The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-04-07
An Odd Man.

think you would have TO send pack 10 the
Swan at B-for horses"
alt is very unfortunate, and it is past
nine already what is the nearest place, sir,
where l could get decent accommodation
for the night ?'
Why, the nearest place." said Harry
hesitatingly "is the Crown and Thistle,
about three miles off, but can't say much
for the accommodation. Wo-ho, "--One of
the horses, tired at last of standing in the
Grizzling rain was showing symptoms of
an immediate return to his stable. The
stranger merely gave vent to dissatisfied
"Humph ~ and they stood silently await
ing the approach of light along the road,
which betokened Joe's return with assist
ance. The coach was soon righted, and
set up against the side Of bank and Mr..
Haines, having given charge to one of his
aids-extraordinary to keep watch by it till
dawn with light, both to prevent acci-
dents and abstraction of the luggage, an
nounced his intention of returning with the
horses to B., Offering his inside passen-
ger the choice of ride back, or taking
nap in the coach till morning. You
won't be long getting home, Mr.. Bolton,
anyhow, "--and the pronoun was empha-
sized, to show that even this sympathy was
little extended to his fellow-traveler.
"No, Joe, must say you have been
pretty considerate as you aoer0 to break
down, you could hardly have arranged it
more handily for me. just look me out
my little carpet bag, and l suppose you'll
expect an extra shilling for your perform
ance tonight, ell ?"
Joe gave hoarse laugh, and proceeded
vantage of the opportunity to whisper q
few inquiries about his fellow-passenger
dwell, I'm pretty sure, sir, it's DR..
Bates, as preached at the opening on Tues
day. There was two or three black-coats
came with him to the yard afore we start
ed ; he's quite top-sawyer among 'em, and
can hold on for two hours good, best pace,
they tell me. He's Civ out to preach over
at S---to-morrow morning. / seed the
printed bills stuck all over town to-day"
Tomorrow was Sunday; and Bolton
thought of a certain manuscript, not quite
finished, lying in his desk at home. He
glanced again at the stranger, and possibly
in the orthodoxy of Lis heart, did not feel
particularly grieved at the disappointment
probably in store for the itching ears of the
S-non- -conformists.
"Well goodnight, Haines," said he.
But seeing his late companion still stand
ing in the road, looking rather helpless,
and hesitating to leave him to the tender
mercies of the coachman, az am walking
in the direction of the village inn," he con-
tinued, "and if can show you the way,
shall be very glad to do so. dare say l
can also find some one to fetch your
luggage"
"Thank you, SIR" said the other. "I
cannot do better than follow your exam
pie - and he at once selected and shoul-
dered, with some activity for a man obvi-
ously on the wrong side of forty, a carpet
bag of more cumbersome dimensions than
Bottoms; and they strobe down the road
together nearly in darkness, and with the
rain still falling.
They had nearly reached the curate's
humble cottage, without much further con-
versation, when the stranger repeated his
inquiries as to the distance to the inn, and
the probability of his obtaining there any
tolerable accommodation. "a clean bed"
he said, "would content him was he like
ly to find one 2''
A struggle had been going on, from the
time they left the coach, between Harry
Bottoms good-nature and what he thought
his due dignity. Every word his fellow
passenger had uttered had convinced him,
more and more, that he was man Of edu-
cation and good sense, to say the least a
totally different being from the the class Of
whom Jabez Green, who expounded at
Mount Pisgah in his own parish on Bun
days, and did a little shoemaking and
poaching on weekdays, formed a specimen
ever before his eyes; and If it had not
seemed a ludicrous nisapplication Of hospi-
tality to have entertained the great gun Of
schism within the lares Of "persOnG eceIe-
RG," he would long ago have offered the
very respectable and mild-mannered gentle
man, dropped by an unlucky accident al
most at his very door, at least good FIRE
and pair of clean sheets for the night.
Sleep at the Crown and Thistle l-why, on
consideration, it was scarcely creditabIe to
himself to send him there. The landlord
was one of the most disrenutable fellows I'm