Putnam patriot., 1911-06-02

ciation. lsll.
 
 |, the central part of the Crow val # ros one of those villages that & ,c N m mushroom-like upon the dis |* .ory of gold. Newcomers were ar s# '-,,, from the east and from the
 Among those from the west was
 man who seemed to have stamped
 nis countenanee "I have expert .S -oad s grief He had no sooner en- #.-.od the town than he walked through .s. s+rpet-there WAS only one street. Booking at every one he met as though |3 a were searching for some one. He srt this up until he seemed to be sat <8 'Isod that be had seen every one in ,ho town. then discontinued it. s# ua was very Uncommunicative # or and made no friends. His name $ -os not forthcoming. so he soon ac- & .,,ired tbe soubriquet of Stranger. He | sa.erpd T claim and went to work with j# ,,ot and shovel like the rest of the
 in the town When the daily |=E sooch arrived from the east he was all r-ars on hand He scrutinized every arson who alighted, and when the E .sA .o.ch had been emptied walked away & .Uhf is he and who's he lookin' torq" asked one of knot of men one sz orening as Stranger walked away from tbe coach with his usual look of disap- ointment
 I$ Want [ know who he is and who hos lookin for, do "" said Bill zsubbs. Well. I'll tell v. He's one |z them fellers who's life has been sA rocked by a woman and another man. Res been married and another feller bss taken his wife from him. It's my '< opiniop that Strangers expectin' the faller that robbed him of his wife. and zvhen he comes you'll see a shootin' match.
 x .'l don't think much of that eXpla- ~ nation. put i'll Andy Jones. T reckon lzzstranser's been doin' somep'n to git Himself wanted somewheres. When |3te fust come we're l tux notice he satis zSfed himself afore he settled down that ibere wasn't no one we're as knowed .}fim. then he entered his claim an .S*Vent to work. He ain't tellin' nothin' ! |5 ||;sa bout himself He ain't a-goin to fur hish nobody who's huntin' him with K2anformation about where he is.'' ES These are but few of the reasons 5 ,conjured up for Strangers presence in ;fhe town and his singular actions. The <only person who was not interested tin them was Stranger himself. but he swas the only person who didn't hear *any of them. He pursued the even tfenor of his way. digging in his hole 5 :1n the ground and going every evening E|fto the coach to inspect the incoming Passengers.
 One day Stranger was missing from his hole His absence at once set ev- E Jery tongue wagging with accelerated Sigor Every one wondered where he had gone and if he would ever come Esbaek
 Where has he goner exclaimed Bill ktubbs Why. he's got wind of the I9#feller he's lookin' for. As to his com b back. that depends which man gifts fhe drop on tother one. If Stranger Rits it-and l hope he will-he'll come back. l reckon. and he'll feel better Efatisfed with himself Like enough. Ete may take another holt on matrimo 1y'
 '0h. rats. Bill Stubbs." exclaimed Andy Jones' When you git notion Into your head you make everything 6t it Stranger has got wind of an fnemy. shore enough. but not the enc fzny you mean He's heered that a sher jf has got wind of him. and Strangers s Fist lit out to give him the slip. That's the most reasonable view to take of 1t. V
 Seems to me-" suggested Enoch Nudge, that both you fellers is fittin' ktranger's goin' away to your eyplana- lions Eve allus tux notice that when ? man gifts an idee into his head he nakes all his other idees run that Fay Did you ever hear of out and 9ut Demmycrat turnin' into Repub- pcan or opposite way.T
 M The remark did not change the views f Bill Stubbs or Andy Jones, who Doth declared that they were ready to nsten to any other reasonable theory Eoncerning Strangers abuse than their 9wn, but when Nudge advanced one 3hey both attacked it vigorously. He Hunk away leaving the two men ar {ulng with each other
 Then tSme information that added @olnme to the flame of conjecture
 ranger returned locking happy.
 What did tell you:" said Stubbs
 Hes met his man and got the drop pn him.
 He's lodged the sheriff" Andy zones claimed.
 At this point a small boy spoke up.
 T seen Stranger go into his cabin hen he came back. The fust thing done was to take piece O paper Tom between two logs and tear it Nto little bits.''
 How you goin' to account for that Pll stnbbs?" asked Andy Jones.
 How you goin' to account for it?"
 since both needed time to make the icident accord with their pet theories
 explanation was brought forth.
 u' the mystery of the bit of paper a' quietus upon most of the theo- pes held by Strangers fellow citizens nu was the only event that had oe- aHed during his residence amoug
 em that tended to check the forma-
 on of new ones.
 one day after the distribution of the
 ah the postmaster gave out that
 'ler had come for Edward Trues- aie and Stranger had claimed 1t
 watched him when he read it."