Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-05
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'Why the deuce don't that man of
have / ridden In ten miles for the sight
of human face and the taste of good
Scotch, und- Thnt's right" He gave
his order and, observing Wcndovcr
again, gave vent to heavy laugh.
"Whnt do you expect to happen IN the
Gwent?" he asked. "It's as dull as
ditch water"
II don't know so much about that"
put in suddenly Il man on the other
side of the room whom, from his gen
eral mir, took to be "A miller. There's
something as i heard Of lately that was
pretty exciting"
The spokesman drew all eyes upon
him. The surface Of our deep com
posture stirred and ruflled.
whats that, Mr.. Llewellyn" asked
the innkeeper.
Montgomery looked incredulous.
"Pooh!' he said dlsdalnfully.
The miller enjoyed the Importance
and seemed inclined to prolong 1t. He
leisurely reiilled his pipe.
~ heard something queer happened
at the castle last week." he said ut 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. 1--WE
have taken her In. She's left the cas-
tic"
.What did she sayT' asked Wen
dover.
II don't exactly recall the right Of
It," the miller confessed, with hasty
sense Of shame. Montgomery looked
at me aud, seeing smile In my eye,
burst out laughing. "But l know 1t
was about burglary" said the miller
promptly and with courage.
I'D like TO hear about the burglary"
said some one
."rhe man that keeps the inn there
the--what's that Inn 2" went on the MILL
err.
"The Woodman," answered Mont
goinery.
AYE, that's II. He was servant to
the castle--the girl said-and he caught
them"
Caught whom7' said Montgomery
impatiently.
"Wcll, 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"
'He's queer old customer" inter
posed one Of the company. seeing, as
we all saw, that we should geteno 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, ventured to say, ad-
dressing the miller.
"tvor castle, sir" snid he civllly.
ut lays in the Gwent, sir, back Of
the hills explained the landlord.
"As you talk OF this burglary" said
Montgomery, breaking In rather rude
", I'D like hrst to know what they
were going to find In the castle. Every
one knows there's nothing to be got
there"
Confronted with this uncivil inhdel,
the miller came to bay. II don't know
anything about IT, he declared. "All
know is that this young woman-she
says she was woke up by noise going
on, and then she went to sleep again,
putting her head under the blankets,
and that the rnanservant-I can't bring
back his name--he told her next day
that the thieves had tried to get in"
'Humph!" sneered Montgomery, who
had plainly drunk too much to be an
easy companion. II don't call that
much Of tale"
IF it's true, It's true" said the mild
looking man.
"Wyho the devil asked your opinion"
retorted the lad brusquely. The mild
man shifted In his chair but mustered
courage to ask If man might not ex-
press his sentiments upon a point Of
general interest.
"That's true, anyway" assented
Montgomery, with a foolish laugh.
1t was clear that he had taken enough
to be quarrebome IL the opportunity
should rise, and unfortunately he chose
to turn his bantering gaze upon my
sour and peevish neighbor.
"well, Mr.. JONES'" said he. "and
how's hay?"
Flows crops, my young gentleman
says Jones in his surly fashion.
"Crops," said Montgomery in bawl,
"crops is as they should be-season-
able. Here's to crops, gentleman, and
also to hay" and he fell into his chair
laughing abominably.
I could not say IL this was part of an
elaborate jest, conceived by maudlin
brain, or whether he had really been
taken with an unreasonable fit of
anger; but, whether Of accident or Of
purpose, he filledsup his glass forward
between his fingers, and the dregs flew
out and spattered the hay merchants
face.
Gentlemen" cried the landlord, III
some alarm.
Montgomery stood, his red face some
what vacant and srinning broadly,
while his saliow faced victim, who had
got upon his feet, gesticulated and slut
tered under his nose with show of
passion that was not quite English,
and ut this moment, when 1t seemed
as If some retaliation was to be ex
as,,sA al