Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-05-01
How His ships Game g..

How His ships Game g..
This sketch. from tie pen OF Don
Piatt, is equal to some vi Alr. ID, hens
finest
[ ran across what first struck me as
| a very singular genius on mvroad from
Springfield to Boston. This was
stout, black whiskered man, who sat
Immediately il front of me, and who
INDUCED, from time to time in the
most strange and unaccountable man
euvers. Every now and then he would
get up and hurry away to the narrow
passage which leads to the door in the
drawing room cars, and when he
thought himself secure from observa-
tion, would fall to laughipgin the most
violent manner, and continue the health
ful exercise until he was as red in the
face as lobster. As We neared Bos-
ton these demonstrations increased in
violence, save that the stranger no
longer ran away to laugh, but kent his
seat and chuokled to himself, with his
chin deep down in his shirt collar. But
the changes that these portmanteaus
underwent He moved them here,
there, everywhere he pat them be-
hind hlm, IN front of him, on each side
OF him. lie was evidently getting
ASANy w ASoNS put we were vet
twenty-five miles from Boston. the
idea of such early preparations was
ridiculous. Ii We had entered the CITY
then the mystery would have remained
unsolved but the stranger at last be-
came SO excited that he could keen his
secret no longer. Some one must help
him, and as L was the nearest. he Sc
lected me. Suddenly turning, as if |
had asked question, he said. rocking
himself to and fro in his chair the
meantime, and s1apping his legs and
breathing hard Been gone three
Europe. Folks don't ex pect me for
SIX months yet, I got through and
started. [ teleeraphed them at the
last station they've got it by this
time. As he sand this he rubbed his
hands, and changed his portmanteau
on his left to the right, and the one
on the right to the left again. "Got
a wife p said |. eyes, and three chill /
dren," he returned, and he got up and |
folded his Overcoat anew, and hung it !
over the back of the seat. You are /,
pretty nervous over the matter. amt /
you p [ said. Watching his idgetv |
movements. We'll, should think So !
he replied; Il haven't slept soundly for /
a week. And, do you kUow," he went !
on, giancing around at the passcn- /
gers. and speaking in a low tone, 81 /:
am certain thls train will run off the |
track and break my neck before I get /
to Boston ? Well, the fact is, I have F..
had too much good luck for one man, |
lately. The thing can't last, faint !
natural that it should, yorl know. I've |
watched 1t. First it rains, then it /
shines, then it rains again. Itrains SO
hard you think it's never going to !
stop then it shines so bright you
think it's always going to shine and .
Just as you are settled in either be- /
lief. you are knocked over by a change, /
to show that You know nothing about /
it. We'll, according to that phiEoso-
ply" said 1, you will continue to
have sunshine, because you are ex-
pccting storm Its curious" he
returned; but the only thing which
makes me think that will get through
safe is, because I think I won't"
''Wel, that is curious. said [. YES"
he replied, I'm n ACCOMPLISHMENTS
discovery-nobody believed in it
spent ell my money trying to bring it
ortgaged my home-all went.
Everybody laughed at lne-everybody
but my wlfe-spunky little woman
said she Won d work Ler fingers off
before 1 shon 81 give it up. Went to
better there; came within
an ace of jumping off London bridge.
Went into shop to earn money
enough to come home with there +
met the man | wanted. To make
long story short. I've brought sc3O, 600
home with me, and here lam" Good
for you - L exclaimed. Yes" said
he, "e30, 00O: and the best Of it is.
she don't know anything about it. I've
fooled her so much that I Just con-
cluded L would say nothing about it.
When got my money, though, you
better believe / struck a bee-line for
home" 'And now you will make her
happy" said L. Happy y he replied,
''why, you don't know anything about
It. She worked like a dog while l l
have been gone, trying to support ]
herself and her children decently. $
They paid her thirteen cents apiece |
or making coarse shirts; and that's t
he way she'd live half the time. She'll /
come down there to the depot t
% meet me in agiugham dress, and t
hawl hundred years old, and t
he'll think she is dressed up. O f
he won't have no clothes after I
10, 1 guess not % and with
hese words. which implied that his
vife's wardrobe would soon rival i
Queen Victoria's, the stranger tore [
lown the passage way again, and get