Year: 1861

| WagSery ana It's eHectS. lie toiu Ile tua'


he rarely travelled without playing some


such pranks, and related many funny


anecdotes Of his adventures and doings IT


that way. Among other things he infor


ormed me that he intended calling on a


lady at C., where my journey ended


introducing himself to her, astonishing her


a completely as possible. He lad a cor.


respondenee with her, he said, but had


never seen her, and expected an immense
deal of diversion from the affair, as he
knew all about her from some of her friends


whom be had met.


'.She doesn't know me from Adam,
said he "and will not be able to imagine
how on earth l could know her history
shall not tell her who really am at first,
but let her tax her powers of guessing for
a while"


l was quite interested in this odd affair,
and determined to keep an eye on all the
deaf gen,leman's movements and to assist
him, if possible, in making it as much of a
joke as could.


At small station town, not far from
G., we stopped to dine, and the deaf
gentlemen proposed new feature for the
lady's confusion.


IL will shave off my beard and whiske:s, !"
said he, ''leavipg only a moustache, like
yours. Then will exchange clothes and
call, first one and then the other. 1 will
tell you what to talk about, what revela-
tions to make; you shall feign deafness,
etc., and we will insist upon it that we are
one and the same person. What do you
say?"


The idea struck me favorably, and we
proceeded TO put in execution. My COM
panion shaved himself, and dressed his hair,
so as to resemble me somewhat, and after
exchanging garments, we took the cars
again for G-,while he told me what to
say to the lady when should call upon her.


found, on arriving at G., that l
need not have taken the trouble of the
trip. The business that took me there was
the removal ofcertain funds belonging to a
house in which l was interested, from the
c. Bank to another banking institu-
ton of same town, and some complications
of the account rendered my personal pres
ence necessary. But on arriving, 1 found
that the c. Bank had been robbed
three nights before, and not only my funds,
but all others, removed" to some place
unknown.


The confidential clerk of the establish
ment had disappeared on the night of the
robbery, and no doubt existed but what be
was the thief As much of the money was
in specie, however, he could not have
taken it with him in his flight; and it was
confidently expected he would return, or
send an accomplice, soon to remove the
booty from whatever place he had hid it
10, on his departure. Measures had been
taken to discover him or his accomplice in
that case, and the bank directors were san
guine as to his arrest, and the recovery of
the greater part of the money.


Having all business affairs thus taken
off my mind, and not having lost much of
anything myself, I concluded to stay in G
-, long enough to see if the robber
should be arrested and to witness the va
garies of my frend the deaf gentleman.


After setting this, returned from the
bank to dinner, at our hotel and telling
the deaf gentleman of the change in my
circumstances, proposed that l should call
upon the lady this afternoon. He thought
it would be as well to commence imme-
diately, and gave me particular directions
to the house, and a few additional cues for
my conversation, with which l set forth,
expecting good deal of amusement.


Unfortunately, however, I could not
find the house described by my compan-
ion. found the street, and the buildings
he described as being near, but the house
itself was not there, and l had long
search in vain for it. Ispent an hour or
two thus; and then thinking the deaf gen.
tleman must have been mistaken, returned
to the hotel, He was not there, and the
landlord said that he had gone about an
hour before to take the afternoon train
for New York, and had taken his trunks
with him!


Astonished beyond measure at this
new freak, 1 assembled to my room, and
found my baggage also missing. On the
table was letter directed TO me, and on
reading it, l discovered a solution of the
mystery.


The deaf gentleman was no other than
the confidential Clerk of G-Band.-
He had hidden the stolen money some
where about the hotel, and escaped with
just enough to purchase clothing, pay trav-
cling expenses, etc., but was determined 10
return for the rest as soon as possible
Fallig in with me, be bad taken the idea
Of exchanging garments with me, and
heightning the disguise by cleverly -feign-
ed deafness ;but not knowing how to broach
the subject, had paved the way for it by
a series of practical jokes, and then had
invented the story about the lady. The
letter closed with many thanks to me for
the use of my name, which he intended
adopting, and regret that his personation
of Inc compelled him to appropriate the
papers, and other articles in my
ling-bag-especially as he might not
be able TO return them, for his "helth"
demanded continent tour.


I instantly made these acts public, but
he had got fair start; and two days af-
terward, having hastened to New York, I
saw my own name among the departures
the Havre steamer. 1t is needless 10 add
that ravar net the daof oeptla man arein