Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-03-03
THE QUAKER DETECTIVE.

We were five passengers in all
tive ladies on the back seat, and
middle aged gentleman and Quaker
and myself on the front.
The ladies' might have been mother
and daughter, and nelce, governess
and charge, or might have sustained
| another relationship which make it
proper for two ladies 10 travel TO-
gether unattended.
The middle-aged gentleman was
sprightly and talkative. He soon
struck up an acquaintance with the
ladies, toward whom in his zeal to do
he rather overdld the agreeable
bowaing and smiling and chatting over
shoulder in a way painfully sugges-
tive, at his time of life, of ''crick"
in the neck. He was evidently a
gay Lothario.
The Quaker wore the uniform of
bis sect and confined his speech, as
many a parliamentarian would save
his credit by deing, to simply ''yeas"
and "nays.' AS for myself, | make
it an invariable rule of the road to be
merely looker-on and listener.
Toward evening 1 was aroused
from one of those reverics into which
a young man, without being poet or
a lover, will sometimes fall, by an alb
rupt query from the talkative gentle.
man:
.Are YOU armed, sir?'
II am not," answered, astonish-
ed, no doubt visibly, at the question.
II am sorry to hear it, he re-
piled, "for, before reaching our next
stopping place, it will be several
hours in the night, and we must pass
ever a portion of the road on which
more than one robbery is reported te
: have been committed.
The ladies turned pale, but the
stranger did his best to reassure
them.
"Not that l think there is the
slightest danger at present" he re-
, suned, ''only when one is RESPONSE
t Bile for the safety of the ladies, yot
: know, such a thing as pistol il
: reach would materially add to one'
S confidence.
t "Your principles, my FRIEND" ad
dressing the Quaker, 81 presume
It are as much opposed to the carryin!
# as 10 using carnal weapons:'
"Yes," was the response.
Z ''Have the Villains murdered an.
e one of their vlctlms?' the elderl,
o lady nervously inquired.
~ "Or have contented themselve
, with-wth-plundering them?" add
" ed the younger in a timorous voice
"Decidedly the latter" the amia
BILE gentleman fastened to give assul
in ance; ''and we are none of US pre-
r. pared to offer resistance in case CT al
8 tack, so nothing worse than robber
- :, can possibly befall u.s."
Il Then, after blaming his though
TO lessness in having unconsciously il
troduced dIsagreeable subject, th
gentleman quite excelled himself
- efforts to raise the spirits ofthe con
o. pany, and had succeeded so we'll ths
s. by the time night had set in that a
I'd had quite forgotten or remembers
e. their fears to laugh at them.
er Our genial companion fairly talke
,y himself hoarse; perceiving which |
ly took from his pocket box of new
: invented cough candy, and, att
passing it to the ladies', he helpe
himself to the balance aud tossed Il
Isl paper out the window.
st He was in the midst Of high e
en- comium on the new nostrum, mo
to than ha.f of the efficacy of which,
he insisted, depended on its being taxi
ue by suction, when a shrill whistle VI
Al heard, and almost Immediately 4
coach stopped and two faces, hid
ret ously blackened, presented ther
rs- selves at each window.
&C. "Sorry 10 trouble you,'' said I
man on the right, acknowledge
IN with a bow two ladylike screa'
ed from the back seat; ''but business
are business, and ours will soon be 0,
or. if things go smoothly"
,, "Of course, gentlemen, you v
) spare, as far as may be consistt
with your disagreeable duty, the fe
ab- ings of these ladies'" appealed
an polite passenger in his blandest nj
ner.
eh' "Oh! certainly; them shall be fl
lite attended to, and shall not be requ
say ed to leave their places, unless til
his conduct renders it necessary
"And now, ladies'" continued
robber, the barrel of his pistol g
ne tering in the light of the coach lal
). ''be so good as to pass your purs
watches and such other trinkets
hat may be accessible without too m
,or trouble.
'eI' The ladies' came down handsom
nus and were not further molested.
nch One by one the rest got out.
nal middle-aged gentleman's turn C:
bo first. He submitted with a vim
grace, and was robbed like a ,
Chesterfield.
NV own affairs, like the sum
now are scarcely worth mentioning.
,as,, The Quaker's turn came next.
:, quietly handed over his pockett
and watch, and, when asked i
had any other valuables, said "ns
your A Quaker's word is good,
uno- ~ among thieves, So, after b
c'Iy good night" the robber thrust
'acs pistol into his pocket, and, with
soo' two companions, one OF whom
held the ruins of the leaders,
about departing.
rail "Stop!" exclaimed the Quak
t we a tone more of command than G
aivis- quest.
o.,h stop? What for?" returned
!, ~ other in evident surprise.
'ootu "For at least two good reaso
n Of was the reply, emphasized "
N to- couple Of derringers cooked and
allies, sented.
- "Help!" shouted the robber.
= W "Stop!" the Quaker exclal
and land if any of thy sinful cou
. ions advance step to thy relic
spirit will surely move me to bio
you brains out.
s?'' The robber at the opposite
land at the leaders heads thou