The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-01-07

well-established in the center Of the
room before the man and woman
emerged from behind the door, where
my successful assault had thrown them.
! | stood up and faced them. They were
a couple of ordinary, respectably-at-
tired country people. The mana
sturdy, strong-buiIt, bull-necked rascal
stood scowling at me, and, con-
cluded, making up his mind as to what
course to pursue.
my good people," said, "you are
behaving in the most unheard-of man
ner. Can't you understand that mean
to pay you well for any trouble l give
you? But whether you like it or not,
here | stay tonight To turn me out
would be sheer murder"
So saying [ pulled off my overcoat
and began shaking the snow out OF my
whiskers.
dare say my determined attitude,
my respectable, as we'll as my muscular
| appearance, impressed my unwilling
hosts. Anyway, they gave in without
more ado. While the woman shut the
door, through which the snow-fakes
were whirling, the man said. sullenly:
well, YOU Il have to spend the night
on 4 chair. We've no beds here for
strangers. Specially those as amt
wanted"
every well, my friend. Having
settled the matter, YOU may as well
make yourself pleasant. Go oct and
put my horse under cover and give him
a feel of some sort-make a mash if
you can"
After giving the woman a quick
glance as of warning, my scOwling host
lit horn lantern and went on the er-
rand / suggested | glailv sank into
4 chair. and warmed myself before
cheerful fire. The prospect of spend
ing the night amid such discomfort was
not alluring. but l had, at least roof
over my head.
The more churlish the nature. tie
more &variciOUS it is, As rule. found
to be Ny promise OF liberal remuncra-
ton was. after all, not without its effect
upon the strange couple whose refusal
10 afford me refuge Ia! so nearly en-
dangered my lie. They coadcscenied
to get me some tea and rough food.
After | had disposed of all that, the
man produced a bOttle of gin. We
flied our glasses. and then. with the
aid of my pipe, settled down to make
the best OF night spent in a hard
wooden chair.
The long clOck-that cumhrous eight
day machine which inevitably occupies
one corner of every cottager's kitchen
struck nine. The woman rose and left
us. l concluded she was going to bed.
If so Ienvied her. Her husband showed
no sign of retiring He still sat over
the tile, opposite me. By this time
was dreadfully tired; every bone in my
body ached. The hard chair which, an
hour or two ago, seemed all could de-
sire, now scarcely came up to nv ideas
of the comfort was justly entitled to
claim. Ny sulKy companion had been
drinking silently but steadily. Perhaps
the liquor he had poured into himself
might have rendered his frame Of mind
more pleasant and amenable to reason.
My good fellow" l said, ''your
chairs are excellent ones of the kind,
but deucedly uncomfortable. / lam hor-
ribly tired. If the resources of your
establishment can't furnish bed for
me to sleep in, couldn't you find a
mattress CT something to lay down be-
fore the fire?"
you've got all you'll get tonight"
he answered, knocking the ashes out of |
his pipe.
"Oh, but l say"'
$50 do l say. say this: If YOU don't |
like it you can leave it. We didn't ask |
you TO come"
You internal beast l muttered-I
and meant il, too. ! declare had | not |
been 50 utterly worn out, | would have
had that bullet-headed ruf1ian up for a |
few rounds on his own kitchen floor,
and tried to knock him into more |
amiable frame of mind.
Never mind" | said, ''but, remem- |
Der, civility costs nothing, and often |
gets rewarded. However, if you wish !
to retire to your own couch, don't let |
your native politeness stand in your
way. Pray don't hesitate on my ac-
count Leave plenty of fuel, and l
shall manage until the morning"
Where You stay, [ stay" he an
swered. Then he filled his pipe, and
once more relapsed into stoEy silence.
| bothered about him no more l
dozed off for a few minutes woke
dozed off again for some hours. | was
in an uncomfortable sort Of half sleep,
full of curious Dreams
dreams from which | started, wonder
inc where was and how l got there.
| even began to grow nervous. All
sorts of horrible travellers tales ran
through my head. 1t was in Just such
places as this that unsuspecting voy-
ayers were stated to have been muir
iered and robbed, by just such unmiti-
gated rutlianS as my host can tell
you that altogether spent most I'M
pleasant night.
TO make matters worse and more dis
NAL. the storm still ragged outside. The
wind moaned through the trees, but it
mad again changed, and | knew from
he sound on the window-panes that
heavy rain had succeeded snow. As
-he big drops of water found their way
10wn the large. old-fashioned chimney,
he fire Missed and spluttered like
'piteful vixen. Everything combined
% deprive ME of what dogs sleep l
could, by sheer per>istency. snatch.
think tried every position which
IN ordinary man, not an acrobat, is
capable of adopting with the assistance
If common wooden chair l even lay
Town on the hard flags. l actually
ried Che table. Ipropped up the up
Der half of my body against the corner
walls of the room, but found no rest
vt last l gave up all idea Of sleeping.
md fully aroused myself. l comforted
myself by saying that my misery was
,nly temporary the longest night
must come to an end. ,
My companion had by now sue {
,umbed to fatigue, or to the combined {
Of faf 81 / I