Galusha the Magnificent

On an October evening the road between Wellmouth Centre and East Wellmouth is a wash of fog and rain‑slicked macadam, the distant pine groves reduced to ghostly silhouettes. Horatio Pulcifer, known locally as “Raish,” drives his rattling flivver home with a tipped cap, curling cigar smoke, and a jaunty tune from a bygone Follies show. He has spent the day swapping political gossip, enjoying a hearty dinner at the Rogers’ house, and even winning a modest gambling round, leaving him buoyant and confident. Beneath the swagger, the usual small‑town doubts linger, though they stay hidden for now.

His routine is interrupted when he steps out to light the old‑style gas lamps and a shy, trembling voice asks, “Where am I?” The unexpected question pierces the fog and makes Pulcifer jump, his match sputtering out as he turns toward the unseen speaker. The encounter hints at a stranger who may be as lost as the road itself, setting the stage for a mystery that will test the mayor‑like confidence of this small‑town character.