Mower County transcript., 1871-08-17
VOLUME ".

own energies aud cxcrtions gave him
Goodnatured Bosgs, tho driver, who i'll
his decade Of siagc-coaCh cxisteIicc had
made y study of human nature IN all its
phases, had made up his mini pr, lty
early in the day that his solitary PASSENGER
WAS no; lual to tc lasi!y cultivated. All
efforts to draw him into conversation had
proved futile. And yet, thought Roggs,
there's hing kinu and good behind
| that Grabbed face and short answers, Ill
be bound"
tlr made final and partially successful
eff rts, however, Us they Acared the VII.
laee:
Ever in w. before, sir ?" he asked
Yes-yes--but a long time ago. Has
the place changed much ?"
"Pr1ciOus little, to my knowledge, for
twenty years back" answered Buggs.
"Twenty It's twice that si;.cc was
here" said the stranger.
"Merc boy, then, s'pose," continued
Drgro.
"Yes, quite youn gster when left the
place. WAS the reply and then the two
had relapsad iiltD silence.
And row as they passed on through the
twilight >ha'lows towar, the village center
the old gentleman ptered eagerly out, nov
on this side, now on that, now gazing
closely at some one or another Of the gaunl
old dwellings embowcred in flowers by the
roadside, now leaning forward as some
brook, or tree, or other familiar Landmarks
came back to his memory. And so, as ht
looked aud pom ndered, the vehicle came tc
a halt before the tavern door, and the jour
ney was over.
The old man-for he did seem old, a:
with his short, bent figure, and limping
gait, he shuff1cd up the hotel steps, and
lions about his baggage-which consisted
OF small supcrannuated trunk, and car.
pet-hag which had seen its best days long
ago-inquired in a sharp, tltful way where
the proprietor was, and upon that in
dividual making his appearance, in the
form, not of the conventional rubicund'
visaged i;onifncr, but Of demure, sober.
faced man, whose lcthargic movements
aud resigned expression cf countenancc
marked him as one who simply conde-
scended to make his earthly home and to
keep a hotel in W. because he couldn't
do any better, propouuded in rapid mono,
syllables the Inquiry whether he had any
comfortable rooms vacant.
"Doyou simply want lodging over night,
sir" mtekly inquired the host.
"No, sir,' was the reply; "a week, two
weeks, month, or two perhaps"
a momentary CLEAN of the s"rdid SEEM
cd to overcome the submissive in the inn
keepers countenance, but it quickly faded
away again, as its owner said, II trust we
shall be able to accommodate you, sir.
Please register you name"
The stranger glanced over the pages OF
tho book before him. Not al arrival that
day none the day befire-in fact, only
two for werk back. TO this brggarly
record Of guests, he added his signature,
scrawling in little, driedup characters,
which looked for all the world like him
SELF, the inexpensive name, "John Tiomp-
son, New Orleans"
The old gentleman was fatigued, and
dinning-room, was shown up to his apart
ment, p corner bed ed.chamber, gorgeou ,ly
stiff and cool with its white curtains,
snowy bed.spread, and straight backed
chairs. The window fastening were, as is
usual IN rural taverns, all out of order,
and the simple country maid Of all work,
who innocently held her ear to the key
hole, after bidding the guest "good-
night" heard Mr. Thompson fuming and
fretting US he wrestled with the refractory
catches, until finally the sashes went up,
the blinds were flung open, and the opera
| ti0n eliminated in an emphatic grunt
about equally made up of disgust and sat
isfaction. Meanwhile the loungrrs down
stairs were airing all sorts Of random
speculations as to the character and de-
signs Of the new comer-speculations
| which necessarily were Of most unsatis-
formation to be extracted from the taciturn
oy,A no o1 illooih1o
the register.
But could they have known the thoughts
that We're crowding thick and fast upon
the mind Of him who sat in the window
above, looking out upon the moon-lit
| street; could they with him have recalled
the memories which came over him
memories saddened by the vision of want
| and hardship, and a noss-covered tomb
stone III the village church. yard-hard by
the most careless and callous of them
! would havA prayed for a blessing on that
gray-haircd head, with it's weary, thought
ful face.
W, at the time of its rcvisitation by
the somewhat eccentric Mr.. Thompson,
was quiet country village, with scarcely
two thousand inhabitants, and possessing
no especial characteristics to distinguish it
from the hundred 9th. villages which nes-
tie lovingly among the hills, or Oh the
bosom Of the landscape within circuit
Of d hundred miles from the metropolis.
| Extending along the turnpike road for 81
diatance Of half mile or more on either
side were struggling rows of cottages,
! intersperscd here and there with more os-
tentatious dwellings, while an occasional
shop. window or sign peeped out from he.
! meath the trees to vary the 1nonotory
( About midway another street iutersccted
! the main road, at about the junction of
! these two th.oaghfares, forming, with
the exception Of few back lanes and side
streets, the entire village, were clustered
the principal stores, the post office, the
office of the newspaper, which weekly is
| sued to deDounce local abuses a: Il laud the
American bird to the ultimate thule of
glory, the court house, where semi-annu-
ally long bearded country lawyers AMI
grave knowing old JUICES came together
to plead "douotfll questions of right and
wrong" and, !;.st OF all, the hotel, the
Washington House, the veritahle head,
| qarte twas said, of the Father of his
Country in the old Revolutionary days.
One straying from this business center
came in the one direction upon an old
stone bridge spanning a swiftly running
brook, and saw before him the dusty road,
w'n:!irg IT'S serpentirc c purse up an almost
interninablc hill beyond; in the opposite
dlrection he passed the village church, a
relic Of the olden days, renovated by mu,-
ern hands and came suddenly upon the
banks Of a caral. the favorite resort Of ur-
chins for swimming in summer and skat-
ing in winter. AID then beyond were
hills, and meadows, and corn. fields, and
! groves and sWamps, and endless vista Of
worm fences, with here and there a farm
| house pecping out-in short, a scene Of
| tranquil beauty, telling only Of peace and
prosperity.
Now, the unannounced advent Of Mr..
John Thompson, Of New Orleans" to a
little place like this did at all events pro.
,uce no smell sensation among the gossip
! hunters. There were, naturally enough,
, Two or three families of resident Thomp-
| sons, each and all of whom, after dilig" at
/ inquiry OF their memories failed to recall
any relatives living in the remote citytrum
which the new conner hailed. Specula-
tions as to the old gcntleman's financial
status were no less varied and diverse.
The rusty garments in which he again
made his appearance ut breakfast on the
morning succeeding his arrival, earned for
him, in different quar- ters, the several ap'
relations Of poor man, probable miscr,
and disguised millionaire. Meanwhile
Mr.. Thompson was stoical, was unap
prOachable; hcsitLted not to express his
emphatic disgust at whatever did not suit
him about the house, cast withering
glances, coupled with short replies, at one
or two adolescent rustics who had the
, hartlihnol to accost him on the front piaz
+ ~. and final", with his hands buried deep
III his coat.tnil pockets, limped and shut1l"l