Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-06-10
My Strange FeIIow-Passenger.

yes" said the old doctor, asserting
to a remark / had just made. '' I've
had good many strange experiences in
my time, and | think | may call mine
rather an eventful life.
Forty years ago last june" he re-
sumed, after moment of thoughtful
silence, g graduated with high honors,
and received q hospital appointment,
which would furnish me with employ
ment TOR the next five years, and enable
me to obtain u practical knowledge of
medicine before setting up for myself.
= My duties did not begin, however,
before the first of August, and as / was
a little worn out by the heat and by
hard study, | was GLAD to be able to
spend the intervening six weeks with
my mother in the country.
. | left Phiadelplli;l one day at noon,
by the stage that was to convey me to
the town where she lived. We were to
travel until late in the evening, when we
were to stop for the night at a little pub
lic house on the road, resuming our
Journey by the mail-coach at six the
next morning.
There were two other passengers be-
sides myself, u young man who had
sF cured the box-seat which / had ex-
pected to get, and lady who sat inside
with me.
'sWe drove along merrily enough, in
good humor with ourselves and each
other, and had placed about mile be-
tween us and the town, when, as |
looked out of the window, / saw, stand
ing by the roadside, man with car
pet bag in one hand, who was beckoning
to the driver with the other. We pres
emily came up with him.
80 Inside or outside, sir?' asked the
driver, as he dismounted.
''' Inside; inside. of course was the
reply, a little irascibly, / thought, as the
newcomer placed his feet upon the step.
''' Y er pay in advance. sir, beggin' yer
pardon reminded the driver, detaining
him and touching his hat
s'The old gentleman-he was elderly.
and to all appearance a gentleman
seemed further irritated by the delay.
He asked the amount, however, paid it
at once. and took his seat beside me, be-
slowing his carpet-bag under his feet,
and evincing great satisfaction as we
started again.
g I had feared we were to have dis
agreeable addition to our party, judging
from first impressions; but when, after
while, the man joined in conversation
with US. we found him remarkably in
telligent and affable.
'sBefore he had talked great while
discovered he had leo rather noma-
die life Europe, South America, East
India, seemed equally familiar to him.
Without being garrulous, he had so
many charming incidents to relate of
life in many lands, that he contrived to
entertain us most deliphtfullv
g | judged he was travelling on import
ant business, he seemed SO Jealous of
any attention. When we stopped to al
low the " box-seat " passenger to alight.
and again at three o'clock, when we
halted for dinner, noticed he became
restless and anxious.
g At dinner, his manner was con-
strained He ate little, and talked less.
consulted his watch frequently, and
finally excused himself before we had
half finished the meal, and left the room.
when we resumed our seats in the
stage, we found him there before us.
He was seated in his old place, with his
head drawn back in an uncomfortable
corner, effectually shielding him from
observation. Indeed, had handed the
lady in before she discovered him, and
she gave little cry of surprise
Il uOpe Il sudVen StHfbleQr YOU,
madam he said. / had no appetite
for dinner, SO thought might as well
wait here as in the house,
'''These delays are rather annoying
when one is anxious to get on re-
marked.
's' Yes, sir; yes, he replied with a
light sigh. 1t is highly important, too,
that should lose no time on the way
He then changed the subject, with
the ease of a man of the world, and our
conversation became general He was
certainly very pleasant. After five
O'Clock, when the lady inside as the
driver called her, left us to ourselves,
our tete-G-tete was especially agreeable.
Just at dark, we drew up in front of
the little inn which was to furnish ms
with our nights lodging
''The proprietor came out to meet us,
and with many apologies regretted that
he had but one spare room to offer us.
There was q wedding in the neig
borhood that evening, and a party from
town had driven down early in the after
noon and engaged all his apartments ex-
cept this one chamber
But iftyou two gentlemen don't OBJ
ect sharing the same room for couple
of hours-you'll have to rise early to
take the mail coach-I think I can make
you very comfortable. There are two
clean beds in the room, and
I'm sure I'll not object inter-
rupted, turning to my fellow-traveler.
DE hesitated an instant, and then