The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-10-27
CHAPTER III.

AT the moment when Stephen was
sounding the horn to summon the
young mystic to his supper, a promis
cuous crowd of loafers with chairs tilt
ed against the wall of the village tav-
ern received shock. They heard the
tinkle Of bells in the distance, and
looking in the direction of this unus-
ual sound, saw team of splendid coal
black horses dash round corner and
whirl strange vehicle to the door OF
the inn.
There were two extraordinary fig
ures on the front seat of the wagon
The driver was sturdy, thick set man
whose enormous moustache suggested
crow with outstretched wings. AS II
to emphasize the ferocious aspect lent
him by this hairy canopy which COM
pletely concealed his mouth, Nature
had duplicated 1t In miniature by
brows meeting above his nose and
spreading themselves, plume like, over
a pair Of eyes which cleaned so
brightly that they could be felt, al
though they were 30 deep set that they
could scarcely be seen.
This fierce and buccaneerish person
summoned the doing hostler in a
coarse, imperative voice, flung him the
reins, sprang from his seat, and assist
ed his companion to alight She gave
him her hand with an air Of utter in
difference, bestowed upon him neither
smile nor thanks. and dropped to the
ground with light fiutter like a bird.
Turning instantly toward the tavern,
she ascended the steps of the porch
under fusillade Of glances of aston
ishment and admiration. Young and
beautiful. dressed in a picturesque and
brilliant Spanish costume, she carried
herself with the ease and dignity of
a princess, and looked straight past
the staring crowd. Her great, dreamy
eyes did not seem to note them.
When she and her companion had
entered the hall and closed the door
behind them, every tilted chair came
down to the floor with a bang, and
many voices exclaimed in concert.
who Is she?" Curiosity was satisfied
at o'clock in the evening, for at that
hour Doctor Paracelsus Aesculapius,
as he Enthusiastically called himself,
opened the doors of his travelling
apothecary shop and exposed his uni
versal panecea" for sale, while at the
same time. "Pepeeta, the Queen Of
Fortune Tellers," entered her booth and
spread out upon table the parapher-
MALTA by which she undertook to dis
cover the secrets Of the future.
When the evenings work was ended,
Pepeeta at once retired; but the doctor
entered the bar room, followed by a
curious and admiring crowd. He was
In happy and expansive frame of
mind. for he had done a land office"
business in this frontier village which
he was now for the first time visiting.
He looked over the crowd with an
inclusive superiority and waved his
hand with an inclusive gesture. The
motley throng of loafers sidled UP to
the bar with a deprecatory and auto
matte movement. They took their
glasses, clinked them. nodded to their
entertainer muttered incoherent toasts
and drank his health. The delighted
landlord, feeling 1t incumbent upon
him to break the silence, offered the
friendly observation: "S-s-see you
s-s-tutter. S-s-stutter a little m-m-
my own self"
"shake!" responded the doctor, who
was in too complacent mood to take
offense. and the worthless grasped
hands.
Don't know any w-w-way to s-s-
stop 1t. do your" asked the landlord.
mo, I d-d-don't; t-t-tried every
thing. Even my universal p-p-pana-
cea' won't do it, and what that can't
do can't be d-d-done. Incurable did
disease. Get along all right when I go
slow like this; but when 1 open the
throttle. get all b-b-balled up. Bad
thing for my business. Give any man
a thousand did dollars that'll cure
me-" the quack replied, slapping his
trousers pocket as IL there were mil
lions in 1t.
Co couldn't go q-q-quite as high
as that; but wouldn't mind a hu-hu-
hundred" responded the landlord, cor
daily.
Tell you what 1t Is. b-b-boys," said
the quack, 'if 1t wasn't for this i'm
pediment in my s-s-speech, I wouldn't
need to work more'n about another
y-y-year!"
"How's that7" asked someone In the
crowd.
"C-c-cause II l could talk as well as
I o-c-can think, ! could make a for
tune side of which old John Jacob
Astor's would look like q p-p-penny
savings b-b-bankl"
"You could?"
IF can find a man that can do the
t-talking Il mean real talk. you know;
talk a crowd blind as b-b-bats), Eve
got something better'n a California e.
g-gold mine"
Better get Dave Corsol," said the
village wag from the rear of the
crowd. and up went wild shout of
laughter.
who's D-D-Dave Corson7" asked
the doctor.
Quaker preacher. Young Teller
bout 20 years old"
Can he t-t-talk?"
Talk He kin talk a mule into a
trottin' hoss in less'n three minutes"
He's my mani" exclaimed the doc
tor, at which the crowd laughed again.
What are you laughing at?" he
asked, turning upon them savagely, his
loud voice and threatening manner
frightening those who stood nearest,