Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-08-23
last time I went East somebocv gave

last time I went East someoo~v gave
it to me to read on the train. / read
three chapters and was more amaz~
than anybody IN sight. The porter
was a fresh coon and l gave 1t to him
as my revenge. I'll bet 1t amazed
him"
You don't seem to have anything
in the nature of a preference, so far.
l wonder how this will suit you
"Notre Dame de Paris" by Victor
Hugo"
81 don't understand French"
IT'S English and it's quite worn out,
as II II had been read over and over.
Several of the pages are falling out
"Oh. I've read that. just remem-
Der. It's a rafting good story, too
About the hunchback and the gypsy
girl who tells fortunes and has a pet
goat. The priest, who's a villain. falls
off the steeple and clings to gutter
by his finger nails with his enemy
watching him. It's the finest kind OF
a story"
What a pity that you've read II!
Oh. here's one that's evidently been
great favorite. It's in paper and
it's all thumbed and torn. Some
body's written across the top. OF all
the damned fool people. Oh. beg
your pardon, read it before l real
lied. The name is Wife in Name
Only 1t doesn't seem the kind OF
title that makes you want to read the
book, does Ii ?"
Wife in Name ONLY" he gave
short laugh. 1T certainly isn't the
kind Of name that would make me
want to read a book"
Nor me-" said a deep voice behind
them.
They both turned to see Buford. the
actor, standing back of the table, his
tall, angular figure silhouetted
against the pa,e oblong of the incur
tanned window. He was smiling
suavely, but at the same time with a
sort of uneasy, assumed assurance,
which suggested that he was not I'M
used to rebuffs.
: That. certainly" he said. rs not a
name to recommend a book to any
man-any man. that is. who has or
ever had a wife"
He advanced into the circle Of the
freight, blandly beaming at the young
: man, who, leaning back in his chair
was eying him with surprised inquiry
never having seen-him before. The
; look did not chill the friendly effusion
of the actor who, approaching Domi
: nick, said with the full. deep resonance
of his remarkable voice:
!. Congratulations. my dear sir. con
gratulations. Not alone on your re
: covery, but on the fact that you are
here with us at ALL" He held out his
large hand, the skin chapped and rec
with the cold. and the long finger:
closed with a wrenching grip on Dom
inick's. I'VE were not sure, when 20,
arrived among us few nights ago
that we would have the felicity o
seeing you so soon up and around
in fact, we were doubtful whether W.
would ever see you up and around"
Thanks. very kind Of you. Oh. In
all right now" Dominick pressed thu
hand in return and then, bending {
little forward, sent a glance of implor
ing inquiry round the strangers shout
der at Rose.
She saught the eye, read its behes,
and presented the newcomer:
"Mr. Ryan. this Is Mr.. Buford VIII
is showed in here with US. Mr.. Blu
ford came here the same day as you
only he came on the MUrphysvill
stage"
Buford sat down between them o.
D one of the horsehair chairs that wer
socially arranged round the table. TIL
freight threw into prominence tn
!. bony angles of his thin face an
glazed the backward sweep Of hi
~ hair, dark brown, and worn combe
away from his forehead, where pal
Of heavy. flexible eyebrows moved u
and down like an animated CONNER
tary on the conversation. When an!
thing surprising was said they wer
up. anything puzzling or painful the
were drawn down. He rested on
hand on his knee. the fingers turne
in, and, sitting bolt upright, buttone
tight into his worn frock-coat, turne
a glance of somewhat deprecatin
amiability upon the invalid.
3 You had a pretty close call.
pretty-close-call" he said. IF the o.
orator at Rocky Bar hadn't had tn
sense to wire up here. that woul
have been the end of your life story
Dominick had heard this from ever
member of the snowed-in party. Re
itition was not making 1t any mol
agreeable. and there was an effect (
abrupt ungraciousness in his short a
swer which was merely a word
comment.
CTO BE CONTINUED)