Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-10-05
MISSED A TREAT.
Too Late the Sleepy One Learned
Who Ais Companion Was.

Who Nts Sompeo'"" WIS.,"
Denver mining man who was an
old time Californian tells the follow
,nr rather Interesting narratives "scme
thirty years ago was traveller IN
staucoach on n trip Into The s'efras'
Thcrc was but one other passenger
snd he knew how a. talk, could ace
fha, he was no ordinary PILGRIM nut
WAS tired | had had little or NO sleep
for three nights. took u Tor grant
| pd that We would be together the noNt
| day. and resolved that | would show
him then that could listen lie seem
ell quito iuclincd, however. {" hc com.
| municatlvc. l fell asleep In the m'us'
| NJ several stories which l knew were
away out OF the ordinary stagecoach
tales. But in spite OF this when
would rouse myself my fellow traveller
would start on another story. While
wondering how the previous one hau
ended fell asleep In each succeed
ing story.
Somewhere on the mountain road
the storm passed, or we passed 1T
don't know which, remembered
looked out and saw the stars. look
cd I'D and saw the snow was glinting
on the mountain tops. Then l motto
ed that my companion was gone. IN
, his place was another passenger. l
recognized him at once as the driver,
Il 10
: left earlier in the evening. lie SEEM
s ed to be asleep, but 1 was now wide
e awake. l shook him. 1t required
I some effort to bring him out or his
stupor. What are you doing in here Z
. asked. He replied that he was try
/. ing to sleep and did not know why he
\ should not be permitted to do So
D Where is the passenger who got IN
n here with meT l inquired. Driyin
e m there He knows the road was
Il the answer got.
!, docs the company allow its driv'
= ers to turn over the reins to any pas
senger who comes along and does II
y hermit It's drivers to ride in the coach
eel esp | asked somewhat Indignantly
!" To the mischief with the company,
k he replied. The man that's out there
on the box knows more about thl'
country than the whole stage company
He's human, and that sorts skase
Understand? When we stopped bacl
Wonder to tighten nut he got out ant
gimme q hand. We'd been thar VI
but fer him. Then he fell to a-ques
IS tionin' me. and when he finds out
amt had no lay Off in purity nigh f1ft
hours he says to me, "Git inside tina
and I'll see that we git thar" he says
4, go in" he says, cor I'll leave you O
the road" So 1 got in. He got VI
That's all there is to it. How do 20
80 like 1t? Amt skeered, are your
NJ made no reply. 1 crouched down /
nv corner and closed my eyes.
ut was daylight in the mountain
Ill when l awoke. The SUBMITS wei
ne aglow with sunshine. l was alon
'er Then we pulled into another woode
town. similar to the one we had lie
the night before. l got out and shoe
myself while the relay was BEN
IN made. Where's your partner WI
drove for your 1 asked the drive
who was biting Off a section OF lor
he plug. He left me some miles bacl
las was the reply. Said he had to
asst some business for the state. Said
give you his-I don't just rememb
what it was Compliments l
ouired. That sounds somethin' IL
It. Reckon it was. Said for me
give you this when you woke up, II y
ever did, He handed me card as
spoke. 1 did not recognize the mai
is1ss then, but l put the card away as
souvenir Of the journey. Some yea
later in looking over a bundle OF
pers it turned up. The signature W
trihe dim, but there 1t was writ
diagonally, Francis Bret Harte.' L
NE card Is under a glass paperweight
% al my desk in my Office. Money could
s'e q buy 1t. But think Of what missed
west not staying awakev-Denver Field a
| Farm