Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-01-07

>&oN I'D it ever occur to you what !
y strange things might hap
s pen to you if you looked
4 ~ \ just like somebody else,
aoE and were liable to be taken
by this other mOrtaPs
friends for their friend, and to receive
treatment accordingly?
A little awkward sometimes, though
there are pleasant features about it,
as an experience of mine last fall leads
me to believe. Having nothing better
to do, suppose I give it to you.
Smith, my boy" said old Harland
to me, one day-Harland was my en-
ployer, and l was head clerk in his
great importing house-''how would
you like to go West, to Chicago, st.
Paul and Omaha, as our agent? I'm
portant business relations in these
localities will oblige some employe of
the house to go, and Hendricks is
down with the rheumatism, and had
as lief be shot as sleep in any bed but
my own. What do you say?''
was delighted, and told the old fell
low so at once. I had been in New
York five years, without taking any
other holiday than the law prescribes,
Fourth of July, Christmas, ETC., and
the prospect Of journey made me as
happy as the prospective first pair Of
trousers makes a four-year-old boy.
Tn fnv n of1
packed my satchel, received my in
structions, and said goodby to my land
lady, who as I always paid my bills
promptly, shed a tear OF two on the
corner Of her apron in honor of my
exodus.
Everything went on swimmingly.
The day was lovely, the car a new one,
nobody in it was scented with musk,
the conductor was a model, and there
was such pretty young lady seat or
TWO ahead Of ME, with a ravishing hat
and feather, neatly arranged hair, and
eyes as bright as diamonds.
And she had such coquettish way
OF cutting the pages of her book, and
presenting her railroad ticket to the
conductor, and asking him in sweetly
mplorlng voice "if we were almost
mere'" that she quite took my fancy
anu l resolved that if one of those
inevitable smashes took place such az
we are regaled with in first class nov
eS' would throw all personal consid
statlons aside and 'go for her.
we mad nearly reached Roche ester
", mneh TWO strangers entered the car
aney acted like men who were huntin:
,ol m something. They took seats jus
'elofe me and turned around back t,
vaeA' and read their newspapers AM
,VoAeo w at me over the tops of them
soW, men generally do not look owe
a sue 'ops OF their newspapers at any
Sous put handsome women, and thei
p.'slstency made me nervous.
.nanged my seat, but did not Get out O
range.
81, ! went to the smoking. car. and M
fnauo"s fnS suddenly developed tast
W smoking. I returned to the car
= I'u lett, and they followed me and q
NV way about to take my seat. one G
-snl .n4 lald his hand on my shoulder.
,,;s MI smith," said he, you are m
,,i4., exhibited specimen of the "clea
' of winch President Roosevelt speak
VI, and knocked him down
of 'neh ~ the other one. and half q i1oze
And 'nF passengers, pounced upon m
seno. was handcuffed, and done fl
to rona su everybody focked around n
e, 'eiilark on what a Observation-Disclosures
N.ninal al was.
ba ns sn' nave known by his face th:
han 80 80, d rascal!'' said a short gentl
hanna ham,, WIN bald head. "Got a regul,
sjrss 'os expression. Was it murde
~ 10 The constable.
0n,' w. 1t was embezzlement, said th
10Th Sot his employers monev. eh?,
cases "u,iy! ra: One of the most dari,
lops ~, We've had on our hands for
sucoosnae. ulne. But we've worked It :,
"Shs,ully. and now we've got him
IN u.Alhs!'' u:, said an elderly won;
aever' 'rnA n. bonnet. 'Thank Heaven
Mays twas was ued to man. They're
"a turning out bad"
haviadsaua, thing" said sleek.looki