The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-12-26

the enemy from the dim background o.
their drawing-room. We rung the bell.
Some scutiiing of feet and wh;spcrin"
from within, and the ringlctcd mad
came to present herself \ brief par
lev and we were ushcred into Mr.. Bobs-
by's presence and back parlor. In ad-
mirablv affected surprise, and with much
hvpocritical bonhom;e he received us,
and begged us to lie seated. He stood
himself ON the hearth-rug, rubbing his
hands and looking at us uneasily.
1--WE have called, Mr.. Bobsby, | am
sorry to say, on disagrceablc bust
ness, which | have no doubt You sus-
pcct."
Really, gentlemen, unless YOU have
come as dcputation, asking suhscrlp-
tons for something or other. | have
had at least dozen of them here i'll
the last two days. am quite at loss,
but "-bri@htening UP little-"l am
sure l am always glad to make the ac-
quaintancc of any nci@hhor"
Il could wish, Mr.. Bobsby, that the
acquaintance had commenced in more
pleasant circumstances. The turkey"
Mr. Bobsby's face suddenly cTouled
an agitatcd, impatient gesture, and,
glancing uncasily at the door, opened
it sharply, and closed it again suspi-
ciouslv
Didn't l tell you!' said Quiltcr,
nudging my elbow. Clear as mud
Leave the matter to ne H-h-m"
he began, clearing his throat, straight
cning himself in his chair, and assunl-
ing most judicial and imposing man.
ner It's a lad business, Mr.. Bobsby,
as my friend says,-a very bad business
indeed"
Mr.. Bobsby looked stupeiicd. GA
bad business ~ he repeated slowly and
half to himsc!f,-"a bad business p
What can YOU possibly know about it?
Few better businesses in the line; few
better, indeed"
"Thcn let me tell you, ST, the line
must be an abominably bad one and /
may warn you, moreover, a line exceed
ingly likely to twist itself into a halter,
if YOU go on as YOU have begun"
The little mans face blackencd again;
then it flushed up, as standing on the
hearth, rufiiing up Ike a pugnacious
bantam, he said, " / have no wish to lie
uncivil in my own house, gentlemen;
Lut won't be insultcd in it either, and
so tell you once for ALL"
Palette had got out a notebook and
pencil, and was dashing off, with the
facile hand of a master, our hosts adj
mirably feigncd indignation, probably
to be used hereafter in one of his great
pieces. Quilter, altogether forgetful Of
our proposed tactics, and hurried away
by professional feeling, was preparing,
| saw, to resume the address from the
bench where he had left off
" Permit mel said, rccolcct;ng Just
i'll time that our dinner was depending
on our diplomacy. "To come to the
point, Mr.. Robsby, we came to you
about a turkey"
We'll, sir" he said, expressing an
amazcment very real, or very admra-
bly, acted, "how YOU have found out
anything at all about the turkeys |
can't for the life of me conceive; but
now You have got at the secret, I'll do
anything YOU want You shall have
the turkey; I'm sure I'm always willing
to be ncighborly."
Ncighborly, sir! neighborlv! devil
ish neighbour Y rather too neighborlv,
| call it, to take in turkeys addressed
to me, and use them precisely as if they
were your own! Read that, sir! Had
YOU forgot yourself when YOU did not
tear that up smaller?' And | thrust
the fragment of card before his eyes
Bobsby read the same, without moving
muscle of his countcnancc
Well, sir; and what Of it ~ was
the sole remark he vouchsafed, and with
Il certain dignity.
"What of it, sir! OF all the unbIush-
ing-Why, that card, sir, is addressed
by Mr. Wurzel, of Wcstrepps, Norfolk,
and was tied to turkey :"
"Of course it was; and what then,
may | ask?".
| was fairly dumfoundcd by the mans
hardened conscience. "Whv, he must
be thief by habit and rcputc! He
must live by plumber and nothing clscw
| exclaimed, turning to Quitcr.
" Send for the policeman at once, re-
joined that gentleman. 81 can't stand
this; and devil take the dinncr!
Stop minute, gentlemen said
Bobsby, earnestly " It's absurd to be
angry for there must he some extrav-
agant mistake somewhere. Will YOU
just obligc me, before you do anything
further, by telling me in plain words
what YOU mean and what YOU want 2"
Quiltcr stated the case with beau
tiful concscness of precision.
The little man looked first astonished,
then anovcd, then savagciv angry
Finally he burst out into a roar of
laughter
"Now, sir, listen to me in turn. You
oblige me to let you into secret which
| should much sooner keep to myself;
but as YOU seem to have got hold of
part of it somewhere, | must ask you,
as gentlemen, to promise that it shall
go no further"
We bowed coldlv, but assentinglv.
"My name is Bobsby, as every one
knows. BY trade L am Il poultcrcr
and that is what | believed that no one
down here knew at all Mrs Bobsbv
accepted my hand only on condition
that | should always keep it dark.
am sole partner in the great firm in
Lcadcnhall, trading under the name of
Ploycr, Pigeon, and Company At this
season, in the way of business, of course
| get no end of turkeys from Norfolk,
and the best and primcst come from my
old acquaintance, Wurzcl, of Wcstrcpps
1t is always his that we use for our
selves, and at Christmas time, cspc-
cially, we have generally good many
going in the house. Wurzel does not
know my country address; but the card
yoH have picked up happened TO be tied
to the leg Of very fine bird that came
in after the great consignment,-for-
gotten, suppose, beforehand that
reached my shop only yesterday. He
|