Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-28
"Cabbies" Fares.

Lct Ile see, IL was ABOUT eight or ten
years ago, when lived IN London. I was
a amblin' down the Strand one darkish
night in the beginning Of November,
when gentleman ails me. He was tall
lean looking gent, IN a long black coat
and white choker, and carried carpet
bag and a umbrella. I put him down as
parson at once, along of his gentcel
manner and low voice.
"'Cabman.' says he, do you know Won
| UNCOVERED village church, where Sab
bath after Sabbath, the rustic congrega-
ton kneel, faithful to the religion in this
land established?'
"No, never" says I.
"Do you know the Kings Arms at
Noting Hill?'
Right says.
"In he jumps and I drives on, think
ing what rum fare I'd got.
HE were all peaccable enough as long
as we was in the lighted streets, but when
we gets into the quieter parts, I hears him
a-talking out loud and giving out texts.
care you!quite we'll, sire says:
''Hl ham, my tumble triend,' he replied ::
did you ever hear of the poet Laureate's
hode on the Gunpowder treason2'
81 never driv' any SIGH person in my
life.'
"After that he wanted me to fix his
carpet bag on to the roof. Well, 1 see by
this time that something waa amiss with
him, and was afraid like to refase. So
grabs the bag and chambers on the box
seat, and was just pretendin' to tie his
old bag, when all of a sudden he springs
after me, and before knew where was
he had me tied down with bit of strong
rope to the top of my own cab-done me
so tight that I couldn't move finger.
II knowed then that nv fare was made,
and we was IN lonely spot, no houses
Near.
"There was the lunatic a sitin' on
the roofs with his legs over the side
looking at me, and now and then giving
me one in the stomach with his CAMP.
"Presently [ see q change come over
him; his eyes got ali tirely and he sort of
trembled all over.
"He comes right up close and he says,
says he, Say your prayers-I shall kill
youw
"I don't know none I hollers, in aw-
full fright.
"'Make some up, then
ct can't
"'Then I shall Stay you at once says
he.
"Just then remembered word or
two of the YIN my mother taught me
when child and says very shaky--
Mathew, Mark, Luke and John,
+ Bless the cabaS I'm tied on
"Lor! how that pleased him. He laugh
ed till the tears run so fast on the top of
the cab I thought it was raining
'Hoorah!'' he says, I'm going to burn
YOU
"'Whatv I 'ollers.
why! I'm Guy Fawkes, you KNOW
says the mailman, you'll burn we'll, so
I'm going to have bonfire
''Then be gets out some Iucifers and
sets fire to the straw. I heard the cab
beginning to erackle away inside like
anything, and the parson a.dancin' a
'ornpipe on the path.
II Civ it all up then-strugg!e as I did
I couldn't get loose-and was shriekin'
and yellin' at the top of my voice, when
up tears a chaise. the 'osses all covered
with foam.
1.-TWO men leaps out and collars my
fare by the neck, and two more, seeing
my cab a-fre, tramples it out, just as I
was pretty near turning it over a-tryin' to
get united and cuts me down.
"Afterwards, when I had put myself
outside drop OF something hot, they
| told me he we1e a escaped maniac as had
been parson. ....
"Ah! we see deal of lite, We cabmen
| do.
'Talkin' about the different sort eff
| people we drives sometimes, reminds me
of another rummy customer Of mine.
II had my suspicious Of that fare from
the first. She were night fare, and
used to meet her about midnight, up at
the West End, three times week. She
wore heavy black wall and black clothes,
always Of the first quality, and there was
no mistake as to her being a real lady.
swell, she would tell me to drive to
some Of the wust parts Of the town-reg-
ular downright bad places-and when we
got to the top of certain low courts, she
would get out and walk down the alley,
filthy as it may be, like inherent lamb
going into den Of wolves. After half a
hour or hour she would come back again
and be drove to some other place of the
same kind and then be drove home
II says to myself that ar sort of thing
couldn't go on longer. There I was, a
good-lookin' young Teller, a gallavantin'
night after night with young and love
ly female woman, and not knowin' what
her little game was. ..-. ... ..
$50 one night when she says to me
she 'ad beautiful voice, she 'ad-'Go to
Blackman's Rents, cabman, please
which I knew for to be wild place, I
says, says I, Bill Straps, you must find
out what she's up to-
! "Accordin, worked round to Black
mans Rents, where gets down and lets
the lady out watches her 60 down
the street, or whatever you might call it,
as usual; then puts the bag on my 'oss S
nose, and follows her. Fust house she
comes to she pushes open the door and
walks IN. I follers her tiptoe. She goes
up stairs. I goes up stairs. She walks
into room, and after a bit I puts my
head quietly inside, a-thinkin' very, very
bad things about this rumlny face.'
II never see slch sight IN my lite.
There she was a-kneelin' on the floor a.
prayin', while around was set Of the
widest women in London behavin' as
quiet and peaceahe as lambs. Lor! how
she prayed. Her wall was thrown back,
and I see her face, all pale and lovely,
like what see in a w1nder when I went
to church one day. Her 'ands were fold
ed together and pressed 'ard on her chest,
and as them words came pouring out OF
her lips, lor, how them creatures did
cry!
I felt SO strange about the eyes, I had
to walk back sharp to my cab, and there,