Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-08-17

went out, but presume she was the
thief. She must have dropped the
wallet into my skirts. My name is
Mary Gilman; l am a school teacher
from the country, and stranger here.
Your mistake will make me lose the
train"
The officers face showed no more
sign of attention to my remonstrance
than did the bright buttons on his
coat.
aWill you be so good as to come
to the station in half an hour" said
he to Mrs. Proctor. "You will merely
have to state the, case to the captain
of the district"
"You see it is your duty to the
community" put in another of the
group Of ladies who clustered around
US; "if you have no chance of getting
your money back, you should feel
obliged to bring the thief to justice
for the security of the rest of u.s."
Mrs. Proctor wavered. Abstract
justice seemed a very trivial thing
to her by the side Of sixty dollars.
at is by no means certain that the
money is gone beyond recovery yet"
said Officer Knox, reassuring her.
"When this woman is fairly frighten-
ed by seeing she is going to be dealt
with, she will be very likely to offer
terms, and put you in the way of get
ting it all back again. 1t is more Of
ten done so than to bring the case in
to court"
So to the habit of bargaining with
crime, which was rife even then, but
which the newspapers have only late
ly begun to talk about, | owed the
persistence of my accuser.
II will come there directly" she
said to the policeman; "and if the
money is got back" in a whisper ;
"che gold eagle shall be yours for
your energy in assisting me"
In the midst of the tumult Of tho is
and emotions suggested by my dread
ful predicament, | remember thinking
that the real pickpocket they took me
for was not whit worse morally than
these honest people conspiring for
their common advantage. But Mr..
Knox, in his imposing uniform, prob
ably cared little for my good or i'll
opinion. He offered me his arm,
with some politeneSs which had seen
his comrades of the force showing to
the ladies they escorted across the
snowy street. "Not that, at least,
said l, "let me walk before you or be.
hind you; you need not fear my run.
ming away" For had made up my
mind that Officer Knox was too stu.
pid to be reasoned with to advantage
Surely" thought |, ''thc captain be
speaks of will ave penetration
enough to see that his captive is not
a thief. A word of explanation in an
unprejudiced ear will at once release
me from this ridiculous dilemma. Il
must be that after twenty odd year;
of staid New England life, l have
enough Of manifest responsibility
bout me to satisfy a captain
of police" So | walked rapidly thro
the streets. in the direction which my
captor indicated, he following close
behind me, with an apparent uncon
sciousness of my presence for which
| was deeply thankful. He was suf
fciently near, at the corner of the very
interesting street, to show me tina
there was no hope of escape by sud
den flight, if had contemplated sucl
a wild man@uvre; and in the mids
of all my crowded thoughts as to tn,
methods to be taken to make my hon
, esty clear, there hummed over anC
, over again in my mind, like the bur
den Of some old song the words
"Driven like lamb to the slaughter
driven like lamb to the slaughter.
"Here we are" in the gruff voic,
of my guide, interrupted my musings
) and scattered my half formed plan
and carefully elaborated sentences OF
| explanation into chaos again. w
: ascended short flight of steps, ant
| entered a room wainscoted to the cell
} ing, in which a row of slaves, caps
[ and blue coats, hung against the wall
3 suggested to my distempered fame,
the night policemen here suspended
/, to take their rest in seemly erectnes
i and uniformity. Behind a woodel
railing sat a tall, burly man with
| prodigious length of preternaturall
e black beard, which he caressed anc
= smoothed, with a fat, white, ringet
/ hand, increasingly during my who'll
acquaintance with him.
I, "Ah, Knox, what now ?" said thi
b parsonage, looking through me at th
!; wall behind, with entire ease and over
r whelming dignity.
Big thing, Cap.," said my police
+ man, entirely overstalling my purpos
e of stating my own case before an III
:. prejudiced M d. party caugh
K picking a pocket in a store on m
beat. Pal, dressed in black like thi
i one, made off with the plumber befor
e l could lay hands on her. Empt
e wallet thrown away by this one whe
j. l proposed to search her. Lady con
ing here presently to identify her,
:. Sixty dollars in bills gone, and som
e small silver"
f 30 most discreet schemer," though
s ], with all my horror at the succinc
statement, "to avoid all mention o
;, your promised eagle"
e "If you please, sir" l began, whe
d the curtain of beard and mustaeh
" parted, ever so slightly, with the ques
e ton, "Seen her before, knox,"
= "Had my eye on her for severa
e days, Cap. Always keeps her We
u down, but know her by her genera
r rig and build. Think she is latel
e from New York"
), Ralph says it is part of the pre-
r fessional police etiquette to hav
~ knoun avarvhody hafora Rnt