The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-08-06 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

before the young ladies,' Mrs. Churchill said, as she
caught her youngest daughter in her arms and saved
her from falling to the ground. 'You know how ill
Miss Madge is. Madge, dear, don't believe it; it isn't
true. Help me to lay her down, Mary, and do be more
careful in future what you say.'
I'm afraid it is true, ma'am,' Mary said, in a taw
tone. lam sorry I spoke so, but Miss Ramsay wasn't
here, and-'

Yciu thought we could all listen to such a story un-
moved, I suppose. Norah, see to her; she is coming
round. And now tell me what you have heard,' Mrs.
Churchill said, drawing the girl into the hall, and
pulling the door to after her. What is it? Every-
thing, mind. I thought there was something wrong
when Mr. Jarvis went off in such a hurry.' •
Mr. Hatherleigh'hasn't been seen since he was here
yesterday, ma'am,' Mary said, with much trepidation ;
at least only for a minute or so; and the report is
going about that he has been murdered, and that
Barney Grubb is to be arrested for it.'
Barney Grubb? What nonsense. What else have
you heard, Mary? What proof have they?'
It was some money, ma'am that that wicked little
wretch Ragged Jack tried to pass at Redwood's, the
grocer. He offered a shilling, with some mark upon
it, that Mr. Hatherleigh had had in his pocket only
yesterday. And the boy says that Barney Grubb gave
him the money, and Barney isn't to be found; and
the police are looking for him and-'
'And I dare say it is all a parcel of fibs,' Mary's
mistress said, feeling very uncemfortable, neverthe-
less. And you should have told me alone, and not
frightened Miss Madge so; she is not fit to hear about
murders and such horrible things. I will speak to
Miss Ramsay myself; such a piece of news must not
reach her ears in this sudden fashion.'
And so poor Madge's heart-sickness and terror
passed unnoticed by all in the general dismay, and
was set down to weakness and nervousness even by
Nora!), who was full of sympathy for Helen, to whom
her mother went at once for fear the news shou'd
reach her unawares. She was relieved to find that
Mr. Jarvis's visit had already prepared the way for
doubts and fears about Frank, and she and Helen
sallied forth to enquire for themselves if there was
any truth in the strange story that Mary had brought
home.

Helen longed to go to Madge, and comfort her, but
she deemed it best to leave her alone till she had some-
thing definite to tell her; and she was terrified beyond
measure herself now that Mr. Jarvis was not here to
cheer her. At the police office they found confirma-
tion of their fears. Mary's story was true in its most
important particulars; they were even then in search
of Barney Grubb, who was not at home when he was
sJught for at the ferry house.
Just at dusk Ragged Jack, who was very well
known indeed in the town, had presented himself at
the counter of Mr. Redwood's shop and demanded a
quarter of a pound of good tea. The magnitude of
the order as proceeding from such a customer as Jack,
made the shopman look up, and the proprietor, who
was behind the counter himself, came forward to keep
an eye on the young gentleman, who, without having
the reputation of dishonesty, exactly, was looked upon
as always ripe for. any sort of mischief that presented
itself.

He had just heard from the Superintendent of Police
at Hillford, with whom he happened to be on very
friendly terms, of the strange disappearance of Prank
Hatherleigh, and the matter was uppermost in his
thoughts. He had gathered from what his acquain-
tance had said that the police suspected mischief,
though they were quite at fault where to look for any
clue.

'Now, then, youngster, look alive with that money
of yours. Tenpence halfpenny ; you wanted it 'good,
you know.',•
It was the shopman who spoke to Jack, who had
clutched his parcel and was struggling with a handful
of money, silver and copper, the latter predominating,
which was all mixed up with bits of string and various
other articles with which his pockets were filled.

'All right, guv'nor,'he said, selecting a shilling and
laying it down on the counter. 'I can pay for it.
Don't you be in a hurry; I've come into a fortune, I
have.'

An unlucky speech of Jack's, and one which made
his troubles worse for him when they did come. Mr.
Redwool took up the shilling as Jack received h s
change, and to his shopmaes amazement, rushed out
after the boy, shouting,' Stop him—stop him.'
Jack was stopped, and brought back without much
trouble; he was too much amazed to be very contu-
inacious ; and the policeman who caught him, in
obedience to Mr. Redwood's orders, gripped him in
such a particularly nasty way that he could neither
kick or bite, nor use his hands comfortably, to free
himself.
I haven't done nothing,' he said. What am Ito
be took for?' _

'Hold that tongue of yours, you young viper,' was
the only reply which the officer deigned tr+ make. 'lf
you hadn't done anything, what shou:d IL. Redwood
want you took up for? Ah, would you? You'd
better be quiet, and come along a bit faster, or it
will be the worse for you.'
Jack had made one frantic effort to free himself,
in which there was considerable giving way of his
ragged apparel, but he thought it better on the whole
to take the policeman's advice and he suffered himself
to be taken back into the shop, with an admiring mob
at his heels, whom the shopman promptly shut out,
while Mr Redwood took the policeman and the boy
Into his private room.
'This boy knows something about Mr. Hatherleigb,'
he said, quietly; and Jack turned white at the words
under his dirt, as if to give confirmation to them at
once.

