petkr's grievances. 
41 
What !” he exclaimed, in answer to a question which 
the doctor now hazarded, — ‘‘ what ! Don’t you know what 
that fence is made of?” 
The doctor puffed his cheroot, and assured his “Chris- 
tian friend” that he was indeed in a state of blissful 
ignorance as to the material of which it was composed. 
“Why, them’s whalc-v\\)?>y and they lasts longer than 
any xoood you can find.” 
“Do they, indeed?” smiled the man of pills; but he 
said nothing. It is astonishing how far a pleasant smile 
will go. This one seemed to tickle Peter amazingly : ho 
again indulged in the strange sound which we had heard 
at starting, and then his tongue ran from subject to sub- 
ject with amazing agility. At last he came down to his 
domestic aflhirs, and every one in the coach was soon 
aware of the following facts connected Avith them. 
Peter Avas a married man. Peter had no children. 
Peter never eo:pected to have any children. Peter’s Avife 
didn’t love him. Peter neAmrAA^ent home more than once 
a year. Peter was a ncAv and zealous adv^ocate of the 
Mormon doctrine. Peter thought that Avoman Avas made 
for man, and not man for Avoman. And last, but not 
least apparently, Peter was desperately in love Avith a 
feminine Avhose name was not Mrs. Peter. 
About the time that he had enlightened us thus far, 
the “mail-coach” came to a halt in front of a most sin- 
gular sign. It Avas at least ten feet square, and hung from 
a long pole that projected over the door of an unpretend- 
ing wayside inn. It Avas intended to tell the traveller 
all that he had to expect, without putting him to the 
trouble of asking questions. On its double face there Avas 
