West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-08-31

- En-
GRAY ACIlOAE4 III
tWhen Bvas ! SoRnegellbks' said
Mr. Thomas tEhhbh or I'd we'll
known London firm of Bullion, Sill
verlev & Co, II was the most posi-
tive man alive-never let anybody
else say q word when once I'd made
up my mind about anythiagTdf I'd
heard n elson.talk about SEA fights or
Soyer about cooking, I'd have been
sure to contradict them, and make
out / knew more about it than they
did. Somebody said once to my poor
brother Jack, the lawyer-who was
rather dictatorial sort of a chap
hirhselC-thathe did well tolay down
the law, for he certainly hadn't gain
ed much by taking it up. But / was
every bit as bad as be was, and worse
too"
MIR. Bullion brought out this last
confession with atself-complacent
emphasis wherewith an Englishman
will sometimes own himself guilty of
things which, if laid to his charge by
any otherman, would probably impel
him to punch that other mans head
on the spotJ6fi f2u01 9W
'sYou remember that story" he
proceeded, "about the augumentative
man who, hearing 0 Vatchma an call
inc out under his window one-bitter
January night, past one o'clock, and
q fine starlight morning lump out
of bed, rushed TO the.wiA dow threw
it up, and bawled out to him, Yes,
but is-it past one o'clock Y-Well,
sir, that's just the sort of fellow L
was when / first started; but I've
had a lesson about contradicting and
being positive that will last me all
my lite.
This was how it happened. One
cold morning in the early spring (I
don't exactly remember what year it
was, but anyway more years ago than
ALPHABETICALLY care tocount now,) |
was going into the city as usutl by
omnibus. There were four or hye
other men in the same line of bust
ness as myself who generally went
\ in about the same time as / did; and
when got into the bus that morn
ing, / found the whole lot of 'em to-
gether. The only man there that l
didn'tknow was a queer looking chap
who sat in the far corner, With his
hat SO pulled down over bis eyes, and
the collar Of his gray cloak 50 turn
ed up round his meek, that shisface
could hardly be seen at all; and he
kept so still that made sure ne must
be asleep, and thought no more about
him.
"Well, we all began talking, and
somehow or other we came round to
I the battle of Waterloo, and there got
I'D a dispute about whether the gate
of Hougoumont had really been shut
against the French by one man or
not. Sam Lockitt, ofLockitt & Red
wood (he's dead now, poor fellow y
stuck out that it had, and |, Of course,
cantradicted him flat, and said that
it was all bosh, and that no one man
could be strong enough to do it. q
''Ah, we all know your ways,
Tom, says Sam;;y9u'd say black was
white iflahybody else said it wasn't,
Did YOU happen to be engaged at
Waterloo yourself without knowing
it-G IgAa RHgEN
"Never yon mind, ! says i sSf L
wasn't, I've known them that were
or that have met others who were,
which is the same thing.
"'Of course it is says Sam wink
| inc at the rest. Why, Tom, you're
as good as that countrymanl inithe
story, who, when they asked him if
he d ever seen the King replied ''Noa,
l niver saw the King, but I've got a
cousin as once COON very nigh iseein'
the Dock O Wellington"
%well, then, got quite savage, for
in those days lI copla never abide
being laughed at bht beforstIie6uld
break out, one of the other fellows
struck in suddenlyf--I an
\ fiLook hereS we're just three to
three-Sam and we two against Tom
and YOU. two. This gentleman here
| (pointing to the man in the gray
cloak has the casting vote. Beg
pardon, sir; which way do You say it
was 2
The grayeloaked man turned his
headslowly round, justlike that NOV,
inc wax figure 10 Madame Tussaud's,
and said, inNa, sharp, chopping kind
of voice, as if 6e,Eere giving orders
to cut somebody's head of;->Qne
man shut the gate. 1t was Col.
/ Mcdonnell" Nitft N
Lob, indeed saws !. 'You'donlt
happen to be friend of Coll Nc
Donncll, Clo pon or perhaps YOU'RE
Col. Mcdonnell himself, and we're to
take your own wor1l that you did it,
l suppose? What do you know
about Waterloo. l should like to
know p .-
sThe msn never answcreda word,
but Just turned down the collar of
his cloak, lifted his hat about an inch
off his head. and looked me full in the