Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-11-11
Al,,,os, an Adventures.

England is a picture of happiness
nd a dream of beauty. All her
meadows are green, all her window
are white, all her mutton
hops are tender, all her chamber
maids are beautiful, The idea of
war with such a country is absurd"
AS l continued my walks along
the crowded strand, a low, pleasant
voice, almost to my ear, said, Don't
look behind, sir"
If anything was likely to make
Inc look behind it was just that.
But l didn't. / kept my course
without turning my head.
Presently again: eff you want
some very fine cigars very cheap,
follow me-"
did want some very fine cigars,
and thought was bearer Of dis
patches, their being very cheap
was no objection. also wanted
another thing, as the reader has no
doubt already began to suspect.
My excuse is, l was great deal
younger than I am now.
In a few minutes a sQuare-should-
cred, decently dressed man passed
before mo and crossed the street;
so did I. Presently he turned
corner; so did /. He crossed
again so did /. He walked on
ward a considerable distance ; so
did l. After a variety of turnings
and windings toward the very
worst part:of the town, through a
region of squalid misery and pes
tilential air, he turned into q gin
palace; so did l. There were a
number of rowdy-looking ladies
and gentlemen with red noses
standing af the counter, but no
notice was taken Of us. Ny silent
pilot, always without turning his
head, crossed the gin palace and
passed out Of it in the rear, made
his way rapidly along a gloomy
solitary court, entered q dirty,
dismal-looking, unfurnishcd room,
and out of that into another; so
lid /. We were now in a small,
chamber, with only one window,
about two feet square and ten or
welvc from the floor, so that no I
,ody could look in or out.
Strang as it may seem, not till !
his moment did think what q fool
sh thing was doing.
"Now, sir" said my new friend, s
Who, US l found when he turned
lis head, was anything but a hand '
ONE fellow. lie unlocked a large
:loset, crammed with an ample
Of cigar boxes.
"Just look at them cigars }
They are the best in the world, and {
It the lowest prices. Seven and a J
lalf pounds. Seven pounds. Six
pounds. Ye can't get them cigars
n the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland without paying
vice as much. Mr.. So-and-so"
naming a son of one of the leading
of the British House of
Commons) "has just bought some
for fifty pounds"
FIFTY pounds I" exclaimed /.
''My good fellow, l don't want
fifty pounds worth of cigars. I'm
going in few days where / can
get cigars as cheap as these. I'll
take a hundred, or, if you like,
two hundred, but I shan't take any !
more" -~-:
The man looked at me with a
very curious expression in his bad,
ugly face, and pressed his lips hard |
together like one who has difficulty |
TO control fierce gust of passion.
Then he answered:
aye don't think l brought ye
here, and exposed myself and my
den to we for ye must know we're
smugglers), only to sell shillin's
worth Of cigars do ye! If ye're a
gentleman, as | supposed ye was,
yell take enough to pay for trouble
and risk"
There was pause.
"If ye don't like cigars" said he,
perhaps yell take some other
goods"
AS he spoke, with a sudden
energetic movement, he threw open
a trap door at my feet. / looked
into it. Black as midnight. A
most cheerful object under the
circumstances. He stepped down
and instantly. rose again with an
armful of articles. "Camel-hair
shawls," said he, "real cashmere
India shawb, both sides alike.
Brussels lace, velvets, jcwelry. Ye
can sell any O. them articles for