The Hardin tribune-herald., 1935-11-08

/ the key. He was inclined to be care
less about things like that. I haven't
been able to find lots of things since
his accident" She lifted her hand
kerchief to wipe tear from her eye.
I could have screamed at her. rs IL
just the thing you've lost that you're
crying for?" But didn't.
| Poor Mrs. Duncon! She really sor-
rowed about her husband. But she was
having her front hall painted at the
moment, and her piazza lacked up, and
the variant industries certainly gave
what mind she had little time to brood
over her loss.
We had to get an expert to come
and pick the lock on the little book.
It seemed large and brutal gesture
for so small task. After he had gone
and no curious eyes but ours were LETT
we sat down together on the hearth
rug before a smouldering applewood
fire and probed the mysterious VOL
ume.
+..t "Why IT. II isn't figures at ALL" pro-
'It,s stories!" discovered my husband.
Little stories! A different one ap-
parently to every page!"
20, that kind of an account book?'"
I cried out with sudden revelation.
"'Accounts' Of all his adventures, per-
haps? And there's even an index" I
rummaged, and read: Adventures
Track Meet Adventure with the Sick
Baboon in the Telephone Booth 'Ad-
venture with"
'Wait!" said my husband Here's
a letter! In all honor I think we are
bound to read the letter first!"
So, honorably, we closed the book and
read the letter first.
Dear folks" it began, just as simply
as that.
Dear folks: It's sort of boorlsh
of me putting this on you, but it's
what you get, suppose, for show
ing such confidence in me as you
have the past few years.
ITO cut long story short, I'm
feeling sort of up against it. This
is the spiel.
1--WE lived the darndest life.
You've no idea. From the day I
was born, I mean, the weirdest
things have been happening to me.
Not big things, yet almost
always weird. But no one, except
yourselves, has ever seemed inclined
to believe me, somehow. It's because
reckon. Am physically miscast for
the part assigned. Kissed off the
boards before I've fairly begun.
Even you, I think, have never heard
the whole of any of my stories.
"But there comes a time in every
mans life I suppose, at his death,
of course mean, when it would be
pretty good thing, perhaps, if he
could finish his story. Even if he's
lived a reasonably decent sort Of
life there are always lots of things
that would bear explaining, loose
ends that had better be tied. Un-
less, of course, he doesn't mind
leaving bit of pain or perplexity
behind him. But, as for me,
don't want any one hurt My wife,
for instance? Just as one example?
Up at the Maine camp where I 60
every spring I've left locker full
of rubber boots and rough stuff.
But when that locker is opened by
strangers, as it imminently will be,
they will find woman's white lace
dress hanging there. Rose point
lace at that, worth thousand dol
lars. suppose. But when l first
came home and tried to tell my wife
hear about the trout I caught be-
cause she was so anxious to tell me
instead about how badly the roof
gutter leaked! But you'll find this
matter entered under the title OF
The Adventure of the White Lace
Dress" if anybody really needs to
know.
"And again, not quite so funny,
once in railroad accident stole a
pair of trousers and pair of shoes
from an injured man. And he op-
l.,
His name was Morris believe.
I don't know from where. But it's
all entered under the title 'Adven-
ture with the Man Who Opened His
Eyes at the Wrong Moment And
the world is small. Perhaps you'll
run across him some day and get
a chance to tell him that my deed
wasn't quite as rotten as it SEEM
ed. It's explained on page 16.
Maybe, some night at the club,
some Saturday night in the smok.
ing room when the fellows are all
sitting round together, some one
will say, o, so Duncon's gone? Odd
duck, wasn't he! Did I ever tell
you about the time my cousin >"
With catch of his breath my hus-
band laid down the letter suddenly
and pushed it from him.
"Gad!" he said. IT can't stand this!"
And went to the club.
And it was Saturday night! And the
fellows were all gathered together in
the smoking room! And a man did
get up and say, 20, hear that Dun
cons gone! What a queer duck he
was with all his impossible stories!
Yet sort of nice. too! But did I ever
tell you about the time down in ia
maica or some place like that, when
cousin of mine saw him. actually saw
him with his own eyes; paradlng
through rather disreputable quarter
of the town with a whole troop Of
weeping colored children following at.
ter him in regular order, two by two?'
Eraat1o after