Do you know this Tuxall?"
"Hardly at all. He is a recent comer among us."
"Well, I shall probably want to make his acquaintance, later."
"Have a care, then. He is very jealous of his precious meteor, and
guards the ruins of the barn, where it lies, with a shot gun."
"Indeed? He promises to be an interesting study. Meantime, I'd
like to look at your son's clothes."
From a closet Mr. Prentice brought out a coat and waistcoat of the
"pepper-and-salt" pattern which is sold by the hundreds of thousands
the whole country over. These the visitor examined carefully. The
coat was caked with mud, particularly thick on one shoulder. He
called the minister's attention to it.
"That would be from lying wet on the shore," said the Reverend Mr.
Prentice.
"Not at all. This is mud, not sand. And it's ground or pressed in.
Has any one tampered with these since they were found?"
"I went through the pockets."
Average Jones frowned. "Find anything?"
"Nothing of importance. A handkerchief, some odds and ends of
string--oh, and a paper with some gibberish on it.
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