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Stranger
A Memorial Day story *
By HOWARD FIELDING
Copyright, 1904, by Charles W. Hooke
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¢ HERE'S a young lady over
there whom I know,” said
Graydon in a tone which in
dicated a very agreeable sur
prise. “I believe I'll run across and
speak to her.”” He was upon the point
of rising when his companion laid a re
straining hand upon his arm and ask
ed. “Where?”
*“ln the little whiz cart just by the
end of the reviewing stand—white hat
with a black plume, See her?”
‘Yes,”” was the reply: ‘I see her.
But I weuldn’t go over there if I were
you.”
Graydon turned, with a puzzled
look.
“Why not?"’ be asked.
“You'd better get some of the names
of the dignitaries on the reviewing
stand before the speechmaking begins.
You won't have more than five or ten
minutes.”
“] guess you're right,” said he. “I'd
petter stick to my job. What the deuce
1 should have done without your help I
really don't know, I've no more no
tion about reporting an affair of this
kind than your horse has. And now,
Mr. Blake,” he added, poising his pen
4], “if you'll give me a few of those
names you will earn once more the
blessing of the stranger.”
“How long have you Dbeen doing
newspaper work?’ asked Blake.
“Nearly two years. But I've never
done any general reporting. I began to
write book notices for the paper during
my last year in college, and the editor
offered me a regular job after gradua
tion. I've done a few theaters, concerts,
lectures and that sort of thing, and it
seemed to me that a Memorial day cel
ebration wouldn't offer any great diffi
culties, especially as I write shorthand
and can get all I want of the speeches
without bother. But in regard to inci
dents and people I'd have been all at
sea if you hadn't picked me up at the
depot. You see, I was never here before
and don't know a soul”—
“It's queer that your clty editor
should have sent a stranger,” remarked
Blake. “Couldn't he get hold of some
one who knew this town?”
“Everybody else was busy,” replied
«raydon, “and the city editor had a
row with our regular correspondent
here and fired him yesterday.”
At this moment the girl in the auto
mobile looked in their direction and
made the smallest possible gesture of
recognition.
“Upon my word!” grumbled Gray
don, reaching into the bottom of the
wagon to pick up his pencil, which he
hiad dropped in his hurry to raise his
hat. “She didn’t recognize me. She
bowed to you.”
“l have the pleasure of a slight ac
quaintance,” said Blake, with a grav
ity which struck Graydon as odd and
even mysterious.
He was about to address a question
to his companion, but Blake seemed to
perceive his intention and to avoid the
subject hastened to give the names of
the dignitaries upon the reviewing
stand. Graydon jotted down the names
mechanically, but his mind was busy
with another matter. Why did Blake
use this peculiar tone in speaking.of
Miss Lorrimer? There was a vague
suggestion in it that the young lady
was hedged about by seme peculiar
misfortune.
“I met Miss Lorrimer at class day
two years ago,” said Graydon in the
first pause, “‘and I've seen her half a
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“I WOULDN'T GO OVER THERE.”
dozen times since then at the houses of '
friendy in Boston, but the last time
was nearly a year ago. I've led the
iife of a galley slave of late, with my
confounded work on the paper and a
soul harrowing melodrama that I've
been. trying to write. I haven't been
anywhere nor seen anybody. Do you
know the gentleman who is with her?”
“Her husband,” said Blake. And,
having spoken the words, he shut his |
iips together in a straight, hard line.
Graydon’s netebook slid off his knee,
but he did not stoop for it. He stared
at the mass of people on the stand, and
their murmur seemed to rise into an
excited clamor.
“Who is he?” he asked. And he was
amazed at the change in his volce.
“John . Kirby,” responded Blake,
with the manner of a sullen and angry
wnness in court.
The sentiments of Blake in regard to
this matter constituted a puzzle which
micht have interested Graydon power
fully except for the greater interest in
his owrn. He might have interpreted
‘one by the other and have reached the
natural conclusion that Blake had been
in love with Miss Lorrimer, perhaps
without realizing it until too late. This
was not quite his own situation, for
there had been moments when the
promptings of his own heart had been
unmistakable,
That Blake could ever have hoped to
win Miss Lorrimer’s love seemed hard
ly probable, for he lacked the qualifica
tions, so far as Graydon could judge,
by so brief an acquaintance.
“I think 1 will go over and speak
with Mrs. Kirby for a moment after
the exercises,” said Graydon.
“Don’t do it,” said Blake laconically.
“Is Kirby afflicted with jealousy ?”’
asked Graydon, half in jest.
“yes,” was the grave response. “It’s
a mighty sad story.”
At this moment there was a call to
order, and the assemblage slowly grew
quiet. With the aid of Blake's local
knowledge Graydon was able to follow
the preliminaries leading up to the ora
tion of the day by General Philip Har
well.
There had been a rumor that the
general would deal with up to date pol
itics in a somewhat lively manner, and
Graydon was fearful that important
points would escape him because of his
dense ignorance of political matters.
