Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-10-03


the circumstance that he had never be.
fore heard of Bill Muggins did not great.
ly hamper his satisfaction.
"Yos; bloomin' lucky chap, that
Bill, and don't deserve 1t. neither. lie
amt got no wife nor no lchilder, an yet
he gifts the luck"
"What's happened 10 himP Some
one been giving him sovereign for q
shillingp" Josiah asked, chuckling at his
own humor.
"More nor that" said James, gloom
fly. "There's a cove as he's been and
druv for less than month, and wot's
he been an donep Why, he's a-gone
an set him hup with cab and a
couple o. horses, chargin' him nothink
excep' interest, and taking that out in
hire"
Before he had concluded this brief
narrative James had worked himself up
into violent passion, as II "the cove"
who had befriended Bill Muggins had
done him (James Barmer) a personal
injury.
"Gently, James, gently. That was
very good, indeed, OF the gentleman. |
won't be going out to-day, thank YOU"
"Oh! won't youp' James growled,
and stalked off, still nourishing the Bit
tercst resentment against the benefactor
Of Bill Muggins.
Josiah muscd u good deal on the cir
cumstances throughout the day. II this
anonymous gentleman had thu, volun-
teered his aid to Bill Muggins after SO
brief an acquaintance, why should he
not do something for honest Jame,p
Doubtless II James were set up in bust
ness, Mrs. H.. 5 thin frame would fill out
little, her scanty clothing would be re
placed by warmer garments, the chill
dren would grow accustomed TO )ots
and shoes, and James would cease To
repine. II would be supposed 1t cost q
deal Of money, and Josiah was not a
rich man. Perhaps, II he economical
for six months or year in the matter of
his excursions In quest of material for
his great work on underground Eng
land" he might make this honest man
and his family happy. He had dim
notion that horse cost 100l., and he
fancied a hanson cab could not be less
than SOL, that would make 1901. Still,
there was the security. The cab and
horses would of course be his until
James had paid off the money, and then
he would get his rides for nothing, the
amount going against the weekly pay
ments. That looked really economical.
Now he paid James rarely less than one
pound q week. Then he would pay
him nothing; why, 1t was really eco
nomical-beside doing good to a whole
family.
"James," no said, when the honest
cabman turned up on the following
morning with u settled gloom on his
brow that tod he was still thinking ii
Bill Muggins's luck, edo you know how
much the gentleman paid for your
friends stock as q cab proprietorp"
g. Ninety pun" James growled.
"Ninety pun, an didn't drive the cove
above month; beside treatin' of him
'andsome, and never lookin' at q hextra
sixpence afore forkin' 1t out"
"Ninety pounds!" exclaimed Josiah,
his mind greatly relieved; "why, that's
not much"
"He got 'em on the cheap" James
added hastily; "maybe no one else could
buy the lot under a 'undred."
"I'll tell you what, James: I'll lend
you a hundred pounds. You buy n
couple of horses and cab. They shall
stand in my name; will charge you
five per cent. interest, and you pay it off
at the rate of twenty shillings q week,
which will take out in cab hire"
"Couldn't you make it ten bob q
weekP" said James. "When times Is
hard an fodder dear it makes tight fit.
I've card Bill Muggins say as he were
sorry he'd ever met that ere cove wot
set him up"
son." said Josiah, 81 thought it was
such good thing for him. OF course,
I only want to help you, and il it would
not be good thing we won't say any
thing more about It."
"That's accordin'," said James,
whom Melancholy seemed to have
marked for her own; "with good ma.
Wagering and honest man wot don't
drink, and takes home every penny to
his wife an children, both ends would
meet pretty well IL you made 1t ten bob
week to pay back"
"Very well," said Josiah, "if you
prefer it, though you will be so much
the longer paying off, it shall be ten
shillings week."
Thus 1t was settled, and Josiah walk.
ing down one morning to the news un.
der the pilotage of Mr.. j. Barmor
found himself the proud possessor of a
pair of horses and u Hanson cab. The
cab was, it is true, little seedy, as i,
well might be, having apparently been
one of the earliest ESSAYS Of the late Mr.
Hanson. The horses, too, were pn.
doubtedly screws. "But what can you
expect for hundred pump" said James
"with five shillin's out of my own pocket
for drinkmoneyp"
Josiah had expected something more
than this still, compared with his origina
estimate, one hundred pounds was GER
tainly very little. He did not find hi:
personal comfort added to by the
change. The cab seat was abnormaIly
high, and Josiah's legs were not long
The springs we're either broken or non
existent, and one of the horses had cul-
tivated an action which gave the un
fortunate fare the impression that he
was running on three legs. But IL Bar
mer was happy, and Mrs. B. and the
children had more to eat, these little
Inconvenience did not come into tho &C
count. Once or twice Josiah took another
cab; the change was agreeable, but he
felt horribly guilty, and when morning
came and brought Barmer for orders he
could scarcely look the honest cabmar
in the face.
Josiah did not acknowledge the truth
to himself, but the fact remains that i
was this terrible vision of the shabby
cab ut his door in the morning, and the
prospect Of jaunt with the three-legget
horse, that decided him to carry on
forthwith ong-brooded-upon notion
and visit the United States. His Ion,
delving amid the Underground Antiqui
ties of England had given him grea
yearning to behold the freshness OF th'
new country across the sea. He brok,
the news gently to James, who, willis
at first accepting IL with evident salts
faction, promptly relapsed into tina
condition OF moodiness which had grown
upon him, and which was explicab!e b,
an apparently incessant and perpotua
| inward movement in the price of oats