Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-03-21

OIL a W IOS0 lying OA q OAoAA
do not remember whether l COM
pleted my signature, but l know l
made an expansive blot-to the great
disgust of the hotel clerk. But at
that particular moment that was a
small matter. ! almost fell on the
rose. Yes; it was my friendly New
York rose-somewhat faded, true, but
not end here, for on the back of the
chair was the most recent copy of
the New York Herald to reach An.
gusta, opened at a place where stood
out fiaring headlines describing the
great bank robbery. l started to read
this, but found the sheet so mutilate
and crumpled, especially where the
name of the suspected culprit appear
ed, that l had no doubt whatever that
| was hot, very hot, on that worthys
trail.
1T was supper time, and needless
to say digestion waited on appetite.
As the saying is, everything in the
garden looked lovely. l was not
through with my worries, but l had
brushed a bunch of them aside in
the last hour The meal over light.
ed my best cigar and sauntered UP
to that clearing house of gossip, the
hotel bar When finally alone with
the barman, ! remarked, casually,
that young NJ had been there that
day, as though it was the most nat
ural thing in the world that such an
event must be known to him. And l
was right in my guess Sure, said
the liquor mixing artist, but he
didn't stop long-he drove over to his
uncles place outside Parkville-say,
he looks fine, and must be handling
the dough all right up in old New
York
'BulTs-eye, first shot, was my IN
expressed comment, then out loud,
so you know his uncle, then?' The
barman guessed he did-who didn't?
What was he like? A tough un,
b'heck, but he has the devils own
luck-got scot free out of two MUIR
der charges
MY cigar began to draw a little
hard at this titbit of information, but
l did not leave for my room until |
had laid all incipient suspicion on
the barman's part. When | awOke,
early next mornings too, l was CON
scious that l had had a peaceful and
restful sleep. l drove over to Park
vile, but owing to the lameness OF
my horse l did not reach the little
town till we'll after midday. Determ-
ming to leave the animal here | or
dered lunch and meanwhile informed
myself of the exact whereabouts of
Mr.. Theodore Ms domicile. / was
informed that he lived in clump OF
woods some five miles west of the
town, but the walking was good. Al
ter my experience with a lame horse
the prospect of a five-mile jaunt In
the cool of a summers day looked
positively inviting, and half hour
later found me we'll on my way.
1.-The unexpected. however, showed
on this occasion its usual proneness
to happen, and as darkness set in
began to suspect that l was either
walking five Irish instead of five
American miles, or, in my devotion
to natures attractions by the way,
had strayed from the straight road.
Certainly, l had found the woods, or
forest. all right, for high trees stalk
ed off into the gloom all around me.
but all did not seem right with the
road, or rather the gradually narrow
ing path under my feet. hesitated
Il was lost.
My wanderings then became prac-
tically aimlesS, and beWildered. For
the next couple of hours whether or
not l was describing circles l don't
know, but the little of light remain
ing discovered me at the end, as the
lawyers say, in statu quo ante-trees,
trees on every side, with not habi.
tation in sight, and me utterly fag-
ged There was r0thing for it but to
grope around for some friendly tree
stump and there while away the hours
till neutrality-suspicious. to dream, but
scarce to sleep. There are no messy
banks innocent of reptiles and other
creeping things provided by nature
for the traveller lost in Georgia for.
estS.
The stump found, put my head
in my hands, and proceeded to draw
on my philosophy. And sorry bust
ness it was. The COMPUTATIONS of the
lighted eanons of New York almost
drove me frantic, but l won't dilate
further in this strain. had enjoyed
these agonizing transports for per-
haps a half hour or so when, happen
ing to raise my aching head, thought
l saw light deep down among the
trees. l submitted my optics to the
usual tests of Doubling Thomases,
and found to my intense delight that
this was no will-o -the-wisp. l forced
my creaking limbs through the brush
and underground in its direction and
in a few minutes drew up before
low, long, atwood building. In re-
sponse to my knocking a stout, for