Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1883 — A Bad Place. [ARTICLE]

A Bad Place.

The country hotel is not a place of blissful repose, and there is one in Arkansaw which is rarely visited the second time by the same man. Several nights ago a gentleman, hungry, wet and tired, stopped at the place, and after partly satisfying his appetite with corn bread and bacon, went to bed. Just as he sank to sleep, a negro entered the room, shook the tired man, and said: “Boss, yer’ll hafter git outen dis bed. De boss’s son hab jes’ got married an’ hab fotch his wife home. Hate ter ’sturb yer, but de happy pa’r must hab dis room.” “Why didn’t you tell me before I took the room ?” said the tired man, arising. “Case da wan’t married den, sah.” “Didn’t you know' that he was going to marry?” “Sorter ’spicioned it, sah, but yer see de lady dun fooled de boss’ son three times, an’ we didn’t know but she w'as gwine ter fool him agin.” “I wish she had. I don’t see why people want to marry when it imposes a hardship on others. ” “Doan see myse’f, boss. Jes’ step dis way, an’ I’ll show yer a good room. ” The tired man was showm into a room w'hich could not h ive been much worse than the one he had just left, and which W r as certainly no better. He threw himself on the bed, and had probably been asleep five minutes, when the negro entered again, shook him, and said: “Hates ter in ter rup’yer, Colonel?” “Then why the devil do you?” “Showed yer in the wrong room, sah. Dis one hab dun been engaged by a travelin’ gentleman. ” “He can’t have it.” “I’d ’vise yer, boss, not ter argy wid him. Bad man an’totes a self-cocker. Show yer ter yer room, sah ?” The tired man follow'ed the colored gentleman to another room, which was little better than a stable. “Yer ken rest here, sah, mighty peaceable. ” The man was soon asleep, but after awhile he was aroused by the negro, who said: “I haster ’sturb yer agin, sah. Travelin’ man down stairs what ’gaged dis room. Said dates I didn’t give him de room or de dollar extra what he paid fur it, dat he’d kill bof ob us.” “Here, take him the dollar. ” “Thankee, sah. I feels safe now,” and he left. The next morning the man learned that there had been no marriage, but that the negro had been paid extra by travelers for the best rooms, and that the dollar secured him his room as the last man who arrived only offered the black rascal 50 cents. —Arkansaw Traveler.