Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-01-18


cry, with the object, as l conceived, OF
Anything doing out your way, sir?''
he inquired.
The youth turned his eyes upon him
in a lackluSter gaze and then. empty
ing his glass, hammered on the table
noisily.
Why the deuce don't that man OF
yours Gomez" he exclaimed. Here
have l ridden in ten miles for the sight
Of q human face and the taste of good
Scotch. and That's right" He gave
his order and. observing Wendover
again, gave ven to a heavy laugh.
what do you expect to happen in the
Gwent:" he asked. Its as dull as
ditch water"
Il don't know SO much about that"
put in suddenly q man on the other
side Of the room whom. from his gen
eral air, 1 took to be q miller. There's
something as l heard Of lately that was
pretty exciting"
The spokesman drew all eyes upon
! him. The surface of our deep CON-
posture stirred q ruined.
whats that, Mr.. Llewellyn?' asked
the innkeeper.
Montgomery looked incredulous.
Pooh" he said d~isdainfully.
The miller enjoyed the Importance
and seemed inclined to prolong it. He
leisurely redlled his pipe.
Il heard something queer happened
at the castle last week." he said at last,
seeing that his news must out.
whats that?" asked Montgomery.
"a girl that was in service there told
my missus,' went on the miller. I'VE
te.'
What did she say?" asked Wen
dover.
II don't exactly recall the right of
it." the miller confessed. with a hasty
sense of shame. Montgomery looked
at me and, seeing a smile in my eye,
burst out laughing. But l know it
was about a burglary" said the miller
promptly and with courage.
I'D like to hear about the burglary
said some n
The man that keeps the inn there
the-what's that imp went on the mill
er.
THE Woodman,'' answered Mont
gomery.
AYE, that's it. He was servant to
the castle-the girl said-and he caught
them"
Caught whom?' said Montgomery
impatiently.
We'll, he didn't catch Them" admit
ted the miller, but he frightened them
off. They were after the plate that the
old gentleman keeps, so the man told
my girl"
Hes a queer old customer inter-
posed n of the company, seeing, as
we all saw. that we should get no fur
Their interest out of the miller. Our
attention broke up.
You're right" nodded his vis-a-vis
and replaced his pipe in his mouth.
May I ask what castle you are
speaking OFF, I ventured to say, adj
dressing the miller.
'Ivor castle, sir" said he civilly.
L lays III Ue N"Cul. Sill. UuCh VI
the hills" explained the landlord.
las you talk of this burglary" said
Montgomery. breaking in rather rude
y, I'D like first to know what they
were going to find in the castle. Every
Il knows there's nothing to be got
there"
Confronted with this uncivil infdel.
tho million ro mr. - how 81 3o-.+ l,-z-
anything about it." he declared. "All
l know is that this young woman-she
says she was woke up by a noise going
on, and then she went to sleep again,
putting her head under the blankets.
and that the manservant-I can't bring
back his name-he told her next day
that the thieves had tried to get i'm
"Humph." sneered Montgomery, who
had plainly drunk too much to be an
easy companion. Il don't call that
much Of a tale"
'If it's true. it's true" said the mild
looking man.
"Who the devil asked your opinion:'
retorted the lad brusquely. The mild
man shifted In his chair, but mustered
courage to ask If a man might not ex-
press his sentiments upon q point Of
general interest.
That's true. anyway" assented
Montgomery. with a foolish laugh.
1t was clear that he had taken enough
to be quarrelsome if the opportunity
should rise. and unfortunately he chose
to turn his bantering gaze upon my
sour and peevish neighbor.
Well, Mr.. JONES' said he, land
bows hay"
"How's crops. my young gentleman?'
says Jones in his surly fashion.
Crops" said Montgomery in a bawl,
"croPs is as they should be-scason.
able. Her, to crops, gentleman, and
also TO hay" and he fell into his chair
laughing abominably.
could not say If this was part Of an
elaborate jest, conceived by a maudlin
brain. or whether he had really been
taken with an unreasonable fit OF
anger; bat. whether Of accident or on
purpose, he filed up hls glass forward
between his fingers, and the Drugs few
out and spattered the hay merchants