But those who had started this rumor
had maligned Harwell. He stuck to
the theme and lessons of the day and
made a really admirable address.
Just at the close of the address Blake
touched Graydon's arm and directed
his attention to the motor car, whose
occupants the young man had been
mercifully permitted to forget for a
few minutes. Graydon was just in
time to see Kirby reach across and
take from her hand something that
looked like a visiting card. He glanced
at it and then glared like a dragon.
Raising his head, his eyes met Gray
don’s, and the young man felt as if he
had received a blow from a club.
“What's the matter with that old vil
lain?”’ he whispered to Blake. “Is he
crazy ?”
“Something of the sort,” was the an
swer. “It’s a tragedy.”
“But why—why in the world did she
marry him?”
Blake shook his head.
“She is an orphan, as you know,”
said he; “she had no one to advise her.”
“Advise her!” echoed Graydon. “That
man’s face is advice enough, I should
think. Why the dence does he glare at
me so?"”
“It’s queer, and that's a fact,” said
Rlake. *“Can it be possible that one of
hergeriends has recognized you and has
sent that card to tell her that you are
here? Some silly girl may have done it,
and that would be enough to excite
Kirby's jealousy.”
Graydon was beginning to be angry.
“There’s no reason why I should be
afraid of him,” said he. “I'm going
over there by and by.”
“To please yourself,” said Blake
gravely, “and to raise a trivial unpleas
antness for her.” .
The obvious justice of this criticism
affected Graydon for the moment and
he devoted his attention to the pro
ceedings. But there was a streak of
obstinacy in his disposition and he held
to his purpose,
“You'd better stick to me,” said Blake
when the speaking was done. “T'll
drive you down to the depot, and you
can put your stuff on the wire for Bos
ton in time for the late afternoon edi
tions of your paper.”
“I'll be with you in three minutes,”
responded Graydon as he sprang from
the wagon.
He made his way toward the automo
bile, and as he approached he was
greeted with a frightful frown from
Kirby, while the lady gave him a hasty
nod an:d turned her face away. It was
her manner which decided Graydon’s
course, He sadly acknowledged her sa
lute and pressed on, making a circuit
through the departing throng and re
turning to the point where his service
able chance acquaintance awaited him.
During the ride to the depot he de
voted himself wholly to business, set
ting his notes in order so that he could
transcribe them more rapidly and add
ing various details suggested by his
companion.
“You can sit in the wagon and write
your stuff out,” said Blake. *“When
vou get a batch ready go in and file it
with the operator. Then come back.
Perhaps I can help you out as you go
along.”
“I can file my introduction and the
names of the committees and notables
now,” said Graydon. “Then I'll come
back and do the speeches.”
As he entered the waiting room of
the station on the way to the telegraph
office he glanced through a window op
posite and saw Mr. and Mrs. Kirby.
Their heads were framed as in a pie
ture. In a moment they vanished, one
to the right and the other to the left.
Graydon ran across the room and
went out upon the platform under the
grimy, vaulted roof of the shed. Mrs.
Kirby, alone, was walking slowly to
ward some seats where the usual hu
man miscellany was waiting for trains.
Graydon overtook her just as she was
about to sit down.
“I beg your pardon,” said he. “I"
She turned, startled, and glanced at
him and then beyond him in a mangrer
most significant. Obviously she ex
pected Mr. Kirby to appear at any mo
ment,
“Mrs. Kirby,” said he, “I couldn’'t go
away without speaking one word”—
She stared at him blankly.
“Mrs. Kirby?’ she repeated. ‘“Who
Is Mrs. Kirby?”
“Why why you, of course,” he
stammered.
“I don’t understand,” said she, “But
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sou mustn’t stop to explain. My uncle
i# coming, and he will be very angry.”
“\Who—who is your uncle?”’
“The gentleman who was with me,”
“Is Mr. Kirby your uncle?”’
“]1 don’t know any Mr. Kirby. My
ancle’s name is Lorrimer—James Lor
rimer. 1 have mentioned him to you.”
“But what have I done to him?’
gasped Graydon. “Why is he angry
with me?”’
“My goodness!” she replied, with
spirit. “Why shouldn’t he? You prac
tically accused him of robbing the
bank.”
‘-l ':H
“The story that you wrote in your
paper about the Farmers’ bank of this
city simply made him furious.”
“But I didn’t write it,”’ he pretested.
“I never even read it. I saw the head
lines, but I didn’t know there was any
thing in it about him.”
“Mr. Stearns says you wrote it.”
“Mr. Stearns? I don’t know him.”
“lle is your paper's correspondent
here, and he says'—
“The rascal! He probably wgote the
story himself. He was fired from the
paper yesterday. That's why I'm here
today. I'll look Mr, Stearns up before
I go back to Boston and gently reprove
him"—
“But yom were with him today. You
were in a carriage with him at the un
veiling of the monument, and he sent a
card to us while General Harwell was
speaking. He wrote on it, ‘lf you will
promise not to make any use of the in
formation before tomorrow I will tell
vou who wrote that bank story.” Uncle
looked at him and gave his promise
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SHE STARED AT HIM BLANKLY.
with a nod. Then Mr. Stearns pointed
to you. And uncle was crazy, because
it he hadn't promised he would have
gone over and talked to you.”
