The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-04-07

Charing in London, but Charing be-
tween Canterbury and Maidstone"
"And did you ever play any tricks
yourselfP" asked the first young man
who had spoken.
Mr.. Hicks slowly turned himself to-
wards the speaker, and, winking his eye
several times, replied: II should just
about think did-many and many a
one And now you remind me, I'll just
tell you about one I played
Mr.. Hicks, having toasted himself to
his entire satisfaction, now conde-
scended TO let some of his companions
see what the fire was like, settled him.
self slowly and ponderously down into
the chair which by prcscriptive right
belonged to the senior traveller in the
room. took a long sip at his grog, and,
with preliminary clearing of the throat.
began.
"It was in forty-two. and it strange
thing. but it was in this. very identical
place. There was a cocky, stuck-up
young fellow Of the name of Brownsmith
travefin' for Stokes & Nokes. Great
Tower Street. in the same line as mine.
He 'adn't been ere afore, and didn't
know who was, so says to myself,
I'll just take rise out O. you, my young
popinjay; see if don't"
At that moment the great mans mar
rative was interrupted by the entrance
of a little old man dressed in black, who,
observing that the seats round the fire
were occupied and that nobody offered
to make room for him, sat down at a
lo <ol o. -, lat
tiers.
"Ahemr said Mr.. Hicks. II beg your
pardon, sir, but l was just agoing to
begin tale; but as see you are busy;
I'll wait until you're finished"
s'Not ~ all, not at all" said the stran-
ger. pray don't let me interrupt you;
you won't disturb me, assure you. In
fact, I'm not sure that. not being trav-
eler, ought MOTTO apologize to you for
coming into the Commercial Room; but
the fact is that the fire in the coffee-room
has gone out, and the waiter said he
thought you would not mind me coming
in here"
sQuite welcome, sir. quite welcome"
said Mr.. Hicks, with almost monarchical
granduer. s'It's against custom, know,
for strangers to enter the Commercial
Room; but under the circumstances, 1
don't think we'll mind. Will we, gen.
tlemen?'
The gentlemen chorused that they
didn't mind. so the little man proceeded
with his writing and MIR. Hicks with his
tale.
swell. as was saying. gents. l made
up nv mind to take this Young Brown
smith down a peg or two. So what do
Won think does? 1 goes to the stables,
and l says to the Rostler: "Bill, If
you'll get MIR. Brownsmith's cob and
gig out of the way the first thing to-
morrow morning, and when he orders
them, say YOU re very sorry, but YOU We
let them out to another gent by mistake.
here's a sovereign for you.' OF course.
it was worth q good deal more than a
sovereign to me to get the young chap
out of the way. for saw he was pretty
'cute, and ! knew he'd be after, my GUS
toners. But that amt all: for knew
it was the easiest thing in the world for
him to hire another cob and gig until
his own was returned. So goes down
into the all very late that night, where
all the bags was-bags in those days
were very much more alike than they
are now, and used to be chalked with
the numbers of their owners rooms, to
distinguish them-and quietly RIBS out
his number and puts on another, and
puts his on to another lot of bags, SO
that if he did start, he d find himself in
a hole and no mistake. Next morning,
was uncommonly haffable with him at
breakfast, pretending, of course, not to
know he was in the same line as me;
and l starts of and does all my bust
ness. When came back, found the
poor Young chap running about
like a mailman. He was satisfied
that the gig business was mistake; but
when he came to find that another
man had gone of with his bags and had
left him with a lot stuffed full of French
frilling, thought he d have brought the
'ouse down. he got the landlord and
tha ,.l1 ,,ortor ard tho ,bor,bc~vc.;ds