The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1910-11-17

renee (for II would Ill become me, as
the only literary man in Radville, to
yield a point In dispute with the pro-
prietor of the town tavern Besides.
he was wrong. even as | was indis.
putaby right, only he had not the
grace to admit II. We ended vulgarly
with n bet, Will wagering me the best
FIVE cent clear Havana I'm the Bigelow
House sample room that hing worth
mentioning would take place In Rad
vile before sundown Of the following
day.
left him. returning to my room at
Miss Carpenters (Will and are old
friends. but | refuse to eat the food he
serves his gupstsI. warmed by the
prospect OF certain triumph If a little
appalled, by the prospect Of winning
the stake and sympathizing a little
with VIII. who. for all his egregious
stubbornness. has some excuse for up
holding his unreasonable and ridicu.
lous views.
At 5:45 the evening train urched In,
bearing the mysterious stranger.
Tracey Tanner saw him first, having
driven down to the station with his
fathers surrey on the of chance OF
picking up quarter or so from some
drummer wishing to be conveyed TO
the Bigelow House. Only outlanders
pay money for hacks In Radville
Everybody else walks, of course. Nat
urally Tracey took the mysterious
stranger for a drummer. He had three
trunks and heavy packing box. so
Tracey's misapprehension was pardon
able. Instinctively he drove him to
the Bigelow House. VIII now and
again makes Tracey a present OF a
bottle of sarsaparilla or lemon pop.
with the result that Tracey calls Tan
nehill, who runs the opposition hotel.
skindint and never takes strangers
there except on their express desire
The mysterious stranger merely asked
10 be driven TO the best hotel. This Is
not like most commercial travellers
who. as a rule. know where they want
TO go, even In a strange town. having
made inquiry in advance from their
brothers of the road.
VIII Bigelow was doing behind the
desk, lulled by the sound of Hi Nuts
voice In the barroom as he explained
to all and sundry just how he had in
advertently permitted Watty the tailor
to best him at checkers that morning;
otherwise the Office was deserted.
Tracey wakened VIII by stamping
heavily across the floor, and VIII me
chanically pushed down his spectacles
and dipped a pen in ink. Slowing the
register round for the guests sigma
ture. He says he knew at a glance
that the mysterious stranger was no
travelling man But this Is a moot
point, Tracey's memory being minute
ly accurate and VI variance with
Wills assertion.
The mysterious stranger was a
young man. rather severely clothed In
dark suit which excited no interest
In Bigelow's understanding. although
I. when I saw him later, had no din
Guilty In realizing that 1t had never
been made by tailor whose place of
business was more than five doors re-
moved from Fifth avenue, He was
tallish but not really tall. and carried
himself with a slight stoop which took
away from his real height Tracey
says he had way of looking at you
as If he was smiling inside at some
joke he'd heard a long time ago, and
i don't know but that's fairly apt
description Of his ordinary expression.
He had way, too, OF nodding jerkily
! at you-just once--to show he recog-