The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-02-09
A STERN CHASE.

1t was just about this time last year, All
just about this time O. night, was walk
ing the mare along Broadway looking for
a job-an to tell the TRUTH looking weary
an anxious for one, seein as how I'd been
out since 10 o'clock an hadn't even taken
my yard money.
was just passin Chambers street when
out of the shadow ! sees two people who
attracted my attention. They was scud-
din along arm in arm, as if Old Nick was
after 'em, an their faces as they came into
the gaslight was CHASTITY white.
One, as far as could see, for he wore a
SLOUGH hat, an his ulster collar was turned
up, was gentleman in the late twenties or
early thirties The other was gel of about
90, a wearin a travelin cloak an a tweed
hat an carryin a sort O. handbag. / jest
caught sight of her face as she stood under
the gaslight at the street corner, an al
though, as everybody knows, amt what is
called a impressionable sort o. cove it
gave me a real thump in the chest like. 1t
was such pretty face, an not only pref
ty but d sweet face; the lines was so deli
cate, an there was such sad shadow over
it, especially about the eyes, an the chin
had such daisy of dimple on it. All,
it's all very well for you coves to say
Cheese it." Human nature is human ma
ture, whether it's a settin inside kerrde
an four or outside a bloomin shoful, an
lovely woman is the one touch o. nature as
makes the ole world kin, as Shakespeare
says, an you bet he knew somethink.
The male party he darts up an catches
hold of the splashboard an says, "Cabby,
can you catch the midnight train for Bos
toni"
Says |: "Pll have shot at it, sir. There's
no KNOWN what my little mare can do on
the pinch. Jump in"
The girl hops in like bird, an the fellow
arfter her, an as the doors swung to on them
whistles to the mare, an ficks the whip
that talks to her with an strokes her. but
never fogs her with, an she was off in
smart trot.
But just then | hears somebody behind
shoutin, Hill stop that cabr' an | looks
round and reins in bit Then | says to
my fare through the butterfly: There's
old gent a-signalin me to stop, sir Friend
of yourn, serposeS"
But my fare he says, excited like: Drive
onl Drive onl Don't take any notice of
anybody till you get to the Grand Central.
Well thinks |, it's no business O. mine
My instructions is &c. G. by H." so | CHR
rups to the mare, an in hinfnitesmal
part Of second that old gent was, instead
of 10 yards, 200 in the rear
Then begins to wonder what the little
game is, for glancn round | sees the old
gent jump into another hanson an shout,
"Overtake that cab at all hazardsl'
The driver of that cab, strange enough,
happened to be Joe Tbbits, an Joe Tibbits
an me somehow happened to have took a
dislike to each other, principally on az
count of our havin took likin to the very
same identical young woman as was just
then upper ousemaid in 'ouse in Lexing,
ton avenue
Now, Joe was chap as put on enough
side to have made a billiard ball do any
think, but while didn't'carea fardin rush.
light about i'm thinkin ITSELF lot smarter
Teller than me, when it came to chippin
about 'osses, as he was very partial to, it
kinder used to touch me on the raw, an
when he said, as if my mare was another
color an gender, she'd "a done very well fol-
the undertaken line | used to cop the needle
to that extent that one day we got off our
boxes in quiet street to settle our chippin
match with scrappin one, which we should
have done quiet an peaceable if as how
long drawn copper, as was our mutual rival
in the affections of the girl of both of our
hearts, hadn't appeared on the scene an
threatened to take our number as well as
takin our kebs.
So when | hears Joe chyike to the old
genelman (but at mel: "All right, sir.
can waltz round that ere relic of Old Bulls
Head" says: Can yer? Well, we'll have
try" an gives quiet tug at the offside
rein, as told my little mare what was want
ed of her
| never asked question in vain. Che
hourished her head as if she was goin tx
butt at brick wall; then she chucked out
her fore feet, as if she was Paddyrisky
A-playin a grand pianner, an you could heal
the music on the stones as she fooled along
over it, an the lampposts they whizzed past
as close on each other as the bullets out OF
a gatlin.
Then, what with thinking about the gel
as was the bone of contention betwiXt Joe
an me, an what funny thing love was
an haow it upset things in general an made
everything bit brisker, all of a sudden a
idea flashed into my 'ead. lifts the but
teriy once again, an says to my fare:
"That ole gents took another cab, an he's
racin of us, sir"
"A flyer if you beat him" says the fellow
an thrustin his hand through he says
"Theres something on account"
Fright you are, sir" saysI. "But scust
me-is it elopement"
you've hit it," he says, an the ge
laughs sech pretty musical laugh too
"That is this young lady's scoundrel of {
guardian, who wants to keep her fortune
an prevent her margin me-"
says, Go it, my beauty" an just as sh'
sweeps round into Madison square the mar
gives bound forward, an copper stand
in at the point holds up his hand, but what
he said l didn't mean to hear. An the
next time he spoke l was out of hearin.
But It wasn't long afore heard the hoofs
of Joe's eeldin rattlin along behind NE. an