Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-02-02

narrative James had worked himself
up into violent passion, as if "the
cove" who had befriended Bill Muggins
had done him James Barmer) a per.
sonal injury.
gently, 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 noCrishing the
bitterest resentment against the bene
factor of Bill Muggins.
Josiah unused good Zeal on the cir
cumstacces throughout the day. Il
this anonymous gentleman had thus
volunteered bis aid 10 Bill Muggini
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 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 be
once with bitter humor put i'll he'd 'bia
and married bloomin' fowerin' an
nual.' 1t would be supposed it cost a
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 a
dim notion that horse cost E100, and
he fancied hanson cab could not he
less than ESQ; that would make k150
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
payments. That looked really econo-
mical. Now, he paid James rarely less
than FL a 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 a settled gloom on his
brow that told he was still thinking of
Bill Muggins' luck, edo you know how
much the gentleman paid for your
friends stock as a cab proprietor p
Ninety pun," James growled.
Ninety pun, and didn't drive the cove
above q month; besides treatin' of i'm
'andsome, and never lookin' at 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 'undred."
an tell you what. James, Iii lend
you 100 pounds. You buy 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 week,
which | will take out in cab fare"
Couldn't you make it 10 bob p
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, ~ 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,"
That's accordin'," said Jamos, whom
melancholy seemed to have marked
for her own; with good managering
and honest man wot don't diink and
takes home every penny to 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, "if you pre-
fer it, though you will be so much the
longer paying off; it shall be ten shil.
lings q week"
Thus it was settled, and Josiah, walk.
ing down one morning under the pilo.-
age of Mr.. ]. Barmer, found himself
the proud possessor Of a pair of horses
and a 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 fol-
100 pump" said James, "with 5 shillin't
out of my own pocket for drink mon.
ey."
josiah had expected something more
than this; still, compared with his
original estimate, f100 was certainly
very little. He did not find his per
sonal comfort added to 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 ar action which gave the unfor.
tunate fare the impression that he wa:
running on three legs. But if Barmel
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
other cab; the change was agreeable
but he felt horribly guilty, and wher
morning came and brought Barmer fol-
orders he could scarcely look the hon
est cabman in the face.
Josiah did not acknowledge the
truth himself, but the fact remains
that it was this terrible vision of the
shabby Gao at his door in the morning
and the prospect Of q jaunt with the
three-legged horse, that decided him tc
carry out forthwith long brooded
upon notion, and visit the United
States. His long delving amid the I'm,
derground antiquities of England had
given him great yearning to behold
the freshness of the new country across
the sea. He broke the news gently to
james. who, while at first accepting it
with evident satisfaction, promptly re-
lapsed into that conditi IN of moodiness
which had grown upon him, and which
was explicable by an apparently inces-
SAINT and perpetual upward movement
in the price of oats. How oats could
go up in price every week, and what
famine figure they would touch at last,
Josiah did not really know. But he
was sorry for James, who could really
do nothing in the way of fattening,, Mrs.
B. or shoeing the children whilst the
oat market was thus unreasonable.
II appears oats had gone up again,
and what James was to do he really
did not know. He was owing a sover-
eign here and sovereign there; and il
Josiah was going away, who was Ia
make up for his best customer, and
where was he to find "the hloomin' ten
bob week.
Josiah felt that there WAS deal.oi
justice in this. What business had he
to 60 away seeking his selfish pleasure,
while this honest man with an infinity