Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-08-06


couldn't wait ..s
Now what was to be donc9 Nothing,
Cyrus thought, but to write to his father,
tell him the story, and get him to send
over to Mr.. Birch's for the trunk, and re.
turn II to Philadelphia by express This
course having been concluded upon, Cy-
rus wrote and mailed the letter to his
father. lI'
The rest of the day would probably
have been spent by Cyrus In the enjoy
ment of Fanny's letter and his recollec-
tions OF her visit, had not his friends called
upon him to know IL he had got back old
" Cohen Qor so they had baptized the
" truncated" one, since little Myles' pun).
When they heard the rest of the story
they were wild with delight, and the
osseous Jokes that were made were worthy
of the inmates Of q mad d-house.
"Its such mean old trunk, said little
Myles Nothing but a thin packing-bOx
any way, and l don't believe locked 1t
last time. I'll bet any man ten dollars that
old Cohen's out before this time"
They'll open it on the cars when they
hear 1t rattle" said Seymour. "You
know people can only take wearing APP
parei, and skeleton is not wearing APP
parel-at least that one is not wearing
any" A
"If they think it's freight, and take 9
out, it will result in fright" suggested
Mylcs; and then, as usual, the uproar
stopped the joking. VIZ
The next morning, about nine o'clock,
Just as Cyrus had finished his breakfast
(got on credit from the grocery store
where he dealt), he received telegram
II was from Mr.. Birch, and contained
these words:
/" You are tOdnted here CbDe on l0sasedidtely."
Cyrus clutched his hair, stamped his
foot, clapped on his hat, locked his door,
rushed round to Heiskilrs, forced from
him four dollars and some seventy cents
all he had-and reached the Baltimore
depot in time for the ten o'clock train
What HIS feelings, his fears, or his hopes
were during the journey is not to be put
on paper. At two o'clock he had
reached Baltimore. BY half past he
was on his way in the Martinville
train to his destination. Reaching the
village, he had no money or desire to
hire carriage, and so started out to walk
as rapidly as possible the two miles and a
half that lay between him and Mr.. Birch's
house.
Arriving there, hot and fiustered, he
walked through the open door, and hear
ing voices in the dining-room, walked
quickly in, and found a coroner's jury
sitting upon the remains of the unfortu-
nate Cohen Ha 8atE tRk
We will now relate the circumstances
which led TO this inquest The trunk had
been taken to the hotel in safety, and
Fanny, with her borrowed baggage at the
foot of her bed, had slept the sweet sleep
Ixns
troubled by the ghost of her quiet room
mate. Everything had gone on admira-
bly,, and she arrived at Martinville in good
season, where her father was waiting for
her in buggy. He was surprised that
she had brought another trunk, for her
baggage had arrived early that morning
but she explained the matter, much to his
merriment, and he ordered the station
master (who was also express agent and
several other things) to send the trunk
after them in wagon. This the man
promised to do; but having taken two
trunks up there that morning, and cx-
pccting no more Jobs for the day, his
wagon was undergoing some repairs al
the blacksmiths, and so he could not
promise to send it much before nightfall
However, in an hour or two, along came
Silas Hopes, peripatetic green-groceI
and general vender, who for half the or
binary fee offered to take the trunk to Mr.
Birch's He was going that way, and
was always glad of an excuse to stop any
where on his route, even if it was not al
the house of a customer.
On the road Silas examined the trunk
"Well, reckon" said he, II never saw
such common old trunk go TO the Birches
afore this day. Shouldn't wonder if Miss
Fanny'd been a-buying c'rosities up t.
Phily. It's light, too. Yes, that's SO;
thought it ratified when put it in dom
doubt it's Shells or sewin' machine
'Tain't locked neither-only strapped
They might as well a locked it, for here 's's
hasp and all. Idon't expect it's much
any how, or it 'ud a been locked"
A slow drive of quarter of mile now
followed. &C.,.
90 course, there's no harm Just look
in in, when it amt locked nor nuthin
Everybody else has looked, I'll bet"
Just a little ahead was a turn in the
road, and large tree at the corner with
a nice bit of smooth grass under it. Il
was Just the place for Siles' horse to rest
and cool off a little; and so the old mar
drew up there. Then he whistled littl,
and looked about him carelessly. Their
he stood up and looked around carefully
Then he unstrapped the trunk. Then h,
whistled few bars more, and raised the
lid.
On the other side of pretty thicl
hedge of cedar.trees and blackberry bush
es was Squire Curtis with his gun. HI
had been watching for shot, but wher
he saw Silas stop and stand up to view
the country he watched Silas III,
had long suspected the old chap, and wha
was he going to do now? "Oh no opeI
a trunk, eh and not his either, or he'C
wait till he'd got home y
So softly through the hedge cane SOUR,
Curtis, and the instant Silas opened tn,
trunk the Squire had him by the collar.
The veil which Silas gave when MI
Cohen languidly stuck up histwO attenua
ted legs, which had been tightly doubleC
up in the trunk, was only equaled by tn
shout from Squire Curtis. The hOrs
started Silas fell backward out of tn
| wagon the Squire stood like a man O
marble and away went the wagon, witt
Cohen's legs dangling carelessly over tn
end of the trunk. '-...E .t,.E
Whose is that ?" said the Squire, whel
his voice came TO him.
"Mr-r-r-Birch's," chattered poor oil
Silas ~ y Fl1 GGD
"That's lie," said the Squire. "He'
not dead, / know. What have you beel
dOingl"
Silas then explained that he knew moth
ing but that the trunk was to go TO MI
Birch's; and who the "corpse was, blea
his soul and body, he knew nothing abou
| it, but it might go tO-any place, for al
he would touch it; and upon this he wa
for cutting across the fields TO hi
home, But the Squire seized him
and forced him to hurry on after tn
horse and wagon. They came up with
| Just as ii reached Mr. Birch's gate; and a
Silas would not go near the wagon, tn
Squire had TO seize the horses head an
turn him into the yard.
II is useless to endeavOr TO describe til
scene which took place in the happ
family on the portico upon the advent G
Mr.. Cohen. Shrieks, hinting-fits, shout
to take 1t away, and general seen
of horror and confusion which ha
never been known in that part Of tn
county, was succeeded by the exodus, o.
foot, or in some ones arms, of all tn
women, and a council of the men. Sila