Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1903-02-06


cfiiato5f:y; manneT, and r appear rude
/ am sure you win readily forgive me ne
I ina place 50 great % London accidents
must continually happen. and the best
that We can hope is to remedy them
with as small delay as possible. will
not deny that ! fear you have made 2.
mistake and honored my poor house,
by inadvertence, for, Ito speak openly,
I cannot at all remember your appear
ance. Let me put the question without
unnecessary circumlocution- between|
gentlemen Of honor word will SUFFICE
under. whose roof do you suppose
yourself to be?' 81
That OF Mr.. Morris" replied the othd|
er. with a prodigfous display Of confuI
sion, which had been visibly CROWNED
upon him throughout the last feWI
words.
a.S1r. John or Mr.. James Morris?' tn-1
quired the host: II
Il. really cannot tell you" returned
the unfortunate guest II am not perl
sonally acquainted with the gentleman
any more than l am with yourself. :" =
II see." said Mr.. Morris. There is anil
other person of the same name farther1
down the street, and I have no doubt
the policeman will be able to supply
you with his number. Believe me, II
celicitate myself on the misunderstand-I
ing which has procured me the pleasureI
Of your company for so long, and lett
me express a hope that we may meet
again upon more regular footing.
Meantime I would not for the world
detain you longer from your friends.
john" he added. raising his voice will
you see that this gentleman finds his
greatcoat?
And with the most agreeable air Mr..
Morris escorted his visitor as far as the
anteroom door, where lie left him I'M
der conduct of the butler. AS he passed
the window on his return to the draw
ing room BracEenbury could hear him
utter a profound sigh, us though his
mind was loaded with Il great anxiety
and his nerves already f;itlgued with
the task on which he was engaged
For perhaps an Eo,:r Tho hansoms
xxi IL arriving with such frequency that
Nh Norris had to receive Il new guest
for every old one that he sent away,
and the company preserved it's number
undiminiShed. I;ut toward the end Of
that time the arrivals grew few and far
between and at length ceased entirely,
while the process of elimination was
continued with unimpa;icd activity
The drawing room began to look cmp-l
ty, the baccarat WIS discontinued fOrj
lack of u banker. more than one person
said good night of lis own accord AND
was suffered to depart without expos
tulation, and in the meanwhile Mr..
Morris redoubled in agreeable atten-'
lions to those who stayed behind. He
went from group to group and from
person to person with looks OF the
readiest sympathy and the most peril
nent and pleasing talk. He was not so
much like host as like hostess, and
there was feminine coquetry and con-
descensiOn in his manner which charm
ed the hearts of all.
As the guests grew thinner Lieuten-
dAt 1S1(A SL1OA1Cu lO1 d AOAACAL OuL VI l..
the drawing room into the hall in quest.
of fresher air. But he had no sooner
passed the threshold of the antecham-
Der than he was brought to a dead
halt by discovery of the most sur
prising nature. the Towering shrubs
had disappeared from the staircase.
Three large furniture wagons stood
before the garden sate. The servants
were busy disnlantlin@ the house upon
all sides. and some Of them had al
ready donned their greatcoats and
We're preparing to depart. It was like
the end OF /: country bail. where every
thing has been supplied by contract.
Brackcnbury ha,i indeed some matter
for reflection. First, the guests. who
were no real giiests after all. had been
dismissed, and How the servants, who
could hardly 'H' genuine servants, were
actively dispensing.
"Was the whole establishment 4
sham,' he asked himself. the mush-
room OF Il single night, which should
disappear before morning.
Watching Il favorable opportunity.
Bra ckenhury dashed upstairs to the
higher regions of the house. 1t was as
he had expected. lie ran from room TO
room and saw not a stick OF furniturc
nor SO much as Il picture Oh the walls.
Although the house had been painted
and papered it was not only uninhal;-
tied at present but plainly had never
been inhabited at all. The young Off
Ger remembered with establishment il;
spacious, settled and hospitable air c.!
his arrival 1t was only at Il prodigous
cost that the 'imposture could have
been carried out upon so great scale.
Who, then, was Mr.. Morris? What
was his intention in thus playing the
householder for single night in the
remote west Of London? And why did
he collect his visitors at hazard from
the streets:
Backenbury remembered that he had
already delayed too long and fastened
to join the coE:i,nny. Many had left
during his :,i,s,l!r-. ana. counting the
lieutenant a;.%l hiss i,<:S:. there were not