Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-09-01
HOu, IRIS SHIP C.r.uE Nv.

Dlack -WhiSkered man VINO sat Immediately
in front of me, and who INDUCED, from
time to time, in the most strange and un-
accountable manpuvers. Every now and
then he would get up and hurry away to
the narrow passage which leads to the door
in these narrow drawing-room cars, and
when thought himself secure from OBJ
servation would fall to laughing in the
most violent manner, and continue the
healthful exercise until he was as red in
the face as n lobster. As we neared Boston
these demonstrations increased in violence,
save that the stranger no longer ran away
to laugh, but kept his scat and chucklcd TO
himself with his chin deep down in his
shirt collar. But the changes that those
portmanteaus underwent He moved them
here, there, everywhere; he put them be-
hind him, in front of him, on each side Of
him. lie was evidently getting ready to
leave, but as we were yet twenty-five miles
from Boston, the idea of such early pre-
parations was ridiculous.
If he had entered the city then, the my
stery would have remained unsolved, but
the stranger at last became so excited that
one must help him, and as was the nearest
he selected me. Suddenly turning, as If
had asked a question, he said, rocking him
self to and fro in his chair in the meantime
and slapping his legs, and breathing hard,
"Been gone three years r. "Ahr' Eyes,
been in Europe. Folks don't expect me
for six months yet, but got through and
started. I telegraphed them at the last
station they've got it by this time" AS
he said this he changed the portmanteau
on his left TO his right, and the one on the
right TO the left again. SCOT n wire?" said
l. Eyes, and three children" he returned,
and he got up and folded his overcoat
anew, and hung it over the back of the
seat. "Hou are pretty nervous over the
matter, amt your" | said, watching his
iidgety movements. "Well, l should think
So" he replied; al hain't slept soundly
for a week. And do you know ?" he went
on, glancing around at the passengers and
speaking in a low tone, az am almost GER
tain this train will run off the track and
break my neck before / get to Boston.
Well, the fact is, have had too much luck
for one man lately. The thing cant last /;
faint natural that ii should, You know
I've watched it. First il rains then il
shines so bright you think it's always
going to shine, and just as you are settled
in either belief, you are knocked over by
change to show you that you know nothing
about it," "Well, according to that philo-
sophy," said /, "you will continue to have
sunshine because YOU expect a storm"
"Its curious" he returned. "but the only
thing that makes me think | will get
through safe, is because think I won't"
"WelI, that is curious" said I. eyes" lie
replied. "Fm A macbinist-made n disco
yery-nobodv believed i'm if: spent all NV
money trvinp to bring If ont mortgaoed
NV home. all wont Evervhod, l,uohod
Mt me-evervbodv Inn, NV wico- srnnl,,,
Iitta von,n--eaid .ho would ,.o,l. hn,.
fingers of bofore sbould oi,.o ~, vo,,
I'm EnyIonaro hot,or ~ ,t...,.. ,,.,,,
within nm oca of inur;n, or Ion1o,,
bridge. Went into a shop to oorn NANCY
enough to come with there 7 met the man
wanted. TO make n long story sbor,
have brought $50. 600 home with mo and
hero am. - "Good for Won y, Ioxc,oin,od
Eyes" said he "e3O 900 and ,bo host of
it is. she don't know ANYTHING obout II
I'VE fooled her so often. and disappointed
her so much. that | lust concluded | would
say nothing about this. When 1 got nv
money though, YOU better believe struck
a bee line for home" "And now Won will
make her happy" said l. "Happv." he
replied. "whv YOU don't know ANYTHING
about it, She worked like dog while |
have been gone, trying to support herself
and the children decently. They paid her
thirteen cents piece for making coarse
shirts, and that's the way she'd live half
the time. She'll come down there to the
depot TO meet me in Bingham dress and
shawl 1t hundred years old, and she'll think
she's dressed up. Oh, she won't have no
clothes after this-oh, no, l guess notw
And with these words, which implied that
his wie's wardrobe would soon rival
Queen Nictoria's, the stranger tore down
the passage way again, and getting in his
old corner, where he thought himself out
of sight, went through the strangest panto-
mime, laughing, putting his mouth into
the drolest shapes, and then swinging
himself back and forth in the limited SPACE.
as if he were walking down Broadway" a
full rugged METROPOLITAN belle. And so on
till we rolled into the depot. and placed
myself on the other side, opposite the
stranger. who with a portmanteau in each
hand. had descended and was standing on
the lowest step, ready to jump TO the plat
form. looked from his face to the faces
of the people before us, but saw no sign of
recognition.
suddenly he cried, "There they aren
and laughed outright, but in a hvsterlcal
sort of a way as he looked over the crowd.
followed his ewes and saw some distance
-. - 80 -, 49,, -,., -.
pack' rs IL CROWDED out ana shouidered
away by the well-dressed and elbowing
throng. n little woman i'm faded dress and
vol, ,,',,,, h,, Win, n honor,I oxnros.io,,