Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-11-02

/ less about things IKE that. maven
been able 20 find lots q things Since
his accident She lifted her h2no-
keTchisk 20 wipe a tear from nex eye.
I could have screamed at her. Is IS
/ lust the thing you've lost that you're
crying f0rgH But didn't
Poor MErs. Dunconl She really aox-
rowed shout her husband. But she was
having her front hall painted 81 the
moment. and ker piazza lacked up, axAo
a new sink Installed IN the kitchen ana
the variant industries certainly gave
what mind she had little time 70 brood
over her loss.
we had 70 get an expert to con1e
and pack the lock on the little BOOK.
Il seemed 3 large and brutal gesture
/ for 50 small a task. After he had gone
and no curious eyes but ours were AsLt
we sat down together on the hearEn
rug before a smOulderfng applewOod
fire and probed the mysterious voi-
ume.
why. It isn't figures at all" I pro-
tested. ITS"
a1ts skoriesi" discovered my husband.
@IAttle storiesI A different one ap-
parently to every pagel"
20, that kind Of an account b0okf
cried out with sudden revelation.
Accounts Of all his adventures, per-
haps9 And there's even an index
rummaged, and read: Adventures
with the Atheist at the High School
Track Meet Adventure with the SICK
Baboon In the Telephone Booth Adj
venture with"
"Waitl" said my husband. Here's
q letter. In all honor I think we are
bound 10 read the letter firstl
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 boorish
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 a long story short, I'm
feeling sort Of up against It. THIS
eve lived the darndest life.
You've no idea. From the day
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
haven't got stage presence,
IEGAOus AN kAANDAeeALJ AAA-~ee--N
the part assigned. Kissed of 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 I mean, when it would be
pretty good thing, perhaps, II ne
could finish his story. Even II 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 OF perpienty
behind him. But, as Tor me,
don't want any one hurt. My wife,
for instance? just as one exampie3
Up at the Maine camp where 90
every spring I've left locker tuA
of rubber boots and rough stuf1.
But when that locker is opened by
strangers. as it imminently win be,
they win find a woman's white lace
dress hanging there. Rose point
lace at that, worth thousand dol
lars, I suppose But when I first
came home and tried TO tell my Wl1e !
about It she wouldn't even wait 70 /
beer abosIt, the trout I caught be-
cause she was so anxious to tell me
instead about how badly the roof
gutter leaked But you'll 1lnd TINS
matter entered under the title OF
THE Adventure of the White Lace
Dress" If anybody really needs 70
know.
aAnd again, not quite so funny
once in q railroad accident stole
pair of trousers and pair OF SHOES
from an injured man. And ne op-
ened his eyes and saw me 40 ~
His name was motifs, DenevS.
don't know from where. But us
ali entered under the title 'Adven-
tlre with the Man Who Opened HIS
Ewes at the Wrong Moment ana
the world is small. Perhaps youu
nm across him some day and get
a chance to tel him that my deco
wasn't quite as rotten as 1t SEEM
ed. IT'S explained on page 10.
Maybe, some night at the ciuD,
some Saturday night In the smo1-
ing room when the fellows are an
sitting round together, some one
win say, %, so Dtncon's gone? Oq9
duck, wasn't hei Did ever Ssn
Won about the time my cousin
with a catch of his breath my hus-
band laid down the letter suooehuy
and pushed It from him.
"Gadi" he said. Il can't stand tnisf
And went to the club.
And it was Saturday night And the
fellows were all gathered together "a
the smoking rooml And man uio
yet up and say, 20, hear that Dun-
cons gonel What q queer duck ne
was with all his impossible storlesI
yet sort Of nice, tool But did ever
ten you about the time down ~ Sa-
naica or some place ike that, Wnen
cousin OF mine saw him, actually saw
him with his own eyes, paraulnB
through a rather disreputable quarter
Of the town with a whole troop o.
weeping colored children following az
ter him in regular order, two by twoY
AS soon as I got my breath aAter
nv husband told me this we picked Up
the little account book" again, turned
to the index and there. sure enough,
was the heading Adventure OF re
BIaciy Orphans out Walking with
cy3c4o,. ~ ryl,ov4tv VVl1r I1rOpDed Lead