This shilling belonged to Mr. Hatherleigh,' the
grocer said, producing the coin that the boy had pre-
sented in payment. I saw it yesterday in his pos-
session, and he told me then he would not part with
it for anything that could be offered him. I think he
said it was his father's, and there was some history
at:ached to it. But I could swear to it anywhere.'
It was an old shilling—a lion shilling; but it was
very oddly defaced. The head had been turned into
a face with a broad grin on it, and the reverse had
been ornamented with a scroll of lettering too small
to be read without a glass. Frank Hatherle'gh had
gone into the shop the day before for some cigars—
Mr. Redwood sold almost everything, and prided him-
self in his knowledge of tobacco; and had pulled this
particular shilling from his pocket—just as Ragged
Jack had done—but he took it back in a moment.
Not that one,' he said. I don't suppose it would
pass, and if it did, I would not part with it for any-
thing,'
He showed it to the shopkeeper, and repeated that
he should believe his luck in life was leaving him if
anything took that oddly-marked coin from him.
'lt's my luck,' he said. 'lt was my father's before
me, and I fancy his father's too. I never go any-
where without it. I must have a hole drilled in it
and hang it to my watch chain. It is a curiosity in
itself.'
Mr. Redwood had taken it inhis hand and examined
it; there could not be another like it, and Jack could
not have come honestly by it.
Jack, very much terrified, declared that he had, he
never stole any of the money. He had earned it
honestly, though he declined to say bow; he was not
ready with the story he had told his father about
going out for a day's work, and he bunged a good
deal in his assertion that the money was his, he didn't
know anything about Mr. Hatherleigh, that he didn't
the money was given him every farden; no, Mr.
Hatherleigh never gave him any, it was Barney
Grubb.' _ . _ _ -

Barney Grubb!' Mr. Redwood said, 'How did he
come by Mr. Hatherleigh's shilling.'
Jack declared he didn't know one shilling from
another, Farney had paid him the money, and it was
his. He wouldn't say anything more, and he resisted
vehemently the turning out of his pockets by his
enemy the policeman, which turning out resulted in
the discovery of a neat knife which Mr. Redwood
declared Frank Hatherleigh had used to cut one of the
cigars he bought.
It was all very mysterious, and the news ran like
wildfire through the town that something was coming
to light about the missing man, and that Barney
Grubb was likely to be arrested on a charge of
murdering him. Meantime Jack was detained and
his money confiscated till he could give a better ac-
count of how he came by it and the knife.
Jack was tolerably self-possessed in his misfortune;
he protested his innocence vehemently, and declared
that Barney would see him through if he were there.
Barney gave him the money for something he did for
him. Barney often gave him a shilling for odd jobs.
Barney was very good to him.
'lf I could only see Barney,' he said, 'only speak to
him a minute, he'd tell you all about it.'
You'd better hold your tongue,' the policeman in
charge of him said, 'you'll wish you had'ut said so
much maybe by-and-bye.'
No I shan't, I haven't done nothing,' Jack pro-
tested again ; 'if that's Mr. Hatherleigh's shilling, he
gave it to Barney.'
And the knife,' the policeman said. You had
better hold your jaw, or you'll talk yourself into the
hingnian's grip you will, and he won't loose his hold
in a hurry.'
'A knife in a fellow's pocket don't make him a
murderer,' Jack replied, with an uncomfortable sea-
sat on about his throat at the policeman's words.
'Mr. Hatherleigh has given me many a thing one
time and another, and this knife's one on 'ern.'
Then he gave it you since yesterday, and where is
lie?' was the quick response. I told you to hold
your tongue, young one; you'll just hang yourself if
you don't take more care:
(7'o be continued.)

reason why
asueeowneod et
oa r tbhelcyo
me medical
men.woßmir should ua bn
oe t cbaen
No:rum so completely upsets a man as to tre d
tinni, sinull reel of cotton at the top of the stairs .a
'way ouvlit superstitious people to be necessaril
temperate ?--Because they are afraid of spit its.
IT is never too late to mend; but a man cannot
expect to have a button sown on much after mid-
night.
A El rt. ;LAB alarm clock went off the other night
without arousing the family. went off with the
burglar.
ALL tLingia comes to him who waits, but Unless you
tip him liberally he is apt to be slow in comirg with
the things.
How is Smith getting alono. Is he as regular in
his habits a 3 he used to be..—O; he was sober twice
last W22IL,