The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-02-25
A HACK ROMANCE.


were present. The affair passed off
most pleasantly; the fair bride and the
manly groom received the congratula-
tons of their friends; their happiness
was toasted in bumpers of champagne,
and it was late ere any offered to de-
part from the pleasant scene. One lady
was there whose husband had been
forced to remain at his office to prepare
business of moment for the morrow, and
upon an intimate friend he imposed the
duty of waiting on Madame to her home.
The friend most gladly accepted the
task. He had known the lady long,
and knew her to be as charming COM
panion as one might wish for. Even
the fact that he was q lawyer and used
to deep plunges in the Opaque waters of
probate proceedings had not left him de-
void of all sympathy; neither had it
quite extinguished those qualities of
politeness for which he was noted in
earlier days.
AS the night grew long Madame ex-
pressed a desire to depart, and her
cavalier rushed forth and about the car
riages until he found the special Jehu
with whom he had made specific con-
tract
With her nubia twined about her
head and her cloak drawn about her she
entered the hack followed by her escort,
when the Gail right rang out on the
midnight air and the bus rolled off.
Now it requires about twenty min
utes' sharp driving to reach the Mad
.ame's residence from where the wedding
took place, and when this time had
more than expired she interrupted the
conversation by saying '1s'nt it time
we reached the house %
81 think So" replied the lawyer;
'ssparhaps the man has mistaken the
street. Ho driver !"
There was no answer, SO the lawyer
poked his head out of the window again,
calling: cha? there you fellow
driverr %
ssBlessed if I don't believe the man is
drunk he remarked, drawing his head
back from the window,
Perhaps he is only asleep respond
ed Madame with womanly charity.
"Well, if he isn't tight the horses
are, said the attorney just see how the
carriage goes from one side of the street
to the other
''My goodness" exclaimed the Mad
anne, gazing out through the darkness,
''this isn't our neighborhood we are in
where are we %
BLESSED if I know" answered the at
torney, with deep caution. ''Say, you!
Bill! John! Bob! George! Henry!
Augustus Wake up, confound you
dough-head? but there came no re-
ply.
Then the lawyer let down the sash at
the front of the carriage and peered rr-
ward to the drivers seat. It was vacant.
E'Heavenly smut there's nobody on
the box!" he roared. The two stared
at each other for a moment, the horses
notwithstanding up their monotonous
trot
He gave long sigh.
And she gave another
ssBlessed if there is but one thing to
do he exclaimed, and in a jiffy, to her
horror, she saw her cavalier squirming
upward through the narrow window.
''Ohl supposing he should stick
there!' she said to herself, with hope
less groan; but he didn't stick-he was
not constructed on the principle of
Daniel Lambert-and after a fearful
struggle succeeded in reaching the driv-
er's place and obtaining possession of
the reins. He stopped the horses, and
than followed a consultation, he talking
from the box and she from within, the
result of which was that he turned the
horses and drove back over the route
they had come. The fog was dense and
bitterly cold, and the impromptu driver
was arrayed in lavender kids and suit
of light broadcloth, the coat being of a
style known as clawhammer. He had
driven about ten minutes when Madam
felt that the hack had come to a stand
still. The next moment the door open
cd and she beheld her guide, philosopher
and friend, his teeth fairly chattering
with cold
CHI there an-n-n-nything I can VIZ
r-r-r-ap myself i-i-i-i-n % he asked; sits
ht-t-t-t-tle coolish outside" She un
coiled the nubia from her head and
wrapped it about his neck and chin.
E'Thanks," he murmured from under
the layers of split-zephyr, and again re-
sumed the position of hack-driver
without a license. 1t lacked twenty