Sharp County record., 1880-12-02

scrupuouSly neat and except for the
story he had told Of his poverty and the
confirmation which that obtained from
his sudden porterage, Mr.. Springer
never would have taken him for man
in need, but would have thought him an
English gentleman on his travels. Ev-
cry once in a while Edward Meyrick
broke into low laugh, which he tried
to suppress. The laugh somehow gave
Mr.. Springermore confidence than any
thing else.
"You seem amused" he said at
length.
"Do 1? 0, l beg your pardon to be
sure, but every time | think of myself
shouldering that trunk imagine myself
in Pail Mall" and Mr.. Meyrick laughed
again.
=" Then you've not been long in this
country?"
40 come now, if you'll excuse me l
won't try to give an account of myself.
Just take me for granted, will you? I'm
strictly honest and respectable l do as
sure you, though appearances may be
against me. Pm desperately hard up,
to be sure, but if 1 can suit your friend
the clergyman"
g Let me remind you," said Mr..
Springer gently, "that he is not my
friend.n
so, never mind. If he wants an
organist, 1 am pretty sure shall give
satisfaction" Then Mr.. Meyrick
plunged into talk headlong and amused
Mr.. Springer with a lively account of
his passage. Mr.. Springer thought he
had never met more agreeable fellow
and the consciousness of having, as
it were, set him on his legs again, gave
him a little flutter of pleasure. Besides
the young man was an Englishman,
Just landed and Mr.. Springerfraternized
with him as he was not wont to do with
his own countrymen.
They were very slight reasons which
had determined our hero to 60 to Oak
dale, in fact, the reasons were just two.
In the course of his patient reading of
the newspapers he had fallen upon a
bit of letter writing which referred in
cidentally to the neat country tavern
there and once at the Trinity he had
heard a clergyman preach who was said
by some people passing him in the aisle
10 be the rector of parishin Oakdale.
1t did not take many reasons to decide
Mr.. Springer. Two were quite enough
in this case. The country tavern was
attractive looking and Mr.. Springer for
a moment felt a little pride at having
brought this Englishman to house
which would give so agreeable an
impression of American country life; it
was Meyrick's first excursion out of
New York. The host offered them the
register and Meyrick who was making
haste to Americanize himself wrote his
name boldly, but Mr.. Springer was
intent upon the county map which hung
in the hall.
"Wil you register your name, sir?"
said the host to him.
"It's of no consequence" said Mr..
Springer firmly. Meyrick looked a trihe
surprised The host looked displeaSed.
"You must excuse me-" said he, Il
am very particular about my house. l
would rather lose guest than
| than"
80, I'll answer for him. said Mey-
rick with alacrity. "Here, I'll put him
down as my friend" and he seized the
pen and added after Edward Meyrick,
New York, ".and friend" "You can
give us a couple of rooms, landlord?"
The man hesitated still.
"What is your charge till Monday
noon?n asked Mr.. Springer, and draw
ing out his pocket-book he insisted on
paying in advance. The host shoulder
ed Mr.. Springer's trunk and took his
BAG in his hand The two rooms ad-
Joined, and setting down the trunk in
one room he was carrying the bag into
the other.
"You can put those both in here,"
said Mr.. Springer.
"But where's your baggage then?n
The landlord turned to Meyrick.
80, Pm Tght-weIghted," said that
gentleman. The landlord looked per-
picked.
"rH answer for him." said Mr..
Springer suddenly.
"Well, never" grumbled the land
lord to himself as he went away.
They're precious pair, Edward Mey-
rick and friend. The friend seems to
pay all the money and have all the bag
gage and Edward Meyrick has the
name" But the landlord had accepted
the money and he tried hard to pocket
his suspicious also. There was nothing
more in the conduct of the two to ex-
cite his suspicious. They took their
supper quietly and went out to walk
afterward, first inquiring the way to
the clergyman's. Nothing could be
more decorous than that, nevertheless
the landlord made up his mind that the
unknown was detective who had come
down to ferret out some forgotten crime.
The clergyman's house was not far
away, but when they came in sight of it
Mr.. Springer turned aside.
81 will take walk while you 90 ir,"
said he. Il am not necessary to the
business. What did the landlord say
was the name of the Clergyman"
"Johnson. The Rev. Mr.. Johnson.
emo"
"Why, do you know him?"
"That was not the name of the one
whom 1 heard preach" said Mr..
Springer family.
"Well, he's only been here a few
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