The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-11-02

witness the rest of the performance. L
did not see anything more of Mr.. Rod
well that night, but l could not shake
of a feeling of depression, and a pre-
sentiment that this meeting BODIED me
some I'll.
l waited at the stage door until my
companions were dressed. But instead
of immediately vending their way home
ward, they expressed an intention OF adj
Journing to a public house, and insisted
upon my accompanying them. l had
never been in such a place before, and
the noise and smoke quite mazed me.
Mr.. Montgomery called for supper,
and threw down a coin.
Hello" cried Josiah, staring in blank
establishment; have you been robbing a
banky
No: l have only been bleeding a
friend was the answer.
i soon began to very heartily wish
that | had gone home by myself. Mr..
Montgomery insisted upon drinking; and
that, together with the atmosphere | was
inhaling, quickly affected my brain.
When We reached Racksiraw's build
ings they would not permit me to go
to my own lodgings. l must 60 into
Mrs. Jennings and spend half an hour
with them.
You don't smoke, Silas?" he said to
me. 'Oh, you should! it soothes the
brain. it lulls remorse. Tobacco is the
modern Lethe; or. at all events, if it does
not obliterate old memories, it renders
you Indifferent TO them, which is much
the Same thing. / suppose you have no
phantoms TO fumigate. You are still
wandering in the happy regions of inno-
cence'-thiS with a sheer. 81 had stray
ed very far wide Of them long before /
was your age. At twenty / was a gay,
dashing spark. At Extraordinarily l
was forbidden m fathers house, thanks
to a woman-a prayerful woman, too,
that was always reading religious books,
and never happy out Of a chapel; a wom-
an with a heart of flint. All my sins
lie at her door; a wild youth might have
been succeeded by a reputable manhood,
but for her."
While he spoke his face became con-
vulsed with passion. AS the paroxysm
increased, the foam dubbed from his
mouth, and he launched forth into the
most frightful imprecations.
Il say, old fellow, don't go on in this
awful manner said Josiah, who, as well
as myself, looked rather alarmed at his
violence. "'Pon my life, I can't stand
any more Of it, and so | told you last
time. Come, tell us Of some adventures
of your past life that are so jolly anus
ing. Silas, here, has never heard any
of them. You'd like to hear some.
wouldn't your he added, winking hard
at me.
At that moment l should have much
preferred TO go to bed. but / did not
dare to say So; expressing, instead, a
great desire to hear anything Mr.. Mont
gomery chose to relate.
Don't be frightened" he said, wiping
the perspiration from his face, and
growing calm under this judicious flat
terry, Il am not likely 10 harm you.
or anybody else except her. But when
l think Of all she has made me go
through, and not only me, but Well,
if I.were to think of that long, / should
go mad in earnest"
He went on smoking his pipe in ST.
lence for a time, seemingly lost in
thought.
Il wonder If | were TO write my life.
if | could get any bookseller to publish
it? 1t would indeed be a marvellous
story. But | don't believe that half the
people would credit it. | could write
half a dozen sensation novels without
inventing a single incident: but, then,
novel readers would cry, They are so
far-fetchedp a man who began life as
n gentleman and who for a mattar of
twenty years, has passed through e. cry
phase of vagabondism, must have some
strange stories to tell"
"Of course he must" said Josiah,
again winking at me. II have often Won
dered that you have not set about pub
fishing your "reminiscences, or your auto
biography, or something of that sort. But
il isn't too late, you know. But come,
now, give us II of your regular start
lers; we are all attention"