The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1911-03-10

] '"' summer 'olpuN, ne greeted me
/ couricously. ! questioned him az to
the character OF the winters In this
| region. spoke Of the empl1yments of
the village folk. then mentioned the
| canoemakcr
Yes, he works The year round down
/ there on the Tippccanoc lie sells
| his canoes an over the Countrywide
llariridgr that's his name. You must
have seen his Flgn there by the cedar
hedge. They say he gets big prices
| for his canoes
y suppose hos native tn these
partE?' ! youturcd
NO. but he's boon here good
while. | guess nobody knows whore
he comes from-or cares lie works
pretty hard, but ! guess he likes g."
Hes an Industrious man. Is hep"
oh. he's a steady worker: but he's
queer Kind, too. Now. he never
votes and he never goes TO church:
and for the sake ~ the argument.
neither do and the old fellow
winked probationary. He's a mighty
odd man. but | cant say that that's
against him. hut he's quiet and peace
able. and now his daughter"
"Oh. he has q daughtcr?'
Yes: and that's all he has. too:
and they never have any visitors. The
daughter just come homo the other
day. and We amt hardly seen her yet.
She's been away at school"
u suppose MIR llartridgc Is absent
sometimes; he doesn't live down there
all the time. does he?"
Il can't say that | could prove Il:
sometimes don't see him for
month or more; but his business Is his
own. stranger he concluded. point.
eddy.
You think that II Mr.. Iartrldgo
had a visitor you'd know IT," per.
sisted. though the shopkeepcr grew
less amiablc.
We'll, now. might. and again |
mightn't Mr.. Hartridge il Il queer
man. | don't see him every day. and
particularly In the winter / don't keep
track OF him
with little leading the storekeepci
described Ilartridgc for me. and his
description tailed exactly with tho
man who had caught me on the canoe.
makers promises the night before.
And yet. when | had thanked tho
storckoeper and ridden on through the
village. ! was as much befuddlcd as
ever There was something decidedly
incongruous In the idea that man
who was. by all superficial signs. at
least a gentleman should be estab.
lishcd In the business OF making ca.
noes by the side NJ a lonely creek In
this odd corner OF the world From
the storekeeper's account, Hartrldge
might be absent from his retreat for
| long periods. II he were Henry Hol.
brook and wished to annoy his sister.
II was not so far from this lonely
creek to the Connecticut town where
Miss Pat lived. Again, as to the daugh.
ter. Just home from school and not
yet familiar to the eyes Of the village,
she might easily enough be- an inyen.
| ton TO hide the visits OF Helen Hol.
brook. found myself trying to nc.
count for the fact that by some means
short OF the miraculous. Helen Ilol.
brook had played chess with Miss Pat
/ !
seen her with her father on the Tip.
pccanoe. And then was banied
again as | remembered that Paul Stod.
dard had sent the two women to ST.
Agatha's. and that their destination
could not have been chosen by Helen
llolbrook.
My thoughts wandered into many
blind alleys as rode on was thor.
oughly disguised with myself at find.
Ing the loose ends OF the Holbroolks'
AFFAIRS multiplying so rapidly. The
sun OF noon shone hot overhead, and
turned my horse into road that led
homework by the eastern shore OF tho
lake. As | approached a little country
church at the crown OF q long hill |
saw a crowd gathered in the highway
and refined my horse to see what had
happened, The congregation OF farmers
and their families had Just been dis.
missed. and they were pressing about
a young man who stood In the center
OF an excited throng Drawing closer.
! was amazed TO find my friend Gil.
lesple the center OF attention.
but, my dear SIR" cried a tall
bearded man whom | took TO be tho
minister OF this wayslde flock. you
must at least give MS the privilege OF
thanking you' You cannot know what
this means TO us, gift so munincent
so far beyond our dreams"
Whcreat Gillespie looked bored.
shook his head and tried to force his
way through the cnciTcliug rustics. He