Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-04-10
SAVED ny A DREAM.

u a 4
Permit me to introduce the speaker,
Mr.. Haskell, western stage drivers
man, muscnlar, with an eye as keen
and unfiinching as an eagles.
l drove the stage from Now Sharon
to Wexford, q distance Of thirty miles.
In the spring and fall, when the travel
was had, / always taIried over night
at Wexford, going down TO New Sha-
ron the next day, but during the sum-
mer only tarricd for fresh horses
there, and returned by night. / liked
the plan better, for 1t gave some lei
sure hours to be with my family.
The night of which / am going to
tell you, was late in autumn. 1t had
been mighty tough storm, all the
way up-a n0rth-easter, just as full of
needle points as they could be stuffed
in. Fine hail, you understand, and
rain freezing up and frOsting your
beard, giving one remarkable il not
. pleasant appearance. / had but two
passengers up, an old man with very
white hair and beard, and a younger
man with slight stoop and no other
peculiarly, that noticed. I took the
mail bags outside with me under the
apron. Il .ets. s
] wasn't . particle sorry when the
village of Wexford blinked at me with
its numerous eyes from crevices in the
showers Of driving sleet.s s ny
Wexford was -dignified by the name
of village, or South Wexford, more
properly, for there was only a mesgrc
collection Of FIVE or six houses, and
drove through this place, usually put
ting up at the halfway house, as it
was termed. Beyond this halfway
house was Wexford proper, with quite
bustling business air in it, one huge
smoke-stack, and a row of stores well
punctuated with drinking dens. The
other stage route ended here, on ac-
count of the roughness of the road.
the postman jolting the distance be-
tween the halfway house and there.
TO connect the mail line. The halt
way house had a sorry reputation, on
account of the villainous class Of
roughs that frequented Il, to have a
game Of poker or bit of a ring fight.
had watched the games scores Of
times, without allowing myself TO be
drawn into them, or disturbed 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 story. 1t was much
as might be expected. A small number
Of ruflianly fellows were in the bar
room, but the night was rather threat
ening for the mass to come out. In
fact, I brought IN the stage about all
the noticeable persona destined to
study the heavens that night through
the bottom of mine hosts glasses
There was black Dave--an appendix
general to the tavern, as clumsy a
piece of clown as you would care to
see; and Powder Bill, second-class
ruf3an, who had gained his cognpmen
by having his face somehow blown full
OF powder. Besides there were sever
al lOafers In no wise remarkable. OF
this was glad, for / was aware that
the mail bag was unusually heavy. /
knew there was quite q large sum of
money expected by different persons
about that time, and I should be glad
enough when the responsibility WAS
of my shoulders.
We passed sociable evening. The
chatting turned upon practical Joking,
and the danger oftimcs resulting there
from. The person who participated
least in the conversation was my pas
senger ug--the man with ,stoop shoul-
ders. I hsd learned that his name WINS
jerks. While this ono and that one
told their tales, his, sharp, downcast
eyes would in spite of himself, turn
continually toward the corner Of the
room where / had tossed my mail
bags. On the other hand the fellow
with the long hair, was the most bois-
ferrous talker Of the group. His laughs
were the loudest, his pnffs of smoke
the most frequent, and his voice,
strengthened with his rising spirits,
lost much of the quiver noticeble in
oldish persons.
| was both astonished at him and
delighted also. To find q man slip
ping down the shady side of life's hill,
gay, and disposed to make merry with
his friends, is as rare an occurrence as
it is exhilarating to witness. lie had
q popularity about the face which you
sometimes see. and which gives an ef-
feet singular IL not pleasant to the be-
holder. He had very bright, rapidly
revolving eyes, under bushy black eye
brows. brows shsggy enough to sng-
gest miniature crows nests, roughly
piled together. He called himself
Stowell, and Judged him to he a
stranger in those parts. In truth he
incauti0usly made mention Of the fact
that he was on government business.
At mention Of this, found jerks fur
lively and steadily regarding him from
the corner of his eyes. NY feelings
had settled in fixed distrust of jerks
before the evening was half spent: on
the other hand the entire company. if /
except Jenks, mentally pronounced
the old fellow just the one to while
away dull evening.
After some quite loud bcasting 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 not do under such and such
circumstances motion was made for
bed. The old follow, with a separate
good will to all, was shown to his
room first, at his own request, jerks
and myself going last. The glances
which this fellow cast mt the bags as I
took them up to nay room, were not
particularly rcassuring. thought Mt
first TO speak of my suspicious to the
the landlord, and then ! went into my
room. Turning on the threshold,
was nnpleasantly surprised to see
jerks standing outside of his room.
and regarding me with q fixed gaze.
Blundering fool, said 1 to myself,
"if his intentions are to rob me he has
taken the mode OF proceeding to put
me on my guard"
closed my door and locked 1t se-
curely, dumped the mail bags in the
corner, and being weary, immediately
addressed and retired.
lay for y long time turning this
way aud that, made restless, I suspect
ed by continually thinking Of jerks and
bis strange conduct. l grew angry at
last with myself, for allowing him to
keep SO before my vision, but this state
of mind did not tend TO sleepincss, / as
sure you. While lay tossing about,
heard one after another Of the members
Of tho family go to bed. Still that in
fernal jerks Kept before me. l NUT
tered anathemas and turned over
aOair