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It was the 6th morn of the 6th month. Came on the 6th hour, a stranger.
Riding into town at the break of dawn. He rode his palomino into the stable of the Becker Inn. The clanking sound on his dismount signaled he was armed.
The Stranger stood with the grace of a panther. With his hat low and a shawl covering his mouth and nose…all one could see were the eyes…stormy, grey eyes with a look of vengeance. The sharp rays of the sun started beating down on the dusty, desert floor…yet the Stranger kept his thick coat on.
The townies gawked at the Stranger in awe and a little fear for he looked like a gunslinger of sorts. The sweeper sweeping the wooden steps at the entrance of the inn gave the stranger a wide berth as he walked into the inn. His huge leather boots thumped on the wooden floor of the establishment as he walked towards the inn keeper, a young lady of some 20 years with eyes the color of jade, hair gold and ivory skin.
"G'day ma'am. Is there a place for a day?" the Stranger said. "you can call me stranger"
The blonde introduced herself as Eve Becker.
"My! What eyes you have…they remind me of an old familiar of mine from when I was 10, stranger. He went lord knows where after that beastly affair".
The stranger seemed to be reminiscing an episode, with the outline of his lower lip, or what could be seen of it through the piece of cloth, quivering…staring at the lady with the gaze of one remembering a soul almost forgotten….almost.
With a slight shake in his otherwise firm yet courteous voice he asked, "About that room now, miss?"
Eve told him about the vacancies available and the Stranger took the one which had nothing but a bed.
To the inn keeper's surprise, who expected him to lie down, the stranger asked about the event she had mentioned earlier though she got a feeling the stranger already knew about it.
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