Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-01-02
BEAUTY AND THE BARBER.

/ had Just finished putting up nv ehut-
ters. 1t was getting rather late e-nearly
ten O'Clock, for ia had hard days
work Of it +; and no wonder, for it was the
night Of the Lord-Lieutenant's ball. We
think good deal of the Lord Lieutenant
down in Yorkshire; and when We got up
q bit in the world, and get asked to his
Lordship's ball, We think good DIAL Of
ourselves; and my word, some folks are a
bit proud! Yes; that very day I had
dressed the Miss Millikin's hair for the
ball, pretty early, mind you, for wouldn't
put any Of my old customers out Of tho
way for any Of your upstsrt people, see-
lug as I've dressed the hair of all tho first
families ia Lydford, and my father before
me, whereof NO man knoweth to the con.
trary, as the lawyers say. Now, Millikin
has drawn many gill Of ale in the days
when he kept the tap up at Newman's
Yard, and has borrowed many . sixpence
Of me, too-not but what he was welcome
to them, AZ I told bis lordship wh"n he
came to ask me for my vote for the town
council. It isn't Millikin and such like 40
I'd take the trouble to tell q story about.
It was past nine, a. I've told you, and l
was putting up the shutters pretty fast,
not being thing I often did myself; but
it 50 happened that night; and in another
minute should have gone to the White
Horse" to meet one or TWO good fellows
who were in the habit of having glass or
two together at night; but - was screw
ing u2 the bar Of the shutters, what should
see drawing up to my door but splen-
did carriage and two beautiful horses, all
of lather with sweat! Well, that put
me about bit, to think what carriage
should be doing at my door at this time Of
night; but hadn't long to wonder, for a
grave, tall, solemn looking chap comes up
t. my door, and calls out:
ais Creecher here ?"
"That's me-" says /.
"Oh, then;" says he, "jump in" pcini.
ing with his finger to me to get up the
steps of tho carriage, where there was a
TALL Aunky holding the door open for me "a
enter.
Well, that capped me still more. Pve
heard of things like that in story books
and there's something very like it in the
"'Rabian Nights" whero they seem te
:hink deal more Of US Larber chaps thar
they do in this country. But then thu
IL land Of freedom. Well, as wore
saying, this t'other chap kept motioning o
me to get into the carriage; but says I
Master, where are you bound? ?"
"Oh. never you mind" says he, you'll
be we'll paid. Look sharp"
"But I'd like to beautify myself bit,'
says I, "and nun tell the missis."
With that re took up nv hat that wa
lying on the counter, and bangs it on m,
head, and pushes me into the carriage
and away We went before you could a.
"Jack Robinson" Eh, but we did g
= rarely! 1t was dark night, and frosty
and we soon got out Of the lights Of til
town, and still the horses galloped on, an
| could see the stars twinkling overhead
and then it grew colder all Of a sudde'
and tho windows Of tho carriage wer
covered with leo in u minute, and coul
3 ree nought but the inside: whore l wa
Q sitting with this strange man. And II
neyar said word. But still we gallore
on: and after good bit, heard til
= murmur and dash of q river hard D.
above the clattcr of the hoots, and "
+ crossed bridge, l think, for we went u
D and down for u minute, rs If we had bee
t in u swing. And then the sound OF hoo
Q died away altogether, as if the horses wei
t galloping over gravel or soft turt; On
presently the carriage stopped all "f
y sudden. \ fnotn,an stood ut the door IL
# silent man jumped out.
O "Stay therew he cried, as he wen
with a gesture Of authority-"stay there