The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1869-10-26


ladies On .As back scat a middle age,
gentleman and a Quaker an the mid
die. ahd myssli an the enc il irout
The two ladies migh. have beet
mother aud daughter, aunt and niece
gayeraeas aad charge aad might hsv'
sustained any gthcr relationship which
majg i proper f9r tvo ladies 70 traYe
together unattended,
Tic m!ddleage gentleman VA
sprightly and .alkaayo He soon got
up AZ acquaintance wiih the ladies', to
ward whom, ia lis zeal to DO be rather
oyerdid. the agreeable boNiug and
smiling and chatting over bis shoulder
inAwa, painfully suggestive at hi'
hmc u Ifs 81 'ofiek ia the neck III
was evidently gay LothaIio.
The Quaker wore the uniform Of bis
sect, and confined hls speech, as many
a pArliameutarian souId save bis cred
i 81 DONG, 70 simple yeas and nays
As ior myself, | made il an inyriable
rule Of tue road 10 be merely a locker
on aud listener
Towards evening was aroused from
one Of those reyerivs into which man
witLont being either o poet or lover
will occasionally iall, by the abrupt que.
~ from the talkatiye gentleman
Are you armed, siry
i am not, ! answered, astonished no
doubt, visibly, at the question.
i am sorry to bear it, he replied
for before reaching our stopping place
il will be several hours in the night,
and we we must pass over portion OF
road on which more than one robbery
has been committed.
The ladies turned pale, and the
stranger did bis best to reassure them.
Not that think there is the slight
est danger at present, he resumed on
ly when one is responsible for the safe
ty Of ladies, you know such thing as
a pistol in reach would materially add
to ones confidence
Your principles, my friend, address
ing the Quaker, are as much opposed
to carrying as to using carnal weap-
ons.
Yea, was the response.
Have the Williams murdered any OF
their victims !? the elderly lady nery-
ously inquired
Or have they contented themselves
with-with plnndering them? ? added
the younger in timorous voice
DECIDEDLY tho latter, tho amiabls
gentleman hastoned to give assurance
and as We are none Of us prepared to
offer resistance in cpse Of an attack,
nothing worse than robbery can befall
u.s.
. Then after having blamed himself for
having unnecessarily introduced dis
agreeable subject, the gentleman quite
oxcelled himself in efforts to raise the
spirits Of the company, and succeeded
SO we'll by the time night set in that all
had quite forgotten, or only remember
ed their fears to laugh at them.
Our genial gentlemen fairly talked
himself hoarse Perceiying which be
took from his pocket package ofnew-
ly invented cough candy, and after
passing it to the ladies, he helped him.
self to the balance and threw tho paper
ont OF the window.
He was in the midst Of high econium
on the new nostrum, more than hall
the efficacy Of winch, be persisted, do.
pended on its being taken by suction,
when a shrill whistle was heard and
almost immediately the coach stopped,
while two faces hidoously blackened
presented themselves at the coach win.
dow
Sorry 70 trouble ycu, said tie man on
the right, acknowledging with a bow,
two lady like screams from the back
scat; but business is business, and
ours will soon be over il things 70 on
smoothly
OF course, gentlemen, you will, as far
as is consistent with your disagreeabit
duty, spare the feelings Of these ladies,
appealed the polite passenger, in his
blandest manner.
oh certainly they shall be first at
tended TO, and shall not be required TO
leave their places or submit to search
unless their conduct renders it neces-
sary.'
And now, ladies, continued the rob
Der, the barrel Of bis pistol cleaning in
the light Of the coach lamp. be 30 good
as TO pass out your purses, watches and
such other trinkess As may be accessi-
bic without too much trouble
TIE ladies came down Handsomely,
and sere no further molested.
One by one the rest Of us were com
PEELED 10 get out, the middle aged gem