Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-03-02
VOLUME XIV.

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you render my life burden to ME. Give
me some definite task say how much you
think we ought to have mean how much
| ought to have to keep Alice--l mean
Miss Morton--in such a position as you
would wish'
Alice added her entreaties, and the re.
suit of the conference was an understand.
ing that if within five years from that date
| could show ! was worth five hundred
pounds a year the old gentleman would add
another five hundred pounds and on that
he thought we might live for few years
comfortably.
There was to be no correspondence what
ever no meetings, no messages. We
protested and pleaded, and finally he said
Well, well, Guy | always liked you,
and liked your father before you. Come to
us on Christmas Day, and you shall find a
vacant chair beside Alice. There, now
say Goodbye and be off"
| went off | came to London, to one of
the little lanes leading out of Cannon street
Five hundred a year in five years | must
work hard.
My uncle took notice of me | fancied
worked me harder than the rest, and paid
me the same. Seventy-fve pounds a year
is rot large sum. had spent it in a
month before now, after the fashion of my
father now boarded made clothes last;
ate in musty, cheap, little cook-shops and
kept my enjoying faculties from absolute
rust by weekly halfprice ticket to the
theatres--the pit.
The year passed. l went down at Christ
mas, and for twenty-four hours was alive
came back, and had a rise of twenty pounds
i'll salary for the next year | waited for
| opportunity it came not.
| This iog-trot routine of office-work con-
tinued for two years more, and at the end
of that time was worth but my salary of
one hundred and thirty-fve pounds per
year-one hundred and thirty-fve pounds
a long way from five hundred pounds Oh, |
must quit the desk land become amerchant;
| all successful men have been merchants
money begets money. But to oppose all
these thoughts of change came the men,
ory of Alice's last words at Christmas
"Wait and hope, Guy, dear wait and hope"
| Certainly; it's so easy to.
Governor wants you, Westwood. He's
sharp this morning very sharp /: so look
out, my dear nephew"
"You understand little Italian, Think"
said my uncle.
"A little, sir"
you will start tonight for Florence, in
the mail train. Get there as rapidly as
possible, and find whether Colonel Will
son is residing there, and what lady he is
residing with. Learn all you can as to his
position and means, and the terms on which
he lives with that lady. Write to me, and
wait there for further instructions. Mr.
Williams will give you check for one
| hundred pounds you can get circular notes
for fifty pounds, and the rest cash. If you
have anything to say, come in here at five
o'clock if not, good morning By-the-by,
say nothing in the Office"
need not say that hope made me believe
my opportunity had come.
hurried to Florence, and discharged my
mission sent home careful letter, full of
facts without comment or opinion, and in
three weeks time was summoned to return.
| had done little or nothing that could help
me, and in disappointed state of mind |
packed up and went to the railway station
at St. Dominica. A little row with peas
ant as to his demand for carrying my bag
| gage caused me to lose the last train that
night, and so the steamer at Leghorn. The
station-master seeing my vexation, endeav-
Ored to console me.
There will be special through train to
Leghorn at nine O'Clock, ordered for Count
Spezzato he is good natured and will pos
sibly let you go in that
1t was worth the chance, and | hung about
the station till was tired, and then walked
back towards the village. Passing small
| wine shop, | entered, and asked for wine in
/ II. l. ,bo4
sed me when did it, for they were unable
| to understand me without dumb motions
at length got wine by these means, and sat
down to while away the time over a rail-
way volume.
| had been seated about half an hour
when a courier entered, accompanied by a
railway guard Two more different exam
! pies of the human race it would be difficult
/ to describe.
| The guard was dark, savage looking
! Italian, with rascal and "bully" written
all over him; big, black, burly, with blood
shot eyes, and thick, heavy, sensual lips,
the man was utterly repulsive.
The courier was little neatly-dressed
man, of no age in particular; pale, blue
eyed, straight Tipped, his face was COM
pound of fox and rabbit that only a fool or
a patriot would have trusted out of arms
length.
This Unmatched pair called for brandy,
and the hostess set it before them | then
heard them ask who and what was. She
replied, | must be an Englishman, and did
not understand the Italian for wine. She
then left
They evidently wanted to be alone, and
my presence was decidedly disagreeable tc
them; and muttering that | was an Eng
lishman, they proceeded to try my powers
as a linguist.
The courier commenced in Italian, with &
remark on the weather | Immediately
handed him the newspaper. didn't speal
Italian, that was clear to them.
The guard now struck in with remark
in French as to the fneness of the neigh
boring country. | shrugged my shoulders
and produced my cigar-case. French wat
not very familiar to me, evidently.
| "Those beasts of English think their owl
tongue so fine they are too proud to learI
another" said the quad
sat quietly slipping my wine, and read
!; ing.
"Well, my dear Michael Pultuski," begal
the guard
"For the love of God, call me not by tha