Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-07-04
e & ciHERARD GO.

hating 20 receive . mailbag. again
departed on hts return trip.
A certain monotonous regularity was
apparent IN every move and every act
4 and function Of village nfe In River
ton At precisely seven o'clock each
morning the two landlords appeared
simultaneously and banged their
gOngs. At ~ and SIX. this was repeat
ed. At eight o'clock the three prinoi-
pal storekeepers usually entered their
places OF business; at nine. while the
academy bell was ringing near BY.
every village doctor might be seen
starting out At ten exactly. Dwight
Bennett the cashier Of the bank. IN
locked rs front door. and the two
hotel buses invariably started so near
~ together that they met az the first
turn going stationwRrd Even the four
church clocks had the same habit. and
II WAS often related that a stranger
there. travelling man. on his first
visit. made an amusing discovery.
Whs< kind Of q fool clock have you
go< IN this town he said 70 Sam
Gates. the landlord OF the Quaboag.
next morning after his arrival. 7
went 70 bed IN good season last night
an just got asleep when I heard u
strike 81 I cozed OF an the next I
knew II began changing again. and
counted ~ What sort OF time do you
keep here. anyway Do you run your
town BY the multiplication tabls7" d.
, The half-doIen loAfsrs Who met
every afternoon in the QuaboRg house
ONCE arrived IN about the same order.
smoked. drank. told their yarns. gath
cred ali the gossip. and departed at
nearly the same moment Their even
ing visits partook Of the same clock
Ike regularity.
These Of the old guard were also
dressed much the same. and "slouchy''
best describes it. Gray flannel shirts
IN winter or summer alike. CollaLA
cuffs. and ties were never seen on
them. though patches were. and as for
shaving OF hair-cutting. a few shaved
once a week. some never did. and semi
annual hRir-cuts were a fair average.
The worst sinner in this respect.
Luke Atwater. occasionally called
Lazy Luke" never had his beard
shortened but once. and that was due
20 It's being burnt on while he was
fighting a brush fire IN spring
IL was related Of him. and believed
by many. that once upon time many
years previous he had had his hair cut
and on that occasion the barber had
found a milestone concealed in Luke's
shock OF tangled hair. Il was also as
serted that be admitted always carry
ine his milestone back OF his ear
while moving. and SO losing x that
way
All the news and every happening
In Riverton. from the catching % an
extra big trout TO twins. was duly com
mented upon and discussed BY this co
terie. village politics, how much
money each storekeeper was making.
crop prospects, the run OF sap every
spring. drouth, weather indications
rain or snow falls. each and all formed
rotating subjects upon which every
one Of this fsithfultothe-post clique
expressed opinions.
Chips arrival there with the Frisbie
family. and her later history. learned
from Uncle Joe. furnished fertile
topic. her escapade in running away
from Greenvale. a more exciting one,
while Old Cy's visit and deposit OF q
fabulous sum in the bank in her name
had been q nine days wonder That
amount, limited at only by the cashier
as q comfortable fortune. soon grew In
size until IL was generally believed TO
be almost a million.
This was Riverton and its decidedly
rural status when late one Decem Der
afternoon the QuaboaE free bus "a
two-seated pung. this time) swept up
70 that hotels front door. where the
porter assisted stylish young lady
20 alight, and he. stepping like a drum
major, led the way into the Quaboag's
unwRrmed psrlor
Young LADY. sir. a sumner. wants
room over night, sir he announced TO
the landlord In the once a moment
later. Coin 70 Greenvale to-morrer.
she says"
On the instant all converse In the
Office ceased. and the six constant call
Srs hardly breathed until Sam Gates
fastened TO the parlor and returned
It's that Mcclure gal-lady.
mean" he asserted pompously: then
the porter. cit a move on, Jim. n
start fire In Number s. an quick,
too" And hastily brushing his untidy
hair before the Office mirror. he left
the room again. followed by six en-
vious glances. Then those astonished
loafers grouped themselves, the better
to observe the passage between parior
and office.
Only one instant sight OF this impor-
tant guest was obtained by them as
Chip emerged from the parlor and
followed the landlord upstairs. and
then the hushed spell was broken.
by gosh. it's herr" exclaimed one
In an awed whisper. AN Jim was
right, she's a stunnsrl"
What DO ye s'pose she's here for"
queried fourth. Ito draw the int'rest
On her money. or WHAT"
IL was precisely four forty-fvs when
Chip appeared before the Judge and
jury OF al Riverton's happenings. At
fvs forty-hve they had agreed that
ch -