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


an unreasonable odor. We shifted and
shifted; there was no mstaking it
As often on previous occasions, it let
us into the secret of what was going
on in our neighbours kitchen Early as
it was a turkey was roasting there.
"Please, SIR. just then exclaimed
our excited cook, needless of ceremony,
and plunging head foremost into the
room,- please, sir, them Bobsh.-s is a
cookin' of our turkey, and Eve been out,
and looking in at them; and-and-
and there's another lying on the
dresser"
| rose, rather excited myself, | must
confess, but l expressed myself with
dclibcration and severity.
"In any other circumstances, Mrs.
Brown, l should consider it beneath
contempt to play the spy upon neigh
Dor, whatever ! may think Of his gen
cral conduct fl do it now, it is only
in discharge of a duty that | owe to
society and to ourselves, in bringing
him, if necessary, to condign punish
ment. l believe | could swear any
where to Westrepps turkey, and shall
proceed to satisfy myself at once as to
the question of this Bobsby's guilt or
| innocence"
Yes, for goodness sake, go at once"
exclaimed my wife; and putting on my
hat, l sauntercd out at the door, down
the little gravel walk, and then lcisurely
back again; gazing the while stead
tasty into the kitchen next door. The
turkey then revolving on the spit was,
for judicial circumstances, beyond the
reach of satisfactory identification, but
the companion bird, reposing on the
dresser, Illuminated by the full blaze of
the glowing firc,-his points, his shape,
his plumpncss,-hc was a Westrcpps
fowl all over | felt that | could swear
to him among thousand. go, come
this is really too much of good thing.
| am to lock on turkcycss, while that
splendid bird, almost member of the
family too, is handled familiarity by
strangers :"
\ merry Christmas to YOU, and
many Of them, Brown, said and repeat
cd duet of friendly voices, and Quill
ter and Palette came stalking into the
little garden. took Quiltcr and Palette
into the house, and had the satisfaction
of pouring my tale of sorrow and anger
into svmpathizing ears. As | had fore
seen, they showed themselves at least
as indignant as ourselves Palette gave
forciblc expression to his feelings, with
the most deliberately studied dramatic
features to match. After the first out
burst, it was very different with Qu;ltcr.
Here was an opening for the display OF
his professional sagacitv. TO bring the
culprit to justice and the turkey to table
would be a triumph of his powers, and
at the same time give the bird zcst
that no sauce that artistic had ever pro-
jcctcd could come up to. He threw
himself heart and soul into the Case
He put myself my wife, and our maids
through the most searching of cyami-
nations. He collected and arranged
the facts, and drew from them dcduc-
tons most fatal to the character of
Bobsby. But The proofs,-thc proofs
he said, impatientlv "You profess
yourself willing to swear to the turkey.
4 do not see that YOU can do more than
identify the breed. You see you never
knew the individual personally. If we
could manage to trace him indeed. I'll
just step down to the railway, and take
the evidence of all the porters, extra
judicially, you know. You'd better
show me the turkey before l go. His
personal traits will guide me in any
questions l may have to put to them.
SO we took him out into the garden,
and, armed him with an opera-slass,
and Mrs. Bobsby, watchful at her first
front window; detected him as she be-
lieved, and with my connivancc, ogling
her chignoncd mad-servant and bounc-
cd down stairs accordingly. Meantime
Quilter had been looking about him.
He stretched his arm over the partition
fence, and picked up the torn fragment
of an address card.
In an inquiry of this kind, nothing,
however trivial apparently, is unimport-
ant" he remarked; and then, as he
read off the inscription, he turned round
to me, ill-concealcd triumph bcaming
from his sharp grey eyes. What did
YOU say was the name of that Norfolk
farm ?"
"The farm ?-oh! Westrepps. Why
do you ask"
And YOU say that You have had
nothing at all sent you from there late
ly"
Why, of course, I'll swear they
sent that turkey, and old Bobsby stop
ped it."
go yes; of course they did But
nothing else, | mcan?"
"No, nothing whatever"
every good then; by Jovc we have
him! You may send round and fetch
a constable. | should say even for Il
first offence of the sort they can hardly
give him less than fortnight and hard
labor Look thcre!' And he held be-
fore my astonished eyes the damning
evidence of Bobsby's guilt. The card
indeed had been torn across, but on the
half picked up was written, in bold
characters, in old Mr.. Wurzels familiar
hand, From Wcstrepps Farm"
Look here" suggested Palette, who
had hitherto left the affair in Cutters
hands. "You've carried the matter so
far, and very croditablc to you it is;
but if you hand this respectable Mr..
BobsDy over to the law, why you'll have
to hand over the turkey too; in the
meantime at least, remember that. Got
anything else for dinner, Brown, eh ?"
Quilter and stared blankly in each
others faces.
No, by Jove! there's something in
what Palette says"
And nothing in the lardcr, l sup
pose you mean. Well, but we can't let
the bcggar slip through our fingers
demonstrated Quiltcr.
81 You'd better not let that turkey
splendid fliow Le seeins. By The by
slip through your fingers retorted Pa
lette. 81 vote for compromise"
"Compounding Il felony" murmured
Quiltcr, visibly rclenting.