I do with this thing?'
Even in this moment of anguish he
bod +bo Owe RI poto fhof thQ tr4V was