Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-05-09
MY QUIET FELLOW.TRAvELER.

One bitterly cold evening last winter,
I was sitting with my old schoolfellow,
Charlie Foster, in my study-the most
comfortable room in hehouse, arranged
throughout with a proper regard to
warmth and convenience.
"How jolly this is r. exclaimed Char
lie, glancing round. "I would rather
be in than out such a night as this.
just listen to the wind, how it howls
and busters, and yet not breath gets
in here. must say this is not bad
corner to occupy in this weather, and I
envy you not little. Things always
seem to go straight with you, Harry. I
do believe you never had a slice of ill
luck or a disF greeable adventure in
your life."
you are wrong there, my boy" re-
piled I, " for once upon time-it is a
long while ago now, thought had q
very disagreeable adventure, which
might have ended in my being hanged
by mistake for some one else. You re-
member, no doubt, that sixteen years
ago, instead of being one of the part
ners in the firm of Ross, Haviland &
Laurence, was only clerk in their
Office"
eyes, yes, know" nodded Foster
"Well, one day Mr.. Haviland, not
being we'll enough to go himself, sent
me to c. on some rather important
business some valuable documents
had fallen into the hands of an obsti-
nate, stupid old fellow, who had been
guardian to client of ours. The client
was now of age, and wished to act for
himself, and manage his own affairs,
but old Brown, not considering him fit
to do SO, persisted in retaining the
papers, and my mission was to persuade
him to give them up quietly, and, in
the event of his refusing, to threaten
him with legal proceedings. Ihad great
difficulty in inducing him to listen to
reason, but when, at last, I succeeded,
I telegraphed the news of my success
to London, and a little later started
homewards. I strolled down to the
station, took a frst-class ticket, and,
after waiting for about ten minutes, the
express came up, and took my seat.
AS I got into the carriage, tall, good
looking young fellow, fashionably
dressed, got out, and with that feeling
of idle curiosity that sometimes comes
over one when one has nothing to do, ]
put my head out of the window and
looked after him and, to my surprise,
he got into another carriage little far
ther on. began to wonder why on
earth the fellow got out as I got in, and
felt vaguely uncomfortable about it.
However, when I perceived that the
only other occupant of the carriage was
an old gentleman, apparently fast
asleep, concluded that the young man
wanted to smoke, and that the old gen.
tleman, before addressing himself to
his slumbers, had objected.
"This satisfied me, and I began to go
over in my mind the events of the pre-
vious day. WE'LL thought I, Ger
tainly I have managed the business
very we'll. expect shall receive the
compliments of the firm for it. I won
der if they will give me anything more
substantial than compliments. If they
do make me a present, it will be very
acceptable just now,' said to myself
for you see, Charlie, about eight weeks
before, my dear Lizzie had presented
me with plump, red, pugnacious little
sprite. Well. all the aunts and cousins
-bo say uOGnlnB OI my WlI6-pfO-
nounced it the prettiest baby in the
world, and dare say I thought they
were not far wrong; but one cannot
sacriticeto household idol of this kind
without little extra outlay, and fol
this reason and few others not worth
while mentioning, Lizzie and the baby
were uppermost in my thoughts. ]
amused myself like child with spend.
ing the money hoped to receive in a
dozen different ways for their benefit.
"At times glanced at my fellow.
traveller, who was all this time sound
asleep in the corner directly opposite tc
me. His head was thrown back, 9
bright yellow bandana handkerchief
covered his face, and thick railway
rug was tucked tightly round him. Now
having started in great hurry, as Ross
and Haviland had got hint that old
Brown meant to make q heightened toul
on the continent, I had forgotten tc
take my wrapper with me, SO contem
plated my opposite neighbor with rath.
er curious eyes, thinking how warm and
comfortable he looked and how very
cold felt. I tried to forget my dis.
comfort by reading over my papers
but when at last got through them,
was as cold az before, or perhaps little