The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-24

Fairfield had a genuine sensation two strange men had been in the vii lage for two hours and nobody kneV who they were It was really an even tor the inhabitants of the scattered settlement at the foot of the Allegha' nies, for everybody knew everybod9 else and visitors from the outside world were of all things rarity.
 Two muscular looking men who hao the ease and making themselves \ al home appearance of travellers had Joit- ed down from the railroad station m the springless mail wagon and had pu. up at what the citizens were pleased to call a very bad hotel-the Fairfieio Inn. The men had walked about the town and were now sitting on .he porch, smoking in silence and iookihs intently down the dirt road that leu to the river ford and began US course again in the thicket at the pase or the mountain. Across the street a wheelwright toiled away on the muo marked running gear of an upturheo farm wagon, Inside his shop boy lazily pumped the bellows that sent red flames about the broken tire that was 10 be cut for the wheel. A party or idie, taIkattve residents of this sleepy hol- low settlement watched the wheel wright and his boy at their work. Now and then they cast curious giances at the two strangers on the. hotel porch, but their glances were not re- turned. Presently the mail carrier Joined the group. Once a day he jour- neyed across the valley to the New River Railroad after the mall pouches that were thrown off at the shed of a station as the express left the tim bers and darted across the trestle that hung like a great web between the white clay cliffs. He was reverenced and generally respected for his trav- els.
 See ye had strangers ridin' with ticed the mail carrier.
 'Y-a-a-s." he retorted. Look like city men,
 Guess they be-" joined in the store keeper. who owned the wagon. Don't see no folks bout these hyar parts wearin' hats like them.'
 Don't see what they're doin' in Fairfield" said the old man of the group, as he knocked his cane against the tongue of the wagon.
 "Mebbe they's lightin rod men," re- marked the boy. who had left the bel lows and steped outside.
 You better be watchin' that fire, !" said the wbeelwright to the boy. Got to finish this job by sundown.s
 The boy went back to the bellows and his place was taken by the hotel- keeper, who had come across the road carrying a horseshoe in his hand. He threw the shoe into the shop. remark ing:-
 You can put that on that gray mare in the mornin'. Abe. when the boy brings her from the pasture"
 Abe nodded. and the hotelkeeper sat down on a stump and began digging in the ground with a stick.
 See ye've got some people stoppin with you" said the old man.
 Well, I'm runnin' a hotel ain't I?' answered the hotel man as he dug out a pebble and sent 1t whizzing out into the road.
 "Spose you be-" retorted the old man with increasing puffs at his long stemmed pipe.
 "S'pose you goin' to ask who them men is," began the hotelkeeper, "so ] mote as well tell yuh that don't know I ain't botherin' other folks affairs
 Silence followed this remark. The wheelwright went into the shop and joined the boy at the forge. The old man knocked out his pipe. put 1t in his pocket and walked away. mumbline to himself. The storekeeper went tc wait on a barefooted girl that had a basket of eggs to barter for sugra, and the mail carrier and the hotel man were left alone. The group had hardly started to break when the two mer on the porch of the inn turned theii eyes directly on the two remainine figures before the open door of tho wheelwright's shop.
 'Whar did they come from?" asked the hotel man. holding his head 1T the direction of his two guests.
 didn't see 'em git off the train, replied the mail carrier, 'but I 'spect theys from up the road"
 shouldn't wonder" retorted the inn. keeper. still digging in the ground Asked for hosses soon as they got in.
 The mail carriers expression chang. ed and found an exact reproduction 1T that on the hotel mans face.
 Coin to let 'em have hosses?" in quired the mail carrier.
 "Gotter do it." was the retort. "Wha else kin I do? I daresn't refuse tc hire"