Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-12-17

putably right. only he had not the
grace TO admit II. We ended vulgarly
with bet. VIII wagering me the best
five cent clear Havana in the Bigelow
House sample room that nothing worth
mentioning would take place in Rad
vile before shutdown Of the following
day.
] left him. returning TO my room at
Miss Carpenters (Wm and l are old
friends. but l refuse TO eat the food he
serves his guests. 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 bis egregiOus
stubbornness. has some excuse for up
holding his unreasonable aud ridicu-
lous views.
AT 5:45 the evening train lurched in.
bearing the mysterious stranger.
Tracey Tanner saw him first. having
driven down 20 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 Badville
Everybody else walks. Of course. Nat
urally Tracey took the mysterious
stranger for q drummer He had three
trunks aud a heavy packing box. so
Tracey's misrepresentation was pardon
able. lusunctively he drove him 20
the Bigelow House VIII now aud
again makes Tracey present Of a
bottle OF sarsaporilla or lemon pop.
with the result that Tracey calls Tan
nehill. who runs the opposition hotel, a
4 skindint aud never takes strangers
there except ON their express desire.
The mysterious stranger merely asked
90 be driven Co the best hotel This is
not like most commercial travellers.
who. as a rule. know where they want
90 go, even in a strange town. having
made inquiry I'm advance from their
brothers OF the road.
VIII Bigelow was doing behind the
desk. luued 10y the sound OF III Nuts
voice ia the barroom as he explained
TO al and Sundry just how ne had in
advertently permitted Watty the tailor
90 best MIN at checkers that morning
otherwise the Office was deserted
Tnccy Weakened VIII 10y stamping
heavily across the floor. and VIII me-
/ chanically pushed down his spcctacles
and dipped a pen iu ink. Slowing the
register rouad Tor the guests sigma
turc He says ne knew at n glance
that the mysterious stranger was no
travelling man. But this is moot
point. Traccy's memory being minute
ly accurate and at variance with
/ WINS assertion
The mysterious stranger was n
young man. rather severely clothed IN
dark suit which excited no interest
/ IN Birelows understanding. although
I, when I saw him later. had no din
Guilty I'm realizing that IL had never
been made 10y tailor whose place OF
business was more than five doors re
moved from Fifth avenue. He wa,
tallish. but NOT really tail. and carried
himself with slight stoop which tool
away from his real height. Tracey
says ne had a way OF looking az yor
rs II he was smiling Inside az som,
joke he'd heard a long time ago. and
/ don't know but that's a fairly APP
description Of his ordinary expression
He had "A way. too. Of nodding jerkily
at you-just once-tO show he rccog
nlzed you or understood what YOU
l were driving at: AT other times h,
Z carried his head a tribe TO one sid,
and slightly forward. He was a mar
/ you wouldn't forget, somehow, though
what there was about him that wa,
remarkable nobody seemed 10 know.
! He nodded that jerky way In an
swer 20 VIII BiCelow's "G'devenin','
and without saying anything took Tn,
| pen and started 10 register He hat
TO stop. however, for Tracey wa,
! pressing him so close upon the righ
that he couldn't get any play for his
elbow. and after a minute or two h,
asked Tracey politely would he minC
stepping round to the left. where b,
could see just as we'll SO Tracey did
Then he wrote his name in a good
round hand, Nathaniel Duncan
N Y"
I'D like n room with a bath" he
told VIII. something simple and
chaste. within the means OF a man II
moderate circumstances"
l
but he didn't smile, SO VIII explained
that there was a bathroom on tho
third floor at the end OF the hall
though there wasn't much call for it
Il could give you a room next t
that" be said. but you wouldn't want
II, / guess
why notT' asked the mysterious
stranger.
Because said VIII. "'talnt neal
the sample room"
THAT doesn't make any difference
I'm on the wagon"
The only sense VIII could get out OF
that was that the young man was trav
cling for a buggy house and hadn't
brought any samples with him. Il
thought" be allowed. las how you'd
be wantin' a place 10 display your
samples but OF course IL you're in the
wagon business
oh" said Mr.. Duncan, II thought
you meant the sample room Over
l fhora nnfdad foxvord the hor