Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-07-27

you, and
But Mr.. Rutton?"
'Is a party I've never card Of, If
you'll excuse my sayin' SO, no more'n'
/ ave of yourself. sir"
well" began Amber; but paused,
his face hardening as he looked the
man up and down, nodding slowly.
"Per'aps," continued Mr.. Doggott,
unabashed, you mistyke me for my
brother. Emery Doggott. Il was 'ome,
in England, larst l card of i'm. We
look a deal alike, I've been told"
you would be-" admitted Amber
drily; and, shutting his teeth upon his
inherent contempt for a liar, he
swung away, acknowledging with a
curt nod the civil Good AFTERNOON,
sir" that followed him.
The man had disappeared by the
time Amber regained his kit-bag and
gun-case; standing over which he
surveyed his surroundings with some
annoyance, discovering that he now
shared the station with none but the
ticket agent. A shambling and dis
consulate youth, clad in a three-days'
growth Of beard, a checked jumper
and khaki trousers, this person
lounged negligently in the doorway of
the waiting room and, caressing his
rusty chin with nicotine-dyed fingers,
regarded the stranger in Nokomis
with an air of subtle yet vaguely mel
ancholy superiority.
"If ye're lookin' for tn hotel" he
volunteered Unexpectedly, there amt
none" and effected a mastery retreat
into the ticket booth.
Amused, the despised outlander
picked up his luggage and followed
amiably. I'm not looking for the
hotel that amt" he said, planting
himself in front of the grating; "but
l expected to be met by some one
from Tanglewood-"
"Thet's the Quain place, daown BY
tn ba-ay," interpolated the youth from
unplumbed depths of mournful alb
straction.
1T is. l wired yesterday
"Yeour names Amber, amt it?"
Eyes, L"
"Well, Quain didn't get yeour mes
sage till this mornin'. / sent a kit
daown with it 'baout ten o'clock"
"But why the-but / wired yester
day afternoon"
Il knaow We did," assented tn,
youth YEARLY. 1T come through
raound closin' time and they wan
nobody baound that way, so I held /
over"
"This craze for being characters
tic" observed Mr.. Amber obscurely
sis the only thing that really stand
in the way of Nokomis becoming
thriving metropolis. Do you agre
with NE? No matter" He smiled Ell
gagingly; a seasoned traveller thil
who could recognize the futility {
pickering over the irreparable. Nor,
, over, he had to remind himself in a
i fairness, the blame was, in part q
least, his own; for he had though
lessly worded his telegram, will b
with you tomorrow afternoon" and
was wholly like Quain that he shout
have accepted the statement at it
face value, regardless of the date line
"I can leave my things here for
, little while, l presume?" Amber SUI
J gested after a pause.
The ticket agent stared stubborn
: into the infinite, making no sign till
: coin rang on the window-ledge; whe
f he started, eyed the offering with fug
| tive mistrust, and gloomily possesse
himself of 1t. It'll look after them,
) he said. BE 70 thinkin' of walkin'!
! Eyes" said Amber over his shou
: der. He was already moving towar
g the door.
"Knaow yeour wa-ay?"
1--WE been here before, thank you
Crossing the tracks, he addresse
himself to the southwark stretchir
. highway. Walking briskly at first, l
soon left behind the railway static
with ITS few parasitic cottages, a d
e in the land hid them, and he he
e hereafter for all company h
/ thoughts, the desultory road, a va
and looming sky, and bare fell
), hedged with impoverished forest.
d Amber had protested acquaintan,
r with his way; It. seemed rather to
4 intimacy, for when he chose to fl
sake the main travelled road he did
s. boldly, striking off upon a wage
o track which, leading across the field
T. delved presently into the heart Of Il
" forest.
r The hush of the forest world BIO
heavily upon his senses; the slig
8 and stealthy rustsngs in the brus
70 the clear sense ringing Of some
d mote ak, an attenuated clamor
cawing from some far crows &C
g gress, but served to accentrate its
~iuence.
lie Then into the silence crept a SOU
to rouse him from his formless re
ly erie. At first a mere pulsing in t
stiffness, barely to be distinguish
u from theI song of the surf; but pr,
emily a pounding, eve louder a
e. more i~nslstent. He paused, attentiv
and while he waited the drummir
r. minute w minute gaining In volun
swept swiftly toward him-the rhyt
mic hoofbeats Of a single horse mad
ridden. When it was close upon h
IS he stepped back into the tangled
n. dergrowth, making room; for t
track was anything but wide.
IT. simultaneously there burst II
ly view. at the end Of a brief aiale