The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-16 00:00:00

SATURDAY, AUG. 16, 1884

CALL RMITO lESBRVED.]

AMBITION'S LADDER.
zu Me Author of " Athcrstone Grange," "A Life fof
a Love,"c.

CHAPTER VIII.
CHANGE FOR A SOVEREIGN.
Auspicion always haunts the guilty mind.
The thief 'loth fear each bush an officer.
—Shakespeare.
ALICE. WOOD, after parting with the doctor, did
' not...lmmediately make his way back to the old
river-side house they had quitted together, but
crossed the river in a lounging, careless fashion as
it he was merely taking a pleasure stroll, and
turned up Parliamoat-street towards Charing-cross.
Here he leitered for some little time, glancing im-
patiently every now and then to the great illumi-
nated clock-dial that towered high above his head in
the direction from which he had come, till the
ponderous bands came close together at a quarter to
nine and the deep boom of the bell chimed out upon
the air.
As its last vibrating sounds died away a voice
behind the youth whispered his name. Be started
slightly, for the tones were strange to him, not those,
indeed, he had expected to hear, and glancing
• rap:dly over his shoulder he saw a policeman.
• "Did you speak to me ?" he asked, carelessly, but
under his breath.
"Yes," replied the man, in the same cautious
tones. "Don't take any notice, but cross over into
the square and wait against the further fountain.
I'll join you in a few minutes."
"Very much obliged, I m sure," coolly returned
Ali*, with a quick, enquiring glance at the man.
"But I don't know that I particularly want your
company."
"Don't you be quite so cheeky, my pippin,"
sharply returned the policeman. "I could do with-
out yours, for that matter, but I've got to obey
-orders, and my orders was to be on the look-out for
you from half-past eight to nine."
"Oh, were they now? And what for, pray F"
"Come, come! You know that as well as I do.
ain't made any mistake, I know. Pounceby gave
me too good a description of you for that."
" Pounceby ?"
" Oh! of course you don't know him! How
should you ?" sarcastically remarked the policeman.
• "Come, come. It's all square enough, I tell you,"
he continued, seeing that Aliok still regarded him
rather dubiously. "You needn't be afraid of me.
I've only got to give you a message from him, you

