Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-10

filled since my fathers return that
never had / had the time or oppor-
tunity to tell him of that odd meeting.
and the bizarre figure of the man
whose appearance and actions. and
slight slips of speech, had made me
believe he was some one ! had once
known and was not the distinguished
stranger he appeared to be-.
| summoned my memory to my ald
mentally jotted down for reference the
unusual height and breadth of shout
ders of the man receiving the adula-
tion-it was the only word-of the
people around him. l also noted the
incongruity of his rudy color, his
firmness of flesh. his appearance OF
middle-aged muscular strength as con-
trasted with his abundant snow-wh1te
hair. brushed into a military pompa-
dour, his white. carefully-curled mus
tache, and his Vandyke beard.
He wore the same military cape-top-
coat as when / had first seen him. and
with careful punctiliousness carried his
hat in his hand as he talked to the
ultra-fashionable women and the pom
pous man who accompanied him, and
who had every appearance of being
possessed of unlimited means. but ex-
ceedingly circumscribed intelligence.
And over his eyes were the same thick
lcnsed glasses.
waited intensely for for the first
speech from his lips. And when he did
speak | found that accents and inflec-
tions were exactly as they had sound
cd in the train. Either ! had been mis-
taken, and he really was as foreign as
he looked. or else he was a past master
of the art of keeping up his disguise.
IF you will give me the gr-great
pleasure of looking at somewhat do
you call them in English-oh. yes. the
handkerchiefs."
Mother Graham Comments
"Of course. Don Ramon" the young
er woman of the party said. gush-
ingly. You will not find anything like
Your own exquisite belongings here.
But il is the best place around. in fact,
the only place. since that shop at South
ampton did not have what you wished"
ooh, but those things in that other
shop were im-poss-i-beel." He drawled
the syllable fascinatingly. All
these are much better. Will YOU give
me two dozen!
He put his hand to his breast pocket,
brought it back empty. laughed lightly.
II am the most forgetful person. he
said. II have left my billbook in my
room. I am sorry to have given you
the trouble of showing them. The next
time | come | will
There were imprisoned protests be-
fore the words had left his mouth.
"Nousense' OF course | shall be
banker the pompous man an
nounced.
That will not he necessary the
suave proprietor of the shop said.
we shall be only too glad to have
Ramon Almirez,' supplied the
woman with a langnishmg
glance toward the picturesque figure
of the foreigner.
"Ha. Ha. That is very good" Don
Ramon appeared vastly amused. Il
did not expect to open an account. as
YOU say. when l left your home today
He swept a %courtly bow to the two
women. II shall be very glad to ac-
ccpt YOU courtesy" nodding affably
to the shopkeeper.
rs there not something else we can
show you?" the proprietor asked
Some shirts
Don Ramon lifted his shoulders in a
graceful shrug.
"My shirts are all custom made, my
good man. he said loftily. But 40
not know-some of them are getting
worn. and my tailor is in London. Let
me look at some of them"
"Fiddlesticks!" My mother-in-law
who. ~lorgnette to her eyes, had been
watching the little by play. lowered 1t
and spoke in a low zone to the quiet
saleswoman behind the counter, who
had paid no attention to the scene in
the front Of the store. That chap
just a clever. high-class confidence
man. Margaret" She raised her
voice as she found me missing from
her side. Where have you gone"
From my station behind the draper
les my eyes were still fixed upon the
face of the man whom l had met in the
train. and at my mother-in-law's utter
ance of my name / saw him stiffen into
an attention not warranted by the
casual utterance later. And when q
second or two later | saw him furtively
cycling the part Of the store where We
were. I would have staked Il great deaI
upon the theory that he had recog'
nized both my name and my mother
in-law's voice.
The greatest granite beds In thu
|v,c;t>l Ctotos arn found in NainA.