Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-02-14

johnston tOIu 1t 70 ulc HlIHStlL,
and he has not imagination
enough to invent an untruth.
He told me that if you should at
tempt te enter into conversation with
n fellow passenger in a Chicago train
he probably would present you with
fl card in question as a delicate hint
that he wanted to be left in peace.
81 am going down to WarWickshirt
tomorrow, l said, "-cOntinued John
ston-" to spend a few days with SEQ
bile. and I'll take this card with me.
IF one insists on talking to me when
I'm reading my paper I'll try what
handing him the card will do.
al took the train at EustOn, travel
fnG second class.
My fellOW-pa passenger was q fine
hooking woman Of about thirty. The
heat OF the day and the excitement OF
catching the train had given her q
fiorid color, and l could see that the
desire Of condemning the weather and
exposing the wickedness Of a cabman
was strong within her.
presently the woman caught my
eye and said:
al beg your pardon, but will yon
Tell me the exact time? My cabman
%'3sut here I handed the woman the
Chicago card l had received the day
Before
She read it and then said:
oh, indeed. SO sorry. Pray ex-
~, oil
while l resumed my newspaper AMI
congratulated myself on the efficacy of
the American plan Of dealing with
railway bOres.
at is true that my conscious did give
an occasional twinge, for the distinc-
ton between telling a lie and
handing a person Il ready made Ii?
printed on a card was not very per-
Ceptible. 1 asked myself whether Ill
giving the woman 4 card with the
words, L ain deaf and dumb | had
not been guilty Of lying rs certainly
rs I should have been if | had tOl1
her thc same thing in SO many words
"At Willesden Junction another pas
ssenger got in This time it was young
k"t9 NO w is w lbclltIJ CADCClCu uS
the elderly lady.
"By-and-by my attention Was
aroused in spite of myself by nearing
the elder lady mention my name
You i'll? she soon said, L had to
come to-day because John has asked
that tiresOme Johnston to spend a
week with US. and, of course, it would
not do for me to be away
But, auntio,' said the other. how
do you know that he is tiresome if you
have never seen him"
Il know it, for one thing, because
Johns friends always are tiresome.
1t does seem rs il be deliberately
chose the most stupid men he could
find and asked them down to Green
croft just TO make life q burden to
me And then. my dear, for another
thing. l tried 10 read this GetestaD Bile
Johnstone's books. Anything more
stupid and silly you can't possibly i'm
agine'
$50 L was actually travelling in the
same carriage with Scoblcs wife aud
niece, and the former was dreading
AhH ~ III at IpE mouse ana LOOKING
upon NE as 4 tiresOme nuisance.
The TWO ladies' talked Oh. but han
PLY seemed to forget the existence
of the unfortunate Johnston Once
hlrs- Scoble came to the window where
L was sitting TO point out something
To her niece, and the swaying of the
carriage nearly threw her on my lap.
Just then the elder lady began one
OF those nervous and hurried searches
for her purse, which women when
travelling are so prone to make.
1t is gone" she exclaimed; 'and l
am sure that fellow in the corner
picked my pocket when was lookiu.
cut OF his window
He could not have done shat re-
piled the niece. for I was looking at
him at the time, and he never once
took his hands or his eyes away from
his newspaper