The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-03-08
A Slight MISTAKE.
By 4. ELLIOTT Nc 5RIDE.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


wouldn't express the meaning. 1t was
very cold. The wind came down from
the northeast with a whirllng sweep,
and made those who were out OF doors
draw their greatcoats closer to their
bodies, and turn their heads in such
way as to endeavor to ward on the
biting blasts.
An old man waited at Plainfield sta
ton. He had come by rail to this
place and expected that ne could
reach his destination by taking the
stagecoach which ran down the Plain
field Valley.
Now this old man, although quite
wealthy, was somewhat eccentric,
and although he could have come
back to the scenes of his childhood
looking as well as anybody and wear
ing as good clotes as any other man,
yet he preferred to put in such an ap-
pearance as would make his old-tlme
friends that he had got down in the
world
He had waited an hour or more at
the station when the hack, or stage
coach, drew up.
4 want to go down the Plainfield
Valley" said the old man.
Yes" answered the driver, Il got
a TELEGRAPH about you. You want to
go to the poorhouse"
well, I don't know as 1 do. AT
least, not on such day as this. But
want to go in that direction. You'll
take me, l suppose?"
ooh, yes; oh, yes; I'll have to take
you-that's the orders. But l don't
know how the young ladies inside will
take it. I'll have to speak to them
about it."
He opened the side door of his
coach and said, in low tone that he
had orders to take a pauper from this
station to the Pennington poorhouse.
He isn't just as slick lookin' Teller
as you might want to have in the
coach, but you ladies can take the
back seat and I'll make him sit in
one corner of the front seat"
Indeed he shan't come in here"
said one of the young ladies-Fanny
Raymond, by name. Ride with a
pauper-never! Let him walk, or
wait until tomorrow"
'Or he might ride outside with you"
said Ellen Anderson, who seemed to
have more kindness of heart than her
companion.
But, said the driver 1T is such a
very cold day, and he doesn't seem to
be burdened with outer garments.
I'd hate to ask anybody to ride out
side. I'm prepared for the cold, you
know" continued the driver. I'm al
ways prepared. To tell the whole
truth about the matter, if | should re-
fuse to take him, or if / should make
his ride outside with me / should
lose my place"
well, lose it, then" said Fanny.
He shan't come in here"
1t was now the proper time for the
driver to lose his temper and speak
sharply
And, madam" he said, 81 say he
shall come in. I'm running this
stagecOach. l know my duty and
know my orders
Then turning to the old man he said
Come in, Be seated and make
yourself comfortable. l like to be
agreeable and please the ladies' bnt
l know my duty, and, knowing. dare
perform"
III
The matter was settled. the door
was closed and the driver mounted
his seat and drove off.
And so, you are a pauper." said
Fanny spitefuIly. "Of course it is very
pleasant for the young ladies to ride
down the valley with a pauper."
"Pity the sorrows of a poor old
man." said the new passenger Iaconi-
cally.
u don't pity anybody, snapped Fan
ny, who gets away down so low in
the world as to be a pauper. and then
comes and pushes himself into a stage
coach with respectable young ladies
who have respectable homes and res
pectable families"
yes, yes, SAID the old man.
Sometimes people can hardly keep
from being respectable They were
brought up that way, and it follows,
as a matter Of course, that they have
some responsibility about them, or,
rather the appearance of respectable
ity. But otherwise, they are dead
mems bones, so to speak. They may
even be whitened or whitewashed sep
ulchres. Probably it would be better