Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-15
Bon
Ami
The Modern Cleaner
AND pousn. COMPARES WIN erHra eIrAHsas
An a srwiNo MACHINE WITH NEEDLE.
Use 2p-Tu. Th&Sa
The Modern Cleaner
for the damage inflicted where

Use 2p-Tu. Th&Sa3m)
responsible for the damage inflicted wnere
II struck.
Being anxious as to the welfare OF my
old lady friend, I was In a rev minutes
by her side, and there In the same sea'
with her sat a needy, hollow-eyed, sharp
hooking country youth. He appeared 10
have been an inhabitant OF this mundane
snbere for about dozen years, with APP
pareutly no excuse for living. Yet there
ne was. and the old lady was actuaiiy en-
aged I'm conversation with MN. An0
SIGHT of me made no material uiilerehoe,
and she kept on talking as though eVe'y
noinuta would be her last. The boy aiso
was getting in a word edgeways, anu
either knew the old lady previously or
was making wonderful inroads IN inc
shape of short acquaintance. Iakins my
seat, which was now the only vacant ~
In tho car. / wondered why the boy hao
taken the one he did by the old LADY IN
nreference 10 mine. and naturally con-
c,uded that she was an acquaintance OIL
the family. or. more likely, a relatiFe'
Imbued with these and other Thoughts,
and tired from the effects OF supper
and my all-day journey, 1t was very esi
dent that I would soon be VicuH Vi
NTornheus but lust as the dark mahtle
Was about TO drop the black brakeman
aroused me from my slumber WIN tio
MERGING announcement or the Town az
which was to disembark. Gathering my
trans. / was In the act or Didding my an
hareris- hromo-seltzer friend good-by when
TO my surprise / noticed tnat sne, ~
was making the same preparation u
Leave the train. With the aid or the por-
ter we were soon on the station platform,
IN tho cool air. and her Moonship was
stiIl I'm all her glory. The hour was iate'
only one vehicle was in view. III sucn
thing as n hotel existed II was my ueslile
tion. The vehicle proved large ehousi
for all. the hotel was there, and II was
nv friends destination also. INTO the
rickety affair we scrambled, ana al'er
dozen cracks of the whip the morse waS
persuaded to move, and we started Oh o"'
tourney 7 knew not where, but not Ne
Sora NV foot went through the flooring
Of the vehicle. resulting In skinned sriii
and the awkward galoot Of BOY hau
mashed nv foot off In the excitement
Furious with rage and mad as hornet
manlike. was raising the very OLD mis-
chief vhen the dear old lady drew me
| into conversation and at this late stage
| OF the game thanked me for my KINDNESS
IN nrocuring the tea and crack
ers II looked as though we
| would never reach the hotel, ana
hoforo we did learned tnat
her name was Miss Sally Scruggs, and
for once in my life 1 knew that L had
| guessed right when L classed ner as an
| old maid. The chap was introduced ~
| her nephew. and he gioried In the ute
| Of Jeremy Faggus. To this was Appended
a short history OF their lives, that she
| was n school teacher from Virginia, ana
| that Jerry had taken the up train ana
| met her as l had seen, at the station De
| fore mentioned; that she would spend the
/ winter in this town, and then take Jerry
| 10 spend the vacation in the Old Domluloh
| State. and few other bits OF information
AZ a ughtning-like rate, that would set
| an ordinary man crazy, and L thouslI
| sure my doom would be sealed unless the
| hotel was reached very soon. with sig
| nal from the driver to the excuse oil an
| horse | knew we had at last loucheu
| bottom. and l felt as If I had new lease
on life The genial proprietor" as our
| esteemed contemporary, The ldle ke-
| norter." dubs him had retired, and there
being no night clerk, our wants were at
| tended TO by one of the descendants OF
| Ham, who essayed to play the role OF
| clerk and bell-boy. Politely handing me
| the pen. / likewise presented II 10 me
| venerable school marin, and In small
| and delicate hand she inscribed her name.
! Master Faggus did the same, only IN n
large and holder hand, and thought used
his hands remarkably well, to be so awk-
| ward with his feet. With the registration
| of my name, I was "shown up" and LETT
| in n little four-by-six room, but not be
| fore the ebony-hued attendant Informed
| me that n corpse occupied quarters next
| TO mine. | had no idea where my friends
| had been auartered; and, having no fear
| OF a corpse. | was soon in the land OF
| nod. being played out with the days ad-
| ventures and skinned shin and mashed
| foot. Some time later on (as l eventually
| discovered) Jeremy Faggus was placed
| in the room TO my right, and next to MIN
was Miss Sally Scruggs, while to my
| left, In peaceful sleep. rested the corpse.
| I knew nothing of Master Faggus being
| in the room next to my right, and the
| bell-boy did not state on which side
| the corpse was, hence restless nigne
| for me. and no sleep 10 mention, becaTse
I really thought the strange and terrible
noise heard during the night came from
| the corpse The noise occurred with sur
| prising regularity. 1t began each time
| with a sound like the wailing OF cat,
| but presently became more like the bray
| ing Of a donkey; then he snarled like an
| enraged tigeress, and sometimes devel-
oped into a noise compared TO the roar
| ing of lion / spent the night In perfect
| misery, and sometimes wonder how
| underwent the terrible ordeal. With the
| first gray streak Of dawn / was up, and
| down i'm the office Every one was kick
| ing about the awful fuss which prevailed
| during the night, but IL was such an
| unusual and out-of-the-placs one that
not a soul could account for II. After a
| few questions with the genial proprle-
| tor" who was now down in the little
| country hotel office on his watch. |
learned to my great amazement that no
| corpse occupied a room next to me, II
| having been moved without the know
| ledge Of the bell-boy. knowledge is a
| trait they do not possess anyhow. Now
| was at sea as to the cause OF the dread
| full noise, and not feeling any further in
terest in the matter, l proceeded to
| auench the thirst of my face with some
| hard we'll water and turpentine soap in
the little tin basin in the so-caled wash
| room.
This being over, I concluded I would
| ascertain the whereabouts OF my friends.
| and. to my surprise, saw that the room
| next to me on my right was occupied by
| my boy acquaintance with the big feet.
| There and then / named Jerry Faggus
| the champion snorer, and thus solved the
midnight mystery" Long will I re-
member the miserable hours he caused
| me to spend aided by the fat publican's
| cheese.
NV stay in that neighborhood was OF
| short duration. / spent few months of
that fall and winter in an adjacent town,
and then returned to my dear old native