Middletown transcript., 1891-09-17

out Will TIC I'LL pIcsSiUu Iildb SiO"
commercial crisis must be impending
Now" said Blood to himself a
he walked back to the livery.stabit
near the station, " if that beat hasn'
removed the goods, and if there is ne
one else already in possession, I ought
to be able to light on enough to make
fifty per cent. and expenses, anyway
Must be good six hours drive ovel
there; and I may as we'll start now a:
later"
Some little. delay was caused by the
caution of the stable-keeper, who was
so much astounded by the receipt Of
ten dollars in advance and by. the
energy of the New Workers. manner
and so unable to conjecture why any
sane man should insist on drying to
Jigtown in the middle of the night
that he suspected his customer oi
being bank-robber fleeing from JUS
tice. He sent for an athletic young
giant who acted as driver for him on
occasions when there was a likelihood
OF personal encounter with a passen
ger, and, when he came, cautioned
him:
You've got to drive the blacks
over to Jigtown tonight, and you
want to look out for that feller. He
might knock you on the head and run
off with the team"
+" 1 kin handle him." said the man
with calm confidence, after careful
survey of Blood's figure, which the
other Illuminated by the feeble rays
of the ble-lantern.
He's quicker'n a cat in his
notions" said the livery-keeper
nervously; or mebbe he's science.
Don't you run the team, whatever he
says m keep your eye peeled for
him."
Let him be science if he wants to, ~
said the son Of Anak contemptuously.
Come, driver" sang out Henry,
E" if we are going to get there, We
must start"
They drove out of the barn, care
fully watched by those that remained,
as is the habit with the hangers-on of
a livery.stable, who regard every
start with as much interest as if it
were the trailtrip ofan experimental
vehicle drawn by newly-domesticated
animals. Blood, with the experience
of a veteran traveller, appropriated
the larger part of the robe, and made
himself as comfortable as possible on
his side of the seat. The driver sat
with his neck slightly forward and
the muscles of his shoulder in a state
ready for fierce grapple
with his suspected companion on the
slightest warning; but the latter nod
ded and dozed with perfect equani-
nifty, except as he was awakened
from time to time by some unusual
jolt,-for how could the dryer,
whose eyes were partly closed and
inversely turned toward the seat,
avoid in the imperfect light the holes
and ruts which make up the greater
part of country road in the spring !?
1t would have been hard to tell which
of the two men was the less impressed
by the beautiful night-efects of the
mountain-road, the gray floating
mists, the dim light of the half-moon
on the western horizon, the wayside
pools obscurely rejecting its rays, the
and suggestive shadows of
the trees fer each was utterly blind
to all such things by nature, and no
culture had widened the scope of his
natural vision. So they drove un-
conscious through the silent night.
past farm-houses which seemed as un-
as the " baseless fabric of
a dream" till the monotonous and
drowsy crow of a cock from the ad-
joining barn seemed to give them
reality and conference of outline, past
banks of forest from the depths of
which the wood-thrush was already
his magic flute, through
hollows filled with mist-clouds, over
hills from which the mist showed like
The feecy covering of a lake. till soon
after daybreak they slowly climbed
The last hill and halted before one of
The Jigtown taverns.
Blood jumped down as fresh as if
The corner of a buggy were his usual
nightly resting place, and ran briskly
%, relieving the jaded driver from bis
vigilance. Early as it was, the work
ng-day of Jigtown had begun. The
andlord, in answer 10 Blood's hasty
inquiry, said that no stranger had
been in the town for weeks, and that
Downer was in his store and meant to
20 to Middletown in few moments.
Henry said, "I'll be back to break
asst shortly" and went to Downer's
store.
elm from Harbert & Froud," said
lie to the druggist, who was looking over
/ package of bills. "We got your
etter yesterday, and I've come to see
lbout your little bill. How are
hings p
Downer was so staggered By the
udden appearance of Aesh-and-blood
,reditor in answer to a letter which
eemed but just to have left his hand
hat it was some seconds before he
'ould reply" Bad enough. haven't
,ot the money for you, and | don't
ee how l can get it.
The bill has been running a good
many years with small payments, you
now, and it ought to be closed up.
What have you got that is free and
lear ?"
What there is in this store; and
lot quite one hundred dollars in
Money"
"Does this stuff all belong to you?"
SC It would if it was paid for"
WE'LL" said Blood, "I'll take
possession. This is a copy of the at
achment, and this is the original"
So saying, he handed Norman a
oil of legal paper, attached to which