The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1870-04-21

@zELLE e 49, AEI.A
We were I've passenger In all; two
iaies on the back seat, middle aged
gentleman aud . quaker on the middle.
and myself and an the front. -S@
The two ladies might have been
mother and daughter. aunt and niece,
or might have sustained any other rela-
tionship which made Il ppper for two
ladies' to travel together without IN at
teildant:
The middle aged gentleman was
sprightIy aud taikative. He soon struck
UP An acquaintance with the ladies'; to-
wards whom in his zeal to do, he rath-
er overdid the agreable-bowing and
smiling and chattering over his shoul.
der IN . way paihSuliy suggestive at
his time Of life, of . 'crick" Ia the back.
He was evidently. quite . gay ,Lotha-
rio. -- -~ ~ a = ~
The Quaker wore the uniform Of his
sect, and confined his speech, rs many
q legislator would save his credid by
doing, to simple yeas and nays. As for
myself, I make 1t an invariable rule Of
the road to be merely looker-on.
Towards evening was aroused from
one Of those reveries into which . young
man, without being either poet or .
lover, will sometimes fall,. by an abrupt
query from the talkative middle-aged
gentleman II
"Are sou armed. sir?"
II am not" I answered. astonished,
no doubt visibly, at the question.
II am sorry to hear it," he replied.
"for before reaching oun next stopping
place it will be several hours in the
night, and we must pass over portion
of the road on which moro than one
robbery is reported to have been COM
mitted.
The ladies turned pale, but the stran-
ger did his best to reassure them.
"Not that think there is the slight
est danger at present." he resumed;
''only, when one Is responsible for the
safety Of ladies. you know, such thing
a. pistol in reach, would materially
add to ones confidence"
"Your principles, my friend" ad-
dressing the Quaker, II presume are a.
much opposed to carrying as to using
carnal weapons?
"Yes," was the response.
Have the villains murdered any Of
their victims?" the elderly lady nerv-
ously inquired.
"Or have they coutented themselves
with-with-plundering them ?" added
the younger in tilnor"us voice.
Decidedly the latter" the amiable
gentleman hastened to give assurance,
"nnd as none of US are prepared to offer
any resistance in case Of attack, moth
ing worse than robbery can posi-
bly, befall u.s."
Then, after blaming his thOuehtless-
ness in having unnecessarily introduced
disagreeable subject, the gentleman
quite excelled himself in efforts to
raise the spirits Of the company, and
had -u cceeded SO we'll by the time night
set in. that all hal quite forgotten, or
or only remembered their fears to laugh
at them.
Our genial companion fairly talked
himself hoarse. Perceiving which, he
took from his pocket u box of new
cough candy, aud after passing it first
t" the ladies. he helped himself to the
balance and tossed the paper out Of the
window.
He was in the midst of high enco-
oium on the new aostrum, more than
half the efficacy Of which, he Insisted,
depended on its being taken by suction.
when a shrill whistle was heard, and
almost immediately the coach stopped,
while two faces, hideousiy blacked,
presented themselves, one ut each win
dow.
''Sorry to trouble you," said the man
or the right, acknowledging with a how
two lA,iy like screams from the back
seat; "but business is business and
ours will soon be over II things go
smoothly"
"Oi course, gentlemen, you will spare,
as far as may be consistent with your
hi-agreabIe duty, the feelings of these
ladies'" appealed the polite passenger
in his blandest manner.
"Oh, certainly. they shall be first
attended to, and shall not be required
to move unless their conduct renders II
necessary"
"And now, ladies'" continued thu
robber. the barrel Of his pistols glitter.
ing in the light Of the coach lamp, "be
80 good as to pass your purses, watches
and such other trinkets NJ may be &C