The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1921-01-15
The Strange
Guest
By PIkcIvAL BROOKS


truly loving wife. 1--WE miss you.
Never mind as to your failure In bet
tering thIngs-they are good enough
MS they are. rs long as we are to-
gether."
Dear little woman" enthused the
recipient of the letter and his heart
warmed and home. poor as 1t was.
seemed a fine beckonIng haven at TINT
moment.
Hard MS Nellie and he had worked
on the little ten-acre patch of ground
at the limits Of Weston, they wound
up at the end Of every year In debt.
They had enough to eat and that was
about nil. There were two little chill
dren. however. Father and mother
did not mind wearing old mended
clothes. hut they deplored their In
ability TO dress their children MS those
Of their neighbOrs were nttired.
III We only had n little capital to
invest In fertilizers and the machinery
to do real farming, ] wouldn't call
the king my BROTHER" Walter had as
serted strenuously. "Why. the old
stumps md rocks rooted out and
year given to preparing the land for
real cultivation. and I'd show you
| results"
But they never yet hnd the money
or the time to carry out Walters plan.
II WINS certainly practicable. for 9TH
crs with money Ind made grand sue
cesscs. So. burdened with debt md
| the prospect ahead more forlOrn and
unpromising thnn ever, Walter had
held n serious consultation with Nellie.
~ know no trade" he confessed.
THE city Is probably crowded with
Just such unsuccessful and dIsnppoint-
cd fellows as myself. but II must offer
some opportunities to willing man."
He had come to Alton. a thriving
little city. to try his luck. Three
weeks earnest effort to secure work
went for practically nothing. He grew
homesIck for the wife and the little
ones He wrote 30 to Nellie. The
answer to his letter decided him. He
| spent two hours at dusk strOllIng
about the streets thinking II NIL over
and decided to start back for home
the next morning. There came n slight
| sprinkle OF rnin and. as he wore his
best suit Of clothing. Walter stepped
back into the entrance OF broad
doorway just above a fashionable res
tnurant. Supper rooms upstairs" he
rend on IN illuminating globe and 1t
madc him think Of home. for his prov.
| endcr for the dny had been light.
He Ind but two dollars in his pocket
and WINS saving Of that. for It would
take him only two-thirds OF the way
home.
AS Walter stood under shelter a
mIddle-agcd man. opulence prevailing
In dress. manner and ornament. came
down the stairs. glanced along the
street. then into the lower restaurant
| and then CHANGED to take Walter with
| In his vision. He wore n light over
coat Of peculiar pattern and this he
removed MS he re-entered the nrch-
why, half halted. studied Walter close
ly and then approached him.
"Young man." he spoke. ''hnve you
the time and inclination to partake
OF very princely supper?"
"why." replied Walter. smiling at
tho oddly OF the circumstance. II
scarcely understand you"
"vcry well. Some friends are
gathered for little banquet: others
| expected have not arrived. We nre
| Just thirteen ms II Is. and the super
stitIous ones won't sit down until we
have filled the fourteenth chair"
,, 81 shnll he glad to be at your serv-
Ice" said Walter simply. and n few
minutes later found himself one Of
party Of men who suggested refine
mcnt md wealth. He who had invited
him spoke an occasional word to him.
but Walter did not intrude upon the
general conversation.
"Such n meal! !" he told Nellie after
ward. and said It to himself. For two
hours. as truly hungry man. Walter
rcyeled Mt tnble Of luxury and
plenty. He thanked the man who had
invited him when the repast was over
and came down TO the street alone like
n mnn In dream. He started at once
for his boarding house. Hnlf way
down the block. just ahead OF him.
man acting suspiciously stepped from
n dark alley. The cont he wore at
once attracted the attention Of Walter.
II was the one he had noticed on his
recent friendly host. In fash Wal
| ter decided that the lurker had stolen
the gnrment md had slipped out the
renr way with II.
"Just n minute. my friend" he
spoke. hurrying to the man and selling
| him by the collar. "Stolen property.
ehr' But the slick thief evnded de
tentIon by slipping out Of the garment
and dashing away.
wnlter returned to the banquet room
to tell his story. The owner Of the
cont excltedly rummaged the garment,
revealing n large package OF papers.
"My friend. you have done me