Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-02-08

'Is he? Now, that's very nice" saiC
Josiah, beaming benevolently through
his spectacles. He was always glad tt
hear of good being done to any one
and the circumstance that he haC
never before heard of Bill Muggin
did not greatly hamper his satisfaction
eyes; bloomih' lucky chap, tina
Bill, and don't desarve it, neither. II,
amt got no wife nor cbilder reglar ever
year seven year runnin', an yet he git
the luck"
"What's happened to him? Some
one been giving him sovereign for {
shilling a? Josiah asked, chuckling a
his own humor."
"More nor that" said James gloomily
"Thcre's cove as he's been and dru7
| for less than month, and wot's he beer
an done ? Why, he's a-gone an a-se
him hup with a cab and a couple o
losses, chargin' him nothink excep' in
terest, and taking that out IN hire"
Before he bad concluded this brie
narrative James had worked himsel
up into violent passion, as if s'the
cove" who had befriended Bill Muggins
had done him James Barmer) a per
sonal injury.
"Gentiy, James, gently. That was
very good, indeed, Of the gentleman. ]
won't be going out to-day, thank you
ooh ! won't you ?" James growled
and stalked off. still norrishing the
bitterest resentment against the bene
factor of Bill Muggins.
Josiah unused good deal on the cir.
cumstances throughout the day. I
this anonymous gentleman had thus
volunteered his aid to Bill Muggins
after so brief an acquaintance, why
should he not do something for honest
James? Doubtless ii James were sci
up in business, Mrs. BIS thin frame
would fill out d little, her scanty cloth.
ing would be replaced by warmer gar.
ments, the children would grow accus-
toned to boots and shoes, and James
would cease to repine because las he
once with bitter humor put it, he'd 'bia
and married bloomin' fowerin' an.
nual.' 1t would be supposed it cost q
deal Of money, and Josiah was not a
rich man. Perhaps, if he economical
for six months or year in the matter
of his excursions in quest of material
for his great work ON Underground
England, he might make this honest
man and his family happy. He had q
dim notion that horse cost 9100, and
he fancied a hanson cab could not be
less than ESQ; that would make ESQ
Still, there was the security. The cal
and horses would of course be his unit,
James had paid off the money, and
then he would get his rides for nothing
the amount going against the weekly
payments. That looked really econo.
mical. Now, he paid James rarely less
than FL q week. Then he would pay
him nothing; who, it was really econo-
mical-besides doing good to a whole
family.
James," he said, when the honest
cabman turned up on the following
morning with settled gloom on his
brow that told he was still thinking oil
Bill Muggins' luck, "do you know how
much the gentleman paid for your
friends stock as a cab proprietor %
Ninety pun" James growIed
Ninety pun, and didn't drive the cove
above a month; besides treatin' of I'm
'andsome, and never lookin' st o hex
ira sixpence afore forkin'it out"
Ninety poundsl" 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 q 'undred."
'I'll tell you what, James, III lend
you 100 pounds. You buy 3 couple
of horses and cab. They shall stand
in my name; l will charge you five
per cent. interest, and you pay it off at
the rate of twenty 8hilIings a week,
which l will take out in cab fare"
couldn't you make it 10 bob a
week." said James. "When times is
hard an fodder dear it makes it a tight
fit. I've 'eard Bill Muggins say as he
were sorry he'd ever met that ere cove
wot set him up"
"Oh," said Josiah, 81 thought it was
such q good thing for him. Of course
| only want to help you, and if it
would not be good thing We won't
say anything more about it."
Chats accordin'," said Jamos, whom
melancholy seemed to have marked
for her own; with good managering
and honest man wot don't dlink aud
takes home every penny 10 his wife
an children, both ends would meet
pretty Well if you made it ten bob a
week to pay back"
Every we'll, said Josiah, eff you pre-
for tbN,1nh Won mill no 90 IL, =,
longer paying off; it shall be ten shil-
lings q week"
Thus it was settled, and Josiah, walk
ing down one morning under the pilot
age Of Mr.. ]. Barmer, found himself
the proud pOssessor of a pair of horses
and q hanson cab. The cab was, it is
true, a little seedy, as it we'll might be,
having apparently been one Of the ear
Hest essays of the late Mr.. Hanson.
The horses, too, were undoubtedly
screws. "But what can you expect for
100 pun?" said James, with 5 shillin's
out of my own pocket for drink mon
ey."
JOSIAH had expected something more
than this; still, compared with his
original estimate, 9100 was certainly
very little. He did not find his per-
sonal comfort added tc by the change.
The cab seat was abnormally high, and
Josiah's legs were not long. The
springs were either broken or non-ex-
istent, and one Of the horses had cult
waited an action which gave the unfor-
tunate fare the impression that he was
running on three legs. But if Barmer
was happy, and Mrs. B. AMI the chill
dren had more to eat, these little in
conveniences did not come into the &C
count. Once or SWice Josiah took an