Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-08-20
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A Wild Ride.

-DCf tO'tTs
A Wild Ride.
Before begin my story must tell
Won that ] am q commercial traveller,
bern and bred, so to speak, to the bus
inees.
/ have my wits about me, and, as !
often happen to have good many val.
liable articles also. have need Of
them.
am an Englishman-English to the
baskbone--and live on roast beef, bot
tied ale and old pert wine. I am one
OF the men who don't dream and DOM
fancy.
When I see thing I see it. When
! hear thing hear il. And what ]
49, on one particular occasion I mean
to tell you.
You viii not offend me ii you doubt
it.
Nevertheless I shall. as said, tell
che story.
Il vas in the year 18-, and the
monlh was May, and the place was
EaglSnd. I had left London five days
before, and now was miles and miles
away from it, in tho very heart Of the
country, travelling toward little town
who're / had business. It was an old.
fashioned inn, and the people were
kind and obliging.
Travellers did not stop often at that inn,
i saspsot, for they were q particular
about my meals ~ though I had been a
prodigl con come homo fer the holi-
days.
They killed the fatted chicken for me
and made much of me altogether; and,
20 crown all. ~ the train did not stop
IN time 70 take mo ON, - I wanted to
90, and - il was only matter Of FIVE
miles or 70, what did $he landlord do
hrs Anns uc q rusty old coach that was
t0eked away in the coaoh-house, and
Og1eEod his man 70 drive me over that
evDning. u wasn't N extra. mind you.
- wae sheer good will. So I shook
49, ~ Aspund. and remembered the
16A0be fmaid and the waiter with halfa
SHOWN each, and fof ! rode. It was
gctEng eark sasA and the read wound
Away among th5\ hills in very roman.
tic sort Of waJx why, it made you
tni,l q ghosts il Jon were . CONNER
G1Aa txev0lor.
Here's the place, /" says to myself,
" whore the gentlemen OF the road
vould have Liked to met me and my
black bag fifty years age"
A pretty joke it would have been to
have handed my valuables over and
danced jig for their amusement be-
sides. fifty years ago.
A hundred years ago, anyhow, I
would not have felt so safe as do now.
Just then the coach came to o sudden
paase.
Halo" cried I, out Of the window,
whats the matter? 2"
i" It's more than I can tell, sir" said
the man. Black Jane has turned
uulky; she won't move q STEP"
With that he began to shout and
arack his whip. I, with my head ont of
the window Watching him, and sudden
" the beast started off like mad, and
drew in my face and saw had com.
pAny.
While the coach was at stand-still, ,
. !ady and gentleman had slipped in.
$ They sat on the seat opposite me,
and though it was intrusion, I had not
the heart to find fault, for q prettier
pair ! never saw in my life.
II he was twenty one it was as much
- he could be. and she was not seven
team.
have seen pair of china lovers on
she mantel-piece the perfect image OF
whas they were. as pretty, and dressed
much the same.
His hair was powdered and hers too.
She had on yellow silk, lower in the
neck than I would like daughter of
mine to wear it, and her arms would
have been bare only for her long kid
gloves. She had pearls in her ears and
on her throat, and she had Just the
most innocent little face my two eyes
avef rested upon. As for the boy, he
had . chocolate velvet coat and white
aaik stockings. and lace ruffles at his
wrists. And they had one large cloak
his. fancy-cast about the two of
them. though it had dropped back q
bit - they sat down.
1.-Two young folks going to fancy
ball. perhaps" said /, "and just took
. lift on the way"
And l touched my cap to them and
ssysI:
Fine evening. SIR"
He did not answer me, but she looked
= me and stretched out little white
hand.
|" Oh, sir" che said, "look ont at
q. back Of the coach, I pray you, and
tall me II be il gaining on u.s."
I looked out Of the window.
There's man on horseback riding
up the road, /" said /. for saw one.
"0h, heavensl" said she.
"Courage, Betty" said the young
fsll0w. "They shall never part u.s."