Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1859-03-31


toned the children to be quiet and we sat
down to table without him. After break
fast, the gentlemen started for their places
of business, and everything proceeded as
usual till noon; but still Mr.. Alberts did
not make his appearance, and l began to
feel rather surprised.
It was about noon, when two men, stout
and stalwart, and wrapped in huge grey
coats, knocked at the basement door, and
before any one had time to open it, stepped
into the entry.
.'Beg your pardon, ma am" said the first
man. ''Beg your pardon, but is there any
gentleman by the name of Scraggin board
ing here?'''
.'No, SIR [ replied.
"Nor any one named Philips?" inquired
the man.
''No, sir"
perhaps the name is Alberts p said the
other. stepping forward.
..There is gentleman named Alberts at
present in the house," replied.
"Ah then you will be kind enough to-
ask him to step down a minnie p said the
first speaker.
"Certainly-if you will walk into the par
lor will call him." said.
Accordingly, the two men proceeded to
the floor above, while [ sent Biddy to sum
mon Mr.. Alberts. After great deal Of
knocking, she returned with the information
that she could not make him hear. 'And
what is more, man," she continued, ''the
window out into the roof of the shed is open,
and the curtains blown out of it, and itseems
as though there was no one in it at all"
Take my word for it that the room is
Iempty-the bird has fown," said the first
imam. -
owe must unlock the door, and make
sure, however," said the second.
[ stood there in perfect astonishment as
they pronounced these words, and placed,
lat the same time, two stars upon the bosom
of their coats. s'What could it all mean p
| I thought.
Tsa 9ssA surprised 4atp9ss %aa% 9as ND f IF IF
berts came the good. intellectual kind Of
body over you, didn't he?-said his prayers,
like good boy, and all that, eh %
"He certainly seemed to be very good
person" replied. "In fact, I see no rea-
son TO DelleVe MIN OTHERWISE.
mop replied the man "Just look
round and see if you miss anything. 1t is
curious if you don't"
Miss anything?"
eyes, ma'am. Have you counted your
silver, or seen your jewelry this morning!'
said the man.
Oh! what start the words gave me |!
[ flew into the back parlor, for, be it known
that in certain drawers of the book case
kept my silver forks, my surplus money and
several articles of jewelry. The drawers
were closed. I tried them. The locks
were broken, and the contents gone; and
Mr.. Alberts-the amiable, virtuous, pious
Mr.. Alberts-was the thief.
It was his particular forte-so the police
men told us-to impose himself upon per-
sons who advertise, for boarders, as con-
scientious young man, and, after insinuating
himself as deeply as possible into their con-
fdence to take French leave in company
with their valuables. ] discovered after
wards that during Biddy's absence for the
purpose of buying candy, Fanny had inno-
Gently revealed to him the contents of the
bookcase drawers, so that his task was rem
dered comparatively easy
Oh! how I felt how provoked I was
with myself! But, between you and I, it
was great consolation to know that we were
all in the same box-although John who
expressed such an exalted opinion of the
amiable Mr.. Alberts, declared that he had
not been deceived for a moment.
It was still greater consolation to get
our forks back again, however, and to re-
ceive the news that Mr.. Alberts was resi-
dent of Sing Sing, which we did in less than
a fortnight.
P. 81 have come to the unalterable
resolution never again to advertise for sin
gle gentlemen to board
@-It is a lamentable proof of the i'm
perfect ideas we all have of civilization and
proper mental cultivation, that in proportion
as education and civilization are supposed to
be progressing among us, insanity is also on
the increase. According to DR.. Curwen,
Superintendent of the State Lunatic Hospital
at Harrisburg, out of 1 ,049 cases since that
institution went into operation, only SOP
have any recognised occasion. OF them,
1O5 have been of i'll health; 1877 from do
mestic trouble; ga of these are females.
Religious excitement Of all kinds, including
Millerism and Spiritual Rappings, II; in
temperance, 27; and opium eating, and loss
of money, and mortified pride, and politics,
with other excesses and immoralities, foot
up about 55 more. There are over 400 sim
gle or widowed men insane, to 3l9 married.
Rf your wife runs away, don't you
run after her, for if you do. there will be