Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-08-12

wares. 1t was evident that Simon P.
Groot followed the romantic career of
an itinerant hawker, dealing in that
wide range of commodities roughly
comprised in the quaint term, cyan
kee notions" Kent was struck with
the expansive splendor of the mans
gestures. the dignity of his robust
figure and the beauty of a broad
whitening beard that spread sidewise
like the ripples from boats STEM.
Two bleInishes unhappily marred the
majesty of Simon P. Groot's presence
"a pair of pinhead eyes. mutually at
tracted to each other, and a mean and
stringent little voice.
''There. gentlemen and ladies' ST.
mon P. Groot was saying, .'there in
that place OF vast silences and Unfold
Ing shadows l met and addressed one
who was soon to be no more. Madam
I said, you are worn. You are wan.
You are weary. Trust the chivalry of
one who might be your father. Rest
and be comforted as with balm
l. Standing by the roadside. she dropped
like a flower. There is no rest for
me, she said in mournful tones. Il
must away upon my mission
''She vanished, that fair creature, into
the forest. | looked at my watch
the unerring, unwarranted. sixteen
jeweled chronometer which l shall
presently have the honor of showing
to you at the unexampled price of
three Seventy-and saw that the hour
was eXactly-for these timepieces vary
not one fraction OF a second a day
$40. When next l looked at the face
of Father Times trustiest accountant,
| it was to mark the hour Of the horrid
| shrek that shook my soul-precisely
! 9:31. And later. when l heard the
dread news, ! realized that my ears
had thrilled to a death cry
Kent moved away, his chin pressed
down upon his chest. He went to the
Office of Lawyer Adam Balm and spent
an hour waiting, with his feet propped
up on the desk. When the lawyer en-
tered Kent remarked:
"You rather put our two official
friends in a hole this morning.
"Just a mite maybe. But they've
quick
"How SOP
"Wel, if they'd gone ahead and
buried the body as it was we could
have had it eXhumed. And then we'd
have seen what we'd have seem
'True enough. And you didn't see it
as it WASP
''See what? Did you?"
suppose" Kent said. "you give me
the fullest possible character sketch of
our impulsive friend, the sheriff.
Half an hour was consumed in this
process. At the end of the time Kent
strolled back to the square, where
Simon p. GrOot had been discoursing
There he found the ornate wagon
closed and it's ornate proprietor whis-
Ting over some minor repairs that he
had been making. An invitation to
take ride in Kent's car was promptly
accepted.
Business first" said Kent you're
a seller. I'm a buyer. You've got
some information that I may want. If
so I'm ready to pay. Was any of your
talk true?''
"Yep," replied Simon P. Groot aus.
terely. "It was all true but the friIls'
Twill you trim off the frills for $1O?
"Fair dealing for fair price is my
motto. You'll find it in gilt lettering
on the back of the wagon. I WILL
''What were you doing on Hawkhil
cliffs?"
sleeping in the wagon"
"And you really met this mysterious
wanderer?"
''Sure as you're standing there"
What passed between you?''
81 gave her good evening. and she
spoke to me fair enough. but queer
and said that my children's children
might remember the day. Now, amt
got any children to have children. so
wouldn't have thought of it again but
for the man that came inquiring after
her.
''When was that?"
''Not fifteen minutes AFTER
''Did you tell the crowd here that?'
"Yep. l sold two dozen wedding
rings on the strength and romance OF
that point. From my description they