224 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE 



Avanted a little holiday, he took it, without a word 

 to any one. To a strict and keen business man 

 like Home these jiroceedings seemed particularly 

 strange, and were often, doubtless, the source of 

 much annoyance and Araste of time. He had 

 the unchallenged run of the offices, and Avas so 

 used to finding the Aarious managers aAAay, on 

 some pretext or another, that he Avould humorously 

 assume their absence on all occasions. With his 

 abrupt manner, he Avould burst boisterously into 

 a room, and exclaim — 



Ah ! Manager Number One out — 

 Gone fishing, no doubt ! 



At the next office, AAdiether the manager happened 

 to be in or not, he AA^ould enter AA^tli the same 

 assumption of his absence, and say — 



Manager Number Two 



Nothing to do — 



Of course, gone fishing also ! 



To his especial aAcrsion DaAnd StcA'enson, the 

 goods manager, Avliom he considered to liaA'C 

 usurped many of his firm's rights and privileges, 

 he AAOuld enter tragically aa itli — 



Aha ! Manager Stevenson — 



Gone about his private theatricals ! 



and fix the enraged StcA^enson Avith the haughty 

 stare common to the transpontine drama of the 

 time. The sting of it lay in the fact that 

 Stevenscm belonged to an amateur dramatic 

 society. 



Tlic goods de2)artment at Camden Avas taken 



