Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-01-31
NUMBER FORTY SEVEN

"Well, sir. it is only temporary ar
rangement. The fact is, I am going to
carry on the Hand and Glove Inn my
SELF"
"Indeed ~ wondered how this ''shill-
ing-seeking, napkin-carrying. up-and-
downstairs" attache of SO respectable an
inn could have scraped together the money
for the rent. He was a shrewd fellow,
and read this in my face. :
sWell, sir, it's a curious story" he said;
'sana as you've got nothing to do, and we
shall have some time on our hands, I'll
tell it to yon."
It's more than twenty years ago since [
first went to the Hand and Glove as second
waiter in the summer time, and I have
taken the same situation ever since. lam
not head waiter there even now, though /
shall be the master of the place in a few
months; SO you may conclude Enough you
was liberal gent yourself, so far as re-
member) might have waited long enough
before saved the money out of my wages
and perqulsites. But in the autumn of
the year before last curious thing hap
penen at that hotel.
1t was the race week at Brighton, when
we are always full. and every room was
engaged, most of them by old customers,
and che or two, Of course, by strangers.
One of these last was Mr.. John Adamson;
he was chaDcs comer-that is, he had
not written beforehand to secure room,
as is usual at that time, and therefore he
got very bad one. 1t was No. Al, which
in slack seasons was never occupied; it
looked into the little courtyard in the
middle of the house, and had nothing to
recommend it but its great height; it was
in fact, two floors thrown into one; some
nervous persons had fancy for it, how
ever, because few steps down the pas
sage was the trap-door in the roof under
which stood the ladder that formed the
fire-escape; but, as rule, people who
were shown to No. Al objected to it. Mr..
Adamson, however, made no objection;
and indeed, to look at him, you would
have said he had been used to worse rooms.
1t was not SO much his clotfles--thOugh
they didn't fit him. and yet looked as il he
was wearing them for the first time-bnt
certain hang-dog, cringing way be had
with him, which showed he was g low
fellow. He was turtle, of courses
man who made is living, or tried to make
it, by horse racing. and had come down to
fill his pockets at the expense Of other
people, but, so far as that went, so had all
the other guests There was the great Mr..
Dodds, the bookmakeT. for instance-only
second in the extent of his operations to
the Leviathan himself, who travelled With
his secretary, and had OH first-aoor fronSs
there was Captain Ledger. who went
halves in wfnaings-w he dld IN
losings-with the Marquis of SPAWN; and
there was Sir Toby Gray, who had three
horses on the hill himself, and ono of them
first fayorite for the Cup. But all these
men. for the present at least, were men OF
substance, and locked like it, You might
have said they were made of money, for
every one of them had poeketbook burst
ing Wlth bank-notes, which was certain TO
be either fuller or emptier before the week
was out.
Now, Mr.. Adamson did not look as
though he owned bank-note in the Worlo,
and it / had had to name his trade 4 coulo
have done it the first moment I clappea