Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-07-06
nli5lflIaneolls.
CURIOUS HOW THINGS COME ABOUT
SOMETIMES.

AT the distance of milo and half from a
certain large town in the west of Scotland, there
stands, about gunslot from the public road, u
neat little cottage, or self-contained house. with
circular green in front, trim gravel walks,
and tidy, well-kcpt garden. A good many
years ago, this little, pleasant, modest residence
was occupied by a Mr.. james Warrington, an
extensive jeweler and matchmaker in the CITY.
Mr.. Warrington was at this time in rcspecta-
BILE circumstances, and bore the character of an
upright and worthy mana character which he
justly deserved. His family consisted of him
self, his wife, two sons, and two daughters.
The latter, respectively, were twelve and four
teen years of age the former, seventeen and
twenty-one. The name of the eldest of the
two sons WAS Edward-a young man of excel
lent disposition, agreeable person and manners,
and correct principles.
At the time our story opens, Edward War
rington was paying his addresses to a young
lady of the name of Langdalc and as the at
tachment of the youthful pair was approved of
by their parents, they both looked forwa I'd to a
happy consummation of their intimacy In
truth, their marriage was only delayed until
Edward should have been formally and legally
installed partner in his fathers busincss--a
proceeding which, it was proposed, should take
place 50 soon as Mr.. Warrington had completed
some large payments for plate impending-it
being deemed advisable that the concern should
be entirely free at the period of Edward becom
ing partner. 1t was expected that this would
be accomplished in about six months. Matters,
then, stood in this position with the family of
MIR. Warrington, when the latter returned one
morning from the shop-it was Monday morn
ing, the only one on which he was in the habit
OF going to the shop before breakfast, in state
of great agitation and excitement. On enter
ing the house, he hurried into little back mar
lor, followed by his wife, in great alarm at the
unusual perturbation he exhibited. and flung
himself on sofi, in state of distraction. It
was second or two before he could speak. At
length, Jess" he said, addressing his wife,
"we are ruined-utterly ruined. The shop
has been broken into between Sunday night and
this morning, and at least five thousand pounds
worth of plate and watches carried off. have
been along with the police through all the most
blackguard haunts in the city, but can dis
cover no trace of either the thieves or the goods
The police say that the robbery has been COM
mitted by experienced hands, clean and clearly
done, as they call it; and that there is great
doubt of any part of the property ever being
recovered" -
AT the time this misfortune happened, young
| Warrington was from home he was on jour
ney for his father and the first intimation he
had of it was from newspaper paragraph,
headed Extensive robbery of silver plate and
watches" On hearing the distressing intclli-
gence, which, howeycr,h hoped might not turn
out so bad as was represented, Edward War
rington hurried home. On his arrival at his
father house, he found as might have been
expected, the family in the utmost distress, and,
to his further grief, discovered that the extent
of the robbery stated in the newspapers had not
been exaggerated
For many weeks the Warringtons INDUCED in
hopes, which, however, became daily more and
more faint, that some clue would be found to the
robbery, and portion, at least, of the stolen
property be recovered. These hopes were never
realized the robbery had been, as the police
said, clean and cleverly done. No trace of the
perpetrators, or of any part of the property,
was ever discovered.
In the meantime, the last of the bill due
by MIR. Warrington for the shop, or, rather, for
the plate that had been in the shop, for it was
OF this plate he had been robbed--became due,
were paid, punctually paid, and this worthy
person left almost literally without sixpence.
The ruin which had overtaken the Warning
tons, in the distressing and unexpected way
mentioned, put an end for the time to the pro-