In a message dated 98-01-07 11:20:23 EST, you write: << It seems more likely that seymour would have brought the gun home from the war than muriel would have brought a gun from her mom...so much more likely that I wonder if sam could find anything real in the text that actually links gun to muriel at all? will >> I think the speculation that the gun belonged to Muriel began because of the first post on the subject: <This weapon was a small pocket pistol. It was purchased for or by women. It was also carried by "gentlemen".> Because this gun was a "ladies weapon" the assumption was made that it may have belonged to Muriel, but I agree that it is much more likely that Seymour brought the gun back as a sort of "souvineir (sp?)"