"From him ?"
"And who's him, pray?"
"Pounceby, of course. Who else should I mean ?
Don't be trying any of your innocence on me. You
know well enough what l'm talking about, so just
hook it off where I told you, and wait till I come
over. I shan't be long."
ts Alick obeyed. Sullenly enough indeed, for
taveral reasons combined to make him averse to being
.seen in such society as was thus forced upon him,
but others equally forcible made it impossible to
'refuse, and he crossed the wide expanse of roadway
into Trafalgar-square, where he was soon afterwards
joined by the policeman, with whom he walked up
and down for a short time in the shadow of the
column, conversing in a subdued undertone.
"I don't see why Pounceby couldn't have come
'himself," Alick remarked, in an ill-used tone. "I
don't like promises to be broken when they are made
to me, and he said that this affair should be,
altogether between us."
"I don't know, and I don't care what he pro-
mised," roughly answered ,the man. "All he told
me was to meet you and find out whether you had
-any fresh news for him. You say no?'
"Only so far as I've already told you," Alick- re-
plied, sullenly. "I can't make things move any
'quicker, or I would." -
" I believe you. However, it's no affair of mine.
All you're got to do, then, is to keep as quiet as you
can, and ,be careful of one thing."
"What's that ?"
"Not to put your own foot in it, Pounceby says,
as he can't answer for you're not being nabbed by
others as is on the look-out, and then you'd have to
take the same chance as the rest."
"That's all very well to say," answered the youth,
a little excitedly. "But how am I to help
myself?,
"Ah ! that's your look out, not mine. But I
daresay you'll be able to think of some plan. You
might slip on a piece of orange peel, you know, and
sprain your ankle so that it would be impossible to
move for a day or two, or be ill, or anything that
would keep you in-doors. A clever fellow like you
needn't be at a loss for excuses. However, manage
it your own way, only mind what I've told you."
And with this parting warning he lounged care-
lessly from the spot, leaving Alick to make the best
of his way back to,Larnbeth, happily ignorant of the
circumstance that a roup!e of well-attired, but some-
what slangy-looking individuals had witne sed the
policeman's departure from his side, though they
were at too great a distance to have caught any of the
preceding conversation that had taken place.
" Hallo ! that looks quisby, Sinclair !" remarked
one of them, with an uneasy glance at his com-
panion.
" }Pm !" dubiously exclaimed the other. " P'raps
it don't mean anything after all. I don't believe
•Alick is the sort of fellow to round on his pals."
"If he does it'll be the worse for him," said the
first speaker, looking after Alick Wood's receding
figure with a suspicious glance. "Anyway, I think
it would be as well to keep an eye on him, and let
the boss know what we've seen."
But this precautionary measure was not destined
to be put in force by Mr. Richard Turvey or his
. friend, commonly known among the villainous con-
• fraternity to which they belonged as Swell Sinclair,
a ttbriquet earned by his somewhat dashing appearanee and air of would-be-fashion.
Dismissing the subject of Alick's suspicious' be-
haviour for the time, they sauntered arm-in-arm
along Cockspur street and turned up the Haymarket,
• ' •where they entered a brilliantly-lighted cafe, and
leant carelessly over the bar while partaking of a
"Polly and B.,'' having drunk which they:eallqd for
cigars.
"If you've got any fit for a fellow to smoke, that
is," languidly drawled "Swell" Sinclair, addressing
the much befrizzed and gaily attired e
Il be who at-
tended to their wants. "Full flavoured, ray dear,
if yOu please."
"Certainly, sir. I think you will find them very
good,' replied the girl, placing a box before him.
"But if you'd like anything stronger I can fetch
some."
And leaving the'open box in front of them she
• tripped away to the further end of the counter,
where she exchanged a few hurried sentences with a
man who stood there, and then returned to her
customers laden with a fresh assortment of weeds
for their selection, recommending her wares with
great volubility, but casting frequent anxious though
furtive glances towards the shop door.
Ah ! these will do, my dear," drawled Sinclair.
"I'll take a half dozen, if you please and the
brandies and split—. There's a Sovereign."
The barmaid handed him his change with a polite
smile, even favouring him with an arch glance in
return for the gentle pressure he contrived to impart
to her finger tips in the operation of receiving it,
and then the two men turned to leave the lar.
They got no further than the door, however, for
there they were encountered by the man to Aom
the barmaid had spoken, and a couple of police
officers behind him.
"Nabbed, by the Lord !" exclaimed Turvey, with
a-fierce execration. "'Ware hawk, Harry !"
And he made a dart forward, but the attempt at
escape was fruitless, for a little crowd, scenting a
scene of some sort, had already collected outside the
door, and before another minute had passed both the
men were prisoners and securely handcuffed.
"I remembered them directly," triumphantly said
the girl, who had been the means of their capture.
"They came into our other place in Oxford-street
about a month acre, before I was transferred here,
and passed a bad sovereign upon me just in the same
way. Here's the one I took from them just now.
I never put it in the till, so there can't be any
mistake."
"No fear of that, miss," said one of the police-
men, winking at the captives. "We've had our
eye on these gents for some time, and it ain't the
first time as they've been in trouble; so come along,
04iny lads."
Which they were obliged perforce to do, thougn
"Swell" Sinclair attempted to bluster and carry off
his discomfiture with a high hand, threatening all
manner of penalties for a false accusation, but being
Met with no answer save a derisive chuckle from
his captors; and the two men were forthwith con-
y yed to the nearest police station there to be
,charged with attempting to pass base coin—mad as
they bore overwhelming proofs of thcir guilt about
the in the shape
ivorthless commodity
of a large reserve of the same
their application for bail WAS
.0i Course treated aSa 'remarkably good joke, and
they were consigned to separate cells, there to await
an interview on the following morning with the
sitting magistrate.
Meanwhile Dr. SamPson, finding on his arrival at
Chiswick that the friend whose counsel and aid he
sought in a matter which interested him much more
'deeply than he had betrayed before Alick Wood, was
away from home, and not expected back till late,
returned to his own abode at Clapham, and went to
bed. Hardly to sleep, however, for a crowd of
thoughts kept him awake for some hours, and he
was not sorry next morning to leave the be whereOn
he had gained so little repose.
Mrs. Waters, his houselieeper,itrhf -.insided
than
nr
her
the
iv
doctor's frugal breakfast-tge
r.1.w0 nights running
accustomed acidity of asp
had her master absented
hornnie
quiet,
hoerfeigi. n
luanr
ltyi
himself
in
an hour hitherto unheard of
conducted household which she ruled for him with
almost despotic sway, and no thet
a word of explanation
as to the cause had been vouchsafed to her. It was
more than flesh and blood could bear, and the house-
keeper resented it accordingly.
"Fine doings, upon my word 1" she said to.
life,her-
self, with-an indignant sniff. "At his time of
too 7 If he'c going to take to gallivantin'
hours he'll havo ir to find somebody as'll stand S
about all
h

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