Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-10-25

AT night. Billy Brue ceased to be the
astounded alien, and, as Percival said
DR.. Won Herzlich would say, began
to mingle and cooperate with his en-
vironment." In the course of this
process he fell into adventures, some
of them, perhaps, modifying. But it
may be told that his silver watch with
the braided leather fob was stolen
from him the second night out; also
that the following week, in a Twenty
ninth street saloon, he accepted the
hospitality Of an affable stranger, who
had often been in Montana City. His
explanation of subsequent events was
entirely satisfactory, at least, from the
time that he returned to consciousness
of them.
81 only had about $50 in my clothes, +"
he told Percival, "but what made me
so darned hot, he took my breastpin,
too, made out of the first nugget ever
found in the Early Bird mine over
Silver Bow way. Gee! when | woke
up l couldn't tell where / was. This
cop that found me in hallway, he
says / must have been give a dose of
Peter. / says, "All right-Im here to
go against all the. games says, but
pass me when the Peter comes around
agin,' says. And he says Peter was
knockout drops. Say, honestly, /
didn't know my own name till l had
a chanst to look me over. The clothes
and my hands looked like I'd seen
em before, somehow-and then come
to myself"
After this adventure, Uncle Peter
would caution him, of an evening:
Nov, Billy, don't stay out late. If
you amt been gone through by IL,
just hand what you got on you over
to the first man you meet-none Of
EMIL ask you any questions-and then
pike fur home. The later at night 1t
gets in New York the harder 1t is fur
strangers to stay alive. You're all
right in Wardner or in Hellandgone,
Billy, but in this here camp you're jest
a tender little bed of pansies by the
wayside, and these New Workers are
terrible careless where they step after
dark"
Notwithstanding which, Mr.. Brue
continued to behave uniformly in a
manner to make all judicious persons
grieve. His place of supreme delight
was the Hightower. It's marble splen-
doris, its myriad lights, the throngs Of
men and women in evening dress,
made for him scene of unfailing
fascination. The evenings when he
was invited to sit in the cafe with
Uncle Peter and Percival made mem
cries long to be cherished.
He spent such an evening there at
the end of their first month in New
York. Half a dozen of PercivaPs
friends sat at the table with them
from time to time. There had been
young Beverly Van Arsdel, who, Perci-
val disclosed, was heir to all the ' an
Arsdel millions, and no end of swell.
And there was big, handsome Eddie
Arledge, whose father had treated him
shabbily. These two young gentlemen
spoke freely about the inferiority of
many things ION this side"-as they
denominated this glorious Land of
Freedom-of many things from horses
to wine. The country was rapidly be-
coming, they agreed, no place for a
gentleman to live. hudie Arledge con-
fessed that, from motives of economy,
he had been beguiled into purchasing
an American claret.
81 fancied, you know" he explained
to Uncle Peter, "that 1t might do for
an ordinary luncheon claret, but on
my sacred honor, the stuff is villain
Gus. Now you'll agree with me, Mr..
Bines, / dare say, that a Bordeaux of
even recent vintage is vastly superior
to the very best so-called American
claret."
Whereupon Beverly Van Arsdel hav-
ing said: ITO be sure-fancy an
American Burgundy, now! or Cha
blis!" Uncle Peter betrayed the first
sign Of irritation Percival had detect
ed since his coming.
well, you see, young men, we're
not much on vintages in Montana.
Whisky is mostly our drink-whisky
and spring water-and if our whisky
is strong, it's good enough. When we
want to test new barrel, we inject
three drops Of it into jack-rabbit,
and if he doesn't lick bulldog, in six
seconds, we turn down the goods.
That's as fairs our education has ever
gone in vintages."
1t sounded like the old Uncle Peter,
but he was afterward so good-natured
that Percival concluded the irritation
could have been but momentarY