Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
A YANKEE TRICK.


upon the English railway coaches and
the liability of travellers 10 be shut up
In one of their compartments with Il
cutthroat or a lunatic. Paxton. who
was English born. defended the sys-
tenn, pronouncing the American plan
| only fit for cattle moving. He declared
that Americans preferred their ears be-
cause. having access to one another.
they We're free To practice their Yankee
| tricks on each other
He knows better than that" said
Mrs. Paxton. AT any rate l do, as |
will prove 10 you if you will listen TO
me.
AT one time. before 1 was married.
| we We're stopping in London. Father
was busy all day with some financial
affair, and mother was confined to the
| house under the care of Il nurse. /
! did all the sights of the city. includ-
! ing the Tower. the British museum,
the parks. and then | thought l would
/ take run to Hampton Court. l had
no business to go off alone. 1t would
| have been all right at home. but there
/ it was not in good form. In Paris it
/ would have been impossible. Never
theless had just enough of Yankee in
| dependence in lie To make the trip.
and. driving to the station. l got aboard
the train. stepping into Il first class
! carriage. / was delighted TO notice that
1 was the only occupant aud much dis
appointed just before the train started
! at the entrance of a gentleman. With
| out noticing me he sat down in the far
thest corner and buried himself in L
newspaper.
! Where had | seen that face before?
! Was it at-the National gallery or in
/ Hyde park or both? 1t seemed to me
| that | had seen it not only once. but
several times. Ii could not have been
| ut any social gathering-at least there
| had been no iGtrOductiOn-or be would
have given me an opportunity to bow
| 10 him. Instead he paid no more atten-
| ton to me than if ] had been Il maid
servant. though l Wore my smartest
costume just out of the tailOr's hands"
| Were you out to catch British
| husband:" laughed Paxton.
What do you mean? You know l
had no idea of such a thing snapped
his wife. Then after pause she went
on with her story.
The man after reading his paper for
a few minutes began TO yawn. then fell
asleep. Presently he began TO mutter.
| could only hear SnatcheS of what he
said, such as: There's good time COM
| ing Britannia rules the wave My
| love lives over the sea- Then he
would laugh and sing snatches of songs
! and talk again and laugh again. every
time laughing louder than before.
"Of course l was frightened out of
| my senses. | vowed that if got out
of the compartment alive l would new
err get into another one. But l felt
sorry for my travelling companion. who
seemed TO belong To the better class
and was dressed like a gentleman
Did you Sail in love with him, Lii
! lie:" asked Paxton.
Not at all. He-his delrium or
| insanity or idiocy. whatever it was.
kept increasing. | put my head cut OF
| the window to see If | could get
guard, but there was none in sight, and
| / desisted."
swearing. dear" from the husband.
You know very well | did no such
| thing but | confess | abused the Eng
lish system of railway coaches, and l
| do not doubt the Englishman If ne had
been awake would have heard me
plainly enough. He seemed To fancy
himself in all sorts of places. At one
, time he was playing cricket. at another
football. finally waking up with: 'Hur-
| rah, Kicked a goal. by love-
As soon as his eyes We're open lie
looked about him vaguely. then at me-
something he asked very deferentially
what ii WAS and when i told him apol-
ogized. saying that he had had no sleep
for several days. during which he had
been engaged in exciting work. and
supposed his mental apparatus had
gone on working while he was asleep.
He was perfectly sane and very gentle
manlike. Having opened converse
ton. told him where l was going and
he gave me Il great deal OF Information
about Cardinal WOlsey's palace. He
said he knew all about il, because he
had been studying it up in the guide
book for the purpose OF visiting il and
was on his way there"
You surely didn't permit u stranger
10 join you in that fashion,! remarked
the husband.
What could | do? The gentleman
seemed so interested in the palace and
told me so many things that-weII, we
went through Hampton Court and back
TO London i'll the same compartment"
"Phewr' exclaimed Paxton. Did
you ever hear the like o. that!'
Il see nothing especially unconven-
tional in it," replied, siding with the
wife.
60 on, my dear" said Paxton.
Give us the rest Of ii. It's very excit.
ing. you know. Did he get delirious on
the way backT
NO, and I've never known him TO
talk in his sleep from that day to this"
Paxton burst into laugh, in which /,
after taking in the situation, Joined.