The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1909-02-12

X i sor a,s 'T as he walked
leisurely along on the
opposite side of the street he would
have noticed the look Of dislike in The
eyes If those he passed. They drew
away from him and one sprke-to no
one in particular and with nm oath Of
fensive and fervid But weather heat
en-, tanned. indifferently clad and with
a small brown dog following him, the
newcomer passed along. oblivions To
the sidelong scrutiny He did not stare
about him after the manner Of stran-
ger. though so far as he knew he had
never been in the place before.
But Harry Sanderson now was not
the man who had ridden into Oblivion
in the motor car. The rector Of ST
James was in a strange eclipse Men
tally and externally he had reverted
to the old Satan Sanderson Of the
brilliant flashing originality, Of the
curt risk and daring The deeply hu
man and sensitive side that had devel-
oped during his divinity years was in
allowance It showed Itself only in
the affection he bestowed on the little
nameess dog that followed him like
a brown. shaggy shadow
He was like that old self of his. and
yet If he had but known it he was
wonderfully like some one else too
some one who had belonged to the
long ago and garbled past that still
eluded him; some one who had been
part also of the life of this very town
till little over a month before. when
he had left it with dread logging his
footsteps
Curious condolences had wrought
together for this likeness In the past
weeks Harry had grown petcepubly
thinner A spare beard was now on
his chin, and the fiery sun that had
darkened his cheeks to sallow had
lightened his brown hair shade The
cut on his brow had healed to the
semblance of thin red birthmark
Fate-or God-was doing strange
things for Harry sanderson
In the nomad weeks of wind and
sun, as the tissues of the brain grew
slowly back to a state Of normal aC-
ton, the mind seized again and again
upon the bitter question Of his identi-
ty. 1t had obtruded into clicking
leagues on steel rails, into miles afoct
by fruit hung lanes, on white Pacific
shell roads under cedar branches. on
busy highways 1t had stalked into
days of labor in hop fields. work with
hand and foot that brought dreamless
sleep and generous wage: into nights
Of less savory experience in city pur-
lieus. where self forgotten man
gained and drank recklessly. auda-
ciously, forbiddinglv. Who was he?
From what equation of life had he
been eliminated? Had he loved any
thing or anybody? Had he friend.
any friend. in the world7
The man of no memories gave no
heed to the men on tho street Who
looked at him askance He sauntered
along unconsciously. his hands thrust
deep in his pockets With casual
glance at the hotel across the way be
entered a saloon. where score Of pa
irons were standing at the bar or
shaking dice noisilv at the tables
ranged against the wall, The hartend
er nodded TO his greeting the slightest
possible nod. The dog which had fol.
lowed him into the place eaped up
against him. its fore paws on his
knee.
Brandy. If you please" said the
new arrival, and poured indoently
from the bottle set before him
The conversation in the room had
chilled. To its occupants the man who
had entered was no stranger. He was
Hugh StireE. returned unweiCome to n
place from which he had lately van
tshed. Moreover. what they felt fof
him was not alone the crude hatred
which the honest toiler feels for the
trickster who gains living BIZ devious
knaveries There was an uglier suspi.
cion afoat of Hugh stires! A blue
shirted miner called gruf1y for bis
score, threw down the silver and went
out. slamming the swing door
The newcomer regarded none Of
them. He poured his glass slowly fun.
slipped from it and. holding it in his
hand turned and glanced deliberately
about the place He looked Mt every
body in the room. suddenly sensible Of
the hostile atmosphere with what
seemed a careless amusement Then
he raised his glass
will you join me, gentlemen" he
said.
There vas hut one response
soiled, shambling figure. hear. white
haired and hesitating. with a battered
violin under its arm. slouched from
corner and grasped eagerly for the
bottle the bartender contemporaries
pushed toward him. No one else
moved
The new arrival looked smiingly
at the soiled figure beside him, a trag-