The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-12
Phantom Lovers.

Before begin my story 1 must tell you
am u commercial traveller, born and bred.
80 to speak, to the business.
have my wits about me, and, as often
happen to have good many valuable arti-
cles also, have need of them.
l am an Englshman-En to the
back -bone-and live on roast beef, bottled
ale and old port wine.
If you could feel my arms, and look at
my checks, and measure mo across the
shoulders you would have no doubt that
am one of the men who does. not dream
and don't fancy.
When see thing see it.
When hear thing hear it.
And what saw and what l heard on one
particular occasion | mean to tell you.
You will not offend NE at ali if YOU
doubt it.
should doubt it myself if any ono had
told it to mo.
cannot expect of any one the credence
that l would not give myself.
Neverthe less shall, as l said, tell the
story.
1t was in the year 18-, and the month
was May, and the place was England
had left London five days before, and
now was miles and miles away from it, in
the very heart of the country, travelling to-
ward 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, if you are a traveller of
experience; but here they came upon ME
at the inn stopped in ''ay to make ME
think better of human nature.
'Froval loro 6;3 mt oto,, r e,o,, - ,I,>. ,.,.
suspect, for they were es particular about
my meals as though had been a prodical
son come for the holidays.
They killed the fattcd chicken for me, and
to crown all, as the train did not stop to take
me on as wanted to go, and as 1t was only
matter of five miles or 80, 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 It was
sheer good will.
So | shook hands all round, and I re-
membercd the chambcrmaid and the waiter
with half crown each, and off Irodc--thc
old coach crcaking, and the old horse wheez-
ing, and the old driver coughing 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.
40 not know much about art myself,
but think if that painter with the white
umbrella that used to sit about in the mud
making pictures could have seen some of
those points, he would have touched them
up with pleasure.
When the sun went down and the moon
came up white and bright, and up against
1t on tho rocks you could see all tho deli
cate, trembling little weeds and grasses,
and there were big, black shadows under
the trees, and glimpses of you did not
know what under the bushes. q"
Why, 1t made you think of ghosts, if you
were commercial traveller
Here's the place." says l to myself
"whcre the gentlemen of the road would
have liked to meet me and my black bag
fifty years ago." ~
A pretty joke It would have been to have
handed my valuables over and danced a Jig
for their amusement besides fifty years ago.
hundred years ago, anyhow, Ishouldn't
have felt 80 safe as do now. EE5.s.;
Just then the coach came to a sudden
pause. NoT ,'is,f[ lf
'Hallo !" DRIED out of the window,
s'what's tho mattcr2" .,ia 5<g
"It's more than can tell, sir,,'' said the
man; "Black Jane has turned sulky. She
won't move step" ,y,,., KILL.
"With that he began t. shout and crack
his whip, !, with my head out Of the win
dow, watching him, and suddenly the beast
started Off like mad, and drow in my face
and saw had company. sI r.
While the coach was at a stand still, a
lady and gentleman had slipped In. o. =.
They sat on the seat opposite mo :; and
though 1t was an intrusion, / had not the
heart TO find fault, for a pretticr pair l
meyer saw In my life. ilti
If he was twcnty-one II was as much as
he could be-, and she was not seventeen.
have seen pair OF china lovers on tho
,mantel-piece, tho perfect image of what
they were, and they were as pretty and
dressed much the same. nshiS.ef - IS,
His hair was powdered, and hers too.
She had on yellow silk, lower In the
neck than a would like a daughter Of mine
TO wear It, and her. arms would have beer
bare only for her long kid gloves. * - 4
She had pearls in her ears and on hel
throat, and she had just the most innocent
little face my two eyes ever rested on. u
A a fo,.x xv,a t1,.v ~. at,z Ia