The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-01-11
SAVED BY A DREAM.

man, muscular and with an eye. as keen
and unfiinchlng as an eagles.
| drove the stage from New Sharon
to Wexford, a distance of thirty miles.
In the spring and fall when the travel
was bad always tarried over night /
liked that plan better for 1t gave me
some leisure to be with my family.
The night of which | am going to
tell you was late autumn. 1t has been
a mighty tough storm all the way up
a north easter, just rs full of needle
points as they could stuff in Fine
hail, you understand, and rain freezing
up and frosting your beard, giving one
a remarkable if not pleasing cast of
countenance. [ had but two passen-
gers up, an old man with very white
hair and beard, and younger man
cniiarity that l noticed. | took the
mail bags outside with me under the
scat.
[ wasn't particle sorry when the
village of Wexford bllnked at me with
its numerous eyes from crevices in the
showers of driving sleet.
Wexford was dignified by the name
of village, South Wexford, more
properly, for there was only meagree
collection of five or six houses, and |
drove through this place, usually put
ting up at the half way house, as it was
termed. Beyond this half way house
was Wexford proper, with quite bust
ling business air IN It's one huge smoke
stack, and the row of stores well pune.
tuated with the marks of Western civ
MISUNDERSTANDING dens. The other
stage route ended here Oh account of
the roughness of the road-the post.
man jOltIng the distance between the
half way house and there to connect the
mail line. This half way house had a
sorry reputation on account of the vii
famous class of roughs that frcquented
1t to have game of poker or bit of
ring fight. l had watched the games
scores of times without allowing N.Y.
self to be drawn into them, or disturb.
ed by them.
As [ said, [ only tarried at Wexford
during the bad weather of early spring
and late autumn. But to come back to
the night of the storm. 1t was much
as might be expected. A small num-
Der of rutfianly fellows were in
the bar room, but the night was rather
threatening for the mass to come out.
In fact, | brought in the stage about
all the noticeable persons destined to
study the cloudy heavens that night
through the bottom of mine host S
glasses. There was Black Dave-an
appendix general to the tavern, as
clumsy piece of clown as one would
care to see and Powder Bill, a second
class ruffian, who had gained his cogno-
men by having had his face somehow
blown full of powder. Besides these
there were several loafers in no wise
remarkable. Of this / was glad, for
was aware that the mail bag was I'M
usually heavy. | knew that there were
quite large sums OF money expected
by different persons about that time,
and should be glad enough when the
responsibility was off my shoulders.
We passed social evening. The
chatting turned upon practical Joking,
and the danger cttentimes resulting
therefrom. The persons who partici
pated the least in the conversation was
my passenger up- the man with stoop
shoulders. [ had learned that his
name was jerks. While this one and
that one tolds their tales, his sharp.
downcast eyes would in spite of him
self, turn continually towards that cor
ner of the room where | had tossed nv
mail bags Gu the other hand the old
fellow with the long, white hair was
the most bOisterous talker of the group.
HIS laugh was the loudest, his puffs
OF smoke the most frequent, and his
voice, strengthened with his rising
spirits lost much of the quaver notice
able IN oldish persons.
was both aStOniShed at him and de.
lighted also. To find man slipping
down the shady side Of LIES hill, CAV
and disposed to make merry with his
friends, is as rare an occurrence as it IS
exh1laratlng to witness He had pc
culiarity about the face which YOU
sometimes see, and which gives an eff
feet singular if not pleasant to the
holder. He had very bright, rapidly
revolving eyes, under bushy black eye
broWs, brows shaggy enough to suggest
immature crows nests roughly piled
together. He called himself Stowell,
and Judged him to he a stranger in
those parts. In truth he incautiouslv
made mention of the fact that he was
on government business. At mention
of this [ found jerks furtively and
steadily regarding HIM from the corner
of his eyes My feelings had settled
INTO fixed distrust of jerks before the
evening was half spent; on the other
hand the entire company, if 1 except
jerks, mentally pronounced the old
fellow-lust the one to while away the
dull evening.
After some quite loud boasting of
courage and brave deeds by several of
the party, and this one telling what he
could do, and that one affirming what
he would do under such and such cir
cumstances, n motion was made for
bed. The old fellow, with separate
good night to all, was shown to his
room first, at his own request, jerks
and myself going last. The chances
which this fellow cast at the bags as I
took them up to my room, were not
particularly reassuring. l thought at
first to speak of my suspicious to the
landlord, and then felt ashamed to do
so, and went into my room. Turning
on the threshold / was unpleasantly
surprised to see jerks standing out
sloe of his room and regarding me with
a fixed gaze.
g laundering fool," said I to myself
" II his intentions are to rob me he has
taken the mode of proceeding to put
me on my guard
l closed my door and locked it Sc