Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-03-10

Peter and h rest coming now"
Mr.. Montague got off his throne kind
Of sudden.
"Ahem" says he. els there a room
here where I may-er-receive Mr..
Brown in a less public manner? 1t will
be rather a-er-surprise for him,
and''-
Well, there was a good deal of sense
in that. I know 'twould surprise NE
to have such an image as he was
sprung on me without any notice. We
steered him into the gents parlor and
shut the door, and when the decks
was clear Jonadab and me tackled
Peter T.
PETER" says Jonadab, "we've got a
surprise for you. One of your rela-
tons has Gomez
Brown, he did look surprised, but he
didn't act as he was any too joyful.
Relation Of mine!" says he. Come
off! What's his name?"
We told him Montague-Booth Mon
tague. He laughed.
awake up and turn over" he says.
'They never had anything like that in
my family. Booth Montague! Sure
'twa'n't Algernon Coughdrops?"
The ch%eckerboard Teller was stand
ing up when we opened the door.
"Hello, Petey!' says he. cool as a Gu
cumber and sticking out a foot and a
half of wrist with a hand at the end
of it.
Now, it takes considerable to upset
Peter Theodosius Brown. Up to that
time and hour I'd have bet on him
against anything short Of an earth
quake. But Booth Montague done it
knocked him plumb out of water.
Peter actually turned white.
Great he began and then stop
ped and swallered. HANK" he says,
and set down in a chair.
'"The same" says Montague. "Petey,
it does me good to set my eyes on
you, especially now, when you're the
real thing"
Brown never answered for a minute.
Then he canted over to port and
reached down into his pocket. WELL
says he, chow much?"
But Hank, or Booth, or Montague
whatever his name was-he waved his
fipper disdainful. "Nun-nun-nun-no,'
Petey, my son." he says, smiling. 1T
amt how much this time. I've come
to live with you, Petey, and you pay
the freight"
Peter jumped out of the chair. "Live
with me" he says. "You Friday even.
ing amateur night! It's back to Ten
Nights In a Barroom' for yours" he
says.
ooh, no, it amt" says Hank, cheer.
full. It'll be back to Pepper Dillaway
and Belle. When I tell ZEN I'm your
little cousin Henry and how you and
me worked the territories together
why, well, 1 guess there'll be gladness
round the dear home nest. Hey!"
Peter didn't say nothing. Then he
fetched a long breath and motioned
with his head to Cap'n Jonadab and
me. We see we weren't invited to the
family reunion, SO we went out and
shut the door.
1t was most an hour afore Brown
come out of that room. When he did
he took Jonadab and me by the arm
and led lis out back Of the barn.
"Fellers," he says, sad and mourn
full, "that-that plaster cast in a crazy
quilt" he says, referring to Montague,
is my cousin all right, and his
names Hank Schmults, but the sooner
you box that act up in your forgetory
the smoother twill be for yours drear-
lily, Peter L. Brown. He's to be Mr..
Booth Montague, the celebrated Eng
lish poet, so longs be hangs out at the
Old Home, and he's to hang u here
until-well, until I can dope out a way
to get rid Of him"
"What makes you call him a poet?'
Jcnadah says.
Peter answered pretty snappy:
"'Cause there's only two or three jobs
that a long haired image like him
could hold down." he says. Cpd call
him a musician if he could play Be
della on a jewsharp. But he can't.
SOS he's got to be a poet"
And a poet he was for the next week
or so. Peter drove down to Wellmouth
that night and bought some respecta-
BILE black clothes, and the follering
morning when the celebrated Booth
Montague come sailing into the dining
room, with his curls brushed back
from his forehead and his new cut
away on and It's wrists covered up
with clean cuffs. blessed if he didn't
look distinguished-at least that's the
only word I can think of that fills the
bill. And he talked beautiful Ian
guage, not like the slang he hove at
Brown and us Ia the gents parlor.
Peter done the honors, introducing
him to us and the Stumptons as a
friend who'd ccme from England I'M
expected, and Hank he bowed and
scraped and looked absentminded and
crazy-like a poet ought to. Oh, he
done well at it!
And twas pie for Maudina too. Be-
ing. as / said, kind Of green concern
ing men folks and likewise taking to
rNofrr lS1rn n >.o4 10 eel, cho j,,e% fo;r,