Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-03-27

deeply wound my pride.
If you say had no cause for shame
so long as my labor was honest, | an.
swer | had inherited family pride, and
relied perhaps too much on the tradi-
tions of family, Which had long be-
fore lost influence and greatness, had
become thinned and scattered, and had
/ left me unaided to make my own way.
/ / Ilabored with .untiring energy. /
was ambitious, and struggled for ad-
| vancement.
Slow, step by step, sometimes falter-
ing and losing heart, | went on until
finally | reached q point which my
boyish fancy, in its widest fight, had
not surveyed. AT the age of twenty
one l became the junior member of
the firm s
In those days Maxell & Co. had an
extended business, and it became
necessary, from time to time, to visit
the various places where the interests
of the firm were located. Is M
These journeys. usually made by me,
taking place before the era of easy and
elegant travel of the present day, were
tedious and attended by hardship.
An incident of one of them | am
now about torelate. One of the prin-
cipal debtors of our house was a man
named Braithwaite, living at D., Ken
lucky. He had, by uniform honesty,
secured an almost unlimited credit.
AtleDgth, however. suspicious arose,
and it was feared that he was about to
make fraudulent disposition of. his
property. Consequently it was exceed
ingly urgent to have a representative
On the ground to guard our interests.
l undertook the journey. Riding on
horseback day and night, through a
thinly settled, wild country, seldom
stopping, even for rest, finally reach
ed the little village of p. where | was
to take stage for my destination.
The only place in p, for the travel
er's accommodation was little inn
standing a few yards from the high
way. H m
1t was one of those plain, unassum-
ing wooden buildings which have of
late years given place to The larger and |
more pretentious brick structures now
found in even the smallest villages, in |
with the modern passion |
for travel.
Awaiting, with some impatience, the |
appearance of the stage-coaeh, | walk
ed up and down on the porch of the
little tavern, occasionally glancing at
the persons about me, speculating as to
who would be my cOmpagnORs de coy
age.
L should state here that the coach |
register contained the names of four
gentlemen beside myself,
and one lady.
Soon | heard the rumbling noise
made by the coach as it approached.
1t was fair tpye of the sturdy, rough
and-ready, ponderous, faithful vehicle
called stage coach-a vehicle of his
toric associations. An auant coureu'
Of the railroad, the horse of flesh has
gallantly cOntended with the horse of
iron, and though outstripped in every
race, has not yet relinquished the con-
test.
The particular coach in question,
in the road before the inn,
and to which | was about to commit
my fortunes during my trip to d., had
no doubt once been of superior quail
ty, and though time had dimmed its
,olors and weakened its frame, it was
still staunch and presentable in ap-
pearance. The horses attached to it,
four in number, were fine, high-spirit-
ed. powerful animals. e
The driver was a>yeteran of twenty
years experience, EeA known to all
travellers by that route as "Old jim
N.Y." If he ever had surname, | am
sure / never heard it.
Everything was now ready for the
departure. L took my place in the
coach, and immediately yafterward there
followed two gentlemen, and, a few
seconds later, lady.
The door was closed with bang,
ind off we started. | noticed at once
hat four seats we're unoccupied. This,
.hought |, is a good indication of a
,apid, comfortable tri ip; none of the
crush, and jam, wear and tear on body
md mind, resulting from the attempt,
10 usual on most routes, to crowd
welve persons into space intended
or eight only.
Now to my companions. On the
'ront seat with me was man of about
years of age, stoutly built,
Medium height, honest, homely feat
Tres. One glance at his sun-browned
ace and large, coarse brands satisfied
ne that he was Injured TO toll. No
ioubt a farmer. He was quiet and
in demeanor, neatly but
,oarsely clad. We meet such men
,very day, and find nothing about
hem peculiarly interesting. Ii | re-
member right, his name was Simpson.
On the middle seat, directly facing
ne, was Il man Of very different
stamp. Had you met him in crowd
le would at once have attracted
'Our special attention and interest.
Exceedingly tall, massive aud broad
no doubt possessed of
,reat strength; the head large, cov-
,red with abundant hair, iron gray in
,olor, and so long as to touch his should
,rs. His features were regular, and by
he casual observer would have been
,alled handsome. The impression pro-
luced on me was puzzling. 1t was GER
ainly not agreeable, but, ON the other
land, | cannot say that it was exactly
The controlling feeling was rather
curiosity in one whom | at once per-
,eived was extraordinary. [ cannot
orget a certain contraction of the
muscles of his mouth, producing an
alternating between selfish
ness and pain. His eyes were very
arge, cold gray in color, restless, con-
inually rowing from one object to an
,ther. | should add that he was neat
", almost elegantly dressed. His
bearing suggested man who had seen
much of lite-one rather given to med
tation. His name was Rufus Rey-
1olds
Behind him, in the remotest corner
Of the back seat, apparently shrinking
from observation, was the lady in
the case. | have deferred a descrip-
ton of her, not from any lack of gal
Iantry or derference for the sex, but
rather because sheavOided description.
She was so closely veiled that only
the contour of her features could be
discerned. A stray lock of her hair
escaping from confinement was black.
Her costume was travelling suit of
fine material and elegant finish. She
wore on the first finger other right hand
A beautiful ring of rare design. Deeply
imbued as | was with the Imagination
and fire of youth, what could l do but
that she must be refined,
lovely and beautiful? She was GER
tainly young, and there was about her
eo,no@h,,r .l,oo4,,o