The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-10-11

not giving me time to think | plucke,i
the bag from the rack and threw it
violently out, as / reckoned, upon the
platform; it fell, however, on the line,
about ten yards beyondit
"Good heavens" cried /, ''he'Il lose
it." -0'O
''It is no Natter said the diplomat
lst in the sOftest and creamiest tone
conceivable; lit happens to be my
bag"
You might have knocked me down
with feather. I made hundred ap-
pologies, all of which he acknowledged
with great politeness.
''lt has my address on it, and will
turn up some day, no doubt"
''HOw could | have been such an in
fernal fool!'' / murmured penitently.
Pardon me,'' he said, still sweetly
smiling; ''it is not that you are the
character you have SO graphically de-
scribed, but because you have so much
presence of mind. For my part
never do anything in hurry, and es-
| pecially if it seems imperatively de-
manded of me; always carefully avoid
being what is vulgarly called equal to
the situation. At one time, indeed, it
was otherwise. / used to suffer from
the same infirmity as yourself, but was
cured of it as | am sure you will be,
and, as it curiously happens, in pre-
eisely similar manner.
81 was coming by mail one night
from the north of Scotland; in the car
riage with me was but one fellow pas
senger, young fellow whom I judged
/ to be in love, since he seemed very
much occupied with his own affairs and
said little. He did not appear
inclined for sleep, and gave me the idea
of expectation. Perhaps he was to
meet his beloved object at his journey $
end. At q small station just beyond
Perth he got hurriedly out, as | under
stood from his muttered exclamation,
for glass of whisky; it was bitterly
cold winters night, which seemed an
excuse for it; but / warned him that
there was no time to get it, and there
was not. The carriage door had hardly
closed behind him when the train went
on.
II was very sorry for the poor lad,
and knowing that to be left at SO
wretched place without ones luggage
would be an additional annoyance,
with great presence of mind threw out
of the window everything he possessed
his portmanteau, hat box and railway
rug, even to his umbrella. | can see
them now, black on the snow-coyered
line, where he could not fail to see
them from the platform. Then we
thundered on for about twenty miles,
when the train stopped again, and
who should present himself at the
window of the carriage but the young
man himself
'''I beg your PARDON he said, fol-
letting the cold air in, but see it is the
wrong compartment. | thought [ had
left my baggage here
$50 you did, said; 'but | chucked
it out. I'm very sorry, but | thought
we had left you behind. / did it all for
the best
"'And you've done it pretty com
pletely,' was his dry reply.
"When we had telegraghed to the
last station he got it again and ex-
planned matters. He was studying
civil engineering, it seemed, and had
bribed the engine man to let him drive
us for a mile or two. As this was con.
trary to regulations, the man wa:
afraid to let him join him at Perth, but
told him to jump on at the first small
station we came to, which he accord
ingly did. 1t was a lesson to him not
to break the company's bylaws, and tC
me not to be so fond as / used to be Of
exercising my presence of mind. =
After this homily, and my own pre-
vious experience of what comes o.
promptness and presence of mind, the
reader viii think that | myself-nlo
qali Uous pGrLe-would atleast never fal
into mistake of that kind again. Ye
this happened to me only last week.
had taken a hurried lunch at my
club, before going to Brighton, and
finding it to be rather late, had flung
myself into the first hanson at the door
with an impatient ITO Victoria The
man drove off, but slowly; his horse
seemed tired, and after few yard
came to a full stop. ''What is the
matter?n exclaimed with some irri
tation. 81 am the matter cried well
known voice; it was great friend o
mine, who had stopped the cab, just t.
shake hands. His quick eye saw some
thing besides myself in it. "Why dc
you travel with two umbrellas, he in
quired, Like Japanese gentleman o
rank with a couple of swords?''
Then perceived that the man wht
had just got out of the hanson a
the club had left his .umbrell;
. behind him. Of course I nigh
have left it where it was, but, witt
great presence of mind, it struck M
that it would be better to intrust it tt
my friend (who was bound for the club
to give it to the porter, for the owner
who would thereby recover it at once
l therefore did so, and with the con
sciousness of having performed goot
action, and also manifested no Sigh
acumen on the spur of the moment, w
drove on.
On arriving at Victoria, I tendere'
, the cab-man eighteenpence. ''Wha
is this forP' he inquired, with an indig
nation which, considering his actua
fare was a,shilling, did him, / thought
/ great credit. 1T is just fifty per cent
above what owe YOU said, ''yor
very impudent fellow"
, WhatF; he cried IN q vn;ao fbo