Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-10-25

u
them, for could feel their bristles through
the leather. Under these circumstances
the expenditure of seven and sixpence III
an advertisement in the Times was not tC
be dreamed of, and made up my mind tC
communicate with the police" There
was also something authoritative, and
| which seemed to confer importance upon
one, in such an act. People who are des-
cribed as g taking that very proper course,
in the newspaper, always strike one In the
light of public benefactors. Moreover
although nothing was really ever further
from my thoughts (and think may add
even from B's) than to appropriate that
carpet-bag or its contents to my own uses,
yet there was certain sense of sclfsacri-
flee in the action, or, at all events, of the
most heroic honesty Aristides himself
could not have behaved more justly: it was
a proceeding that even DracO would have
| spoken of from the bench, thought, in
terms of the highest praise. at all events,
l should be looked upon by the police au-
| thorities-accustomed to deal with persons
actuated by such very different sentiments
with something more than cold respect
In word, / don't remember to have ever
felt more selfcomplacent than when | took
my way, after luncheon, the next day "a
Saturday., to the nearest police station,
with the intention of supplying the Inspec-
tor with that mysterious mental aliment
which Sir Richard Maync calls "informa
| ton received"
Having reached the Office, and being told
| by the policeman on duty in the ante
chamber to "pass on'-as though were
an apple-Woman obstructing the pavement
i soon found myself in the presence of
\ rio nd he ,,1iv 11fn not
inspection from that sagacious person
His eye measured me, as though he had
| been my tailor, from my head to my knees,
and doubtless would have gone further,
and literally taken the length of my foot,
but for great counter which interviewed
| between him and me, and curtailed his in.
vestigations, although by no means his
curiosity. | never was SO looked at before
| in all my life and it was at this moment
| began to feel regret that had SO enjoyed
| the misfortunes of those three victims to
the division at the Crystal Palace
81 have found carpet bag" said |, IN q
lhesitating tone. .....
Umph !" returned the Inspector, turn
ing over the leaves of great ledger, and
looking as though he was about to mention
that it was his duty to warn me that any
| admission that / might make would be
used against me. "Umphp repeated he,
still more severely that is very odd
| thing to find, sir, indeed"
Now, really, put it to any one, acaS this
fair? Why should he have said that !?
| We were in London, populous city, where
almost everybody who possesses change
| of raiment also owns u carpet-bag, and is
liable to lose it. If the celebrated New
Zealander had arrived, and was, with his
scantily -attired nation, solely in the occu-
patton of the metropolis, such an innuendo
could have been hardly justified; but as it
was, it seemed to me quite insulting.
"Sir," said |, Cunning, | have no doubt,
| very red), az found it in hanson"
"Ah!" returned the Inspector, with the
fierce exultation of wild animal who fan
ces he scents blood, "you found it in a
hanSOm."
eyes" observed ], with irritation; GIVE
got it now | don't want it. You may
send for it if you like"
"Be good enough to" No, that's just
what he did not say. Gratitude l had
ceased to expect from this person, but L
did expect common civility, and | was dis
appointed.
Estate the circumstances" was all he
said and he took up his pen and wrote
them down with malignant deliberation.
At this point began in my minds eye to
see the court in the Old Bailey, not from
the grand jury box, wherefrom had be-
held it in the flesh, but from the point of
view enjoyed by the prisoner in the dock.
| Suspicion, arrest, conviction, Qor all |
knew penal servit ude for life, was what |
now expected, instead of that autograph
letter from the Home Secretary compii-
menting me upon my sagacity and recti-
! tude, with the receipt of which my ima-
| gination had flatteredme as L came along.
CHOW, sir" said he, gloomily, when |
had quite finished, "you have done very
| wrong, and something entirely unjusti-
fable"
| Dear me, dear me! how | wished |
had let B carry home that carpet-bag, as
he had so pressingly offered to do, instead
of me. How I wished had put it behind
the fire. How wished was going to sail
for Otaga that evening, per clipper ship
Swiftsure, whose departure | had seen ad-
vertised on the wall of the police-station as
1 came in. Every detail of what had re.
marked coming along the streets crowded
before my eyes, just as the novelists DIES
Icribe them to do in the cases OF condemned
or moribund persons The Inspectors
accents smote upon my ear like the strokes
OF passing bell.
"Your manifest duty, sir, was to inform
the cabman that the property in question,
very likely documents of priceless
WORTH"
Ono" interrupted I, hastily; {" hair
| brushes" The next moment, by the ex-
preston of his face, felt that had made
/ a great mistake.
Hair-brushes !" said he. slowly, suiting
the action to the word by slowly strokihg
one of his mutton-chop whislers: then
you've opened it, have your"
mo, no." said /, imploringly "none Of
our keys would fit the lock-" Here | saw
that had made another unfortunate mis-
take.
| 40, indeed!'' was all the Inspector said
but he looked volumes,--the whole -four
volumes of the Newgate Calendar
"Your obvious duty, IN the first tn
stance" returned he, with meaning, "was
to have given up the property to the cab
man in order that it might have been a
once conveyed to the Lost Parcels OF
flee"
"Dear me-" cried i, with sudden vehem
ence, &C so ought, of course! l quite for
got about the Lost Parcels Office"
"Ah, you knew of it, then, but you for
got it," returned the Inspector in tone o
sarcasm that have heard my brother-in
law, who is country magistrate, use to
poachers found with paltridge-nets in theil
accidental possession. You will be goO(
enough to favor me with your address"
/ gave it him, of course. ] would have
made him q nresent of the lease of my