The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-09-12

managing the business III the absence
| of Mr.. Block at Margate, He was
quite alone in the house at the time
Quite alone?" repeated Mr.. Bar
ford. Where then was the lad Davy
Jones?'
Was he not at The Traveller
lJoy 9h Mr. Starkie asked In some
surprise. He had sent the boy out
some twenty minutes before, TO get
two dozen, oysters and some ale, for
his (Mr.- Starkie's) supper. He ad
mitted that he had some words with
the boy, who was a very idle and i'll
behaved boy. Mr.. Starkie had fire.
quentIy had occasion to reprimand
him for his carelessness and inatten-
ton and neglect Of duty; and Mr..
Block was constantly complaining of
him. Il ease sG0a5tfA 9TWA -.
"A young limb, if ever there was
4 one. it's we'll known Mrs Barford
I commented.
f. Yet still Mr.. Starkie couldn't be-
lieve that the boy had any hand in the
attempt upon his life. lH 1t was curious,
however, Mr.. Starkie was compelled
to admit The boy had been long
time gone upon a very simple and.
He could have done all that he was
required to do In less than FIVE min
utes. Mr.. Starkie had fully expected
| to find Davy Jones at. Mrs. Barford' 8
house. s,D
A little group had by this time as
sembled in the passage of THE Tray,
eller's JOY" There had been sus-
the thirsty had emerged from both the
| arln ha tav 70 l.
sonal inquiry why their necessities
were not needed. But they, forgot the
object with Which they had approach
ed the bar, as they found themselves
auditors of the interesting converse
between Mr. Starkie and the landlady
Presently they were agreeing that
things looked very. black indeed as
against Davy Jones; and Mrs. Bar
ford's solemn denunciation De-
pend upon it that young limb Is at the
! bottom of the mischief" met with
general support. Itwas the universal
! opinion that the Boy had not been
called .iDayy Jones" for nothing.
just then the door opened. The
| boy himself entered, carrying dish of
oysters He walked to the bar as
coolly and unconcerned as might be,
and ordered jug of strong ale for Mr..
Starkie a..asassd s"ht -.a''-.
He was questioned as to what he
had been doing? where he had been?
why he had loitered?o He answered
! with prompt impudence. that that
was his. business; and that he had
seen no reason 10 hurry over Mr..
Starkie's errands, who was no master
of his. y Being pressed and threaten
I ed, he was little disconnected.
Finally he admitted that if they must
know, be had been playing 'pitch-and-
toss, with Tom the potb0y, of whom
| they might make inquiry on the sub
ject, if they listed. " Tom the pot
boy was discovered. and confirmed the
story. He said they had been play
| ing pitch and toss for a matter of ten
minutes, or, it might be, a quarter of
an hour. And ii they had been play
ing pitch and toss, both, boys de-
manded, with one consent, where
was the harm, and what need all that
to do about it2" ~.
ave know what pitch -aud-toss
leads to, my fine fellows said by
stander. severely. But, upon the
whole, Davy's judges were somewhat
shaken. He was, they he'd, either
/ altogether innocent, or else d harden
ed criminal; the latter for choice.
Suddenly Mrs Barford placed light
ed candle on the ground
IF he's been out In Blocks wharf
this night she said. 's'his shoes will be
covered with wet clay" 4rdesai
But, submitted to this test, Davy
came out triumphant. His shoes
were as clean as were Mr.. Starkie's
Indeed his appearance generally was
distinguished by an order and, neat
ness altogether new to him. There
was even some evidence to the effect
that his hands and face had been
washed recently in soap and water,
and that his hair had received the
unaccustomed benefits of brushing
and combing. Oct 81. ~ Pc s ....'
1T dosen't prove very much, y said
Mrs. Barford, thoughtfully, as she
took up her candle; I - for he has had
time to change his shoes" ~
1T would be difficult" Davy re-
marked, quietly. seeing that I've
only got one pair of them" 500 r y
iii see to the bottom of this, if I
die for it. | cant have such a seam
DIAL as this going onsin the peighbor
hood of The Travellers Joy"
Who's man enough to go round with
me and search the 'wharf?r demanded
Mrs. Barford, resolute!y.. p q a6 ~" =.
This inquiry had rather the effect of
thinninglth group that had collected
about the bar Many went quietly
back TO their seats in the tap-room
and parlor. They were men Of peace.
It was not their vocation to go in
question of murdererssand such like.