The daily gazette., 1879-05-19
FIRST EDITION.
PAANTOM Low f. saSN.
BY ANNA aREvILI.E.

able articles also, 1 have need of them.
am IN Englishmsn-English to the
back-bone-and live on roast beef bot
tied ale, and old port wine.
If you could feel my arms, and look
at my cheeks, and measure me across
the shoulders, you would have no doubt
that am one of the men who does not
dream and don't fancy.
When l see thing see 1t.
When l hear thing hear 1t.
And what / saw and what heard on
| one particular occasion mean to tell
you.
You will not oHened me at all If you
| doubt it.
l should doubt It myself If any one
had told it to me.
l cannot expect of any one the Gre
dence that would not give myself.
Nevertheless shall, as said, tell the
story.
1t was In the year 19-, and the month
was May, and the place was England.
/ had left London five days before,
and now l was miles and miles away
from 1t, in the very heart of the country,
travelling toward q little town where
had business.
1t was an old fashioned place, and the
people were kind and obliging.
You do not look for such qualities on
the road nowadays, II you are travel
er of experience; but here they came
upon me at the inn stopped at in q
way to make me think better of human
nature.
Travellers did not stop often at that
inn, suspect, for they were as particu-
lar about my meals a. though had been
prodigal son come from the holidays.
They killed the fatted chicken for me,
and made much of me altogether; and,
to crown all, q the train did not stop to
take me on as / wanted to go, and Is it
was only q matter of five miles or so,
what did the landlord do but hunt up a
rusty old coach that was tucked away in
the coach house, and order his man to
drive me over that evening.
1t wasn't an extra mind you. 1t was
sheer good will.
So shook hands all round, and re-
membered the chambermaid and the
waiter with half q crown each, and off l
rode-the old coach creaking, and the old
horse wheeling, and the old driver cough
ing up on the box, and 1t was like bit
out Of an old story, with an adventure in
the middle of it.
1t was getting dark fast, and the road
wound away among the hill in very ro
mantle sort of way.
do not know much about art myself
but think if that painter with the white
umbrella that used to sit about in tn,
mud making pictures could have seeI
some of those points, he would hav,
touched them up with pleasure.
| a
moon came up white and bright, and VI
against it on the rocks you could see al
the delicate, trembling little weeds ant
grasses, and there were big, black shad
ows under the trees, and glimpses O
you did not know what under tn
bushes.
Why, it made you think of ghosts,
you were commercial traveller.
"Here's the place." says I to myself
"where the gentlemen of the road woul,
have liked to meet me and my black ba
fifty years ago."
. A pretty joke 1t would have been T.
have handed my valuables over an
danced jig for their amusement beside
J fifty years ago.
A hundred years ago, anyhow,
: shouldn't have felt so safe as l do now
y
: pause.
/ "Hallo," cried 1, out of the window
: "what's the matter?"
! ats more than can tell, sir, )" said tn
4 man. "Black Jane has turned sulky
n She won't move STEP"
e "With that he began to shout and crac
2 his whip, l, with my head out Of th
d window, watching him, and suddenl
e the beast started off like mad, and
), drew in my face and saw had CON
!. pany.
"a While the coach was at stand still,
e lady and gentleman had slipped in.
n They sat on the seat opposite me an
n though it was an intrusion, / had NJ
r the heart to find fault, for prettier pa
y. y | never saw In my life.
fe If he was twenty-one, 1t was as muc
3 as he could be, and she was not seven
~ y, teen.
" " have seen pair of china lovers O
Ly the mantel-piece the perfect image I
g. what they were, and they were as prett
y and dressed much the same.
His hair was powdered, and hers to-
] She had on yellow silk, lower in IL
neck than l would like daughter
" mine to wear it, and her arms w0u
have been bare only for her long k
gloves.
fe She had pearls in her ears and on h
a. a. throat, and she had just the most inn
~ cent little face my two eyes ever rest'
on.
As for the boy, he had chocolate ve
no vet coat and white silk stockings, al
0 ] lace ruffles at his wrists.
N And they had one large cloak-his,
fancy-cast about the two of thel
though it had dropped back bit as tn
!. sat down.
as ss "Two young folks going to fan
ny ball, perhaps" says l, ''and just took
lift on the way"
=, And touched my cap to them, al
Iiv says l.:
- "Fine evening, SIR"
he He did not answer me, but she look,
at me and stretched out her little whi
an hand. i.
"Oh, sir, ,"she said, "look out at the ba
IN of the coach, l pray you, and tell me
A' he is gaining on US"
looked out of the window.
"There's man on horseback ridil
I'M the road" said l, for saw one.
~ "Oh, heavenl" said she.
"Courage, Betty" said the young Il
n, low. "They shall never part u.s."
Then l knew 1t was runaw
match. 49,,