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Updated: June 25, 2025
Of all the mass of acquaintances who, in this house twenty-five to thirty-five years ago, had eaten, drunk, masqueraded, fallen in love, married bored us with accounts of their splendid packs of hounds and horses, the only one still living was Ivan Ivanitch Bragin.
I had reason fer thinkin' that way till I met Annie Bragin. 'Time an' agin whin I was blandandherin' in the dusk a man wud go past me as quiet as a cat. "That's quare," thinks I, "for I am, or I should be, the only man in these parts. Now what divilment can Annie be up to?" Thin I called myself a blayguard for thinkin' such things; but I thought thim all the same.
This movement came none too soon, for a moment later one of the outside chains of the raft broke, and fully a third of what was left of the lumber was scattered in all directions. "Hullo, Bragin! is that you?" The cry came from out of the darkness and from the other end of the top lumber. "Are you calling to me?" replied Dick, in as loud a voice as he could muster.
"I suppose that's why you followed Annie Bragin till everybody in the married quarters laughed at you," said I, remembering that unhallowed wooing and casting off the disguise of drowsiness. "I'm layin' down the gin'ral theory av the attack," said Mulvaney, driving his boot into the dying fire.
An' her hair was as long as the tail av the Colonel's charger forgive me mentionin' that blunderin' baste in the same mouthful with Annie Bragin but'twas all shpun gold, an' time was when a lock av ut was more than di'monds to me. There was niver pretty woman yet, an' I've had thruck wid a few, cud open the door to Annie Bragin.
An' that, mark you, is the way av a man. 'Wan evenin' I said: "Mrs. Bragin, manin' no disrespect to you, who is that Corp'ril man" I had seen the stripes though I cud niver get sight av his face "who is that Corp'ril man that comes in always whin I'm goin' away?" "Mother av God!" sez she, turnin' as white as my belt, "have you seen him too?" "Seen him!" sez I; "av coorse I have.
I had not tuk ten paces before Annie Bragin was hangin' on to my arm, an' I cud feel that she was shakin' all over. "Stay wid me, Mister Mulvaney," sez she; "you're flesh an' blood, at the least are ye not?" "I'm all that," sez I, an' my anger wint away in a flash. "Will I want to be asked twice, Annie?"
Peterson was also downhearted, having heard nothing of the tug which had been towing the lumber raft or of his friend Bragin. "I'll notify the police in the morning," said Tom, and did so. He also sent a telegram to his father, telling of what had happened. The police took up the case readily, but brought nothing new to light.
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