Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1905-04-14

witness the rest Of the performance.
did NOT see anything more of Mr. Rod
well that night, but / could not shake
of feeling of depression, and a pre-
sentiment that this meeting BODIED me
some I'll.
waited at the stage door until my
companions were dressed. But instead
Of Immediately vending their way home
ward, they expressed an intention OF ad-
Journing to 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 robbiug a
bank p
No; l have only been bleeding a
friend was the answer
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 Rackstraw's build
ings they would not permit me to 90
to my own lodgings. / must go 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, 1t 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-
cehce this with a sneer. 81 had stray
ed very far wide of them long before
was your age AT twenty | was a gay,
dashlng spark. At three-and-twenty 1
was forbidden my fathers house. thanks
TO woman-a prayerful woman, too.
that was always reading religious books,
and never happy out of chapel: q wom-
an with 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-
Vuised 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. Pom my life, l can't stand
any more of it, and so 1 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 anv
of them. You'd like to hear some.
wouldn't your" he added, winking hard
at me.
AT that moment | 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. wipinp
the perspiration from his face. and
growing calm under this judicous flat
terry, Il am not likely to harm Won.
or anybody else except her. But when
l think of all she has made me go
through, and not only me, but Well.
II were to think of that long, l should
90 mad in earnest"
lie went on smoking his pipe in 81
lence for a time, seemingly lost in
thought.
Il wonder If l were to write NV life.
If | could get any bookseller to publish
III 1t would indeed he a marvellous
story. But don't believe that half the
people would credit it. | could write
half dozen sensation novels without
inventing a single incident: but. then.
novel readers would cry, They are 60
far-fetched! "A man who began life as
gentleman, and who, for matter of
twenty years, has passed through e,erv
nlQCQ Of va uob cn