Graydon pressed his hand to his fore
head.
“Let’s think,” said he. ‘“Let's see
what this means. That fellow met me
here this morning. He introduced him
self under the name of Blake and said
he was on the press committee and
would take care of me. I was very
grateful, because I'm absolutely green
about this business and hadn’t an ac
quaintance in the city. He has stuck
to me ever since and has given me
points''—
“What kind of points?”’
“The names of people and—and ali
that.”
“Let me see some of them.”
Graydon gave her a sheet of copy.
“You may know some of these,” he
said. *“They’re the ladies in charge of
the singing”’—
Miss Lorrimer glanced at the paper
and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“I happen to know them,” she said
as soon as she could speak, “because
their names have been in the local
paper here a great many times in the
last few days. There has been a very
amusing strike of the scrubwomen in
Carvell & Co.’s dry goods store, and
these”—she pointed to the sheet of
copy—“these are the women!”
Graydon was pale with rage.
“In another minute,” he said hoarse
ly, “I should have telegraphed this
awful nonsense to my paper. It would
have cost me my job, and Mr. Stearns,
alias Blake, would have been very
neatly revenged upon our city editor
who fired him. If I hadn’t met you”—
“That was what Mr. Stearns was
anxions to prevent,” said she. “Of
course I should have told you who he
was, and that would have spoiled the
plot.”
“He was clever, very clever,” said
Graydon between his tecth. Then he
suddenly extended his right hand,
pointing.
Miss Lorrimer caught a glimpse of
the face of Stearns, alias Blake, at the
corner of the depot, and the next mo
ment she was alone and ancxiously
awaiting the noise of combat.
Five minutes later Graydon return
ed, wrathful and disappointed.
“I missed him,” he said. “He dodg
ed me somehow.” He glanced at the
sheets of copy and the notebook which
she had gathered up during his ab
sence. ‘“What in the world shall Ido
about this yarn?”
“It is sublimely ridiculous,” said she,
“so far as I can judge. There isn’t a
name that’s right, and some of your
‘facts’ are uniquely twisted. But I
know most of the people, and we can
fix it up together. Uncle will be here
in a few minutes, and he’ll help us.”
“Uncle!”
“Oh, I'll engage to manage him,” said
she. ‘“He has a hasty temper, but at
heart he is the kindest of men.”
“I don’t much care what he is,” said
Graydon, with deep feeling, ‘“so long
as be's your uncle—only your uacle.” .
A GUESSING CONTEST
FOR. CIGAR SMOKERS.,
We have on display a certain number of empty cigar }oyes
that we have sold during 1905. Every 25 cents worth of cigars
purchased of us entitles you to a guess at the number of boxes
on the counter before you.
This Contest Is Now On
And Will Last Till June 23,
We will give to the one who guesses nearest to number of by
es on counter 100 Arthurettes or any other standard brand of 5
cent cigars. To the second best guess we will give 50 Arthurettes
or any standard brand of 5 cent cigars. Should the first guess }ye
the exact number of cigar boxes appearing on the counter we i
givein addition to the 100 Arthurettes 50 more standard 5 coy
clgars. 1
L(Tome and count the boxes. They are plainly before you.
DAVIDSON & BALDWIN
Anti-Trust Drug Store.
Phone 50. Under Opera House, Main Street,
. Dawson, Georgia.
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MODERN DENTISTRY.
DR. CHAS. F. CROUCH.
Dean building. Specialities :
Crown and Bridge Work. Cor
recting irregularities. Ditficult
cases artificial teeth: All dent
tal operations according to the
latest scientific methods. Office
phone 203; residence phone 125.
Dawson, Ga.
DR. T, H. THURMOND,
All dental work. Office central
ly located. Open at 6:30 a. m.
to & p. m. Office phone 129;
residence phone 131. -
DR. S. D. BOWMAN.
Office Adams’ old place, 21-22
Baldwin building. Hours 7a.
to 6 p. m. Office phone 163,
residence phone 81.
DR. R. M. STEWART.
Office over store formerly occu
pied by F. M. Jennings. Pat
ronage solicited. Work guar
anteed. Office phone No. 30.
BAMMNMER SALVE
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W. H. GURR,
Dawson, Ga.
Office in brick building next to
the old court house. Prompt
attention will be given to all
business.
JAMES G, PARKS.
ATTORNEY AND COUNSEL
LOR AT LAW.
Will practice in all the courts,
both State and Federal. Prompt
and careful attention given to
the interests of every client who
may put business in my hands.
I make a specialty of preparing
all kinds of legal papers, such
as wills, deeds, bonds and con
tracts, examining and abstract
ing titles, also commercial law
and collections. Office in brick
building west of the old court
house.
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