GETTING RID OF A COLD BEDFELLOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7840, 8 January 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

GETTING RID OF A COLD BEDFELLOW.

A. wkll-kkown West countryman, who was in Newcastle a few nights ago (according to the Newcastle Chronicle}, having lost his train, returned to the public- where he had been imbiling an extra dose of liquor, and secured a bed for the night. A candle was handed to him, and he was directed to his room ; bat being somewhat "fou"' his unsteadiness of gait jerked the candle out of its socket, and he was thus left in darkness. He stumbled on till he found a bedroom— though not his own. Doffing his garments, he groped about successfully for the bed, but found that it already accommodated another lodger. He felt that his bedfellow was a more than usually "cold subject." "Man," said he, " ye're as oa'd as clay ; yer feet's like icebergs !" lie continued to push his uncomfortable neighbour along till the latter fell out of bed altogether. "There, noo," exclaimed our hero, " ye can lie there." He soon fell fast asleep. Next morning he was awakened by the noise of two stalwart men fumbling with his bedroom door, and then noisily entered with a coffin. The indignant corpse suddenly sat up and demanded to know why he had been disturbed. This was too much for the two joiners, who dropped the coffin and fled. The Bight of the coffin reminded our hero of his bedfellow. Be looked over at him for a moment, and then realised that his fellowlodger was a corpse. .He jumped out of bed, hastily snatched up his garments, and rushed from the house, half-dressed, to complete his toilet under the portico of the Central Station.