Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-07-28
A CHANGE OF SUIT.


unkindly voice said:
"Well, mate, how are you?"
! This inquiry unlocked my tongue, and
poured forth my gratitude. | hardly know
what said; only know I was very much
In earnest | told him who l was and how
! came to be there and in return asked
him his name.
THAT does not signify" was the answer;
you can think of me as a friend"
"That | SHALL" l returned gratefully,
"for God knows you have been a friend in
need to me'
"Ahr' he said musingly, your life must
be very sweet, for you seemed loath enough
to part with it!'
| admitted the truth of this-indeed |
had felt it more than once during the last
hour l had been one of those who in fits
of depression are wont to say that life is
not worth living; that we shall be well out
of it, and the rest. Yet when it seemed
really slipping from my grasp had chung
to it with tenacity which surprised my
self And now, with the future once more
before me in which 50 much seemed posi-
bic, | was filled with gratitude to God and
to my unknown friend, by whose means |
had been saved. There was a short silence;
then | asked rather doubtfully if there
were not some way in which / could prove
my gratitude.
You speak as if you were sincere" my
strange companion said, in his gruff, down
right way, $50 will tell you frankly that
you can do me good turn if you have
mind to. don't want your money, Under
stand; but want you to do NE a favor"
"What is it?" l asked eagerly. believe
me, if it is in my power it shall be donew
Il would rather you passed your word
] hafn I ,1aff ha enid 1x~
Say my request shall be granted. / take
it you are not IA man to break your prom
Use"
Here was predicamentl Asked to pledge
my word for knew not what To be in
the dark in more senses than one, for
could not even see my mysterious deliver
er's face to judge what manner of man he
was. And yet, how could l refuse his re-
quest? AT last | said slowly;
IF what you ask is honest and above
board, you have my word that it shall be
done, no matter what it may cost me-"
He gave short laugh. "You are eau
tious," he said, but you are right No,
there is nothing dishonest about my re-
quest. 1t will wrong no one, though it
may cause you some personal inconven-
fence"
THAT is enough" | said hastily,
ashamed of the half hearted way in which
| had given my promise. The instant we
are ont of this place will take steps to
grant your request whatever it may be-"
But that won't do" he put in quickly;
what want must be done here and now"
was bewildered, as well might be, and
remained silent while he went on:
There is no need to say much about my
self, but this you must know. | am in
great trouble, am accused of that which
makes me amenabe to the law. | am in.
nocent, but cannot prove my innocence,
and my only chance of safety is in flight
That is the reason of my being here. / am
hiding from my pursuers.
The poor creature paused, with a deep
drawn sigh, as if he at last had not found
his life worth the struggle. | was greatly
shocked by his story and warmly expressed
my sympathy. Then, on his telling me
that he had been for two days and nights
in the tunnel with scarcely bit of food, |
remembered a packet of sandwiches that
had been provided for nay journey and of
fered them to him. 1t made me shudder
to hear the ravenous manner in which they
We're consumed. When this was done, there
was another silence, broken by his saying,
with evident hesitation, that the one hope
he had was in Disgusting himself in some
watching for him. He concluded with:
The favor that | have to ask is that you
will help me in this by allowing me to have
your clothes in exchange for mnen
There was such an odd mixture of trag-
edy and comedy in the whole thing that for
moment ! hardly knew how to answer
him. The poor fellow must have taken my
silence for anything but consent for he
said bitterly:
You object felt you would, and it is
my only chanceW
ION the contrary" returned, 81 am per
fectly willing to do as you wish-indeed
how could do otherwise when have given
you my word? | was only fearing that you
built too much upon this exchange. Re
member, it is no disguise-the dress OF
one man is much like that of another"
THAT is true enough as a general rule >
was the answer, but not in this case
was last seen in Costume not common il
these parts. A coarse tweed shooting
dress, short coat, knee breaches and rough
worsted stockings, so that an everyday
suit is all want"
After that there was nothing more to bI
- said, and the change was effected without
more ado.
IA 1t seemed to me that my invisible com
panion had the advantage over me as fa
as seeing went, for whereas l was sensible
of nothing but touch and sound, his hand
invariably met and aided mine wheneve
they were at fault He confessed to this
saying that he had been so long in the darl
that his eyes were growing accustomed to it
ID never felt anything like the coarsenes
>. of those stockings as drew them on. Tn
- shoes, too, were of the clumsest make
" They were large for me, which perhaps &C
= counted for their extreme heaviness wa
r bit of a dandy, always priding mysel
upon my spick and span get up. No doub
u this made me critical, but certainly tn
a tweed of which the clothes were made wa
the toughest thing of the kind / had eve
handled got into them, however, witt
out any comment, only remarking whe
= my toilet was finished, that could find n
ne pocket.
My companion gave another of thos
short laughs
/ NO" he said, that suit was made Il
] uAs. not comfortp'