The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-12-31
"Cabbies" Fares.

"Now think OF 1t, l believe that the
escaped parson- -old Guy Fawkes, as I
call him-were the queerest fare as ever
driv'--he were rum I'm and no mistake.
"Let me see, it was about eight or ten
years ago, when I 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 long black coat
and white choker, and carried carpet
bag and umbrella. / put him down as
parson at once, along of his genteel
manner and low voice.
"'Cabman,' says he, do you know yon
lvy-covered village church, where Sab
bath after Sabbath, the rustic congrega-
ton kneel, faithful to the religion in this
land establisheda'
mo, never" says I.
"Do you know the Kings Arms 1T
Noting Hill2'
Right says.
sin lie jumps and 1 drives on, think
ing what rum fare I'd got.
"He were all peaceable enough as long
as we was in the lighted streets, but when
we gets into the quieter parts, hears him
a-talking out loud and giving out texts.
care you'quite we'll, STRIP says.
"Hl ham, my tumble friend" he replied:
did you ever hear of the poet Laureate's
hode on the Gunpowder treasonT
~ never driv' any SIGH person in my
ife.'
"After that he wanted me to fix his
carpet BAG on to the Roof Well, l see by
this time that something waa amiss with
him, and was afraid like to refuse. So
grabs the bag and chambers on the box
seat, and was just pretendin' to tie his
old bag, when all of 4 sudden he springs
after me, and before I knew where I 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 my fare was made,
and we was IN lonely spot, no houses
near.
'There was the lunatic 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 change come over
him; his eyes got oil firely and he sort of
trembled all over.
HE comes right up close and he says,
says he, Say your prayers-1 shall kill
you'll"
"'1 don't know none I hollers, in aw-
full fright.
"'Make some up, them
"'I can't
"'Then 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,
B ess 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 rainlng.'
"'Hoorah!' he says, I'm going to burn
YOU
'Whatv 'ollers.
"'Why! I'm Guy Fawkes, you know
says the mailman, you'll burn well, SO
I'm going to have bonfire
"Then he gets out some lucifers 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-struggle as I did
I couldn't get loose-and was shriekin'
and yellin' at the top of my voice, when
up tears chaise. the losses 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 were escaped maniac as had
been parson.
"Ahl 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.
~ 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 a week. She
wore heavy black wall and black clothes,
always of the first quality, and there was
no mistake as to her beng real lady.
"Well, 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, gallavantin'
night after nj ght 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, l worked round to Black.
mans Rents, where I gets down and lets
the lady out. I watches her 90 down
the street, or whatever you mi ght call it,
as usual; then I puts the bag on my 'oss's
nose, and follows her. Fust house she
comes to she pushes open the door and
walks IN. follers her tiptoe. She goes
up stairs. I goes up stairs. She walks
into q room, and after bit I puts nv