The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-03-09

1 the world like where he used to live
when he was a boy. He liked the
grub and he liked the cornhusks and
he liked Brown Brown had way Of
stealing thing and vet paying enough
for it to square the laW-that hit EDe
nezer where he lived
His daughter liked Brown. too. and
twas easy enough to see that Brown
! liked her. She was a mighty pretty
girl, the kind Peter called queen"
and the active manager took to her
like cat to a fish. They was together
moren half the time. Citing up sailing
parties. or playing croquet, or setting
up on the Lovers Nest" which was
a kind of slab summer house Brown
had rugged up on the bluff where Aunt
Sophrony's pigpens used to be in the
old days. But all that was afore the
count come aboard.
We got our first letter from the count
about the Sd of June The writing
was all over the plate like billed din
ner, and the English looked like it had
4 been shook up in a bag, but it was
signed with nine fathom, toggle jint-
ed name that would give poll parrot
the lockjaw and had the word count"
on the bow of it.
You never see Teller happier than
Peter I. Brown.
"Can he have rooms? says Peter.
"Can he? Well. should rise to elo-
cute! He can have the best there is
if yours truly has to bunk in the coop
with the gladstone Plymouth Rock.
That's what! He says he's a count
and he'll be advertised as a count
from this place to where rolls the
Oregon
And he was too. The papers were
full of how Count What's-his-nam
was hanging out at the Old Home
House, and we got more letters from
rich old women and pork picking
moneybags than you could shake a
stick at If you want to catch the
free and equal nabob of glorious re
public. bait up with a little nobility
and you'll have your salt wet in no
time We had to rig up rooms in the
carriage house, and me and Jonadab
slept in the haymow
The count himself hove in sight on
June 10. He was a little, smoked
Italian man with a pair of legs that
would have been carried away in a
gale and black mustache with
waxed ends that you'd think would
punch holes in the pillowcase. His
talk was like his writing, only worse,
but from the time his big trunk with
the foreign labels was carried upstairs
he was skipper and all hands Of the
Old Home House.
And the funny part of 1t was that
old man Dillaway was as much gone
on him as the rest. For a self made
American article he was the worst
gone on this machine made importa-
ton that ever you see. / s'pose when
you've got more money than you can
spend for straight goods you naturally
go in for buying curiosities; / cans
see no other reason.
Anyway. from the minute the count
come over the side it was "Goodby
Peter The foreigner was first oal
. with the old man and general consort
| for the daughter 1t worried Peter
you could see that He's set in the
barn with Jonadab and me, thinking
thinking. and all at once he'd bust out
Bless that dago's heart! / haven
chummed in with the degenerate arts
tocracy much in my time, but some
where or other I've seen that chap be
fore. Now, where-where-w hereT'
For the first two weeks the count
paid his board like major; then ht
let it slide. But Peter got bluer and
bluer
One night we was In the setting
room-me and Jonadab and the coun
! and Ebenezer The queen" and tn,
, rest of the boarders was abed.
The count was spinning a pigeon
English yarn of how he'd fought 8
+ duel with rapiers. When he'd finished
! old Dillaway pounded his knee and
t sung out:
That's bus ness! That's the way t.
: fix 'em! No lawsuits. no argument. M
delays. Just take 'em out and punch
holes in 'em. Did you hear that
J Brown
: Eyes, heard it." says Peter. kind
, Of absentminded like. Fighting will
, razors, wasn't it?'
"What-a you say" the count says
. bending for'ards
Mr. Brown was mistaken, that:
: ALL" says Dillaway. He meant "a
piers
But why-a razors; why-a razors?'
says the count.
Now, / was watching Browns face
and all at once I see 1t light up like
! you'd turned searchlight on it He
settled back in his chair and fetched
a long breath as If he was satisfied
Then he grinned and begged pardon
and talked blue streak for the rest
of the evening.
: Next day he told Jonadab and me
> that he was going up to Boston that
evening on business and wouldn't be
back for day or SO.
He was back again three nights aft