The Sentinel=record., 1911-12-03

renee (for 1t would i'll become me, as the only literary man In Radville. To yield point in dispute with the pro prietor of the town tayernl. Besides he was wrong, even as l was indis putably right. only he had not the grace to admit it. We ended vulgarly with a bet. Win 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 sundown of the following day.
 left him. returning to my room al Miss Carpenters (Win and 1 are old Friends. but 1 refuse to eat the food he serves his guestsl, warmed by the prospect of certain triumph if little appalled, by the prospect of winning the stake and sympathizing a little with Will. who, for all his egregious stuDbornness, has some excuse for up holding his unreasonable and ridieu- lous views.
 At 5 .45 the evening train lurched 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 a 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 drummer. He had three trunks aud a heavy packing box, so Traeeys misapprehension was pardon able. Insunctively he drove him to the Bigelow House. Win now and again makes Tracey a present of q bottle of sarsaparilla or lemon pop, with the result that Tracey calls Tan nehill, who runs the opposition hotel, sklnhlnt and never takes strangers there except on their express desire. The mysterious stranger merely asked 10 be driven 10 the best hotel This is not like most commercial travellers. who, as a rule. know where they want to go, even in strange town. having made inquiry in advance from their brothers of the road.
 Will Blgelow was dozing behind the desk. lulled by the sound of III Nutt's voice ih 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 Win by stamping heavily across the floor, and Will 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 glance that the mysterious stranger was no travelling man. But this is moot point. Traceys memory being minute ly accurate and at variance with Wfll's assertion
 The mysterious stranger was a young man. rather severely clothed in q dark suit which excited no interest in Bigelow's understanding. although I. when saw i,'n1 later, had no difi. culty in reallz...s iAat. it had never been made by tailor whose place of business was more tL-l five doors re. moved from Fifth avenue He was tallish, but not really tall. and carried himself with slight stoop which took away from his real height Tracey says he had way of looking at you as if he was smiling Inside ut some joke he'd heard loug time ago, and l don't know but that's fairly apt description of bis ordinary expression. He had way, too. of noddlng ierllily at you--just once4to show, he recog- nized you or understood what you were driving at; at other times he carried his head a trife to one side and slightly forward He was man you wouldn't forget. somehow. though what there was about him that was remarkable nobody seemed to know.
 He nodded that jeFky way in an swer to VIII Bigelow's 'G'devenin','' and without saying anything took the pen and started to register. He had to stop however. for Tracey was pressing him so close upos the right