Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-01-26


wished me an impressively pronounced
E'fGood bye" firmly holding rather thar
shaking my hand while she said 1t. I &C
cnmpanied her to the door, outside Of
which she seem rather to fade into thu
darkness than to pass through it. But
referred this impression to my own fancy
Immediately inquired of the servant
why she had not announced the visitor te
me. She stated that she was not aware
,hars -fsss sae'' one, and that any one who
had entered must KavsSsan.s0 % " ~, .s sne
had left the street door open ab0urhalr.. a.
hour previously, while she went across th
road for moment.
Soon after this occurred had to fulfil
an engagement at house near Bosworth
Field, In Leicestershire. I left town on q
Friday, having sent some pictures that
were too large to take with me py the lug
gage train week previously, in order
that they might be at the house on my ar.
'fvai, and occasion me no loss of time in
waiting for them. found that they had
not been heard Of and. on inquiring at the
station it was stated that a case similar
to the one described had passed through
ana gone on to Leicester. where it proba-
bly, still was. 1t being Friday. and past
the hour of the post, there was no pos j.
o'ilty OF getting letter to Leicester be-
'ore Monday morning, as the luggage Office
would be closed there on Sunday; conse-
qrently could in no case expect the arri-
val OF the pictures before the succeeding
tuesday or Wednesday. The loss of three
| lays would be serious one; therefore, to
avoid it. suggested to my host that I
should leave Immediately 10 transact some
business in South Staffordshire, as I
should be obliged to attend to it before
my ret urn to town. and if could see
about it in the vacant interval thus thrown
upon my hands it would be saving me the
same amount of time after ms visit to his
house was concluded This arrangement.
NEE ing with his ready assent, I fastened
+" the Atharstone station on the Trent
Valley Railway. By reference to Brad
shaw found that my route lay through
Llchtield. where was to change carriages
'" s.. in Staffordshire. was Just in
lime for the train that would put me- down
1t Llcbfeld at in the evening, and train
was announced to start from Lichfeld for
s. at $40, answering, as I concluded
70 the train in which was about to tray-
i. therefore Saw no reason to doubt
nut that I should get to my j ,urney's end
fhe same night; but on my arriving at
L'chdeld found my plaus entirely frus-
5rated. The train arrived runctually. and
got out. intending to wait on the plat
FORM for the arrival of the carriages for
the Their line. found, however, though
the two lines cross at Llchfield, t;ley did
not communicate with each other the Lich-
deld station on the Trent Valley line be-
ing on one side of the town and the Lich-
field station On the South Staffordshire /
line on the other. soon found that there
was not time to get to the other station
90 as to catch the train the same evening
indeed. the train had just that moment
passed on a lower level beneath my feet.
and to get to the other side of the town.
where it would stop for two minutes only
was out OF the question. There was,
nothing for it but to put up at
The Swan Hotel for tie night. I have an
special dislike to passing an evening at
hotel in country town. Dinner at such
places l never take, as I had rather 90
without than have such as am likely to
get. Books are never to be had; the cnun-
nv newspapers do not interest me. The ;
Times l have spelt through on my journey i
The society l am likely to meet have few
IDEAS IN common with myself. Under .
uch circumstances usually resort to {
neat tea to while away the time, and when
hat is over occupy myself in writing. .
This was the first time I had been in {
1ichfield. and while waiting for the tea it /
to me how, on two occasions c
within the past six months, ha been on I
he point of coming to that very place, at a
ne time to execute small commission q
or an old acquaintance, resident there. O
nd another to get the materials for pic t
ure proposed painting Of an incident in b
ne early life of DR.. johnson. l should t
ave come on each of these occasions had b
OF other arrangements diverted my pur- t
ose and caused me to postpo the JOUR a
ey Indefinitely. The thought. however. p
'ould occur to me: "How strange! Here .
am at Lichfeld. by no intention of my c
wn. though l have twice tried to get Il
ere and been baked" When had done "
"A thought might as well write to an ii
cq"aintance 1 had known some years a
reviously and who lived in the Cathedral. v
ose. asking him to come and pass an d
our or two with me. Accordingly ! {
ing for the waitress an! asked: "
docs Mr.. Lutte live in Lich6eld Y'' al
Yes. sir.' OF
Observation-Disclosures 20 III
Yes. sir.' i
"Can send note to him ?"
{ Yes, SIR" ca
wrote the note. saying where was and ~
king if he would come for au hour or :.
70 and talk over old matters The note =
as taken in about twenty minutes a y,
'rson of gentlemanly appearance, and
hat might be termed the advanced mid
Q age. entered the room with my note in ~ =.
hand, saying that bad sent him a ~ ~,
tter, he presumed by mistake, as he did '"
It know my name. Seeing instantly that ~
was not the person intended to write ~
}, apologized, and asked whether there ~ =,
Is not another Mr.. Lutte living in Lich. "a
Id. s '
lid
mo, there was none other" :,
'Certainly." rejoined, my friend ~.
lst have given me- his right address, for a !
had written to him on other occasions sts
re. He was fair young man he sue ed
eded to an estate in consequence of his TO,
Gle having been killed while bunting LII,