Американская трагедия

           Then,whenhewasabouttotelephonetoBiltztoascertainwhethertherewassuchafamilyasAldenpossessingadaughterbythenameofBert,orpossiblyAlberta,hewasmostprovidentially,asitseemedtohim,interruptedbytwomenandaboy,trappersandhuntersofthisregion,who,accompaniedbyacrowdofthosenowfamiliarwiththetragedy,werealmosttumultuouslyusheredintohispresence.Fortheyhadnews—newsoftheutmostimportance!Astheynowrelated,withmanyinterruptionsandcorrections,ataboutfiveo’clockoftheafternoonofthedayonwhichRobertawasdrowned,theyweresettingoutfromThreeMileBay,sometwelvemilessouthofBigBittern,tohuntandfishinandnearthislake.And,astheynowunanimouslytestified,onthenightinquestion,ataboutnineo’clock,astheywerenearingthesouthshoreofBigBittern—perhapsthreemilestothesouthofit—theyhadencounteredayoungman,whomtheytooktobesomestrangermakinghiswayfromtheinnatBigBitternsouthtothevillageatThreeMileBay.Hewasasmartishlyanddecidedlywelldressedyouthfortheseparts,astheynowsaid—wearingastrawhatandcarryingabag,andatthetimetheywonderedwhysuchatriponfootandatsuchanhoursincetherewasatrainsouthearlynextmorningwhichreachedThreeMileBayinanhour’stime.Andwhy,too,shouldhehavebeensostartledatmeetingthem?Forastheydescribedit,onhisencounteringtheminthewoodsthus,hehadjumpedbackasthoughstartledandworse—terrified—asthoughabouttorun.