The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-05-02

the summer colony, Ne greeted me
courteously. I questioned him ~ to
the character Of the winters in this
region. spoke Of the employments OF |
the village folk. then mentioned the |
canoe-maker.
Yes; he works the year round down |
there on the Tippecanoe. He sells
his canoes all over the Countryside
Hartridge, that's his name. You must
have seen his sign there by the cedar
hedge. They say he gets big prices
for his canoes"
Il suppose he's . native In these
parts?" ventured.
mo; but he's been here Z good
while. l guess nobody knows where
he comes from-or cares. He works
pretty hard, but guess he likes it,
Hes an industrious man. is he?"
"Oh. he's q steady worker; but he's
queer kind. too. Now, he never
votes and he never goes to church:
and for the sake of the argument,
neither do I"-and the old fellow
winked prodigiously. Hes = mighty
odd man; but can't say that that's
against him. But he's quiet and peace
able, and now his daughter"
"Oh. he has a daughter?
Eyes; and that's all he has. too:
and they never have any visitors. The
daughter just come home the other
day, and we amt hardly seen her yet.
She's been away at school"
Il suppose Mr.. Hartridge Is absent
sometimes; he doesn't live down there
all the time, does he?"
Il can't say that l could prove It;
sometimes l don't see him for q
month or more; but his business Is his
own. stranger" he concluded, point
edly.
You think that II Mr. Hartridge
had a visitor you'd know it," l per
sisted, though the shopkeeper grew
less amiable.
We'll, now. l might; and again
mightn't Mr. Hartridge is a Queel
man. don't see him every day, ant
particularly in the winter l don't keeI
track of him.
With little leading the storekeepel
, described Hartridge for me, and hi
! description Tailed exactly with thu
man who had caught me on the canoe
makers premises the night before
: And yet, when l had thanked thu
: storekeeper and ridden on through tn
: village, was as much befuddled =
ever. There was something decidedl
!. incongruous in the idea that a mai
= who was, by all superficial signs, a
least gentleman, should be estat
. lished in the business Of making CT
noes by the side of lonely creek l
:. this odd corner Of the world Fror
. the storekeeper's account, Hartridg
- might be absent from his retreat 10
= long periods; If he we're Henry Ho
brook and wished to annoy his siste
it was not so far from this lionel
- creek to the Connecticut town wher
= Miss Pat lived. Again, as to the daugl
y. ter, just home from school and NJ
- yet familiar to the eyes Of the villag
: she might easily enough be an inve
ton to hide the visits of Helen He
brook l found myself trying to a
% count for the fact that, by some NEAR
short Of the miraculous, Helen He
T. brook had played chess with Miss p
u at ST. Agatha's at the very hour l h;
ie seen her with her father on the TT
K pecanOe And then was bafht
again as l remembered that Paul Stc
or dard had sent the two women to
SIS Agatha's, and that their destinatit
Sd could not have been chosen by Hell
Holbrook.
IN My thoughts wandered into MAJ
blind alleys as l rode on. was tho
1t oughly disguised with myself at fin
on ing the loose ends of the Holbrool
affairs multiplying so rapidly. T
re sun of noon shone hot overhead. anc
ID turned my horse into a road that
he homework by the eastern shore of t
to lake. AS | approached little count
, I church at the crown of long hill
RS saw a crowd gathered in the highw
on and refined my horse to see what h
ice happened. The congregation OF farmt
w: and their families had Just been d
M missed and they were pressing abe
In young man who stood in the cent
of an excited throng. Drawing clos
he was amazed to find my friend {
nd lespie the center of attention.
ara But, my dear sir" cried q I,
Iad bearded man whom l took to be
minister Of th's wayside flock, y
zbt must at least give us the privilege
,co thanking you! You cannot know vi
rse this means to us. gift so munific
no. so far beyond our dreams"
nd Whereat Gillespie looked Dor
:.t. shook his head. and tried to force
loo way through the encircling rustics.
,th was clad in Norfolk jacket
an. knickerbockers of fantastic plaid, v
RI. a cap to match.
xo A young famer. noting my curios
Oh. and heavy with great news. whispe
. to me:
That boy in short pants put 81
'nu bill in the collection basket. All
one bill! They thought 1t was = I
So take. but he told our preacher 1t
free gift
l.eI ITO BE CONTINUED.)
l ------