Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1855-05-03
= G5riIIing Shrttb.
THE MIDNIGHT DRIVE.

was sitting one ii @ht in the general coach
office in the town Of -, rejecting upon the
mutability Of human affairs. and taking IT,
Prospective Glance at those times when held
Very Different position in the world, when ole
of the portcr< Of the establishment entered the
Office. and intormcd the clerk that the coach
which had ion- been expected Was IN sight.
am,l would be- ar thr inn in :cw. ntrutc<. I
believe it was the old Hi@hfyer, but at this
distance Of time cannot speak with >Ullcl-
cnt certainty: The strange >tofT am about
t. relate. occurred when >tagc-coache> were the
usual mode Of conveyance, and long before any
more cXpcditiou> system Of travelling Aad en-
ga~cd the attention Of mankind.
continued to sit bv the fire until the coach
arrived. and then walked inyo the street 10
count the number OF the passengers, and Oh
serve their appearance. WAS peculiarly
struck with the appearance Of one gentleman
who had ridden a. IN outside passenger. lie
wore LARGE black cloak. deeply trimmed with
crane his head was covered with 4 travelling
cap. Surmuunted with two or three Grape 70
settles, and from which depended Il long black
ta>scl. The cap was drawn 50 far over his
eyes that he had some difficulty to see his way
\ black scarf was wrapped round the lower
part Of his face, so that his countenance was
completely concealed from my view Tie ap-
rcarcd anxious to avoid ob>ervatun and hur-
rird into the inn rs fast rs he could return
ed to the office and mcntioned TO the clerk
the strange appearance of the gentleman IN
question, but he waS too busy 10 pay any at
tcntion TO what had said.
Presently afterwards 4 porter brought a
small carpct-Lag into the office, aud placed it
upon the table.
81 don't wish to be personal replied the
man, ..but / thinl; it belongs to -, and
the fellow pointed at the floor.
..You do not mean him >urely:' said the
clerk.
YES. / do though al any rate if he is not
the gentleman take him for he must be l
second cousin of his, for he i< the most unac-
countable individual that ever clapped my
ewes ON. There is not much good III him, Ill
be bound.
| listened with hrcathleSS anxiety to these
words. When the man had finished | said 10
him
How was the gentlemen dre>scl:@
..In black
'IIad he cloak on?'
!'(ps"
"lts the man saw descend from the coach, v
said To the clerk.
.Whcre is he ?" inquired the gentleman.
lin the inn replied the porter
lis he going to stay all Ms ght?" inquired.
Il don't know
Its very odd, observed the clerk, and he
put his pen behind his ear, and placed himself
in fro Of the fire; every odd, he repeated.
"It don't look we'll, said the porter ; ':net
al all"
Some other conversation enSucd upon the
subject, but us it did not tend to throw any
light upon the parsonage in question 1t Is un'
necessary for me to relate it.
\ while aftcrward, the clerk went into the
hotel to learn, ii possible, something more rel
atve to this singular visitor. tie Was not ab-
sent more than few minutes, and when he re-
turned his countenance, | faucitd, WAS more
s,dato than usual aaked him if ho had
gathered any further information
There is nobody knows anything concern
ing him." lie replied ''for when the servants
enter the room, he always turns his back TO-
wards them He has not spoken to u single
individual since lie arrived There is 4 man
who came by the same coach, who attends up
Oh him, but he does not look like servant.
There is something extraordinary in his
history, or lam much deceived"