The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-08-05

and un1ocOuntable manHuvres. Every now and
then he would get up and hurry away to the mar
row passage which leads to the door in these
drawing.room cars, and when he thought him
self secure from observation, he would fall to
laughing In the most violent manner, and con-
tiuue the healthful exercise until he was as red
in the face as lobster. As We neared Boston
these demonstrations increased in violence, save
that the stranger no longer ran away to laugh,
but kept his seat and chuckled to himself, with
his chin deep down in his shir. collar But the
changes that those portmanteaus underwent!
He moved them here, there, everywhere; he put
them behind him, in front of him, on each side
OF him. He was evidently getting ready to
leave, but, as We were yet twenty-five miles of
Boston, the idea of such early preparations was
ridiculous.
If we had entered the city then, the mystery
would have remained unsolved, but the stranger
at last became so excited that he could keep his
seat no longer. Some one must help him, and, as
l was the nearest, he selected me. Suddenly
turning, as if I had asked question, ne said,
rocking himself to and fro in his chair the mean.
while, and slapping his legs and breathing very
hard, "Been gone three years !"
"Ah ~
"Yes, been in Europe Folks don't expect me
for six months, but got through and started. 1
telegraphed them at last station they've got it
by this time. AS he said this, he changed the
portmanteau on his left to the right, and the one
on the right to the left again.
Got wife z" said 1.
eyes, and three children" he returned, and he
got up and folded his overcoat ane w. and hung
it over the back of the seat
You are pretty nervous over the matter, amt
You Z" said /, watching his fdgety movements
~ hain't slept soundly for a week. And do you
know" he went on, glancing around At the pass.
an md h Ion, :
certain this train will run off the track and
break my neck before get to Bossou. Well,
the fact is, I've had too much good luck for one
man lately. The thing can't last long, faint
natural that it should, you know I've watched
it. First it rains, then it shines, then it rains
again. 1t rains so hard YOU think it's never 60.
ing TO stop: then 1t shines brgh. you think
iss always going to shine; and ju-t as you're
settled in either belief, you are knocked over by
a charge to show you that you know nothing
about it,"
"Well, according to your philosophy" said 1,
you will continue to have sunshine because you
| expect Storm"
"1ts curious be returned, "but the only
thing which makes me think win get through
safe, is because think WON'T
"Well. tina. is curious" said l.
Eyes" he replied, "Tm a mach anic-mads a
discovery-nobody believed in it; spent all my
money trying to bring it acknowledged my
home-all went. Everybody laughed at NE
everybody but my wife, spuuky little woman |;
said she would work her fingers # before
should give it up. Went to England; no bet.
| ter there came within an ace of jumping off
| London Bridge. Went into shop to earn mon.
| ey enough to come home with there l met the
man wanted. To make long story shot, I've
brought f3O,0 home with me, and here am"
Good Tor you,' exclaimed.
"Yes," said he, 100000; aud the best of it it,,
she don't know anything about it. I've fooled her
so often and disappointed her so much, that
just thought l would say nothing about this.
When got my money, though, you better be-
| lieve struck bee line for home
"And now you will make her happy" said L.
Happy he replied, "why you don't know
| anything about it. She's worked like dog
while | have been gone, trying to support her.
self and the children decenty They paid her
| thirty cent. apiece 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 a
gingham dress and shawl a hundred years old,
and she'll think she's dressed up. Oh. she won,
have no clothes after this-oh, no, guess not ="
And with these words, which implied thai his
wife's wardrobe would rival Queen Victo.
rias, the stranger tore down the passage way
again, and getting in his old corner, where he
thought himself out of sight, went through the
| strsngest pantomine, laughing, putting his
mouth into the drollest sh apes, and then swing.
ing himself back and forth in the limited space,
| as il he were "walking down Broadway" a full.
risgel metropolitan belle. And so on till we
rolled into the depot and placed myself on an.
other car, apostle the stranger, who. with q
portmanseau in each hand, had descended and
was standing on the lowest STEP ready to jump
to the platform. looked from his face to the
faces Of the people before U.S. but saw no signs of
recognition. Suddenly he cried, "There they
are" and laughed outright, but in u hysterical
sort Of n way, as he looked over the crowd.
followed his eyes and saw some distance back,
as if crowded out and shouldered away by the
well.dressed and Glowing throng, little woman
in faded dress and well.worn hat, with a face
almost painful in its intense but hopeful expires.
sion, glancing rapidly from window to window
| rs the coaches glded III. She had not yet seen
the stranger; but moment after she canght his
eye. and in another instant he had jumped to the
platform with his two portmshteaus; and. max.
ing hole in the crowd, pushing one here and
there, and running one OF his bundles plump in.
to the well.developed stomach of a venerable
looking old gentleman in spectaoles, he rushed
toward the place where she was standing.
think never saw face assume so many differ.
ent expressions in so short a time as did that of
the little woman while hcr husband was on his
way to her. She didn't look pretty On the
contrary she looked very plain, but somehow l
felt big lump rise in my throat a. watched
her. She was trying to laugh; but. God bless
her. how completely she failed in the attempt !!
Her mouth get into the position. but it never
moved aftor that, save to draw down the corners
and culver, while she blinked her eyes 40 fast
that suspect che only got occasional glimpses Of
the broad.shouldered fellow who eibowed his
way SO rapidly toward her. And then, as he