Daily Republican., 1880-08-06


| Your tide denled.
I Nor mark with hearts that bleed,
| How souls 90 down,
This ignorance indeed
Is childhood's crown.
Boston Pilot.
| THE QUAKER DETECTIVE.
How the Tables Were Turned On
Chief OF ''kOad Agents."
( We were five passengers in all-tw
ladies on the back seat, and q middle
aged man and q Quaker on the middle
and myself on the front. The tw
ladies might have been mother AM
daughter, aunt and niece, governes
and charge, or they might have sus
tsined any other relationship whicl
made II proper for two ladies to trave
together unattended.
The middle-aged gentleman wa
sprightly and talkative. He soon struol
up an Acquaintance with the two ladies'
toward whom, in his zeal to do, h
rather overdone the agreeable-bowinl
and smiling and chattsring over hi
shoulder in way painfully suggestiv,
| at his time Of life, Of a "cfickH In tht
trick. Hs was evidently a gay Lotha
rio. The Quaker wore the uniform o
his sect, and confined his speech, al
many a parlismentarian would save hlt
credit by doing, to simply "yeas" and
"nays." As for myself, l make it ar
invariable rule Of the road to be mere
ly q looker-on and listen. Toward even
ing I was aroused from one of those
reveries into which young man, with
ont being poet or lover, will some
times fall, by an abrupt query from the
talkative gentleman
fAre you armed, sir ?"
81 am not" l answered, astonished
no doubt visibly, at the question.
81 am sorry to hear it," he replied
"for, before reaching cur next stopping
place, it will be several hours in the
night. and we may pass over portion
of the road on which more than one
robbery is reported to have been com.
mitted."
The ladies turned pale, but the
stranger did his best to reassure them.
"Not that think there is the slight
est danger at present." he resumed ;
"only when one is responsible for the
safety of the ladies, you know, such a
thing as q pistol in reach would mate
rally add TO ones confidence"
"Your principles, my friend" ad-
dressing the Quaker, ~ presume, are
as much opposed to carrying as to usiHg
carnal weapons 7"
"Yea," was the response.
"Have the villains murdered any OF
their victims 2" the elder lady nervous
ly inquired.
cor have they contented themselves
with-with-plundering themH" added
the younger in timorous voice.
"Dscidedly the latter" the amiable
gentleman hastened to give assurance,
"and we are none ofus prepared to
offer resistance in case Of attack, 80
nothing worse than robbery can pos
sibly befall u.s."
Then, after blaming his thoughtless-
ness in having unnecessarily intro
duced disagreeable subject, the gen.
tleman quite exoelled himself In efforts
to raise the spirits of the company, and
had succeeded so we'll by the time
night had set in that all had quite
forgotten or only remembered their
fears to laugh at them. Our genial
companion fairly talked himself hOarse,
which he took from his
pocket box Of newly-invented "cough
candy" and after passing it to the
ladies he helped himself to the balance
and tossed the paper out of the window.
He was in the midst of high enconium
on the new nostrum, more than half
the efficacy of which, he insisted, de-
pended on its being taken by suction,
when a shrill whistle was heard, and
almost Immediately the coach stopped,
while two faces, hideously blackened,
presented themselves, one at each win
dow.
"sorry to trouble you," said the man
on the right, acknowledging with &
bow two lady.iik screams from the
back seat "but business is business. ,
and ours will soon be over if this goes
-,
"Of course, gentlemen, you will
spare, as far ss may be consistent with
your disagreeable duty, the feelings of
these ladies'" appealed the polite mes
senger, in his blandest manner.
"Oh certainly they shall be hrst
attended to, and shall not be required
to leave their places, unless their con-
duct renders 1t necessary"
"And now, ladies'" continued the
robber, the barrel of his pistol glitter
ing in the light of the coach light, "be
30 good as to pass your purses, watches
and such other trinkets rs may be &C.
cessible without too much trouble"
The ladies came down handsomely,
and were no further molested. One by
one the rest got out. The middle-aged
turn came first. He SUBJ
nitted with a winning grace, and was
robbed like very Chesterfield. N.Y.
own affairs, like the sum | lost are
hardly worth mentioning The Quak,
ar's turn came next. He quietly handed
over bis pocket-book and watch, and,
~ han asked if he had any other valu-
able, said "nay." A Quaker's word is
good even among thieves $50, after
TASTY "good night" the robber thrust
ais pistol into his pocket, and with ms
,wo companions, one of whom held the
.ein Of the leaders, was about depart
ng. o !,
one more of command than of request
Ustop! What for ?" returned the