Американские боги

           Reluctantly,hepickeduptheMinutesoncemore,openedittosomewhereinthemiddleofthebook,andbegantoread.

           Anordinanceprohibitingexpectorationonsidewalksandonthefloorsofpublicbuildings,orthrowingthereontobaccoinanyform,wasintroducedandpassed,eighttofour,inDecemberof1876.

           LemmiHautalawastwelveyearsoldandhad,"itwasfeared,wanderedawayinafitofdelirium"onDecemberthethirteenth,1876."Asearchbeingimmediatelyeffected,butimpededbythesnows,whichareblinding."ThecouncilhadvotedunanimouslytosendtheHautalafamilytheircondolences.

           ThefireatOlsen’sliverystablesthefollowingweekwasextinguishedwithoutanyinjuryorlossoflife,humanorequine.

           Shadowscannedthecloselyprintedcolumns.HefoundnofurthermentionofLemmiHautala.

           Andthen,onsomethingslightlymorethanawhim,heflippedthepagesforwardtothewinterof1877.HefoundwhathewaslookingformentionedasanasideintheJanuaryminutes:JessieLovat,agenotgiven,"aNegrochild,"hadvanishedonthenightofthetwenty-eighthofDecember.Itwasbelievedthatshemighthavebeen"abductedbytravelingso-calledpedlars,whowererunoutoftownthepreviousweek,havingbeendiscoveredtobeengagedincertainlarcenousacts.TheyweresaidtobemakingforSt.Paul."TelegramshadbeensenttoSt.Paul,butnoresultswerereported.CondolenceswerenotsenttotheLovatfamily.