BEECHNUT’S RETURN. 67

 

Beechnut takes a hack. Conversation with the hackman.

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course, he supposed the account was true. There was
nothing either in or about the letter to suggest any other
supposition. He was at first somewhat at a loss to know
what Phonny meant by saying that his half-hour was not
out, but he finally concluded that Mrs. Henry had limited
him to half an hour in writing his letter, on account of
the closing of the mail. He folded up the letter, put it
in his pocket, and walked rapidly along the passage-way
among the people that were going and coming.

“J must set off for Franconia,” said he, “ by the very
first train.”

There was a clock at the end of a building which stood
at the head of the street in which the post-office was
situated. This elock is a very noted time-piece, being:
known universally to all the people who frequent that
part of the city, as the State Street clock. Beechnut
looked up at this clock as soon as he got out upon the
side-walk and found that it was half-past eight.

“'The train leaves at ten,” said Beechnut, “I have just
an hour and a half to do all my business.”

He walked rapidly up the street till he came pretty
near the head of it, and then turned into another short
and narrow street on ‘the left, where he recollected to have
seen a hack stand. The hack was there. The horses
were standing patiently in the rain, while the hackman,
having got inside of his coach, was lying there in a corner
fast asleep.

Beechnut pulled him and waked him up.

“Flow much do you ask for your carriage by the
hour ?” said he.

“'To ride about town?” asked the man.

FZ