The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-09-11
EUREKA.


the most strange and unaccountable
maneuvers. Every now and then he
would get up and hurry away to the
narrow passage which leads to the door
in these drawing room cars, and, when
he thought himself secure from obser-
vation, would fall to laughing in the
most violent manner and continue the
healthful exercise until he was as red
in the face as lobster.
AS we neared the city these demon
strations increased in violence, save the
stranger no longer ran away to laugh
but kept in his seat and chuckled to
himself, with his chin down deep in his
shirt-collar. But the changes those
portmanteaus underwent He moved
them here, there-he put them behind
him. he was evidently getting ready
to leave, but, as we we're twenty-five
miles from the city the idea OF such
early preparation was ridiculous. If we
had entered the city when the mystery
would have remained unsolved, but the
stranger became so excited that he
could keep his seat no longer. Some
one must help him, and, as was the
nearest to him, he selected me. Snd
denly turning, he said, rocking himself
to and fro in his chair in the meantime.
and clapping his legs together and
breathing hard:
Been gone three years!"
"Ah!"
"Yes; been in Europe. Folks don't
expect me for three months yet, but L
got through and started. photographed
them at the last station-they've got it
by this time"
As he said this he rubbed his hands
and changed the pcrtmanteau on his
left to the right and the one on the right
to the left again.
"Got wife," said I.
eyes, and three children" he re-
turned.
He then got up and folded his over
coat anew, and hung it over the back of
the seat.
"You are pretty nervous over the mat
ter, amt you? I said, watching his
fdgety movements.
DWELL, I should think so," he re-
piled, amt slept soundly for week.
And you don't know" he went on,
glancing around at the passengers and
speaking in a low tone, II am almost
certain that this train will run off the
track and break my neck before get
to Boston. Well, the fact is, 1 have
had too much good luck for one man
lately. The thing can't last, faint nat
ural the thing should, you know. I've
watchedit. First it rains, then it shines,
then it rains again. It rains so hard
you think it's never going to stop; then
it shines so bright you think it's always
going to shine; and just as you are set
tied in either belief you are knocked
over by change, to show that you know
nothing abont it,,
"WeIl, according to your philosophy,
said, "you will continue to have sun
shine, because you are expecting a
storm"
"It's curious" he returned, "but the
only thing which makes me think will
get through safe is because I think l
won't
"We11, this is curious" said I.
"Yes," he replied. "I am machin-
st-made discovery nobody be-
lieved in it-spent all my money in try
ing to bring it out-mortgage my home
all went. Everybody laughed at me
everybody but my wife-spunky little
woman-she said she'd work her fingers
off before should give it up. Went to
England-no better tbere-came with
in an ace of jumping off London bridge.
Went into workshop to earn money
enough to come home with-there I
met the man I wanted. To make a
long story short, I've brought $780, 200
home with me, and here I am"
GOOD for youl" I exclaimed.
HeE00 fhn
best of it is, she don't know anything
about it. I've fooled her SO often and
disappointed her so much that 1 just
concluded I would say nothing about
this. When I got my money, though,
YOU better believe I struck bee line
for home"
"And now, suppose, you will make
her happy"
"Happy!" he replied. "why, you
don't know anything about it. She's
worked like dog since I have been
gone, trying to support herself and
children decently. They paid her 13
cents apiece for making white shirts,
and that is the way she lived half the
time. She'll come down there to the
depot to meet me in a gingham dress
and shawl hundred years old, and
she'll think she's dressed up. Oh, she
won't have no clothes after this-oh,
no. guess notr'
And with these words, which implied
that his wife's wardrobe would soon
rival Queen Victoria's the stranger tore
down the passageway again, and, getting
in his old corner. where he thought
himself out of sight, went through the
strange pantomime, laughing, putting
his mouth into the drollest shape, and
then swinging himself back and forth
in the limited space as if he were
walking down Broadway" a full
rugged metropolitan belle.
So on we rolled to the depot, and I
placed myself on the other car, oppos-
ite the stranger, who, with portman-
teau in either hand, descended and was
standing on the lowest step ready to
jump to the platform.
I looked from his face to the faces of
the people before us, but saw no sign